LUCTONIANS player Dan Smith believes the club had to make changes to their set up in order to progress.

The Mortimer Park club have deemed the position of director of rugby to be surplus to requirements, resulting in Alex Davidson being made redundant.

Ryan Watkins, who has been working with the backs, will now step up next season be the head coach.

"I think it's something that the club needed to do in terms of restructuring otherwise we would end up like we were two or three years ago when we were just about staying in the league," said Smith, who will also leave the club at the end of the season to live in New Zealand.

"What Alex has done for us is massive and I think the club would have gone down in the first season he was here if it wasn't for the professionalism that he brought.

"I think he will be a huge loss, but Ryan has got a great link-up with Worcester, which will help him in managing those players, but it's about getting the right balance."

Smith believes his brother Alex, who is the captain of Luctonians, will be key in working alongside Watkins.

"Even though Ryan is not a Luctonian and is in essence an outsider, Alex will be there to make sure that everyone sticks to the values that makes Lucs great," said Smith, who has stepped into his brother's shoes due to Alex being injured.

"We have the most home-grown players in the league, but it's also important that we have older players around as well."

Davidson believes that player recruitment will be Watkins' toughest job.

"Ryan has got some great links with the Worcester Academy, but he will need to get a pack that can compete for 30 games," said Davidson, who is also stepping away from his coaching role at North Midlands RFU.

"We really struggled in the back line and I think we never really replaced Jimmy Norris, who was a natural leader.

"I was recruited on July 1, 2010 and and the goal then was to stay at level four.

"I was very fortunate to have players like Paul Hulland, but players started to retire in 2013/14 and it became more difficult to recruit a group who could step up a level."

Injuries to key players have hit Lucs this season and at one stage they went on a 10-game losing run before they managed to turn the corner and secure their National League 2 North status for another season.

Smith was one player who missed a large chunk of the campaign and he said it was important that some of the young players stepped up and became leaders.

"It was a big shock for me not being at the forefront this season after hardly missing a game, but I think Alex has done very well," said Smith.

"We are very similar with how we do things and a lot of time I speak to him.

"We've also brought through some of the younger players and encouraged them to have a voice, like Joe White and Ben Fowles.

"It's about getting them to talk more and be leaders."

Smith is confident Lucs will be competitive next season.

"I think we are faring well and I think we're only going to lose myself and Ben Fowles, who is off to Durham University plus maybe one or two others," said Smith.

"I do think it's important to get some big second-row forwards though because we are a small side, especially this season with Mike Cheasley out injured."

Last Saturday, Luctonians fell to a 25-19 defeat against Scunthorpe at Mortimer Park.

The away side only travelled with 17 players but they used their pack strength to their advantage.

Lucs opened the scoring in the first minute when Joe Doyle’s break put Henry Monkley over with Louis Silver adding the extras.

Jake Barron put Scunthorpe back in the game with a try after six minutes later and, following a yellow card for Dan Smith, increased their lead with a Jack Badley penalty.

Lucs were penalised deep in their 22 and Monkley was also carded, with Scunthorpe were awarded a penalty try; Badley converting.

Late at the end of the first half, the away side deservedly increased their lead when Colin Chapman crossed the whitewash with Badley again converted for a 22-7 lead.

Lucs played most of the second in Scunthorpe’s half. Frank Kelly’s try on 56 minutes following a delightful kick through from Will Hodnett while Louis Silver‘s try and conversion 12 minutes later reduced the deficit to three points.

However, Lucs kept being penalised when in try-scoring positions and Scunthorpe’s defence held firm.

They secured the win with a Badley penalty late in the game.

Lucs' final game is a home match against Sheffield Tigers this Saturday.