So what's an acceptable return?

Quote: Mrs Barista "Feel free to point out the inaccuracies in my post, cockle.

We bested you in every aspect this year and our season's deemed a failure. Sandercock is at liberty to be club apologist in chief it seems, blaming injuries, other clubs' superior squads, facilities, back room staff and academies but never his own inadequacies as players continue to want out as soon as their contract's up (e.g. Paea) or preferably before (Dobson, Paterson, Taylor, Watts etc). Relish our exit from play-offs in appalling style if you like. I can see how it insulates you from the uncomfortable truth that we're better than you, dissatisfied and taking action.
I think you’ll struggle to find anywhere I stated anything in your insightful post was inaccurate. I do on the other hand think that you maybe need to look at your chairmans motives for the action he’s taken and indeed his understanding of the game as a whole.
He seems to be unhappy with his appointed coach actually achieving what he was set out to do, challenge for trophies, this is compounded by the follow on decision to throw the baby out with the bath water by sacking him and appointing a coach with little experience in the role and announcing him as if his role is going to be the clubs bouncer.
He has seen the way the top clubs have worked the succession model and adopted that, in its own right probably the way to go but he has completely ignored the years of hard work that have gone into these clubs prior to getting to the point where an assistant can step into the breach and just need to carry on steering the ship. These clubs have had experienced coaches build a base and team structure that becomes ingrained into the club and is the essential ground work required for a successful club.
It seems to me Mr Pearson is becoming disillusioned (or frustrated) with RL and is now resorting to knee jerk decisions that seem to be based on either his limited knowledge of the game or poor advise from who knows where. The end point of this will be that he will do what he has done in most of his football appointment and he’ll walk away, I’d be surprised if he’s there in 5 years time.

You seem to be relishing that fact that we are losing players, yet the same could be said for yourselves. Under the Pearsons regime alone you have lost Manu, Moa, Turner, Briscoe x 2, Tickle to name but a few and have recruited players on a downward curve Galea, Ellis and carried on with recruitment of Cas cast offs. You’ve quoted of players wanting out McDonnell, Watts. Watts was a player who couldn’t get in our side, bad attitude and we let him go, now you take these players and wonder why you have a quad with a bad mental attitude, you got what you bought. McDonnell falls into the category your chairman criticised McRae (indirectly) for, overpaying and lack of value for money when you had options in your youth set up who could have done as well (and in Shauls case better). Yes we’ve offered players small contracts, but in honesty that’s all they’re worth. We have better coming through in those postions.

As for my insulation from the fact that you are better than us, I can state I’m not insulated from that fact and to be honest I’m not using your club as a benchmark. Are we progressing as well as I’d like, of course not but on the flip side I think I know our current limitations and understand that these will hinder our short term progress. What I do wonder is how you’ll be insulated from the uncomfortable truth that your not as good as you think you are, and that next year will be worse than this one. I’d expect the first Radford out mumblings by April at the latest.