This interview is just an embellished version of the garbage written by
Craig Murdoch in the mail. - complete b*llsh.t
Most of the glaringly stupid quotes have already been covered, but to
tell us Radford is staying, no matter how crap he is, really is taking the pi$$

I think what he was getting at was that players they expected to step up this season haven't, and the halves in particular have been an issue. Remember it was basically Holdsworth that got us crucial wins last season (when he turned up to play) and the main theme of the interview was our current lack of game management. I'd argue that the pack has been almost as disappointing personally but there you go.


Got to admit it seemed completely out of left field. If he's somehow genuinely come to that opinion you have to wonder how on Earth that happened.


Because he seems to think Radford is coping with a lot more crap behind the scenes for one thing. Also he did make a point of saying how embarrassing the two thumpings by Wigan have been this season. I don't necessarily agree with his assessment and I reckon it could just be a justification for the change of coach in light of subsequent events, but then I don't have access to what is actually going on behind the scenes.


I'm not guessing at anything, I'm going off his comments about how the cap has been spent in the past and how it is now. In terms of quality I don't think that's been decided yet.


He raised Pea's ban as an example of inconsistent and generally poor decisions. Can't really argue with that. What effect it had on the Widnes result is down to opinion. He did go on to say that he expected the 2 ref system to improve things.


He obviously feels that McRae and Gentle shafted him somehow. Without full access to what went on behind the scenes it's difficult to assess how accurate that feeling is. One thing for certain is that he's clearly still aggrieved about it and hence the focus on it in that interview. If some of the stuff he mentioned is true then it would go a long way to explaining our struggles this season. Guess it depends on how truthful a person you think he is.

It's pretty obvious that for ALL the doom and gloom merchants on here that no matter what he said he couldn't win.

You would slag him anyway.

I'm just glad he has actually shown his face and come out and made some comments on the way things are at the moment.

Don't agree with all he has said but at least he has said something.

The rest of this season is now VERY CRITICAL to see how much everyone is behind him and Radders and looking to big improvements next season.

The same plodder that took 5 of yours over the line with him from 10 yards out to score last Friday?

Like you I don't agree with everything he said but at at least he communicates with the fans. The previous regime would just have stayed in their bunker hoping it all blew over.

This, Yeaman has stolen a living for the last couple of seasons. Radford absolutely hung Crooks out to dry. Would be gutted if he left, he really could be something special. Some of his centre play last season was wonderful to watch, granted his defence isn't the best, but then look at Cudjoe and Watkins. Hardly known for defensive prowess. Given the choice between an attacking centre and a defensive one it would be attacking everytime. At least he can put his winger away!!

I think the public outcry over Crooks is a bit OTT tbh. He had a great first season last year were everything he did came off but you could see he was way to slight for a top flight centre. This year a mixture of injuries and the fact that opposition attacks know who he is now and hes been found a out a bit. If hes now asking for megabucks on the back of half a season then a poor one then hes dillusional and if the club gave him megabucks only for him to not develop any further then we'd have another overpaid average player on our books

Crooks has been offered a good deal long term from FC, his father advised him to ask for more & look elsewhere, we have Arundel on a massive cash/long term deal, (mcraes) doing, Cas wasn't so keen to hold on to him was they, now a chunk of the cap is tied up on several (squad) players not what we want or need, Crooks needs to stop thinking he's the finished article, take the deal & knuckle down & improve the way he was, must be hard for him with his dad in his ear demanding he's better then what he is, Wigan lads are on a pittance to what he's been offered & improving & playing out their skin.

Wrong, he has been offered a two year extention and a 15% cut in salary

Is Lee Crooks still anything to do with the club?

If so and given his ties, plus the fact his missus (Ben's mum) is a big FC fan, then it would be very disapointing to think he is advising him to look elsewhere.

I think Crooks (if selected) could have a field day next season outside of Sneyd.

If my son played professional sport then I would advise him to do the best thing for his career, and not advise him to take a pay cut because I supported the club.

It's difficult because I really like AP and think he has the best interests of the club at heart but listening to him in that interview it just sounds like Radford has brainwashed him. It sounds like Radford has blamed finishing (probably) 12th entirely on the previous coach (who finished 6th) and AP has fallen for it. This despite Radford consistently admitting in post match interviews that he doesn't know how to solve the problem of poor performances.

I also find his criticism of Gentle and some of the current playing squad in such a public way a bit distasteful and actually counterproductive to the long term future of the club.

As depressingly familiar as it sounds I guess we just have to wait for the inevitable failure next year and then start the merry go round all over again.

Slept on it and rewatched it.

It's good that AP has acknowledged that the squad has underachieved. They expected top six (a fair aim given we've been top six the last two seasons). Not sure I agree that an imbalanced fixture list has much to do with it. Surely having all those home games so early on should have been to our advantage? I'd also like to know what he means by "everything that could go wrong has gone wrong".

I can understand (but don't agree) with his reasons for getting rid of Gentle if he felt things weren't going right. As an owner that's his prerogative. I really really don't agree with his assessment on Aussie coaches not being able to understand the club and bring through the youngsters. I think that's an excuse. We've looked at Leeds and Wigan's setup and their two British coaches and decided that's what we want but have cut corners to try and get there.

He mentions a five game losing streak last season and cites Bradford away, Wembley and the Huddersfield playoff as bad games even saying it was obvious to him that the players weren't playing for the coach. Well to that I would say Widnes at home this year, both games against Wigan and we've not won a game since mid-June (five games - albeit one was a draw). Are the players playing for the coach this year? He mentions a lack of discipline, preparation and organisation. Is anyone seeing an improvement in this this year?

The loan signing bit... I can only recall Foster and Russell coming to us on loan. That doesn't seem unreasonable. He keeps saying that we didn't want to bring young players through but we gave the likes of Crooks, Lineham and Shaul their debuts! Is he suggesting Gentle was reluctant to do so?

He says he feels the signings by Motu/Radford are better than the ones by Gentle/Mcrae. Given our league position I am not so sure. And it's really hard for us to tell if we're getting better value for money salaries wise because we fans have no idea what money the players actually earn. The fact that we are the third highest salary club and in 12th position is alarming.

He says that it's not Radders fault that players are out of the team or out on loan and blames the previous regime? Sorry but as head coach it's Radders choice whether he wants to use these players or not and it's been whilst he's in charge that we've sent players out on loan. The club seems to me to be trying to force certain players out of the club rather than trying to utilise them this year and then sending them on their way at the end of the season. He says Gentle wasn't a man that could have done that but Radford is. To be honest, I'm not sure that's been a good thing.

I can't say I'm surprised to hear that we're struggling to get rid of some players because they're on high wages as I think Motu Tony spoke about the wages when he was appointed. Can't blame either Tony or Radders for what a previous regime offered contracts wise but it's only a challenge for Radford because the club have made it a challenge by sending players out on loan and the like. The only time I can recall Radders talking about the salary cap was last week. Anyone else recall anything?

It really does sound like AP believes Tony and Radford are doing a good job "revamping" the first team and he's proud of the amount of Hull players that were used against Wigan last week. Results wise I don't think they are but I'm starting to think that we won't be able to tell if they're doing a good job until next season when they've finished moving players on and bringing players in. Sigh...

I have to agree with his assessment on where it is going wrong on the pitch. Aside from the occasional dodgy refereeing decision (and all the clubs will suffer them) we only ourselves to blame because of our poor game management. Individual errors have cost us at times too (knock ons and whatnot).

As I said last night, it certainly sounds like Lineham isn't going anywhere any time soon which is very good news. I'm not so sure on Crooks. To be fair though, you can't really argue with AP's assessment on Crooks's season and what he needs to improve on. Sa and Yeamo are obviously first choice.

Looks like the programme notes will be worth a read tonight and it sounds like AP has acknowledged that the changes made this year must have an impact next year. I get the impression AP's not going anywhere any time soon. Nor Radders. I hope AP is right that Radders will improve next year. I'm not convinced given what I've seen this year. Sounds like Radders has had a free pass this year given the "BTS issues".

AP sounds really impressed with our youth products. I just hope he's not building us up for a fall here. If we're been asked as fans to be a bit patient then the club have to get that area 100% right. Good to know that the first team will be a priority next year though (don't know where the sudden enthusiasm for the new format has come from though!). He's asking us to stick with the club and whilst I'm not convinced Radford's the man to lead us to glory I don't think I'll be giving up on the club any time soon. I think AP is spot on that our performances in the last six games are going to be crucial to keeping fans on board.

He's right that the game needs a kick up the backside but I'm not convinced the format change is the right way to go. I think fans would much rather see improvements made in terms of officiating and the general rules and regulations. I'm not convinced two refs is going to help. It just means there's double the trouble from them on the pitch!

He mentions Rankin, Sneyd and Pryce more than once in terms of our halves. For me that says Horne and Miller are gone. I'm guessing Horne will retire. Sounds like we're going with what we've got in the props and bringing in a second rower and centre but not much else. I personally suspect that there will be a couple more though.

Overall a good interview I thought. For us as fans it's very much another jam tomorrow scenario. Do we have the patience for it? Some of us will but, as I've said previously on other subjects, patience is wearing thin for a lot of the fans. I think this may have done enough for me to convince me to renew my pass.

And you know this how?

I agree. Gentle was a decent man doing his best who did not receive the support he deserved from his coaching staff and some of the players. Pearson received some bad advice from McRae but it was he who appointed McRae and maybe he should come out and admit his mistake. Radford back-stabbed his way to a job he coveted but was not ready for. I guess he's now finding out its not as easy as he thought it would be.