Maybe it was because the team was undefeated at the half way point in the season, but other teams then sussed them out, by moving the ball wide and exposing glaring weaknesses? Leigh fans would argue that there was no 'Plan B' - leading to embarrassing big home defeats to Halifax, Batley, Dewsbury and Sheffield.

gone too according to friends who know nothing about rugby but were both appalled with his training plan. both very competent weight lifters. one who i'd like back at work. they couldn't believe he was employed by a professional sports club to keep athletes fit.

they both agree about his attitude.

I was watching Haigh with the players last sunday, he reminds of a 1950s drill instructor. No wonder the players aren't motivated, Windsor Davies would be a better option. The more I think about it, the more it seems obvious we need a complete clear out of the backroom staff.

I don't care what anyone says, but the whole time McRae's been at the club we've had talent in the side, not world class all the way through, but enough talent to cause teams problems. We just never ever get the basics right. How can any of the backroom staff look at the team not running onto passes at pace or from depth, either not drifting or drifting very slowly in defence and players constantly dropping of tackles, and be happy. Someone from Haigh to Wilkinson should have picked up on the issue by now.

This is why the fans get so frustrated. You can talk about buying meat from M & S all you like, that just makes me hungry, but when you look at what Wakefield achieve with a similar budget it's plainly obvious our players just aren't getting the coaching they require. In life, and rugby, nobody ever stops learning, all players need instruction and developing. So saying McRae needs a better quality of player to work with is a load rubbish, he needs to accept it's his job to develop the players and start doing that. You can't show me one player in Salford's ranks that has improved since McRae arrived.

the club has been a professional organisation run by amateurs. the techniques used to get the player into shape were ridiculously out dated. No one at the club seemed to have the knowledge drive to change it.

Most of the backroom staff have now gone it would be nice to see the club repeat the show of intention the new signings have displayed and bring in some professional to train them. What we needs are some forward thinking individuals that would leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of preparing our players.

not just ex players that have been brought through the same system.

Such as what?

carrying bags of coal up and down the stands

Was this in the off-season training or during the season? I could understand if it was the latter.

If Andy Haigh has left that gives Salford opportunity to recruit another strength and fitness contitioner with a fresh approach . We've amost a new team , and remaining players with new backroom staff may feel the ' slate has been wiped clean ' for the pre-season. One things for certain team fitness has gone down in my opinion since the Karl Harrison / Eddie McGuinness days , with Dean Thomas - Andy Haigh the younger squad players especially the forwards don't seem to have added the bulk & power you see in other SL teams youth , they seemed plauged with injuries and rarely do I see them running hard into the line. time for a change.

Just to illustrate the differences of opinion in how players feel they should be trained, I remember a few players who were critical of Karl & Eddie's regime. The gym work was based mainly around supersets. Great for our style of play i.e. based on a solid defence, but these players felt physically weaker than they'd prefer. It just goes to show that in terms of training, players will always have a personal preference, whether it's to be big, lean, strong or have great cardio.

Is this the same Wakefield we beat last week? the same Wakefield that finished a massive two points above us in the league? and the same Wakefield that now face a winding up order.Or a different club I've not heard about? Go onto the Wakey board and read what their fans think about the way their club is being run.
IMO McRae has been operating with one hand tied behind his back.Little money to buy any real quality players and an assistant coach in Malc,who in his first season in the coaching role,has had to fit it in around his playing duties.
Next season is the time to judge McRae as the players we have brought in are a step above (on paper) the players we have released.
You say it's McRae's job to develop players,I agree.But each player reaches a level and then cannot improve further.This is why some become internationals,some super league players,some national league and some play amatuer league.A gross simplification I admit,but basically true nevertheless.
Unfortunately,over the past few years at Salford we have had a team, made up in the main,of players of barely super league standard and I would have challenged any coach to make much of an improvement.

What he/she said

we would be better off with brian noble

You must be new to the game Smithy. Never forget his dull tactics.

Noble is the professor of 5 drives and a kick. He gets his players fit and he plans damage limitation. His tactics are very negative.

What we need at Salford is a Coach who can inspire flair and play off the cuff Rugby to bring the crowds back. No more turgid stuff please............. and that applies to SMc as well.

I never mentioned anything on how Wakefield was run as a club, but I did mean the same Wakefield that reached the play offs last season, the same Wakefield that lost TRONC, their best forward, and Brough, their best half back, and the same Wakefield that has stuck 30 plus points on us at their place for the past two seasons.

I agree you can't give any player vision or bottle. On the other hand you can make them stronger, to a certain degree you can make them quicker and you can improve their basic skills. Please don't quote dunneman back at me, but a large part of the reason we did well in 2006 was down to good basic skills and playing at tempo. One of the best Salford games I've ever seen was our home game against Saints that year, because we did the basics right and played with tempo. I know we lost but each half felt like it was 10 minutes long.

This is what John Kear can give a team. He will never take a club all the way to the top, but he will, however, turn a clubs fortunes round and is a very good short term fix. This is, also, what McRae doesn't give Salford. He hasn't proven himself worthy.