Matt James did have the potential to be very good but the god of junior development shattered his spirit and self belief.

He's not exactly broken any pots elsewhere though has he?

I assume you're on about Medley.

No our national coach. He was ready to give up all together was Matt.

Actually Steve [iwas[/i Brett! In my last post anyway. I was thinking about Brett but wrote Steve, who as Adey correctly identified as his uncle, who worked at Wakey when Brett moved there and in a previous life was a halfback for Bradford Northern a few years back, hence my mixing the names.

Ferres is a steady player and would be a useful squad player for us. He'd be ideal back up for Langley when he's out injured.

Ideally we'd sign two Glenn Morrison type players before next season starts.

in a way i hope the rumour about lynch going to cas is true, too much of a plodder these days

i was totally underwhelmed when he came back on for burgess early in the second half when we needed something a little bit different to get back in the game

It wouldn't surprise me to see Donaldson leaving in the next year or two. Only what I heard last night in the bar after the game but apparantly he had been chatting to a few of the fans and thinks he may have to move on as he is getting a bit disillusioned with it all. The guy has no real size to him at all yet when he does make the 17 he just seems to be used as a battering ram.

You can tell morale has been at rock bottom for ages now so I wouldn't be surprised if a few players are disillusioned. Thing is they can make it better if they take some responsibility for where they are and do something to change it. That said we do need an injection of quality to help bring on the young lads.

Tend to agree with you purely in terms of value for money. Thing to remember though is that 50k of langleys salary doesnt count on cap due to his long service. If we arent spending upto cap, and I doubt we are this year, then that isnt an issue. But if we are next year then we would only have langleys wage less 50k available to recruit a replacement.

Agreed that on field role models for the younger players would be great but the problem I see is that there are no generals on the field to instuct/chivvy/bully/organise those players into the roles and positions they should play as a given game develops.
All well and good to coach in training against theoretical opposition tactics but that's only the first step in development.
I no longer see anyone taking charge of tactics, nor any players visually or verbally communicating between themselves.
Not least I've not seen any player with a real fire and demonstratively exhorting his fellow players to greater efforts.
Whatever the reasons for their departure, the failure to retain Morrison and Menzies may now be viewed as much more than a loss of their undoubted individual performances as their capabilities to organise within their sphere of play and motivate in general. Their attitude and experience has been a loss we have not overcome.

We should be so lucky!!

The 50k salary cap exemption is irrelevant. If he's on say 150K a year that's still 100k a year that's counting on the cap and can we say we are getting value for that i don't believe we are.

Come on people this is the same pack that destroyed the great Giants pack.

This. Losing Morrison, and then even worse Menzies, was lunatic folly of the highest order, I said it then but now that it is as plain as the nose on your face, it gives me no pleasure whatsoever to say I was right. Indeed it wasn't even a tough call. Morrison was never "injury prone" as some uncomprehending idiots kept nuttily claiming, and as for Menzies, well, having the good fortune and nous to have signed a legend, what the feck do you then let him go for? And yes the result is, no real leaders on the field, coupled with no real halfbacks on the field, result is . .. well, our results.