If we had had Josh, Jode, Jonesy as well as Tiger playing, would we have won? Probably.

But it's up to the coach to get the team, individually and collectively, over these hurdles he speaks about.

The need for 100% committed defence goes without saying. But we need more pace and creativity in attack; when was the last time you saw a player pass and then run round to receive the ball back with various runners then coming looking for the ball at various angles?

And it's down to the directors to get Cougars into the hundreds of businesses, clubs and schools in the area to get attendance's up over 2,000.

My concern is how can Josh Lyneham book a holiday in mid season he his a professional sportsman in a team sport.
Who agrees with that at the club and says get yourself off and have a good time?
Paul White did it a few weeks ago and so did Paul March.
But if the coach can do it then the players must be thinking so can I.
Should the directors make a stand I think so.
With Paul Handforth being out for most of the rest of the season I think we could struggle to make the top 5.
There is just no one to get us round the park now and our forwards are getting bullied.

Unfortunatly it would seem that a lot of people seem to want to live their lives in the goldfish bowl that consists of farcebook and ter, something that is anathema to me.

I've been posting on here for that long that most posts just seem to be recycling a bit like "Groundhog Day" .

There isn't the debate there used to be and most of the fun has gone.

I still read the forum and several others, but I can't be 'rsed to post.

We just don't have enough good players, I think it's almost that simple. It doesn't help that we have now lost 4 of our best players to injury and unfortunate circumstances(tiger, Ash, Danny and jode) but the squad as a whole is simply not good enough. The loss of them plus shickell, hesketh, craven, barnett etc has made a massive difference.

Add to that we seem to have at least 3 players in daley, gav duffy and big ross who have dropped off the face of the earth.

As for the holiday situation it's absolutely laughable.

Sure we might get away with it this season but if we were to go up we would be absolutely slaughtered next season. Jesse sheriffe is an accident waiting to happen, Scott law and Neil cherryholme couldn't break a tackle or make a yard if their lives depended on it and we have an endless amount of utterly average players who I can't even name as they all seem the same and offer very little.

Worrying times. Even the games we have won easily we haven't looked very impressive. Not sure where we go from here.

I think a lot of people post on Cougarmania FB page and Twitter these days, it’s the way of the world, and we all better get used to it I am afraid. I do tend to agree with Dreamer about this forum, and for me it’s got a bit like reading Statler and Waldorf script on hear, (if I have to explain that remark, then it proves my point).
But I would just like to try and put things into context, as there seems to be a few people with very short memories. For me the sad loss of Danny cannot be underestimated on a playing level, as well as a personal level for all the players. Tiger and Danny would have been the dominate half back pairing in this league by a country mile. Buster took a serious knock early in the Swinton Game back in May, (up until that point we were unbeaten in the League) he is now clearly struggling with the effects from that injury and in my opinion needs some time on the side lines, none come any braver than him on the field, so I think someone needs to take that decision for him. Sean Kelly looked more than capable of stepping up to the mark and gave us a different option at hooker, a serious injury ended that option for this year. Jodie Sherriffe has been one of the best props in the competition, again another season ending injury, and now we have both Ash and Tiger out for at least 8 weeks, and maybe the rest of the season. Ash was on course to be in contention for the player of the season in league 1, and Tiger a fantastic organiser and reader of the game and the on field General, add to that Lawton out injured (he has been in superb form with the boot), Scott Lee looks like another long term injury, also Daley Williams not available. Big Ross has had some problems, which means he has fallen down the pecking order and needs to prove his commitment. On the holiday front not much to say on that apart from these guys are only semi-pro most have full time work outside of the game, and probably have to fit holidays in with their main employer it’s is always going to be a balancing act between the 2 jobs, It’s the nature of sport at this level, and this has been an issue for players since the switch to summer Rugby.
Just to sum up if anybody still thinks we should walk this league, they need a reality check, it was always going to be tough there are some quality teams in this League (along with a few not so good), this is real backs to the wall stuff from now till the end of the season, and would test any coach to the limits, if we do get out of league 1 this year, and considering the circumstances then I would consider it one of the biggest achievements in the Clubs modern day history.

That's an excellent post.

I've stayed off here and kept quiet for far too long but I think now might be the time to break the silence.

Maybe if you did some research instead of spouting nonsense then you'd have known Paul March wasn't on holiday and was in Alsager (with David) doing a coaching course.

But you know, feel free to carry on.

Before you start saying I'm spouting nonsense I was stood behind the directors at NWC and it was them that said "it probably hasn't helped today with Marchy being on holiday this week"
So if they haven't got there facts right we are in trouble.

North Wales away? Paul and David March were coaching on a course in Alsager. Not a holiday.

Like I said if the directors don't know God help us

Thanks 'HT'.

'coaching on a course' OR 'on a coaching course'?

Whichever is applicable, an explanation is required.

We're they 'coaching' or 'being coached'.

Whichever, they should have been playing for THEIR and OUR Club!

But I am only a faithful supporter of more than 50 years, so what do I know?

Whatever they were doing, shouldn't their priority have been THEIR CLUB, especially in such a critical fixture?

As jovial and friendly as ever I see Mr Hicks.

On a coaching course, you do both. I fail to see why two retiring players should have to explain themselves for furthering their career post playing.

Hello Trouble is very quick to defend in his reply but never answered the question on where Daley Williams had gone and still hasn't. I thought you were the club's voice