How do you mean?

Cunningham was alleged difficult and some players didn't settle.

Are you really saying that Barrow was having to make the most of limited talent and comparing that team to a 'pre-money' City, whereas the current team is like City now



What would have the 1986 pack done to the 2019 pack?

Was Patton better than Andy Gregory? Does Price have more talent in the backline than Brian Johnson, Phil Blake etc?

Those guys in 1986 might have been on meagre pay packets compared to what players earn today but we had genuine world class talent back then, which we don't now.

Price had to come up against a dominant Saints team with an elite coach in Justin Holbrook, and yet we beat them at Wembley on the big occasion, just like we'd gone to their ground and knocked them out of the playoffs the year before.

Phil Blake didn't play in 86
The 86 prem winning team and the late 80s teams backlines inc. such stars as Kevin Meadows, Paul Bishop, Cullen and Barry Peters and you seriously compare them with Lineham, Ratchford, Austin & Widdop?
As for Holbrook being an elite coach ....... really?

I think I sense a fellow Harvey's Bristol Cream devotee.

Tony Barrow
1986-88 P97 W63 D2 L32 64.9%


Tony Barrow achieved a lot with the lesser players too. Don't forget we were not full time professional then. That side that beat champions Halifax included world class talent such as Mark Forster, Paul Cullen in the centre, Brian Carbert, Paul Ford, Gary Sanderson and Billy McGinty. With a star studded squad of Barry Peters, Carl Webb, Tony Gittins. Brian Johnson was substitute for the final and Phil Blake was not even playing.

It's wrong to think we had a star studded side then compared to now.

Also, those watching then will remember what we were like under Reg Bowden at the start of the 1985/86 season before Tony Barrow replaced him.

Reg Bowden
1984–85 Warrington P68 W28 D0 L40 41%

We were so bad under Bowden, he came out of playing retirement to try to get us winning.

I suggest a shortlist of 3 for your new coach

Cullen
Agar
Smith

Ahh, nostalgia. It's not what it used to be

I don't hold a great love for stats, for the sake of arguments. They can be manipulated to suit. Luck and circumstances play huge parts, as well.

Don't believe me?
That Prem side of 86 WAS class (an unbelievable pack, helping out a poor 3/4 line) , it would've been invincible, bar the camp bookmaker making it his mission to tempt A. Gregory away from us, so much so, he went on strike, to get his move. After the Prem, we started the next season losing the opening 2, then went on a huge winning streak, including thrashing Wigan (h), Leeds (a) 54-16 and Widnes 35-4 in the JPS semi-Final. The loss of Gregory to that side ####ed us, and we never recovered, until the second coming of Mackey. But its not as if we didn't spend money. Boyd had a huge contract (subsidised by Peter Higham, iirc), Then there was Tamati and Rathbone who commanded decent fees. We'd done a deal with Widnes previously for A. Gregory with Fieldhouse and cash going the other way. We'd also paid for Blake's 6 month stint and to prize Johnson away from Oz. So we DID act in the transfer market, just not in the same bracket as Wigan (on verge of full time pro), they went and signed Hanley (Ford, Donlan and cash going the other way) Goodway (record) and Lydon (record, again) in the space of 5 months, we just couldn't compete.

Fast forward 4-7 years, and we have the Welsh RU experiment, with Bateman, Ellis, Phillips and eventually Davies coming, we could and should 've won the league, with devastating backs, (3 of the above 4) add to these Mackey, Shelford and young Harris, Roper and Penny. It was just that we had a pack that could be described (at best) as workmanlike... an ageing Jackson, 31 year old Cullen (with dodgy knees), Tees, Elliot and then the Godawful Tietzel and Thursfield (shudders). Wigan had been full time for years, and bought ANYONE they liked, because they could.

We've obviously spent big in the Cullen and Smith eras, yet the GF win still eludes us.

Circumstances and luck.

Let's look at Price. Yes, I'm extremely grateful for the CCwin, and we did it the hard way, but it's only 4 wins. As W71 says, it's a sticking plaster, to cover a wound.
The fella's out of his depth, and (imo, we've hired a dud).
It was obvious that Smith was going to go in 2017, and he announced in the summer. It took us 3 months, 3 MONTHS to come up with Price. What we're our hierarchy doing in Oz at that time. Surfing all day on Bondai? Too many barbies? Shark fishing?

Our club philosophy is too laissez faire since Gatcliffe left (as Sally has pointed out before), and we've created a jobs for the boys attitude, and not being ruthless enough with under performance.

Time for the board to grow a collective pair, eh?

... and we went even worse.
That 84/5 season was torturous

I am not the biggest fan of Price but I was encouraged by the style of play and the attitude when defending in the first 2 games.
Maybe yesterday was just a blip but on the same token the performances against a Wigan team that was undercooked and an injury ravaged saints team could be the exception in the sort of run of form that saw Lowes lose his job in 2009.
Back in 2009 Smith was waiting in the wings with 4 years to go until the next world cup. Wane has less than 2 and I am sure that the RFL want him on it full time.
We don't know what impact the Gelling situation had on the squad in yesterday's performance. When you look at the impact on wigan when the story was about to break on the Tomkins brothers night out in standish. The story broke straight after we nilled them so you would guess that everybody knew it was about to come out, they then lost the next 2 games but still beat us 3 times during the rest of the season the last game being the GF.
The next 3 games will indicate where we are at.
Only 1 win in the next 3 then price can go but it has been pointed out who comes in?
What are the Walker brothers up to these days.

Never mind Rickkaaaaayyy from.Toronto, lets throw money at a coach for a change. Ward or Wane (PT) please.

Wanted him gone last season, noting has changed.

Got and get Ian Watson. The man works miracles year on year.