Culture in the club

Quote: pmarrow "Personally I feel they is something wrong at the club, whether it is culture or bad habits we simply don't know. However a decade without a decent half back pairing and the same mistakes haunting us tells me they is something on the playing staff which doesn't add up. We have had numerous coaches, some bad appointments maybe but the players must take there fair share of the blame.

We have made players far too comfortable, they get treated like celebrities off the field by many supporters and we throw stupid wages at people who ain't worthy of earning it. They get a lot of media on a daily basis and get to play in front of 10,000 fans in a top stadium. We have had far too many testimonials at this club and very little silverware in comparison, that in itself sends a message out we are happy to settle for mediocrity.

Players don't sign for Wigan, Leeds or Warrington and have far too many average games or just scrape games to cover the cracks. Why ? because they would be shown straight out of the door and exposed for the type of professional they are. We are the type of club that don't show the door to players like this and instead we throw a stupid salary at them to sign them after they have being dismissed from other clubs.

Its this culture or way of dealing with business for many years which see's us struggling to sign the top drawer players because they know themselves until this club sorts out its professionalism we won't go forward. We need to install that winning culture and have players who are professional, not worrying more about getting a testimonial and arranging a curry night. We need to start showing players things like this must be earn't and not just be a given for pulling the jersey on for ten years.

With all this in mind I feel Pearson and Radford are making in roads into this, Radford obviously is trying to phase out the over paid players and replace them with younger talent with a few top players thrown in there. This however does not mean I think he is right to be head coach, however I would look at putting Radford into some sort of player management/performance type of role. He is a tough b*stard and has won it all in this country so players will respect him. Pearson has had to dangle the cheque book to get a few top names over here, probably paying over the odds but with little choice IMO considering the pulling power this club has. Lets be honest, if Ellis or Sneyd was offered the same from Wigan/ Leeds we all know who they would have chosen.

We have got Ellis and Sneyd because of the money we have thrown as simple as that, Ellis for me has earnt every penny and as captain is doing his bit at showing the other players how to be professionally. IMO it is down to him which has seen Joe Westerman come of age recently. Sneyd I am hopeful will be our scrum half for the next ten years, hopefully he has it in him to earn it.'"

Many RL professionals are frankly not very bright and if they weren't playing rugby probably wouldn't amount to much. In a place like Hull the local players especially do become celebrities and some of them are very happy being "big fish in a small pond" or a face around town, going out drinking or clubbing with their old school friends or former workmates, pulling starstruck girls, constantly being bigged up by parents, families and the local media. They know this celebrity can continue for years after they have finished playing. Some of the fans forgive in the local players failings they wouldn't tolerate in overseas imports. They feel they have nothing to lose so have no fear of failure and less desire to succeed and achieve. They are happy playing for their local team and don't have a burning desire to be the best they can.