I just feel we have a major crisis of confidence - it will soon pass and normal service will be resumed. Good players, don't become bad players over 8/9 games and i think that Brian Mc is right when he says that good can come out of a slump.

Huddersfield could quite easily get a hammering this weekend (although it might take a bit longer).

I do however feel that we need a quality centre (a bit like when we signed Ellis). I really think that Shenton of Cas is worth a punt. Not the finished article but could be very special with better players around him. Cash plus Ashley Gibson would be my opening gambit.

Re Smith vs McClennan, from what I recall on these boards there was a tendency to lambast Smith at every opportunity despite him winning the Championship for the first time in 30 years. Bluey seems to have had an almost criticism free ride to date, and it all seems to be down to whether people (and the players) 'like' him. I suspect that few if any Man Utd players 'like' Ferguson much - he's a dour, grumpy Scottish git. I couldn't care less if the players burn effigies of the coach so long as it works. So far Bluey has done very well IMO.

Regarding the squad, it seems like we have been vaguely successful over the last 5 or so years with a side based largely around locals, with the odd signing here or there and new juniors coming through to at least compete for spots in the team. I'm not quite sure why signings would make much of a positive difference at this stage, as the only reason to sign anyone IMO is to strengthen a clearly weak position (where there are no likely junior prospects).

TBH if anything that's why I wasn't sure of Buderus - not the money but with a GB and 3-time GF winning hooker plus the highly rated McShane, I would have thought that other positions were more of an issue - particularly second row.

The only 'flaw' in this model is that it absolutely will not guarantee success year after year. Funily enough that's possibly true of every other team's 'strategy'....

Just to back David up here, with facts.

Are they doing their job? I think it could be argued that Poaching for instance is actually far far from doing his job.

I know there are people on here who do not attach too much to results from the academy, but that reserve set up appears to have gone really backwards since he took the job.

Or is it just coincidence?

And there in lies a problem.

This sort of remark, same as from Gareth, and whoever, is complete and utter b0ll0cks.

Smith never got critisized in his first year, why should he have done.

Bluey was given the same leeway, despite efforts of some to change the view.

Smith did not get the critisism until end of 2005, when coincidentally success did not happen, and appeared to be blown by elementary errors.

Now Bluey is getting some critisism. Which coincidentally is happening as results have started to slip and performances poor.

On both occassions both coaches deserved the critisism. We pay good money, and expect to see quality performed in front of us. If its not then we as paying customers reserve the right to complain. If people dont like the critisism then bog off and jog along to another board.

Or maybe those who cant take a few defeats should bog off and support another team?

He has suggested that Poching, Cummins and McDermott only have their jobs because GH is being loyal to guys who were loyal to him - I have a problem with that.
But the real problem with his argument is that he defeats it himself all in the same post. He claims British coaches lack the capability to prepare players physically, he then uses the fact that Australian and Kiwi (note the and "Kiwi" bit here) coaches have won SL more times than British coaches and that we have been shown to be physically weaker and less fit at international level than the Australians and Kiwis.
He used this argument to back up his suggestion that we hire an Australian junior coach in the backroom staff.

So lets pull this apart:

1. the Kiwi GF winning coach he uses to support his argument is Bluey and he's already at Leeds... doh!
2. If the likes of John Monie, Brian Smith, Daniel Anderson, Graham Murray etc. etc... etc... can't lift British players to the same fitness levels as our Australian counterparts - what use is a no-name Aussie in the backroom staff at the expense of guys who have two years running managed to peak the team excatly at the right moment to go out and crush physically St Helens?

Can anyone deny that conditioning (physical and mental) was absolutely spot on for two consecutive GF's? Did we not look (despite playing the extra game) far fitter mentally and physically?

Ignore Magic Wind's contribution, he didn't read anything and didn't understand what the grown up's were talking about.

Even though they are ones talking the sense?

Defeats is irrelevant. And yes, I accept that some are posting purely because of that.

But performances is more important, and ignoring that is just ridiculous.

But was that defeat because Manly are so much better or because Leeds are so poor this season.

Can you ever accept success?

Despite all that, you haven't adressed the point that there have been a plethera of top Australian and Kiwi coaches taking most of the top coaching job in Britain for many years now. None of these (in your opinion) seems to have been anywhere near capable of lifting the fitness and conditioning level of British players to the same level as the NRL - have they just not wanted to use all their magic secrets on us? We have even had Australinas in charge of the game at a national level. So why would a junior, no-name Aussie second string backroom staff coach be able to contribute more than the A list of coaches who have already graced British RL? Why (which is the thing I have the issue with) do you think that our team are in place only because they are GH's buddies? They have clearly demonstrated the ability to have the team in great shape when needed.

The Manly game - well, we played a side that was better than us. Unless you haven't noticed that's happened a few times this year so that's a non-argument. There are other discussions on how our squad has shaped up this year and the tactics we are using which are far more relevent.