That's very true about the young lads, after all Royce stuck by some of them especially lee Gaskell who Royce picked before Leon pryce at play off time last year and that's one of the callsi really respect Royce for.

I also agree we ain't got a leader on the field and it's been a massive problem thus year, jammer and pryce (when he actully played) was very talkative on and off the field and we ain't got that this year.

Surly Royce knew that jammer and pryce was two strong leaders for us butcstill didn't bring and leaders in to replace them.

Royce wanted a prop but was told the money wasn't there. He suggested the best recruitment for the team and that is what Mr Big recruited. You've moaned and whinged about Hohaia being recruited for instance and yet the last few weeks has proven why he was necessary. Had Robes not been injured then he would have been playing in the halves and it's very likely we would have been looking at more wins than losses as Gaskell would have been rested.

It's not Royce's fault if there isn't a leader among our team. He hasn't been responsible for the recruitment policy of the last 10 years.

Never ever ever moaned about lance hohaia. Find me a post where I've bagged him or laffranchci for that matter.

I've said they are playing out of postion and I'd preferred Royce had brought in a scrum half and prop instead of a fullback and backrow but never have I critised them personally.

You have never moaned about Lance Hohaia? The fullback who isn't a halfback at all ever?
Like I said, I've never called hohaia, I've said he's not a halfback and it was wrong of Royce to expect him to play there.

Hull signed Seymour who's a halfback, Widnes signed two in hanbury and watts and both look pretty useful.

Everyone took Simmons word that the was no halfbacks about and it was this time last year that we was told Kyle was going.

Come to think about it, lance wasnt available, he had another year on his contract meaning we specifically went for him.

You've said more than that Pete. And of course he has played halfback. Didn't we win our games this year when he played halfback?


Hanbury came from Crusaders didn't he? That happened after we'd signed Hohaia. Watts comes with a chequered past. And who is Seymour? Is he an international?


I would imagine by now that McManus has a lot of contacts in the market and would be able to check on what Royce said and what he recommended. And after all, coaches just recommend players. They don't recruit them.


He was available though.

Like I said, we don't know who was available and took Simmons word for it. As you said, McManus will have contacts so I'm highly surprised we signed a fullback as a halfback.

The lack of quality halfback is the major problem and IMO cost Royce his job.

Which is as much McManus' fault as Royce's. Had he forced Eastmond to make a decision at the mid point of the season before instead of three games into a new SL campaign we would have had time to bring a half-back in. By pandering to Eastmond we were forced to throw Lomax into the scrum half spot. He did ok. But a lot of that was down to his partnership with another youngster, Gaskell, which was completely new to SL's planned defences. Now because Lomax is more of an instinctive player rather than a tactically creative one he's been worked out at scrum half and we are left in the embarrassing and wholly undesirable position of having not a single functioning number seven at the club - [iincluding a reserve.
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Can't really argue with that, mac has to take his share of the blame but at the end of the day he's the boss and he won't sack himself. Jamie Ellis was another 7 we let go recently too whos looking like a good player

You do keep ignoring the fact - the fact - that Hohaia has played at halfback and that is where he also played in his junior years. He was only a fullback for about the last four years. Is Sam Tomkins not a halfback because he now plays fullback?


The last bit is utter tosh. What cost Royce his job were senior players not doing theirs. If Puletua had been awake and caught Wello's pass in Bradford we would have won that game and Royce would still be in a job. McManus is living in his own little world thinking we have a world beating team when actually we don't, and that's largely down to McManus and his recruitment policy of recent years, a recruitment policy you have derided many times on these very boards. So stop changing your tune.

He was let go at the end of Potter's tenure.

Jamie Ellis was let go for off field reasons rather than on field performance. It was the right decision at the time.

To be fair to Murphy, he could never hope to match Wigan's spending. Yes, he was a bit of an anachronism in terms of coaching. But he was also unfortunate to arrive at a time when Lindsay set out to buy the league.

But if things go wrong while Keiron is helping out, similar caveats could be applied by those who consider these things surely? 'To be fair to Cunningham, he was appointed at a time of massive upheaval and unrealistic expectations ...' That kind of thing. It would still not change the possible ultimate outcome though would it?

Unless Cunningham is left in charge for the entire season and performs poorly I really don't think his legacy will be tarnished in any way.