Quote: HatedAndAdored "Nothing to do with being a better fan. It's about having perspective.
I was disappointed after the announcement as I expected a press conference to lead to a big name signing, but unlike some I've not spent the last 24 hours spitting my dummy out, typing furiously on the internet and tried to rationalise the decision.'"
I did have a perspective. It was as follows.
We have recently been awarded a franchise to SL in 2012. In the euphoria immediately after the announcement club officials made noises about us being competitive in SL rather than just making up the numbers.
We have seen the team serve up some pretty rubbish displays this year which I lay the responsibility for at the feet of the coach. Defence, discipline, organisation and fitness are the things missing this year all of which a coach worth his salt should be able to help develop but it seems to elude Betts. The team is decent enough to put in a great performance against Fev and in two spells against Leigh so I'm not buying the team isn't good enough excuse. Looking at it when it was assembled I would argue it was fine and someone like Neil Kelly would have done wonders with these players.
I'm also not subscribing to the 'problems' of us finding out now that we are in SL next year. The same was true of Salford and Celtic and yet they finished 1st and 2nd respectively in 2008 winning the NR Cup also.
We have also heard that following SOC's claim that we will be spending to the full salary cap once we are in SL it actually requires us achieving membership figures of 7,000 fans. I was expecting there to be a number of big announcements made in phases to help drum up the numbers. This was the first big announcement and to me it will do nothing to push us up towards the 7,000 mark.
I'm gutted, I was excited about next year, but right now I feel pretty flat about it. The coach is the most important post to be filled in the club. Take a good coach and average players and you are in business. Take an average coach and good players and you will struggle.