We could make an educated guess, though.
Except for you....
Of course.

Guilt and shame can do that to people.


I thought he was an incompetent coach? Not that I don't agree with your statement; I definitely do. But you don't seem to, judging by your other posts.

They aren't going to come out and call him a clueless idiot though are they?

I don't understand? I have always been completely behind Royce. Check my posts.

I agree with all that but I fear for what state we'll be left in in a couple of months' time if KC and Rush are eventually revealed to not be up to the job and the players all start to pull their bottom lips over their heads and take their balls home with them again. Royce was clearly no genius (the unused back on the bench and utter inability of any of our halves to ever pass to their right maddened the hell out of me every single game), but he was good enough to get basically the same set of players as we currently have to both a Wembley final and a Grand Final win last season (in [iincredibly[/i difficult circumstances let's not forget), a couple of unluckily timed injuries excepted. He would have been good enough to give us a decent chance of the same again this year if the players had done the jobs they were paid to do. Now instead we're in limbo for the rest of the year and our season could go either way. I know which situation would make me happier right now.

I agree that player power has to be stomped out, and for that reason the next coach has to have an authoritarian streak backed up 100% by the board. We cannot afford to end up in a Chelsea situation where the players decide they no longer care for the manager and have him removed.

Sorry. My bad. I'm used to the abuse and so I just reacted as I would to more abuse!

I agree with the authoritarian streak thing. My only concern about Royce was that he was just too nice and sympathetic. Some characters will just walk all over that. Also, I think there were a few bruised egos as a result of his rotation policy.

I think it's interesting, for example, that Meli played on the wing again having been shifted to centre actually during Potter's time. I wonder whether that was Meli saying he wanted to play on the wing and getting his way? My guess is probably it is. He managed to let Leeds cross on his side again I notice. Fortunately luck was with us this time though and the try was ruled out for a knock on. It wasn't a Grand Final either!

Meli asked to play wing and got his way

What a silly post!

Interesting. I don't know what position Brad Dwyer plays in but according to League Weekly, he sat on the bench for the full 80 minutes for Warrington on Friday night. I guess Tony Smith is no genius either?

Nor is Phil Veivers. He used only 16 players when Salford played us at Langtree Park. The back stayed on the bench, as did ours.

Mike rush and KC are no easy touch and will not be told what to do by any player.

They have worked with the players this week and both parties have had input but the last call is rush and KC.

All (senior) parties had an input into the job lot according to Mike Rush's interview in this week's League Weekly.

Like I said, let's see how well that goes if things get sticky!

Well, everyone has an opinion don't they? For me playing a back on the bench is playing a man light in the modern game particularly in tough games, but some coaches might indeed prefer to have a back available to do a 1-for-1 swap if there's an injury. Each to their own. That still doesn't explain why we had Wheeler and Clough on the bench for the CC semi last year when they'd both only just come back from serious injury and couldn't have played (and indeed didn't play) more than 10 minutes of the game between them. I can appreciate the back on the bench as a tactical move to minimise disruption in the forwards if there's an injury (although I don't agree with it personally), but a coach that picks someone completely unfit and in no state to be able to play more than 10 minutes in that role is a coach that needs to be severely questioned in their methods.

I think it was injury which drove Royce to be honest and I don't blame him, especially this season after last.


Did he have much choice at that time? We were seriously hard pushed for troops all through the season. I honestly can't remember.