Yeah and Harris was so much better for us -_-
If Pryce had been given a chance at SO then chances are he would have stayed, Him and Deacon would have been awesome for us over the years.

I don't think it is hindsight though, we won a WCC with Pryce at stand off when he was outstanding. Iestyn was a good player for us but its the knock on effects that make it a bad decision.

We also won WCCs with either/both Karl Pryce at stand off didnt we??

And Karl Pratt for a Grand final

It wasn't a bad decision when we won the SL GF. Not all players get to play where they want and get paid what they want. It just so happens Pryce and Peacock took their bat and ball home. Regardless of them leaving, IMO we would never have found ourselves in the position we do now had remained and had not been driven out.

It was Mr Davies who made all the academy part time. That was one of his first acts when he got the job.

So you know this as absolute fact do you or is it just wild conjecture on your part.

Well I'd not say Peacock took his bat and ball home. He was current MOS, the leader of our pack and massive player for us. So he went to Chris Caisley and said "I'd like an improved deal that matches my ability". He was told no. But with a more colourful turn of phrase. So when Leeds came in and said "we'll offer you that deal" he took it. And I don't blame him.

Pryce was in a similar situation. Looking back, I'd rather we'd kept Peacock and Pryce than ever signed Harris.

He got a whinge on coz he didnt get what he wanted and you know it.

You can call it that.

I call it one of our best players, coming to the end of his contract asking for a pay rise for his new deal and getting told to eff off. It's a move that was indicative of Caisley's time in charge.

So I heard. I think as one of the first "cost-saving" measures - and I know the numbers they had to save to keep the club out of the hands of the insolvency professionals had more noughts on the end than most at the time (certainly including me) ever realised.

I guess the big question is - and with the benefit of hindsight - what cost reduction measures did much more harm than any financial benefit could outweigh? And what ELSE could have been cut instead to do less harm? We'll never get to know, though, unfortunately. It just alarmed the hell out of me to be going up to Odsal for formal meetings every month or so, and keep finding fewer and fewer people who I was working with still there - at all levels, from Chairman down.

Interesting to see that there seems to be a big issue over Leeds way regarding cutting back on academy spend. I'm increasingly wondering if they are starting to tread a similar path, generally, to the one we have been plunging down?

according to posters on leeds board they are only offering their academy players match payments now, part of the fallout of which resulted in us getting marcus elliot and several other u16s leaving. you'd have thought they'd have seen what effect sending our academy part time had os us and thought better of it.

He wasnt though was he, he'd just signed a new improved contract before Harris was signed. His contract didnt end until the end of 2005.

Leeds academy has been part time for last 3 years this is different to part time.

Davies also had a lot to do with the Harris signing from his time at Reebok.

forget players whinging or not- if we dont have the money why not give somone a chance rather than a. Sign a player plunging us in more debt regardless of name or ability. B. Risk losing academy players because they have to go part time due to cuts and potential financial problems?

Nobby must have had a clue of the financial situation and when he was looking at options pryce's and paul or pratt, etc he was not exactly making use of what he had was he? Cameron phelps most usefull import into the english game-:lets think of today somone else will fix tommorow.maybe i am just bitter but i do feel the decisions he made were short sighted.
Although cutting academy would not have been my initial choice so long as it was potentially short term i suppose we have survived.id have rather we cut other things lbut i guess it was not simple.