Yeaman 4 challenge cup finals….2wins.2 losses…1gf appearance

Hull F.C. 373 176 0 0 704

8 England caps and 3 GB and in a winning GB side v Aus….more than average I’d say.Cooke would have had a same career if he hadn’t gone down the route he took and Horne was a very good player and international.

Every single Super League club received a COVID loan and every single club has to pay it back.

I believe Wakefield declined the offer, on the grounds the then owners didn't want to saddle the club with the debt. They found alternate funding, so I gather, to keep the club going through 2020/21. Wakefield were being run almost on a shoestring compared to the other clubs and, as such, their financial parameters were slightly different. Ultimately this still lead to them running a first team squad in 2023 which was palpably underfunded and unable to compete at a significant level last year.

Catalans and Toronto were ineligible for the loan, for obvious reasons!
I'm not sure what the situation was regarding the Championship clubs, including Leigh and London, and whether those clubs are still having to repay any such loans.

But the other nine SL clubs all received a loan and are, therefore, all required to pay back as necessary. So it's hardly a unique situation for Fc. Think it's our (in)ability to repay the debt which is now having a knock-on effect in 2024.

Apart from all the other failings, discipline etc, how did the ball end up with Ashworth on the last tackle and he had to take the kick ? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Tony Smith is not the coach people think he is. He must be the oldest in Super League along with Stanley Gene ! I saw a pre season video of the lads running up hills at Elloughton and TS with a whistle in his mouth, it was like something from the 80’s. Rovers looked much sharper and that must be partly down to going to Tenerife.
Pearson has said we are at cap, where ? Who are the big earners ? And what is wrong with Carlos ? Anyone in the know ?

You raise some decent points, but not sure what age has to do with anything, he is a lot younger than both Bellamy, Hasler and Bennett, who are all coaching at some of the best NRL teams, Ricky Stuart is the same age too.

I think looked sharper, because they have a better side, even at full strength, they are better than us, take away 5 starters, 2 in game injuries and self inflicted red and yellow cards, then you can see why they won easy, not sure it has anything to do with pre season training. It's down to two things, better players and mentality.

Agree with your other points though.

What does Stanley Gene bring to the table in terms of Coaching, we all know Smiths credentials but just not sure what Genes are other than Smith trusts him.
Even taking in to account our obvious deficiencies we looked so far of it on Thursday it was as though they'd all just got together for the first time that night.

For me it was our backs what looked second rate. Yes we have injuries but boy did we look weak. I know Tuime and Sutcliffe aren't world beaters but boy do we need them back. Martin definitely looks the part. Smith and Brown invisible most of the time.

Halfback situation im hoping Hoy and Trueman can stay fit and get us by, needs majorly addressing though.

Backs we massively lacked the man strength of Sutcliffe and Carlos. Lewis Martin coped but i thought Litten and Walker are very lightweight bringing it out from the back, we need better options to get us out our half.

Get your point about Hasler etc but I just think he’s a bit long in the tooth, old ideas and methods. Same with Stanley Gene, absolutely cracking player but what coaching credentials does he have ? Think I’m just looking for reasons. If Rovers had better mentality is that down to coaching ?

2 words BRIAN SMITH

That is all anyone needs to know about the impact coaches can have and what you pay them for.
I chatted to an ex NRL UK SL player here in Aus and he was quite interesting about how he talked about different coaches that we all know.
Matt Elliot/Dave Furner etc

He said some of the coaches were bang on average and some were amazing.
Yet we may all have thought they were high pedigree.

We really need the reincarnation of Brian Smith but who?