I went to the game yesterday, like many other loyal fan's! Well done everyone but we deserve a lot better don't you think?

So tell me what has changed from last season? We still run up the middle all the time, all individuals that can't break a tackle, too slow when passing the ball, line out please will someone tell them what one is and how to move and run on the ball, Arggghhh and we haven't a clue on the try line. I counted in the second half we had three sets of six on their line and we had just no idea, clueless!

Every team can read us like a book, ha they don't even have to do their homework we just dish up all the same old dross game in game out. SHOCKING

Ian, sorry mate you have inherited a crock of crap, I would say out of all the squad you have 5 maybe 6 players who are half decent.

He inherited a lot worse 1st time round, be patiant and he will sort it - if his hearts in it

What i could'nt understand yesterday was why when the opposition started to get tired (which they did and thats why we scored )why did no-one think about chipping the ball over for Stanton or Rydyard to chase ,the size of those forwards would have had no chance,it was the same at the very last play when Leigh kept it alive ,it was crying out for a chip over.

I wasn't asking you personally Fred and I don't need the views of the coaching staff because it is obviously different to that of many fans. We are not coaches but have been watching RL for long enough to judge a players abilities.
As for thriving on doom & gloom - what else have we been given to live on over the last few years? I was at York and I was embarassed / frustrated / annoyed watching that load of garbage. After looking forward so much to this season with positive news re: coach, players, youngsters signed etc and a definite feel good (or feel better) factor I am quickly getting back to reality - we are no better than last season or the season before (possibly worse). Yesterday we started with what IM must have considered to be our strongest back line and they stunk! We have no one better to add to that line up except the Ridyard / Hartley swap. That's my reason to be all doom & gloom. I personally don't thrive on it though - I just want my team to compete at Championship level (not ar$ed about getting into SL to be honest) - just turning out a team that we should be turning out - not an average div. 1 team.
Looking back a couple of seasons we replaced average players like Maden, Alstead, McConnell & Duffy. We called Nanyn e when he was at Widnes. We had a team of entertainers, Grix, Miles Greenwood, Lee Greenwood, Gaskell etc and we tonked Widnes several times by large scores. We lose those players and get back the earlier mentioned ones and surprise surprise look where we are again. We deserve better - small clubs like Batley & Dewsbury will turn out teams better than us this season on home crowds of 400-800 -surely that isn't right!

Rant over - FRUSTRATED FOLLOWER HOME & AWAY for many years so I have the right to moan.

If you werent asking me why refer to my post? so you wont ask the question or put your point to people who may just have the answer? maybe just maybe we cant afford those sort of players anymore because of the salary cap? or have you forgot we got all the players mentioned on the cheap because most of them were trying to make a name for themselves and have since priced themselves out of our 'market' again dont speculate ask the people who can answer the questions Basil will be at the next LISA meeting ask him.
Or are your just interested in moaning? why go ahead and suffocate in that world when theres no need as the man to answer your questions does make himself available to the fans.
And where did you get those figures from re Dewsbury and Batley both pulled far more in than those figures, income wise we are a very poor club as the only real income stream avilable is the lottery and gates, take away AT's money and we really would be an average div 1 team.
Most wanted Basil back, well he's here but he's no miracle worker, ask him about the recruitment policy, he doesn't bite.

in fairness though, whats the point of travelling from your home in yorkshire, over to leigh, to make an even further journey to york??

you're looking at three hours on the road before kick off, and thats a non starter

OK Fred, Batley played Widnes, possibly their best crowd of the season? They usually get 4-500 home fans plus any away fans. Dewsbury crowds have been around 8/900 for the last season or two.

As for asking questions, can I say that in a statement i don't always expect an answer. If I say to my mate "Why the hell didn't he pass that ball?" I don't expect him to say "Ask the coach or the player themselves, they will be available in the bar afterwards, stop moaning and ask the right people".

Isn't this Forum for fans to discuss/moan/praise etc ? Why are we always spoken to like kids at school by one or two certain posters?

Fred,

With reference to what we can/can't afford to spend on players. There's an interesting feature in Sunday's programme, from Gareth Walker, who quotes interviews with Ged Stokes, (Whitehaven coach) Carl Hall, (Doncaster CEO) and Mark Sawyer (Dewsbury CEO). They argue that the days of big contract payments in the Championship are gone, and that there is a glut of players available, who are more willing to play for less. Maybe that's the way we have gone, maybe not, but the suggestion is that there is some relatively cheap talent out there, if you look for it.

Because Ivan sometimes certain people act like kids when a solution to a 'problem' is given, if you dont want an answer then dont ask the question, but dont shoot down someone who gives an answer that you dont like.

Like I said Alan recruitment is down to the coaching staff and the only way to get an answer is to ask them, thats what I do both in private and at LISA meetings.

Income not spending is the problem the talent available could possibly be out there but if you aint got the money to spend on it......

And Batleys crowds have consistently been over the 1200 mark for a few years now, Dewsbury was a bad example as they were up until last term a Div 1 team, who even then got around the 1000 mark, but both own/manage their own stadiums and have income steams from it that we do not.

Didn't we get rid of Mark Castle because he didn't want to move over the big hill?

No we let him go because he couldnt get to training because he couldnt drive and wouldnt move here.