Some issue is that we've seemed to suffer, for several years, from poor development from youth/reserve players into first team regulars, and it was seen that Powell was the right person to address that. Which, of course, isn't going to be a 'quick fix' and does likely require a cultural change.

It is significantly more challenging than what Peet has to do at Wigan.

Spot on.

If Powell was brought to improve our youth, he's not doing himself any favours by signing a big money aussie full back, publicly criticising our young talented scrum half and allegedly releasing longstaff.

Maybe, as products of the previous administration, he doesn't see the right promise in them - again it's a long term fix, not just chucking in what's already there.

Had we beaten Leeds I thought we would make the playoffs as it Leeds are now brimming with confidence and they will make the playoffs at our expense. Lose to Wakefield on Sunday and it’s all about survival.

Powell probably doesn’t have the cajones to drop either Currie or Holmes for Longstaff (he should) and thinks Widdop is a safer pair of hands at FB than Thewlis for the time being.

To me this shows he’s panicking a bit. We might’ve been better off had we nothing to play for and we could’ve seen more of Dean, Thewlis and Longstaff….as it is he’s desperate to claw into the playoffs with more experienced but underperforming players.

On a side note at the time I hoped we would cash in on D Clark when the NRL came sniffing but that ship has sailed. I genuinely believe he’s one of the least effective hookers in SL at the minute. If his contract was up this season would you retain him?

A really odd situation . A new coach in usually sees a degree of stability in most cases . A complete nose dive is quiet serious given the team you have . You clearly need some personal to build but that team has enough to be in the 4/5th area of the table . Given your performances ,You are still 2 point off the playoffs so all is not lost . I don’t believe the club was so lacking In ambition that it feels ok to write off this season in order to re build for next . Powell was always going to be a gamble . A strange appointment in my view given the investment for success on the pitch . My view is a quality coach would have that squad competing and so I think it would be in your interest to start looking and get shut before it’s to late

The very nature of his task - to change the culture into a winning mentality - means he's going to have to get rid of players who aren't prepared to buy in to this. If players were willing, then we wouldn't have nose dived. Some of them aren't buying into this, therefore a nose dive is to be expected.

The choice is:

We stick with the players, who've underperformed now for 3 coaches over 6/7/8 years, and get another coach in, hoping they'll respond to that coach.

Or

We recognise that these players are the problem and we put trust in a coach who has a track record for improving players, a track record for building a good brand of rugby and culture, and has the balls to sort it.

Bar the young players coming through, most of our players have gotten worse, or at best, stayed the same and not improved.

Speaks volumes about the league with the fact that we're only 2 pts off the play offs. Makes it even more galling the fact that if this current squad of half d overpaid sulkers bothered for a little bit we'd be up there.

Bring on the clear out

I totally get the comments made and it’s hard to disagree with you . It’s a ‘ prisoners dilemma ‘ situation ! What do you do for the best ? From an outsider looking in , looking at it as holistically as an outsider can . The players in the squad are better than what they are displaying . That can only be a managerial issue in my view . Those player are competitive and don’t need a winning mentality . You don’t need to coach ‘winning mentality’ because if you did they would have been dropped before they reached academy standard . My opinion is - the manager manages what he has and what he has is better than what is being displayed. A quality coach gets the bets out of even a mediocre team and Powell is failing the club in that respect . Negativity breads negativity and I feel the club needs to set a standard and keep going until they get it right. Powell is not the man

Interesting to consider this in the context of Currie and King. They emerged from our Academy to become leading SL players in their position and get the backing of the club with big contracts. There wasn't a problem developing them from youth/reserve players into first team regulars, nor was there a lack of willingness in the club to invest in retaining its home grown talent.

But now they are two of the players getting the most stick on here.

What did the coaches/club do wrong?

Well Currie has been “cruelled” by ACLs in both knees, thus no lateral movement. King? Dunno? Maybe Price’s one trick pony attack move of high kick to the corner on the 5th showed him at his best?

Bit of a naive post to say the least.

Why blame the coaches and club, when most of the fault is likely with players who probably lack both the ability and dedication to become as good as it was hoped they would be?

Yes, the club gave the contracts, but ultimately its upto the player to knuckle down and make the most of their opportunity - in the case of a number of our players, they have simply not been upto it and they only have themselves to blame.

Yes Currie was exceptional before his knee injuries. But I don't see why his tackling is so half hearted this season both against Wigan and Leeds.

Currie's debut was in 2012, King's in 2014 (same year as Philbin) - and the lack of any 1st team regulars coming through the ranks since them highlights the potential issue (unless I've made any glaring omissions - aside from the younger players who've been given a chance this season under Powell).