Exactly,theres no way Lance will be close to first choice stand off next season.

Brown has also overseen five straight losses. Simmons was sacked after four. McManus gave the losses as the reason why he sacked Simmons. You'd think, therefore, given that this isn't the first time Brown had overseen a slump in the Hudds team mid season that McManus wouldn't appoint him for results reasons either.



Who knows why McManus chose Hohaia or Brown. He's contradicting himself on both counts (if the mere speculation about Hohaia is correct and if the reason he sacked the previous coaching regime is correct) because like it or not, McManus has the final say on player recruitment. Remember, he owned up to making a mistake about Lee Gilmour.

It's pretty clear why he's gone for Brown (assuming the story about McM promising Hohaiah the stand off berth is untrue) as he's been instrumental in establishing them as a top side rather than relegation fodder. The 'mid season slump' isn't, I'm fairly certain, a coaching technique he employs so there's no reason to think it will happen at a new club, with new players and a different ethos.



The Simmons thing has been done to death, but it was as much the style of play during those losses as the losses themselves which demanded action. For the first time I can remember, I simply couldn't see where the next win would come from.



And, Wigan defeats aside (and I accept that's a major, major issue if we are serious about competing for trophies), results suggest the decision had merit.

Do you just have posts saved on your computer and you just copy and paste them in every now and again?



You're like a broken record...

My point was that there are inconsistencies and my point was made in response to a specific point. So no, I'm not like a broken record. You read what you want to read and not what is there.

I'm not interested in discussing Simmons.



As I have just said, I was highlighting inconsistencies and also the fact that we have no idea why McManus makes the choices that he makes. We are all just speculating about everything.



Except that McManus did admit to making a mistake over Lee Gilmour. That is all we actually know.

Ok I will read what is there...







How many times have you said this?!

How anyone can compare with what's happened to hudds to saints next year is laughable!



Totally different players, totally different styles, totally different clubs, it's impossible to say that saints will have mid season slump like the giants have had.

I remain to be completely convinced by Brown's appointment, but I'm open-minded about it and he was about the best available candidate and you can't use what's happening at Hudds now as any kind of pointer as to how things will go at Saints next season. These days SL clubs have a choice between GB coaches very few of whom are sadly up to it, proven mid-level Aussie/NZ coaches who are known, predictable quantities but won't likely do anything spectacular (Brown, Potter) or punts on NRL assistants wanting a chance to step up who may be great (Maggie) or otherwise (Simmons). I think Saints made the right choice opting for option 2 and the safe option after the last experiment with option 3 failed so disastrously.

As I said in the Hohaia thread, the Gaskell situation stinks for me. It should not be down to an interim coach to play God with a youngsters career like this.

now that i agree on, i'm losing patience with Rush on this. i have no time for coaches who pick players they like rather than based on skill and form!