Well I am sorry to say I told you so!
After the Sheffield defeat at the Shay last season I posted a topic "is Calland up to it?"
following much discussion and general amazement that someone could question the ability of "country mile" Calland the post I started was locked! His comment still makes me and no doubt many other supporters cringe with embarrasment.
For some reason have never totally been convinced by him but have enjoyed watching some great attacking rugby in a lot of matches over the last couple of years. I just doubted his man management skills when the going gets tough.
As a supporter for over 50 years and someone who does know the game at both professional and amateur level very well and with a long experience of working with and employing a variety of people in many different situations sadly I just had that feeling that the man is not the answer to our dreams.Does well when things go well and has star players performing well but struggles in adversity
I would add that as a Siddal supporter it could be said that his involvement with the now struggling Rochdale Mayfield could have some influence on my thoughts, but our current situation has similarities as they brought in a load of aussies to try and acheive glory and then hit the buffers.
I hope we can quickly turn things around with or without the current management team as I do believe that playing together and properly coached we have the squad to still win the league/playoff even after the events of the last couple of weeks.
Not having posted for some time but now feeling the need to do so and having forgotten my password
Must be my age but perhaps older and wiser or just an older fool!
Always look on the bright side. There are far more important things in life than our little problems at the Shay and I am sure we will win more games than we lose this season.
Good luck to the board of directors who do an excellent job and hope this is just a minor blip.
Yours hopefully

[uThe Board of Directors[/u

Damned if they do owt; damned if they don't.
Damned if they say owt: damned if they don't.

How many of us would want their roles? I sure as hell wouldn't.

Think Mr Clay and the board are doing things right. The easy thing to do is make a rash decision and just sack Calland and cost the club money. Instead the board are ready to back the Coach AND team and look to find what the problem is. For me thats a sign that the board are willing to put hard work in yet again. I personally do not think Calland is right for Fax. But I could be wrong and if the board think Calland is the man then thats OK by me. If however we lose the next 2 games than the position could change. Bringing in a new coach will create instability and no guarentee thge problem(s) are solved. Lets get behind the club. Give Calland and the players a chance to prove themselves. If we lose the next 2 games then lets look at things again.

Top post, as you say even last season a lot of us felt there was something not quite right and that Calland may not be the one to make us the great team we all long for. We still have lots of questions especially is our club professionally run which won't go away. Yes it is in lots of areas but not in many others, especially the coaching side, we don't look orgnaised or play to a pattern ever!

Maybe we are too critical and expect too much but given our resources - we are up there with Barrow (due to moneybags Des) and Widnes (due to the dedicated and wealthy Steve O'Connor) we should be winning things.

The club is on the edge of either making a big leap forward or a huge step backwards, lose 2 or 3 out of our next 5 games and badly then we run the risk of losing the momentum that we were gaining.
Come on PLAYERS and COACH - the club rightly or wrongly whatever we think have backed you now repay their faith.
TACKLE!

As an outsider looking in, I would say that certain things are papering over the cracks at your club. This is not having a go just observation.

The fact you have only a first team shows a short sightedness, this looked ok when the team was winning with flair( beginning last year). But in the light of other teams, (Fev, sheffield, leigh) matching you on the pitch and still running reserves, this now looks poor.

Your lack of training facilities also looks unprofessional, I would guess their are facilities and that it is more a finance issue, which considering the outlay on players is poor management. Whats the point in having loads of "super cars" and no where to "tune" them. Again other clubs have spent less on players and invested more on training facilities, making for a more balanced set up.

I think the club needs to start getting the little and less glamorous aspects in place, for you to really reach your potential.

Good luck

Why does everyone assume we are paying over the going rate for players? It is common knowledge that we dont spend up to the limit of the salary cap. I heard that we dont even spend 2/3rds of the salary cap!

200,000 or less on that squad....come on get real. Black, Penky, Gene, Aizue, Branigan playing for peanuts

All our eggs are in one basket thats for sure, and the guy looking after them isn't doing a great job.
We do have some issues, namely a bunch of slackers that only perform when they can be bothered, and a clueless coach who doesn't know how to man manage them or coach defence.
The main problem is, he chose them, knowing full well, their mentality, age, travel comittments, skills.
Very few of them show pride in our club, and very few of them will actually make it into the clubs historical records as anything other than an under achiever without a winners medal if they dont get rid of Calland and Hall and get someone who can sign, motivate, sack and most important of all coach...

Never said you had paid over the odds for players. You may have spent under the cap, but so have other teams. And other teams are running reserve squads as well, so now you mention it as you have some of the highest attendances and entry prices in the league and as you say your well under the cap and only running a first team, does that not ring alarm bells! when the likes of Sheffield, Fev are running First teams, reserve grade and scholarships on less income and support, and still competing with you.

We don't spend 80k per year on 1 player unlike certain champioship rival... Now that is eggs in 1 basket time.

Who's that?