The team Chester built at Hull KR should have never gone down, there was way too much talent in it. But it did, whether CC would have prevented that we’ll never know but they made a mistake replacing him with Webster thats for sure. Poching was part of that coaching team to the end though.

Chester got lucky and inherited a well drilled Brian Smith coached side with some reaching their peak and containing some players that we still benefit from today - Johnstone, Tupou, Kirmond, Arona, Miller, Ashurst, BJB, Arundal, Lyne, Jowitt & Crowther were all in that squad pre-Chester and are all still there. He has had the benefit of squad stability that previous coaches haven’t had. That first season we did ok and qualified for the super 8’s (not the play off’s) thanks to Salfords points deduction. Yes we lost every game in the super 8’s but it was progress. Then came Kear in 2017 and we looked as good as we ever have in superleague missing the play offs due to the ‘Grix incident’. Kear left, Monaghan came in. We did ok finishing 5th after the 8’s, albeit way behind the top 4. Monaghan was never replaced and whoever made that call is the one who dropped the ball. Yes there has been injuries but the style of play has been lacking, the same old mistakes are made week in week out and results have suffered. The team has been less than the sum of its parts and is now growing old. Chester’s flaws have been exposed and we need to hope beyond hope that Willie can fill the gaps otherwise i fear for us.

A word of caution though. Since Chester and Poching parted ways in 2016 this be Willies 4th change of club. In none if those seasons since has the team he has been at finished above us in the table and he is currently at the only team below us this season. I personally don’t feel he alone is the answer. This is why i’d also like another to join alongside him, someone who Chester has never worked with, to bring fresh ideas and fresh impetus. The enthusiasm and love for the club of Willie alongside someone with plenty of tactical nouse. Then refresh the conditioning department. It may mean Carter has to let the moths out of his wallet but it will pay off in the end.

A very good post and quite rightly puts things in perspective.

I will add that in his first couple of years with us Chester benefited from some of the bigger teams hugely underperforming or rebuilding.
Leeds
Wigan
Warrington
Sts
Catalan
Huddersfield
All of whom had been finishing above Trinity spent at least one or two years struggling to readjust to new players and coaches. I know it’s not popular to say it but it’s a fact that helped us finish higher up the table than we had been!

It’s also worth pointing out that since Hull KR sacked Chester and got back in super league...under a combination of Sheens and later Smith...have finished...

2018 - 10th (below us)

2019 - 11th (below us)

2020 - so far...12th (below us)

Huge strides made in appointing two Aussie coaches on probably big wages...

It should be sinking in really that clubs like us and Hull KR will be fighting out at the bottom, possibly flirting with a play off spot given a good run without injuries...unless we have a big backer comes in and gives us money to spend to compete...

But the general consensus amongst genuine non grudge fans on here is that we have the best squad since 2006 or maybe in Our SL history

The team in the first million pound game was far better than we have now, the team that lost at Wigan in the play offs when we got ripped off was far better. Sometimes stats don’t lie 5 out of 27 says it all. The best and fittest I saw the team was when jeff who’s second name I forget was conditioner we we’re blowing sides away

Evans?

Didn’t he go to Huddersfield?

And yes I agree he looked to be doing a great job when he was here..

It was indeed Jeff Evans,, he then held the club to ransom if I remember right.

if you remember we were holding teams then just blowing them away in the last 20

Yes I think we’ve got one of the better squads we’ve had....but...

Surely you need a good proportion of your top players playing regularly and just make minimal changes as and when required to cover an injury, suspension or whatever?

To me Chester hasn’t really had that for long periods.

Look at Saints as a good example last season, they had I bet 75% of players who played week in week out but were in the position to be able to say test a Roby for a game or two and bring a replacement in with little disruption...one of the games they made wholesale changes they got beat by London which is proof that even the top teams can struggle with the majority of their better players missing.

If we had a fully fit team out playing well and with confidence and say Bill Tupou picked up a head knock and missed the following week...bringing Jack Croft in to cover Bill would be a far lesser player but it’s one player coming into a team going well so would have very little impact IMO...1 or 2 changes in different positions loses you very little and is how squads are used effectively...

When you start missing 8-10 and continually shuffling players around is always going to go against you I reckon...

Didn't Huddersfield try and steal anything they could from us in those days?

I don`t think Geoff would of been with us for the original Million Pound game, If I remember rightly he was with us in 03/04, I think we picked him up from Saints actually, he spent some time with Leeds as well if I am thinking about the right bloke.

Correct, certain posters are getting their facts wrong to suit their argument. I actually thought Evans was with us in 2004 but I may be wrong. However I’m certain he was long gone by 2006.