Powell out?

Quote: Roy Haggerty "I think we have to manage expectations a bit. When game 1 kicked off, most of us would have been over the moon at not being in the bottom 2 after 13 weeks. Then the rocket start to the season made everyone think it was all on, and now the last 7 matches have everyone in gloom. Yesterday was awful, and some of the skill and commitment on display was unacceptable in professionals. But Quins remain above where most of us expected them to be in the table at this point.

A few facts in the cold light of day.

1. Quins have lost the same number, or fewer, games than Crusaders, Wakefield, Hull KR, Bradford and Salford (and possibly Hull after tomorrow)

2. Quins have scored more points than Catalans, Hull, Bradford, Wakefield and Crusaders (2 less than Salford and only 20 less than Wigan/Hull KR)

3. Quins have conceded fewer points than Bradford, Crusaders and Salford

4. Each time Quins have played, they've played in front of smaller and less vocal home crowds, and almost non-existent away support

5. Quins' team, every week, is worth tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of pounds less than their opponents - and a large part of their total value is sitting in the stands through injury.

Put those together, and you'd have to say that where they currently are is close to miraculous. If they're still in 10th at the end of the season, Powell's exceeded all reasonable expectations. Hull KR and Bradford are below Quins not because of points deductions like Wakey and Crusaders (although the latter would still be behind them without the deduction), but because they're not doing as well, despite having far more advantages than Quins.

None of this helps ease the pain of defeats like yesterday. But we do need to look beyond the immediate. Quins are currently overperforming compared to their playing roster.'"

I think every Harlequins fan sees us as a weaker playing squad than last year, and all but one club has made improvements. We look at the table and think it isn't too bad, and a win yesterday or at least a spirited performance would have gone along with the 'yeah it's not too bad attitude'.

We sound like we are paying for a period of poor management behind the scenes, and it will take time to recover. At the minute no-one will want to take the chance a pay to come and see the poor standard of rugby league offered by the home team. Hopefully we can find some spirit and remedy that, because a relatively weak roster matched with poor spirit will only further dishearten fans.

Away support is visibly scant on the ground, we have been hemorrhaging home support because of the last 18 months and it is a big expense to travel North-South and then South-North these days so it is understandable for away support to listen in on the radio or wait for the highlights.

We need another Lenagan figure to come in and help Hughes with the burden to help us move back to where we were, because at the minute we are paying for poor office work, and the team needs investment to marry the increased off the field work.

The basic remit is the same one that we had when we first became Harlequins RL; the media may have changed a little and the country may be a little worse off, but a strong work ethic on and off the field, an entertaining matchday experience in a vibrant Super League, where Harlequins are competitive.

We could do alot worse than follow these, as long as the team decides it wants to roll their sleeves up and put some Super League level effort in.

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Also I think the club missed a trick on making the ground look full on Saturday. I understand that the Aussies and Kiwis are that interested in Super League, rather than our club, but given that Anzac Day was only a few days before the game, why not give every person who turns up in a New Zealand or Australia jersey, everyone who sings the Aussie or Kiwi national anthem out loud, everyone who shows their passport at the turnstile, (preferably after giving some details) a free ticket.

Like it or not this is a popularity contest and it was embarrassing to see the level of fans who sat in the stands. My mate cried off on the morning of the game, and I told him he didn't miss much and probably did the right thing. We were helped by a few union boys who watched their game beforehand and a there must have been a fair number of STH's who did the bring a friend.

I was not happy with the performance, and hopefully a year of rebuilding on and off the field.