Keeping the academy is a must for me. It’s the biggest asset we have at the moment. Worth the £120k or whatever it is. We’ve earned that amount from academy products over the years.

What we have is a coaching and recruitment problem. We still make some decent signings like Gill, Wallace etc but then we sign overweight players or players with injury issues etc. Surely those doing the recruitment can’t look at Kibula and say (yeah he’s our man). And even if they do, and they see attributes in these players, the conditioning staff must not be doing a great job. Crossley looked miles fitter last season, Kibula’s still big, Walker hasn’t shipped as much weight as I thought he would have and even players like Patton have looked fatter as the season has gone on. If half the players were fitter it would make a lot of difference.

And then on field there’s no sign of tactics, no game plan or management. It looks like they’ve been told to cart it up, have a shot (spread play), then kick to Gill. There’s no shifting the defence, no spotting players, and we have no defensive structure.

I know I’m being a tad optimistic here but if (its a big if) this plan for refurbishment/new stadium from the City of Culture/Levelling Up funding comes to fruition. Our finances regarding Odsal should be over, we look like a better proposition for players, and hopefully finish Top 8 next season to get into the bottom 10 in 2024 (which co-incides with the end of Dunning’s contract). Maybe that’s the plan. Have a steady season this year, build a touch for next year whilst we build off-field. Then get a proper coach/staff in for 2024 for the first year of SL1/SL2?

Just wish we all had some clarity from the board.

Quote: RagingBull "Id take Paul Sykes now at 40, still got more pace and would take the line on more than both our half backs!'" He nailed a great deep 40/20 early in Sunday's match against Leigh that set the platform for Dewsbury's try. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9jExeW6Q-U

Quote: RagingBull "Id take Paul Sykes now at 40, still got more pace and would take the line on more than both our half backs!'" He nailed a great deep 40/20 early in Sunday's match against Leigh that set the platform for Dewsbury's try. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9jExeW6Q-U

Neither halfback as looked anywhere near good enough this season and their expanding waistlines tell a tale too. Isn't Lilley meant to be a PT as well? In their defence I'd agree the pack has been hopeless so they've had no platform to work with.

Dan Fleming’s off the books so it’s not all bad

This year is a right off as far as it goes.
Only positive is we probably will not get relegated.
The management team need to bring in some investment from somewhere and have a clear out for next year.
Losing to keighley twice would be a new low.
Hopefully Fleming going is the start of the said clear out?.

Cherry-Evans & Munster would struggle behind our pack