To the surprise of no one the announcement was that Eccles will be in permanent charge. However his job title is a little different and crucially he seems to have obtained a good level of back room support that should help get standards up. It’s a positive announcement. There is also suggestion of signings to be announced so that is good as well.

Good to hear they will bring in a couple of coaches. Neil Thorman rumoured as one.

Pleased that Mike E has been given a contract for next year, they have not been that clear what it actually means though. Will there be a first team and academy coach appointed? Mike full time, coach part time?

Since Cake isn't really a coach he will have 2 assistants. He explains in his YouTube interview.

The fact a non coach is easily our strongest candidate for the coach job does speak volumes. Nonetheless he strikes me as an impressive character, he’s clearly had a good think about what he wants and how to move the team forward. I’m much more confident with him at the helm than I was this time last year. I suspect we have retained heavily but, as others have said, so far this squad has indicated it can compete mid-table, which is a step up from this season but hardly cause for doing cartwheels. However, quite a few have clearly improved under Eccles so we’ll have to see, although I wouldn’t mind a few coming in or back as the case may be.I assume some of the JC signings may leave, unless on 2 year contracts so there may be space on the wage Bill.

Always worth remembering how poor and disorganised we were at the start of the season. The last few games haven’t been great but significantly better so we are on an upward trajectory.

I am struggling to see anything other than a dance with the trapdoor again next season.

I disagree, we did look like we had turned it around, but last 3 games make me think that the mid season wins was no more than a new coach bouce. I'd feel a lot more positive, if we had won vs Haven and Barrow, instead once we was sure of safety they all switched off.

I see another season of struggle, and I'll predict right now that we will have a lower attendance next year than this year. This year we had the first 2 games which skewed the figures, we won't have that next year. I'd be amazed if we breach 1K on any games next year.

Is there any mention of FT or will we remain PT?

Seems a lot of management for a PT team

Quote crashmon="crashmon"I disagree, we did look like we had turned it around, but last 3 games make me think that the mid season wins was no more than a new coach bouce. I'd feel a lot more positive, if we had won vs Haven and Barrow, instead once we was sure of safety they all switched off. I see another season of struggle, and I'll predict right now that we will have a lower attendance next year than this year. This year we had the first 2 games which skewed the figures, we won't have that next year. I'd be amazed if we breach 1K on any games next year.'" Interesting post match interview in which Cake admits he is dissapointed with the end of the season both in terms of intensity and quality. With the focus on retention we can expect to see more of the same. Target next season is to win more games than we did this year. So mid table at best in year 2 of Yosser's quest for 5,000 fans In reality, the club is just in a holding position pending the IMG proposals. We saw an upping of intensity when relegation threatened but that's about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKOY6RUBRC8

Quote crashmon="crashmon"I disagree, we did look like we had turned it around, but last 3 games make me think that the mid season wins was no more than a new coach bouce. I'd feel a lot more positive, if we had won vs Haven and Barrow, instead once we was sure of safety they all switched off. I see another season of struggle, and I'll predict right now that we will have a lower attendance next year than this year. This year we had the first 2 games which skewed the figures, we won't have that next year. I'd be amazed if we breach 1K on any games next year.'" Interesting post match interview in which Cake admits he is dissapointed with the end of the season both in terms of intensity and quality. With the focus on retention we can expect to see more of the same. Target next season is to win more games than we did this year. So mid table at best in year 2 of Yosser's quest for 5,000 fans In reality, the club is just in a holding position pending the IMG proposals. We saw an upping of intensity when relegation threatened but that's about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKOY6RUBRC8

I'm assuming P/T as you would have thought if going F/T, then announce it when you appoint your F/T Director of Rugby & Performance.

Notice Hughes only really gave qualified support to Cakeman saying he was ok for this level (not in those words of course). Are the 2 Asst Coaches supposed to be F/T?

One of the problems with Broncos, is that when they say something (which is a rarity), it always raises more questions than answers.

Was anybody at the post -game meeting? Did they answer any questions like

1) Are they planning to improve the match day experience, or should we expect that DH assumes 2K fans will turn up to watch us get turned over by the mighty Keithley, Barrow and Widnes with just the Rugby on offer with one refreshment stand open?
2) Will we be binning the wire kit and going back to black
3) Prices for next year, will a ST be at £6 per game? Or are they expecting ST to pay £17 a game while normal fans can get it for less than a tenner for the 2nd half of the season (when they panic on only having gates of 500 people)
4) How many games at Ebbsfleet next year 1,2 have they any idea?

Its a forgone conclusion we will be PT next year, and have pretty much the same squad as this year, so no chance of playoffs next year at all, while the other clubs will all strengthen.

Absolutely Part Time Im afraid DC. I wonder if Eccles is PT as well. Bearing in mind the imbalance between career risk and reward of being in a coaching position in the South East I would have thought it would be shrewd to keep his irons in the fire. I do wonder about the 2 assistants though. What’s that about? One for the attack and one for the defence? Who defers to whom? Like most on here retaining a squad that finished 11th I find a little underwhelming but if we had an any way competent retention policy going into season we’d probably have finished higher so it’s good he seems to have got that message across. Starting afresh at start of season is a recipe for disaster. It’s also a hard message but he seems to be saying signing players from up North is generally a mugs game because they want to be in the North and any decent offer and they’ll be back there. That makes grim reading but is probably true. I remain of the view the guy has the club at heart and is pretty sound strategically. What his tactical ability is I simply am not well placed to judge. Crash might be right we just experienced a new coach bump. Time will tell but think back to last year when the new coach was announced then a stream of outgoings...so many they didn’t even bother to say some had gone and then the L1 recruitment and the endless tranches of Skolars players we seem to be in a better place than that now. Low bar but still. Now they have to convince me a 2023 ST is a sensible financial decision.....