Galea, Gentle, McDonnell

Really don't get the McDonnell bashing on here.

He's been far from poor and has been a good signing imo.

Full of morons on here. If you can't see McDonnall has been one of the best players on the whole working effectively with his hands tied as well due to poor attack /forward platform. Also the threads on here are an embarrassment to some people. Won some games some got carried away. Lose some and it's just utterly embarrassing.
Not sure why some invest so much time on here n supposedly money following hull when they're so negative/relish failure and also in most cases thick.

Agree, but you have to admit that there is an underlying culture within our club of accepting mediocrity that has been prevalent for a number of years. Until this is addressed we will not become the club that we should be and the fans deserve.

You are right about morons on here - there is plenty of evidence. However they are fed by club/player comment in the press about "how next week will be better". I think PG will be the next coach that leads us to silverware but until the rhetoric is matched by reality the morons will have their day. It's time for the club to collectively give the PR a miss and do its talking on the pitch. It was always going to take 3 years to turn this club around and the youth structures and active promotion of the juniors into first grade is the future but in the meantime the senior squad has to buck up and start playing for Hull FC on and off the pitch so to speak.

Don't think there is an accepting of mediocrity. Believe a lots been done to change that, just takes time. Your talking about attitude n culture, that's never an overnight thing. To be fair we are under achieving this yr but Pearsons invested in the right areas to breed good practice n culture. We're struggling at the min, but look how fast winning became losing, it can easily swing again. Start winning and half these questions go away.
It's a long term plan, this team was never going to start sweeping all before within 2yrs. If we do get to anywhere near the top it'll come with bumps n struggles. To be expected after where this journeys starting point was.

To be fair gentle n any coach in this kind of run is limited in what to say to the press. Usually 2 default modes -blame/moan or explain how your trying to fix it. He may want to tear into the players but wouldn't be right or professional.

I think most people are happy with the way the youth development has improved, but still a little concerned with first team performances. There's no escaping the fact that we have underachieved given who has been available to us this season. Until we start playing at or close to our full potential on a more regular basis, questions will remain about Gentle's suitability for the job. Personally, I think he probably is the right guy, but I'm less convinced than I once was.

Sums up how I feel. For me the proof will be the attitude of the young players that come through the system in the next few years. I still feel that for all the changes in playing personnel and management over the years there remains an issue with attitude and application in certain games. Were does this come from ?

The clubs youth development is totally dependent on the strength of the community game. Any one involved in the amateur game at youth level will tell you its in crisis and there is absolutely no attempt by either of the professional clubs in this town to address the low numbers playing the game.

For example you maybe surprised to learn that at under 14 level there are only 6 teams who can consistently raise 13 players. There are another 2 teams that can play an 11 or 9 aside game. In reality there are around 120 boys playing the game at U14 level and a similar amount at U15 level.

How can two SL teams expect to fill their 16s and 19s teams with quality players from a supply chain so small !!

So in reality the youth development spin is just that, spin.

That's worrying for sure.

However professional clubs will be more concerned not with where a player comes from but if they can be found, come through the clubs' ranks, and make the first grade. Crooks and Lineham for example are from out of town but they've come through the Hull professional junior ranks and the whole game is talking about them. They weren't in the Hull schoolboy 'supply chain'. That isn't spin at all that's fact. I'm sure the clubs could do more locally but I don't see it entirely down to clubs to get more school kids playing rugby at school. That's a much wider issue where they could help more perhaps.

I am genuinely worried about the game at grass roots levels and the effect it will have and is having on the elite level game. In my opinion there isn't enough quality in SL, especially now our better players and the better overseas players are going down under.

The reason the game is so large in Australia is in many respects down to the number of players at junior level. A ready made conveyor belt.

The only body with the resources to address the short fall in numbers are the SL clubs. Can you imagine how many boys would sign up to a club if for example D Houghton and J Hodgson once a month gave a hooking master class or if Horne and Dobson gave a halves master class.

There are well over 50 full time professional players and 15 professional coaches in this town, I'm sure their presence could increase numbers at every junior club. To stand a chance we need at least two divisions of 12 teams, if the SL clubs don't do it who will ?

Fair question.

I agreed. I was hoping that with best part of 2 season gone under gentle that we'd be showing consistently good performances in relation to the players available but we're nowhere near that

You forgot to put the bits about him being ex-rovers and the a young a hull born full back who wants to play ahead of him.