Think our issue is we have too many steady eddies especially in the pack. Grix is quality but father time is not kind. Murrell again, at what point do the advantages of him on the field (brain, motivation, experience) not outweigh the dis-advantages (no pace, no 2nd phase back up when breaks made, individual running threat) etc. Pair that with White who I don't think takes on the line and we have half backs who are more pivots then threats on an individual level.

Not convinced of Salty at centre, don't think he's big enough. I would have liked to have seen us sign a quality centre (yes they are out there we just chose to not sign them) and a couple of big bust a tackle props.

At some point relying on an aging halfback and putting all our eggs in one basket will come back to bite us on the ass. Not panicking yet but this season apart from top spot (lets be honest Toronto have this) it's wide open and we have chosen to start the season very poor in terms of skill and fitness it seems. Is it now a jolly boys outing? Is the coach to pally with the players. Who knows. After what other clubs went through end of the season and now (Widnes) we should have been flying and setting the platform for the season. Instead we have been hammered a few times and scraped by Batley and beat a just put together Leigh who already have improved massively and will be a far better team each week going forward.

Another good reply-obvious to everyone what's wrong it seems.Absolutely crying out for a decent centre for years and with the 8s money we retain a reserve winger and put him there-it beggars belief.....as for props did Marshall break a tackle or offload once in his career ? probably unaware that's part of the game..

I'd go with 2 Centres and a half back as priority. I would say a hooker but personally I would just have Moore doing the full 80 so we had money to spend elsewhere.

On the 2 players probably next in line for the job, we did pretty well with them running the show back end of the season and if things are to be believe both have made recomendations to the coach of areas that need strengthening pretty much in line with what everyone else sees and as per normal they have been ignored. Both of these players are good man managers something that Marshall is never going to be in danger of. the fact that both these players are now pretty broken but we still fall apart when either goes off the field suggests they still hold a great influence over the team something which Marshall has also failed to address time and time again with so many players missed because of his indecision and blind loyalty.

Fair enough but we both agree we lost the forward battle going downhill on Sunday-that IMO would be the first priority.

Yeah strange one really as I know we do miss Butler, if he actually plays him in the 2nd row, but our pack looked stronger on paper this year but has been found wanting on more than one occasion.

Whilst we're having a go at Marshall, what is it with Sion Jones?

haha we beat you two weeks ago

Of course you did , and deserved to win ,Leigh played terrible, the week after we played Fev and won comfortable, that’s my point though, no team can take any other team for granted in this League which is great.
Look at York and Sheff, we play York at the week end and I think York will win.
I must admit I expect Fax to Swinton on Sunday, no disrespect to Swinton , but I feel they are the weakest team in the League.

What’s got me worried is we now have issues with discipline, defence and attack.
The poor discipline is the common denominator because if you haven’t got the ball you aren’t going to attack and the defensive effort eventually catches up with you.
Thinking about it the Fax regular slow start is likely down to getting into the eights and coming out the other end busted.
It would go some way to explaining the pre season and poor start because RM couldn’t put is strongest side out as the likes of Murrell, Grady, Johnstone were still injured as is now Butler.
As you say Ian some good sides in the Championship with hardly any, if any gimmies.
When and if Fax improve so will the other sides so not a division you want to get too far adrift of your rivals.

Another strange one failed to kick on last year and now way down the peck.Could be solely down to the individual but if Marshall can't bring young forwards through it begs the obvious question.

In the few times I saw him play, he allus impressed me.

Yeah as mentioned not quite up to it yet. For me he should be out on loan playing regular rugby somewhere as he wont get enough quality game time in the reserves. Saying that we have a number of players like that.

What DOES worry me is the failure to build upon success. We always seem to start the season on a clean slate with no momentum from the cash from previous seasons success. I also question Marshalls recruitment, infact I would say he needs help on this. Why buy an abundance of 2nd rowers when we have plenty. White is a wildcard signing, not seen enough yet to say if he's what we needed but he's not the running halfback we want, so we know have 2 halfbacks who don't take on the line much or can get on the end of breaks and finish them off, aka 2nd phase attack.

Also a big prop or even an aggressive nasty one would have done. QLT was a quality signing and will bear fruit when the tracks harden up but apart from that no other signings have made you go oooooh! Biggest signings were Grady and Sharp. Dread to think what we would be like without Sharp.

I do wonder where the prize money goes from previous seasons as I wouldn't say its invested heavily back into the squad, more likely split around the departments. Anyway we need a few more games before we start panicking.

I wonder if RM thought he may be able to get the likes of Will Maher back on loan again for another season, as it turned out he was ruled out injured for 3 to 4 months back in December by Cas and may explain why he took Mitch Clark before he got pulled and then himself injured after about 10 seconds for Tigers the following week.
He admitted the pack got rolled at Fev and no doubt it will have been talked about this week.
It will be interesting to see what develops over the next couple of weeks, will he stick with what he has, will the likes of Jones get a chance or will he look to bring someone in?

Given that we were suppose to have had the biggest budget for ages (although we've lost some cash donations from individuals, I think Posner paid for Maher) and the fans have stumped up a few bob too I wonder if the cash has gone on increasing salaries of the mob we have - we certainly haven't had any expensive signings - or if its still sitting in the bank ready to use?

If its paid in installments it will probably be the back end of the season before it bites home although it looks like with kit supplier problems and sponsorship overall down then it could be sooner rather than later especially if onfield performances continue like they have and the crowds drop even more.

Yep, if there’s anything left in the kitty as cover, that’s the bit that’s interesting.
Normally, if possible it would be shrewd to keep something in reserve but even though the pack were bossed at Fev might be a bit early yet, certainly to panic buy.
See what develops.

Whilst I am not able to see the sorry state for myself, it seems there is something radically wrong at base camp.
Discipline, should be a given keep your hands to yourself and your mouth shut. (the refs can't be wrong every time).
Reserves, R M says they are not ready to step up, well without getting game time in senior matches they never will, this is a two prong problem, need the points, and
R F L get your act together and have a proper reserve league/competition.
Team selection, not raking over coals been done to death, R M grow a pair and pick on merit not sentiment.
I admire you guys who turn up week in/out and suffer the dross served up 90% of the time, I dread trying to listen to any radio broadcast, or looking for results on Monday.
R M stated that Fax would not be firing fully until March, lets hope he is right, as a couple more losses could signal the end of a meaningful season as early as May.

Precisely, that's why it was such a ridiculous statement, I've never heard owt like it. Well, not since Mr Strudwick was here. A couple of home wins though and we can go over to York en masse and hopefully get the season going. Fingers crossed. Up The Fax!

The sign of a good coach is one who improves his players individually and therefore the team's performances. We're getting neither, in fact the team at present is going backwards. Over to you RM.

Peteyer winning each week , can’t do more than that.

Peteyer winning each week , can’t do more than that.

Didn't win last week or the first and there has to be a semblance of entertainment factored in.
ps love your drop goal attempts yesterday...

It's a sign of a good side when you win whilst playing badly but blimey, apart from 20 minutes against your team Ian we've been dreadful. Also as BJ says the entertainment has been almost nil. Up The Fax!

Cant agree more Pete, as you say if you win when playing badly you are not a bad side, so why complain.?RM must be doing something right.