McCain Stadium B. The only thing missing is the turf. Plus Savile's huge headstone!

At the start of the season I said I would take a trophy and top 4, I guess now I would still be pretty happy with a CC and top 8

There's some cause for cringe in that list from the last decade. But there are some who rightly got selected on form, some who never should have been picked. It really highlights to me how far we've come in everywhere but the halves. Remember Smith, Calderwood and Gardner and compare to Watkins,Hall, Manfredi, Burgess et al.

Also could be my mistake, I can't recall BJB playing for England.

I would argue the main factor is the trend of losses throughout along with the average 20 point margin of those defeats during both era's surely? We also faced Australia away from home on more occasions than we did at home during that (1978-198icon_cool.gif period.

Count the converted try differences between the scores, not the points difference. At least half your first period was the era of three point tries.

If the points difference is the same in the four point era then it's better now than it was.

BJB was among the 24 players selected for the England squad in the 2011 Four Nations.

Watkins, Hall, Manfredi and Burgess are a step up from Gardner, Calderwood and Smith but they lag considerably behind the likes of Robinson, Offiah, Newlove, Connolly, Davies, etc, who were around during the pre-SL competitive era (1988-1994).

Halves remain a problem throughout but definitely worse than they've ever been right now IMO. Worse than (1978 to 198icon_cool.gif era. T. Myler, Holmes, Millward, Topliss, Woods, etc, were better than we've got now.

Schofield, Edwards, Gregory, Fox, Hulme (1988 to 1994) was about as good as it got for us in the halves.

Calderwood was a necessity rather than a 'first chioce'. IIRC he was in the Scotland team and dropped them like a sh[sizei[/sizetty stick as soon as he got the England call up.

As far as I am concerned the season is a write off. I always thought the season would be a rebuilding exercise , so never envisaged winning anything.
My main concern is that we may not have the foundation in the squad to build on for next season.
Any hasty and wrong decisions embarked upon this season may set us back years. So the club and Brian Mac has to be very wary indeed.
The transition can be achieved. Tony Smith looks like he has assembled a trophy winning squad over at warrington.
A large section of the wire support had been calling for his head over the last few seasons.
Obviously the same section of supporter have shut up now that he looks to have a decent team.

Not quite a write off but I feel that now we have no chance of getting in the top 4 then we would benefit from been in the middle 8's as it would be a less strenuous end to the season in terms of intensity and that may give us a chance of defending the C Cup and ending the season as soon as possible so we can start afresh and get a good pre-season in.

Less than half actually.

7 out of 15 tests (1978 to 198icon_cool.gif were played under 3 point try rules.

The margin difference becomes 22 points.

Prior to the last fixture in 2014 when we only lost 12-16, the average score was 13-36 and an average points difference of 23. Prior to the RLWC2013 fixture when we lost 20-28, the average score was 13-37 and an average points difference of 24. Perhaps the recent increase in the number of our players competing in the NRL is responsible for that more competitive trend of late?

(1978 to 198icon_cool.gif
15 successive defeats
Points scored 123
Points conceded 453
Average Scoreline(2006 to 2016)
9 successive defeats
Points scored 120
Points conceded 301
Average Scoreline(GOLDEN ERA 1988 to 1995)
5 wins, 8 defeats
Points scored 158
Points conceded 207
Average ScorelineV Australia (SL-era 1997-2015)
Played 27, 20 at home, 7 away
4 wins, 23 defeats
Points scored 361
Points conceded 785
Average ScorelineV Australia (Pre-SL-era 1979-1995)
Played 27, 15 at home, 12 away
5 wins, 22 defeats
Points scored 273
Points conceded 633
Average Scoreline: 10-23
Average margin of defeat: 13 points