So the aftermath of Royce Simmons is when we play woeful rugby, but when we decide to put some effort in, that is all down to Rush and Cunningham?

We sacked Simmons after finishing runners up in the grand final

And we didn't renew potters contract after finishing runners up in two grand finals and two challenge cup semi finals.

We started off very well against the Dragons. Have you forgotten that lovely little try by Gaskell and Foster for example?

I hate to accuse you of thinking, but have you ever thought - even just briefly - that the reason we played conservative rugby was because we don't have a team that can play off the cuff rugby? At least not against a team that actually offers us opposition, as opposed to Leeds (who have gone on to lose their next two matches - should they sack their coach if they lose the next one?) and Warrington (who gifted us so much ball it was unreal but at least we made the effort during that match to actually pick the ball up when it came loose, unlike on Friday when certain players just stood and watched it until a Wigan player picked it up for us).

The problem is the team, not the coaching staff.

How do you know? I know he left but how do you know that we weren't going to or didn't offer him another contract? I'm glad we didn't. We were dire under him, even thought we still had Longy (for the first year) and Cunningham, Gidley et al to the end of his term.

What this thread highlights is that browns hands are tied as far as squad composition is concerned. Certainly there is no overseas option, unless he can get rid of hohaia or sia goes home. There doesn't appear to be a great deal available at home to replace the likes of meli, so wouldn't be surprised to see him get another year.

Which means that browns priority is to get the best out if what he has available to him. McGuire did it at the goons, taking a bunch if under achieving journeymen to the title, he will need to do something similar, and will have to squeeze something extra out of the players like rush and KC did for two games. I would suggest that the current squad is good enough to compete, if they are well organised and motivated. If we could add an organiser/leader, we will be up there with the best.

This is what Brown has shown at Huddersfield in spades.
FWIW i think we have more talent at Saints than Hudds.

To pick out last year alone is nonsensical. The current recruitment trend has been going on for the best part of four years. It includes three coaches with the single common denominator of McManus. And yet he is given a free pass by seemingly every Saints fan.

Which is a bit of a comedown from the last four years of preferred wisdom where we KNOW we have a greater pool of academy talent than everyone else.

If you check my posts you will see I've been calling our recruitment for many years. We let to many players go and never replaced them.

I can understand that it's near impossible to replace the likes of newlove, longy, scully, KC etc but we should have got the best players possible to replace them and not done it on the cheap.

Sucsseful teams still need to recruit to stay on top and IMO saints stood still while the likes of wolves, Wigan, hudds all built teams.

I honestly think our recruitment for years has been poor and we come to reliant on youth.

It's not just a problem of player recruitment. Many of our difficulties stem from having an academy that is good at producing certain types of players (second row forwards, stand offs, centres etc.) whilst being pretty mediocre at wing, full back, scrum half, prop etc.

This unevenness in production places an enormous burden on the transfer kitty. Especially as good props and halves are always extremely expensive whilst you can pick up a decent second row for change.

It might have something to do with the need to make a profit for a change, or would you rather have the bradford financial situation?
We simply have not been able to afford the very best recruits for the last 4+ years or so.

I'm sure that when the impact of the the financial regime (i.e.no external debt and an average 14,000+ crowd etc) kicks in, then Mac's chequebook will be open for business again.

Not saying Brown has done a bad job, but Hudds have consistently spent the full cap, and apart from some good wins (and equally bad losses) in the regular season, what has he achieved?

Hang on a second. There isn't a single Saints fan I know who would have any problems with McManus reducing player expenditure to secure the stadium, balance the books etc.

It is McManus himself who has year after year after year claimed we are spending up to the cap. You can't blame Saints fans for being puzzled by claims we are spending as much as anyone whilst watching successive teams whose performances are not suggestive of such.

If McManus has embellished the truth about the cap he has brought this on himself because he didn't have to. Saints fans would have accepted the truth at face value. If, on the other hand, he genuinely is paying up to the cap on guys like Meli, Gardner and such - he has also brought this on himself.