...roughly since we had our hearts ripped out and trod on.

But i'm just wandering what your opinion is on Cullen and things he has/hasn't changed at the club?

I've sort of been wanting you to do well (hurts me to say it) for Pauls sake, but the results haven't been coming.

I'm behind him all the way, poor recruitment by McCormack has done us this year. As with any coach a month is nothing.

Corrected for you

It's really wierd.

At any given time in my life, i've always wanted the worst, and celebrated any Demic loss like a Wire win, but now it's like, I want you to win. It doesn't feel right and I don't like it

Thought you had said your signing this season were fantastic?
On paper the players you have should be performing a whole lot better than they are. Too many egos? Too many disruptive influeneces? Or just pure bad coaching?

Completely incorrect...
Steve McCormack selected the players, TOC then has the job of getting those players in. The choice of players rests with the coach.

I'm a little disappointed at where we are at present...
I've said it before that I don't go in for this 'it's not his team' excuse unless the crop of players are woeful and this bunch are anything but. I also don't think we have been suffering too badly with the forwards although I realise a decent prop would be a good addition.
I think we have been unlucky again this year and are suffering from a lack of stability.
The main problem we have at the moment is creativity... We seem to be able to keep the ball when we are not giving away stupid penalties and we are pretty good at getting close to the oppositions line. At that point we have been guilty of squandering chances.

I believe that a few plays were run on Monday night which demonstrated that this is being addressed. With the players we have at our disposal in the backs we should be running some teams ragged. A little more guile and we can be a force in this division.

Cullen should have more time... plenty of time in fact. I still think it was a good appointment and look froward to seeing more progress over the next couple of months. We've had our low against Leigh.. we should be on the climb now.
Plus with the return of Morrison, Fletcher, Bannister, Paterson, Mills et al we should have more options and more competition for places.
In summary.. Room for improvement which I'm sure will happen.

IET, there isnt any doubt that TOC was involved with the recruitment this year along with Steve Mc.

He isnt solely to blame for the odd make-up of the squad as 'Cosomonaught' tried to suggest but I do wonder how he deflects so much criticism.

As for Cullen's impact. I think it is a tough job and he was possibly sold short on how things where already set-up at the club.

We must be back to the first year down in NL1 as having the oddest mix of playing status in one squad.

OK Leigh, we, celebrated Friday but mainly because we expected a drubbing.
I am not enjoying this years comp at all, some very poor RL on show and some awful reffing. I wonder if its a side effect of last years events?
Fax and Barrow seem to sign everything that moves, you're FT with an expensive squad that isnt firing yet, Fev are a strange outfit and the rest are fighting over scraps.
The only consolation is that I am enjoying SL even less, am I becoming totally disenfranchised with RL in general - I think I am not the only one who is.

Why isn't there any doubt.. in previous club evenings it has been clearly stated that Steve McCormack is responsible for identifying the players he wants. As he said.. he then can get on with the coaching side of things whilst TOC works on bringing the players in.
I think TOC was involved initially in the Smith, Kavannagh and Tyrer loan deals but they were all sanctioned by Steve Mac

Im not saying he has taken over the reigns of recruitment but what does a director of rugby get involved in if he doesnt assist the coach in identifying and picking up players ?

totally agree with everything you said
rl's just so boring in general now that there's no real competition in either super or national league. Dare i say it, but promotion and relegation was the only thing that made rugby exciting.

TOC's mandate is responsibility for negotiating contracts and holding transfer talks with targeted players.
He is also a contact that picks up the phone to coaches when clubs try to send players out on loan.
His day to day job is more concerned with the welfare and support of the playing staff.. i.e. accommodation issues, family matters that affect the club, education and training for life after rugby. All the day to day problems that would normally tie up a coaches hands to an extent.

Any players signed by the club have to be ratified by the coach. The club learnt it's lessons from the Fleet / Chambers / Vaughan days (who I hear is ill, which is a real shame as he's a true gent) days when players where signed without the backing agreement of the coach.

So you've gone from this
Here you're saying, in so many words [i' TOC is directly responsible for saying who we recruit and who we don't...'[/i


to...

Quote: widneslardboy "Im not saying he has taken over the reigns of recruitment but what does a director of rugby get involved in if he doesnt assist the coach in identifying and picking up players ?'"

Admitting[i'I don't really know'[/i

You're normally a well informed poster. What's happened to you?

If you can point me to any information, put out by the club, that TOC is responsible for player recruitment (other than administrative duties) could you point it out please?


All I'm seeing at the moment is a lot of scapegoating. Even Tim Holmes is getting stick.

Still doesn't stop the few who, just because things aren't going our way need to find someone at the club to start a vendetta against.