Quote: The Judge "Gentle keeps getting blamed for these supposedly poor signings yet no one has mentioned our `Director of rugby`. Surely he had some input into the signings in the last close season? Yes, we have some issues and we will deal with them but looking for scapegoats ain't the answer. If top quality players were/are available we would have been in for them, they weren't so we made do with what was available. Westerman Watts Pitts Green Bowden Johnson Shaul Crooks Crookes Arundel Miller Lineham etc are our way forward, They will all benefit from this season, they will all come good at around the same time and we will look back and say that the wembley defeat was somewhat a blessing in disguise. I at least hope so. So at the end of the day I am glad I was at Wembley watching us, albeit poorly, than at home watching some other team.'"
My understanding is that Gentle advises McRae what position/type of player he wants, then McRae finds who is avaialble and at what salary. Then Gentle has the final say on who gets signed. So both are to blame for some of the average players we've brought in IMO.