Sack Tony Smith. Sack Tony Smith. I've never read such rubbish. We are 4 games into the season. Not 10, not halfway, not after the 23 regular season games. Just 4. The game we played 5 matches ago was at old Trafford in front of 70000 people to decide the best team in the league. We had already had a trip to Wembley and been within millimetres of victory and been presented with the league leaders shield.

Yet just 4 games later we have people calling for our coach to be sacked. For gods sake.

I agree that our back line is poor , especially without Ratchford, but the decision our coach made was to stick with what he had and to strengthen the pack. The way some people think that we should be able to just sign a quality back because we are a cash rich club is just laughable. If a superleague club has a quality back at the moment they hang on to them for their life. They are a very rare commodity. I'm sure if a top quality back had been available we would have been interested, maybe to the detriment of bringing in the 3 quality players to strengthen the pack.

I agree our form is awful. The league table doesn't lie. We aren't performing anywhere near our potential yet. We have a new half back who in 4 league games has had 3 different partners. We are searching for the right combinations but now is the time to do it.

This isn't blind faith in the club. It is faith based on 8 years of Tony Smiths coaching and management. A lot of people have very short memories. 4 trips to Wembley, 3 to Old Trafford , a couple of league leaders shields as well. Does that not merit some loyalty and belief in our processes.

So to quote a phrase that seems to have been forgotten

IN SMITH WE TRUST

IN SMITH YOU TRUST. I don't. Last season was still a failure, the season before dreadful, this season...well it doesn't look good.

This isn't a knee-jerk reaction at all. Many of us have been saying this for a good while now. Tony Smith is not a panacea.

Last season we well exceeded expectations. With our poor back line and powderpuff pack last year we managed to top the league and got to both finals. That's skewed everyone away from the reality that we have Clark Hill Ratchford Westerman and Currie so everyone thinks we're this amazing side, but everyone else is average.

The other thing to note is that the standard of football last season was atrocious across the board. We only had to beat Oldham, Widnes and Wakefield to get to Wembley. We had a healthy lead at half time at the final. Wigan were awful at the Grand Final.

Yet we still messed up in farcical fashion! But if people want to delude themselves into thinking that last season was a roaring success, they are welcome to!

No knee jerk reaction from me, i have been saying i want rid for 3 seasons now on this message board.

We are an utter shambles with a terrible side and no game plan.

IN SMITH WE TRUST?

do me a favour.

I'm really split here as to what I think should be done.

I think we need a fresh start with a new coach at the helm, but at the same time I'm not sure there's anyone available right now AND whether it's the right time to do it bearing in mind our precarious position at the foot of the table. I have no doubt that Smith can save us from the bottom four, and would therefore be tempted to write off this season and let us secure our place around 8th while we undertake a search for a decent replacement.

If we pull the plug now that might just destroy any remaining confidence in the players and condemn us to a relegation battle.

The game against Wigan in the super 8s last year did it for me. Recent performances just confirm it. That game against Wigan depicted how mentally weak we are. We were 3 scores up with about 30 mins to go with a one man advantage and lost. Yes I know we won against hull the week after to claim the LLS but HULL FC were mentally on holiday after the Challenge cup win.

No matter what is said about Evans, Russell etc the group of players that have played this season are good enough to win all the games we have played. There is a deeper problem than just players individual performances. You can see that psychologically there is a problem. They either don't believe in the system and methods that they are being asked to carry out or just have lost respect for the coaches and each other.

You can see the little things. Livett goes clean through and nobody within 15 yards of him. Escare goes through and there is a Wigan player on each shoulder.
A Wigan forward takes the ball up and there are 4/5 Wigan players all in motion. Cooper takes the ball up and the rest just stand and watch. The players have mentally switched off.

I have loved what Tony Smith has done for us and I didn't want it to end this way but I just hope Simon Moral is on his phone now trying to sort out a replacement.

Smith has got to stay. He can only be judged when he has his full team out.

Chris Hill and Stefan Ratchford are not going to stop us conceding 38 points against Wigan.

There was a moment last night, may have been wigans 3rd try.. camera panned to the players under the posts. No one was saying anything... they were all just looking around in different directions avoiding eye contact with each other... A beaten team within the first 20 minutes. No fight, no heart, none of them bothered.

Stefan Ratchford has said that at least 13 players have injuries

Were they all playing last night?

yeah, we played that team again last night, look at the two seperate directions the two teams have gone since the grand final.

interesting that the OP thinks its a knee jerk reaction to want a change, that has been discussed for along time.

It's more a knee jerk reaction to harp on about trophies won 5 years ago and give it 'IN SMITH WE TRUST'.

its a line that's been trotted out for 4/5 season now by the blind faith Smith fan club. I have lost all trust in him.