I'll say it again some of our players (mostly homeg grown) have to step up

Wigan have done it - Charnley Burgess Gelling Sarginson

they were all talented youngsters who have stepped up when needed

Saints have Makinson Swift Percival etec etc

So its time for our guys to do the same

Ah, I read that as 'when he's going to play', reffering to his injury problems. Gidley will be a great signing.

I think some of the decisions at other clubs may have been forced on them due to injuries to more senior players at times but there should be a lesson for TS to stop chopping & changing any included youngsters & let them build confidence by rectifying their own mistakes.

( How did i manage that ?)

I cant help but think the club has missed a trick not replacing Smith as part of this rebuild..... They are looking to transform the clubs image, they have had a massive clear out of players after the disastrous recruitment and performances over the last few years.... They could have said "we would like to thank Tony for all his hard work and the great days out at wembley etc.... " we could have gone our separate ways and everyone would have been happy... We could have gone out and recruited a new young eager coach... He could have started his own recruitment drive.. We, the fans, would have bought into a new regime and given him at least 2 season to turn things around.. A new chapter in the clubs history. We have amazing facilities, we pay top dollar.. we are an attractive proposition.. loads of good coaches would love the chance to come and turn us into contenders again.

instead, were bringing in Cox, deemed not good enough for Hull KR by Peacock and Ryan ing Bailey..... Smith is right under the cosh before the new season has even started... This coming season should have been a fresh start for everyone at the club... Instead we have the coach having to explain a signing to the same first team players that called a meeting on him last season to voice their displeasure at him.

Its not great is it?

It's ok some fans mentioning TS record at Wire, if you lose the dressing room you're on borrowed time.

Just out of interest, whats the Wire Fan club' general response to this, anyone in the facebook group on here?

I saw the video on twitter, reeks of towing the party line, rather than representative of 'fans' imo.

I think all the changes the club have made over the past 12 months have been very positive, they do clearly still have ambition, and there is still the drive and energy there to do so. The one problem area though is the coaching, and I am sure this is the last throw of the die for Smith. He has been given plenty of money for players this year, we must surely be the top spender in SL ?. But he failed to get a timely replacement for Briers - around whom the whole team revolved. And by failing to import a decent set (4) of props he has in my view failed again at the 'insight' level, or strategy and planning level required of a top 4 coach.
But anyway, he has the remainder of 2016 to demonstrate he can meld together a team and inspire them to achieve more than the sum of their parts. I think Cox was simply a bit of window shopping by Smith( he's available, very cheap and we might turn him around). Bailey is a completely different kettle of fish as it's a statement by the coach as to what standards the club is prepared to accept. The mere fact that he had to explain his purchase to the rest of the players though is the elephant in the room. Perhaps he is desperate to avoid the void left by Harrison's injury woes ? Either way, he will need to string together some decent form to persuade a lot of the fans back that have been lost over the past two years.

Should we not wait and see what Mr Bailey offers us before casting judgement. I'm underwhelmed and never been his biggest fan but.....he's at an age when he might have matured off the field, he's at an age when props seem to excel, he's at an age when he might realise this is his last chance to play professional RL and knuckle down. Most of all he really gets under Jon Wilkin's skin which would be worth the admission money alone...in fact i'll pay his wages out of my own money if she spends the entire game against Saints annoying the hell out of that little irritant.

Surely he deserves a chance to prove himself?

I'm sure it will be mentioned!

Looking at this cynically (or stupidly), Smith and his bank of good will credit has been diminishing over the past year or so! I wonder if the current situation is way of him creating a way out during his last year if its going sour. I haven't heard any mention of Agar, not much on him for weeks is he still with us?

The last ditch signing of Cox raised many questions about recruitment and add him to the list with Wheeler and the news that our Aussie signing is injured and now Bailey it just seems very odd.

I wonder what Simon Moran and Roger Draper are doing/thinking. Simon is a fan and is not distanced from the supporters and as such he will be looking at the recent signings, I cannot bring myself to think that he thinks that the recent signings after Westerman are that of a progressive outfit.

All of this is very odd.