You talk about the end of the season. If we lose the next two (Wigan and Wakefield) how could the board justify not sacking him then?

I was at Wembley in 2019. They certainly didn't see that result coming.

Absolutely. Realistically, if it proves that last night was a flash in the pan, and we don’t turn up next week again, there’s justification to act swiftly, use the week off wisely and try and get off on the right foot with Wakefield.

There’s still the very real possibility that we’ve been “cat fished” by that fast start.

I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get a 1 game ban grading.

But do we then point the finger at the coach or the team ?

Got to say neither did we

I think they could have every right to as we would be out of the top 6 which is my trigger point for Powell in his 2nd season. If we are out of the top 6 with this squad then the experiment has not worked.

My point was about renewal criteria in 2024 which presupposes he is not sacked in the meantime.

Well, given that other than Daryl Clark (and maybe Riley Dean), every member of the squad has been signed or given a new contract by the current coaching team. So unless we propose we rebuild the rebuild, then it’s the leadership that must change.

Exactly.

The performance buck stops with Powell.
The continued, persistent, failure to reliably compete at the top of SL across the last decade stops with the board of directors and CEO.

You can't question his effort, he's certainly putting his hand up for work. I thought we kept him to far less metres than that, we seemed to have Lees and Knowles tasked with stopping him specifically and distract him from Walmsley and it seemed to work well. He made absolutely no metres after contact and was easily dealt with. Bullock seem to cause us far more problems and had a far more impactful game than Vaughan.

I often wonder if you actually watch the games enough to understand, or whether you are just a bait merchant.

Your theory here is that, to counter one player, two of your best forwards were allocated to him? But at the same time Vaughan wasn’t effective? That makes zero sense. Rugby league is a simple game of number manipulation, a better team would have exploited that (we already did, you were obviously short on multiple occasions, particularly on your right). Vaughan did his bit.

Maybe that was in part because the rest of your pack was focussed on Vaughan, as you admit? Vaughan inevitably attracts attention because he is effective, but that should give others more scope.

Our problem of late has been that, Bullock aside, no-one else has stepped up.

If we carry this same performance into the Wigan game except not losing then fine. Let’s keep judgement till that.

What are we going to discuss all week, then?

Anyone know what Amos Brierley is up to in Emmerdale these days?

Kind of strange to see the content over this performance. Yes, it was a huge marked improvement, but all it does for me is make me even madder that they have had that in them but chose to clap crap in their hands for the past 2 months instead. Made mugs out of themselves and all the people paying to watch it. The only ones during that period who I've no qualms with are Ashton, Thewlis, Bullock and Walker. Maybe Clark too. Ratchford I can see is trying, he's in for the cause, but he's past it. He never beats that last man to break away.

The rest been taking the michael.