Quote spegs="spegs"
1.Fielding an illegible player in the Challenge Cup =redagree
2.Cookiegate =redagree
3.Released the best full back in the country =redthats a joke, surely?
4.Not signed M Dobson because he was “too expensive” =redhes doing good this season but I'm glad we didnt sign him. The problem is we didnt sign anyone different who is better!
5.Had little or no feedback regarding key club issues from the “board” =redand so it should be, it would be silly if the board told us everything they talk about
6.A continuation of the drink culture at the club =reddon't think we have one tbh
7.Very mediocre players continuing to earn contracts =redagree
8.Poor, bland unattractive rugby (see 2/4/6/8/9 for root cause) =redagree, but that wouldnt bother me if it was done well
9.Signed average “journeymen” and below average imports =rednot sure I agree on that one overall, although there have been a couple
10.Been overtaken by Hull KR – a club that 3 years ago looked at us with big wide open eyes. However, through shrewd coaching and a board that gives a f**k, have come good =reddont think we have been 'overtaken' yet. They have had one finish ahead of us, and are below us at the moment
11.Essentially the board have taken the p**s out of the fans – =redagain can't see how
12.Recruited an “A” team coach to “lead” the club =redagree
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There my views about what you have said. The main problem for me is who we haven't replaced. I've been going since 2002 and we haven't replaced these key players at all:
T.Smith
J.Smith
Cooke
Best
Barnett
Kearney
and Carvell
You could even point to other players, such as Brough (who I didnt really rate for us) and Lupton (was fantastic in 2004 when covering for Jason Smith) who provided very good back up for us and now our back up us poor. We have also let our pack gradually get worse over time.
The only key player we have replaced is Swain, and Prescott (although I don't see him as a key player despite one superb half a season, although others might).
It's not that some of the players we have brought in are bad, its that we havent got rid of players who are crap quick enough. All this for me, has been down to the board not going all out for that top coach. Kear for me was the right appointment at the time. McRae was leaving with a good team who should have done better after finishing 3rd. But with hindsight that didnt work out. Sharp was good initially but he was sacked a year too late. Agar so far hasn't proved any better, I'd go as far as saying worse at the moment. When Kear left we needed that top to take us to that next level, someone who wouldnt take crap, wouldnt have favourites and knew a good player when he saw one. We haven't got that man and we have suffered.
The fact that the team on the field has been so inconsistant since McRae left just shows how well run this club is off the field generally to get the club to where it is at today with its A Grade licence
