Is it me?
There have been a few games on TV that have included some of those who have recently left us, Hall, Crookes, both Thompsons and Matautia, to me they appear to be putting in much more effort into their game performance than they did in any of the 23 rounds with us prior to leaving.

On a positive note Harry, I have been well impressed with the efforts of the new loan players, who replaced the 'expensive' players you mention. Loan players sometimes are accused of not 'caring' about the club they are on loan to, but the current crop appear to have given our remaining squad players a real boost. Full marks to those remaining squad players too, as they are busting a gut, in 'the cause', when current circumstances haven't exactly been in their favour!

Fair play to them.

And we smash Sheffield and a Barrow side we struggled to beat and lost too.

If desire is hot, performances will flourish. It got Halifax there and fair play to them too !

For me I don't think Hall, Crooks,the Thompson or Matautia ever let us down, maybe Matautia at Blackpool, or in the Cup at Fev, I feel Hall wasn't given the chance to shine early season,and Hutchy started slowly but has come good.

I agree that the departed players quoted all rolled their sleeves up and dug in. Hall is never a full back, despite Jukes playing him there but as proven at Hull Kingston Rovers is quite an accomplished player on the wing or in the three quarters, scoring many a try for Leigh this season as well.

Hutchison is frankly not worth a fraction of his reported 6 figure annual salary for mine.

Well when we resigned Hall some fans where a bit sceptical as he’s a hit and miss but he’s scored 7 tries in 4 games and he’s been excellent and crooks also has been a lot better than I thought he would be so thanks on a side note I hope you get something sorted soon with your club as we’ve been there in the 90s administration liquidation hours close to going out of business I know for a fact when we went up in 2006 if we hadn’t gone up we’d be in a similar situation to you are now its only the fact that we have a couple of passionate owners pumping money in that saves us from going under really

I spoke to Ben Crooks at the game today might not see him again for KR the rest of the 8's he had his leg in a brace.Agree about Hall, a decent player, Leigh would ruin Jonathan Thurston if we signed him.

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That would be a shame because him and Hall have gone really well

I thought Hall regardless of the position he was told to play fulfilled his duties. Having no prominent halfback who could dictate play around the park is where they failed.

No, its not just you!

I thought exactly the same!!

The two bits highlighted is where the season was lost for me. Replace these with McNally and either Ridyard / Drinkwater and we win at least 5 out of first 6 games. I also think Purtill will be ruing keeping Hall at Full back for his first one and a half games.

As for the departed players in general, yes they're doing well. They did well for us from week 7 onwards, but the damage was done. Watch the Halifax away game back. Hall, Crooks and B Thompson were all disgraceful.

This

Yesterday our defence was all over the show , again because we didn't have a true full back organising , also we saw on several occasions long range ' cut out ' passes being thrown rather than having a full back/ex half joining the line third man out with the vision and skill to time and execute the pass and potentially then support the winger

Used to drive me nuts way back when I'd hear our fans lambasting Niel Turley , " Run it in you soft ******* " as he jinked in and out giving time for our forwards to get back up field into position , without trying to smash his way through bigger opponents who would happily try to take him out of the game given the chance , and then a minute later he'd be crossing the oppositions try line after getting on the end of a line break , offload or an inside pass from the winger , Similarily with McNally

I will always maintain that we would not have lost the MPG had McNally played, early doors we had 3 opportunities to score, the ball was moved left to right on each occasion but every one of our players had a marker on them, it cried out for the full back to come into the line, which was McNallys domain, Hampshire was nowhere to be seen, had we taken those chances I believe history would have been re-written, but genius Cunningham who I believe was instrumental in selecting Hampshire say it differently.