but a very expensive option hence them not making that decision. even if they wanted to get rid, if he was found not guilty then they obviously couldn't sack him without paying him off, which given our cup record this season means we can't afford.

Why would they want to sack him if he hasn't/didn't do anything wrong? He will have my backing on Sunday as will Ostick.

Erm....probably because despite having the best squad on paper for the past 2-3 seasons we have won absolutely nothing and haven't seen our defence improve in all the time he's been in charge.
Last year's GF appearance simply papered over the cracks and I believe (as others do on here) that he is not the right man to take us to the level we need/have to be at. This was probably the excuse the BOD were hoping to use to sack him without a pay out, but having been found not guilty they have no option but to reinstate him as they can't afford to sack him despite our continuing poor onfield performances.
MC needs to be thanking the fixture organisers and whoever pulled out the Challenge Cup balls as from being on the brink of being in an untenable position after 3 consecutive 40-point defeats, he is handed fixtures against Toulouse, Keighley, Swinton, a poor Whitehaven side (Keighley just beat them at home) and then what should have been a very winnable game against Batley.
Let's see what Sunday brings when we're back to playing the good sides again....yes we play exciting rugby but what's it won us? We won't get into Super League because we win games 40-36, we'll get in if we swept the board and won every Championship/NRC cup and got exposure by reaching latter stages of CC. Given the quality of players the possibility of this would have been very high given the right coaching and discipline which is something we don't have at the moment.
I await all the responses from fans wearing blinkers....

Spot on fella
MH was never here anyway, so i fail to see what the difference is now, Calland will probably still pick people without checking and Hall can work on his Chateau in Dordogne!'

How many plea to fax fans or rallying calls do we read on here, tells a story doesn't it.

Yet another DIY SOS shocker as Fax paper over the cracks.

just because people disagree with you feelings on the coach they are wearing blinkers? If i thought that Calland wasnt up to the job i wouldnt have any problems in saying that he should be replaced. Yes he has made mistakes but in the last 3 years we have been playing fantastic RL.



It wouldnt matter if we won every game 50 - 0 - it wouldnt get us into SL. The RFL will pick the team they want regardless of how they have been performing. - However, we have qualified to apply.



The performance have improved since the Hunselt/Leigh/Fev rubbish - you can only play what is in front of you and we have improved with every performance since - the defence looks more solid and the attack is looking sharper - But you wouldnt have seen that with your blinkers on.

Your results have been much better lately but you have beaten teams you we're probably expected to beat. I think this weekends game will give you a much better idea of where you stand in relation to the teams around the top of the table (which is where you should be aiming for with the squad you have!)

Its not just the results themself. The performance has improved since the run of 3 defeats.

I said that myself, but I ask again, what has it won us? I'd rather be the Blackburn/Bolton of the rugby league world and be boring if it meant we would be winning trophies. Instead we are the RL equivalent of Newcastle United in the Keegan era (can't say current Newcastle as even they've won something). It's nice to be entertained but it's more important to achieve success and again enjoy days like we experienced in late 80's. I want all our long suffering supporters to see their team win something, I was only 11 at Wembley 87 so also want to enjoy that winning experience again so I'll be able to remember it this time. To do that I'd settle for some solid 20-10 victories rather than a 42-36 defeat at home against a team in a lower division.

No matter how inept the RFL are, and how biased they are towards 'expansion' teams, if we were winning every game 50-0 in the league below they would have no option but to promote us (providing we have sufficient other boxes ticked). And other than Toulouse, anyone applying for a franchise have to tick the box that they have won NRC or finalist in Grand Final so performance does come into it.

1 down 1 to go
Come on get real, MH going is good if he cant put in the time and effort needed, Ive seen more games than him, and its been clear hes had other interests, handing the reigns solely to MC with a bit more responsibility acheives what though?
Isnt him that cant get the defence and selection right, isnt it him that picked a player not eligible, isn't it him thats been in court. And as for players backing him, i would back my boss if underacheiving was tolerated, I still reckon this will run a bit longer, Matt hasnt proved anything yet, 'some' of the players may back him to the hilt but some of them have careers that have seen better days and maybe have the same problems he does, Matts a number 2 at best, not a head coach.... Sooner we realise this the better. We still need a coach that rattles some of the players cages, if some of them dont like it, bye bye! Im mildly happier that the booze brothers have been split up, but the problem is deeper than that.

at the end of the day widnes are nailed on for the next sl spot . maybe next time fax will get in but not at the mo . plus why would anyone want fax to go up at the mo and then watch us be in the bottom three . just to say we are in sl

7-8 of our players have already been threatened by being given a 'final chance'.....but have played every week since! (exc late postponements).

I think this is TOO big a job for even Nick Knowles and his team

Well Sunday brought a great win and performance full of spirit and commitment.