Ive just been away in the sun. for a couple of weeks and took Gareths book with me. What a great read it is with some real revelations about the team dynamic and personalities at our club since he signed. ASs well as some great insights including what really happened in the changing rooms at Widnes that night in 2016. His admiration of Danny houghton shines through too. Its easy to forget that at the time he signed he had an offer from every Super league Club and several in Australia and was hailed as the best second row forward in the game. (how things have changed at the FC). If you read it you'll also really love the story behind our 2016/17 cup runs and if your anything like me his recollections of the final and what came afterwards will have you in tears as well. A brilliant read that I would thoroughly recommend.

Can I borrow it please, Pete

One of my Xmas prizzies

Pretty grim read

Gareth Ellis says Brett Hodgson's downfall at Hull FC was pinning his hopes on Jake Connor and trying to build the team around him.

Ellis was Hodgson's assistant at the Black & Whites and spent over a decade at the club as a player and coach. Hodgson departed Hull FC in September 2022 after winning just 25 of his 64 games in charge.

Tony Smith then took over as head coach and Connor left to rejoin Huddersfield.

Ellis believes the main issue during Hodgson's reign was the faith placed in playmaker Connor, and when that experiment failed, things at the MKM Stadium with the whole team turned "pretty toxic".

"Jake Connor was very talented but completely different to Josh Reynolds, who at least was trying hard but not quite producing the goods," Ellis writes in his autobiography Never the Easy Option.

"Jake was, intermittently, coming up with them, but wasn’t such a hard worker and that led to consistency issues.

"Brett, particularly at the start of his time, threw all his eggs into the Jake Connor basket. Knowing his ability, he felt that he could get him onside and mould the team around him, which would have been the perfect scenario.

"But he never did. Once the experiment began to fail, Brett jumped into picking Jake out in video sessions, which meant he got a bit shirty in return.

"Before he knew it, Brett had lost everybody. It got pretty toxic towards the end.

"That’s not a slight on him, more that he was an inexperienced head coach trying to find his way and it was a bigger job than he’d anticipated.

"It’s not all about rugby in that role.

"It’s managing people, emotions and different characters.

"The best coaches can do that,  whether everyone likes each other or not.

"Somehow, they can bring a group together and there’s a real skill to it."

Since leaving Hull FC Hodgson has served as defence coach with English rugby union national team and then with the Wallabies, both under Eddie Jones.

Ellis writes that at the end of the 2022 season the club was "all a bit of a mess".

"Players weren’t on board, just waiting for the season to end, and that was being reflected in the results," he said.

"The worst was the penultimate game of the 2022 season, at home in the derby, when Rovers with fifteen men took us apart.

"It summed up the depths we’d sunk to by then and where everyone’s head was. Unacceptably, the team just gave up in the most important fixture for the fans.

"There was no way back for Brett after that and a good few players were waiting to see what happened to him before deciding on their own futures, especially the experienced guys like Scott Taylor and Danny Houghton.

"It was intensely disappointing for everyone."

As fans we wanted the season to end but at least we turned up. Pity the players didn't.

What was John Lydon's famous quote

"Ever get the feeling you've been Cheated?"

I certainly do after reading that.

One thing i hate is player power

Should be in contracts if manager/coach is sacked your position also in question

If players don't like it what they gunna do ? Get a proper job ?

Players get depressed when they retire cos they have to do proper jobs and find out what the real world is about

Look at yeamo GB international etc and working in a prison!

Shocking.

Unfortunately this has been a recurring theme for many many years. The hierarchy hiring proven assistant coaches, but not recognising the attributes required of man management.
Hopefully now, this has been resolved.

Thankfully Pearson has finally realised the important of an experienced Head Coach rather than just an enthusiastic former assistant.

Yeah cause last season worked out great didn't it

And doing very well there too. Hard work never bothered Yeamo! nor I'd add did he get involved in the player powers stuff, he just loved playing for his home town club.

Spot on Pete. Yeamo was Mr FC through and through and never gave less than 100% for his club.
Unfortunately we've had far too many of the opposites pulling our jersey on.

I meant about life after rugby league proper jobs

Yeaman imo our best centre last 20 years working in a prison

Majority of time it's the players that are the problem not the coach

If we only learn one thing from professional football it should be that the most important player on the team is the manager.
Ferguson, Klopp and Guardiola demonstrate this point perfectly.