Make an effort guys. Catic and Luisi are the only contracted "overseas" players and both have been in the UK for years. Between that and the 50+ squad statement its a bit embarrassing having to correct you

Have to say in his last season at Leigh Lee was a penalty nightmare. Can't fault his grafting though.

Doran hasn't been offered a contract and so will not feature for Barrow this season.

A mistake by Barrow I feel. Good Championship player and I would assume that decision wasn't entirely rugby related.

I guess Dez had money on Blackpool to win yesterday then

Quote: AJ Viking "A mistake by Barrow I feel. Good Championship player and I would assume that decision wasn't entirely rugby related.'" www.nwemail.co.uk/raiders/news/r ... rPath=home

Quote: AJ Viking "A mistake by Barrow I feel. Good Championship player and I would assume that decision wasn't entirely rugby related.'" www.nwemail.co.uk/raiders/news/r ... rPath=home

Brilliant. Basically Des gets challenged and he plays 'the big I am' and tells him to do one. I don't blame Lee for asking whether he's got a job or not, he's got kids to support. So according to the above quote, Schofield needs to have his chairmans approval before they sign a player, and Johnstone does all the interviews. Interesting. Well Denis Betts does ours.....Millward does Leighs...Calland Fax....

Barrow (or should I say King Des) didn't have one game to judge Doran, he's been playing for years, in last years dream team and our player of the year. I reiterate, a mistake by Barrow in my opinion.

He's on trial for christ sake, who says Des or anyone at Barrow was challenged?. Sounds a bit more like his agent got pushy wanting a decision and he got the only one any sensible club would make after only being at the club for such a short period and seeing him play once for the team.

If its such a poor decision by Barrow, who already have Catic, Ostler, Fletcher, Knowles and Luisi in the back row, what does it say about Widnes who released their player of the year? And if you are so concerned about his kids well being, were you on here criticising Widnes for making their dad unemployed?

Finally, are you so naive or ignorant as to believe that any coach signs players without the approval of the chairman? This isn't a situation peculiar to rugby.

You may want to consider what you are about to post before spouting drivel like this in future. Got to be one of the least factually correct and substantiated threads on this forum.

Here he goes...

Oh dear. You sound as hot headed as King Des!

It says clear as day in the report that as soon as Lee's agent asked him to make a decision he got irrate and binned him off, if he chose to sign Lee on ability I believe Schofield should have signed him, if they didn't need him with all these back rowers then why put him on trial in the first place. Widnes didn't owe him a living, I'm not saying anybody does just because they have kids, I said I don't blame him asking so he knows what he's doing this season, forgive him for trying to get a job!

You post doesn't change my opinion that Johnstone interferes in team affairs much much more than any other chairman. And the amount of coaches that you've had in the last few seasons isn't a coincidence. The final decision whether to sign a player should always be the coach if the money is available to get him.

Sorry but Lee Doran is a penalty machine and has had more balls slipped through his hands than Elton John, gives 100 percent but i dont think letting him go was a mistake at all. Plus he aint getting any younger and would get totally wiped out for Super League

Nobody in this thread is saying letting Doran go was a mistake, we need to look at SL potential.

But his game last year was no different discipline wise than anyone else, 2009 was a shocker for giving penalities away, last year wasn't. It's easy to write on a board 'oh he's a penalty machine' then everyone else claims to know his game inside out and repeats it to look good.

I remember 'everyone' jumping on the bandwagon of Steve Pickersgill being a penalty machine when we signed him. I don't recall him giving away 2 penalties in any one game.

unlike the shed loads of daily, even hourly attacks by many and varied barrow supporters on this widnes board that we put up with through most of the summer and autumn? all of which was complete horse e, completely lacking any sort of factual backing.
a lot of which was also needlesly and overly hostile.
its understandable if not completely fair to assume that Big Des sticks his nose into the coaches business far too much.
its no coincidence you have had the number of coaches you have had in recent years. and it cant possibly be down to ALL of them having issues getting on with Des, it surely must be him causing the problems. hes the only common denominator.

What would those unfounded attacks be? Needlessly and overly hostile?

Not sure what you are on about smurf.

Myself and SRC are the most frequent posters on here and I think you will find that I have always recognised Widnes as the club that satisfies the current RFL criteria. I debated the financial situation of £1M profit but can't remeber being "overly hostile".

The only other Barrow fans on here are DWB and Zimbo that I can recall. Think you may be getting carried away there old boy.

As for the Barrow coaches, why you only had to ask or maybe read the rugby league press to get the facts. Dave Clarke stepped down as he was seriously feeling the pressure due to his lack of pro coaching and wanted an assistants position, which he got. The next character had a disagreement with a player at training, called him a "spastic" and became immediately unpopular in the dressing room, he was actually sacked for gross misconduct relating to that incident. Dave Clarke agrees to take on head coach job to end of season only. Steve Mc seriously under performed on a 1 year deal and didn't like the travelling, thanks and goodbye.

So Des, despite scurrilous rumour, hasn't sacked anyone for disagreeing with him.

Now Garry Schofield however....

icon_biggrin.gificon_biggrin.gif

Comedy gold that lad.

I also didn't realise that chairmen were supposed to be experts in on field matters. It was always my understanding that the chairman provides the coaching staff with the budget, the coach picks the players and whoever deals with the contracts (e.g. a director of rugby) does the negotiations. This I would suggest is the situation that isn't peculiar to rugby. The chairman may well provide 'input' where necessary but I've certainly never seen a chairman take such a 'hands on' approach... Perhaps that's why Barrow have gone through so many coaches in recent seasons?