Quote: BrisbaneRhino "Gotcha - what we saw from 2012 to 2015 was either the most successful 4-year period in the history of the club or the second. So what point are you trying to make - that wholesale changes should have been made in 2011? If so, hindsight shows that until 2015 the club got it spot on.
For 2016 before the season started many people (me included) were willing to give the club the benefit of the doubt with Sutcliffe at 6, Ferres coming in, Falloon etc. With the benefit of hindsight we can say that was probably not the right decision.
What really surprised me is the complete lack of activity for this season. We're second but light years behind Cas and got thumped in the one big game we've played this year. If Wigan and/or Sts had been better for longer periods we'd have struggled for 4th with Hull. It may all come right in the end, but I think we've got very lucky to be second.
Looking forward I'm quite positive about Myler and Dwyer as at the least its drawing a firm line in the sand in key positions. What I am very concerned about is that no less than 6 of our pack (Galloway, Cuthbertson, Ablett, Deleany, Ferres and JJB) are over 30 and only going to deteriorate with another year on the clock, and its not as if they're running rampant today. That's more than the old Northern pack of Peter Fox days, and the sport is far more dynamic than it was then, and yet there seems to be little appetite to even start revamping.
My other concern can more squarely be put on the coach - our complete inability to make full use of the two proven class backs we have in Hall and Watkins. That is partly down to players we have, but is also a lot to do with lack of planned ways to get them the ball where it hurts, and is easily the most obvious difference between us and Cas.'"
This is one of the most balanced and sensible posts I've read on here in a while...it's just not right can we please add some hyperbole, everything is either the best thing ever or we're doomed.
I've been saying to folk all season...can you imagine how devestating Watkins and Hall would be in Cas' team/structure. When you compare how much their players work off the ball in attack to get numbers etc to our "off the cuff" attack it's embarrassing...and that's purely a coaching matter.