Only paper talk at the mo, but linked with Ford.
Is Tim looking to head off back home to put his feet up? After all, he is 69 this year.

It’s been mentioned in other threads to this site that a Ford/Cooke management team may be in place for next season. Not sure if the Hull Daily Fail used that as the source of information or if they gathered it from elsewhere. I do know that any rumours that are circled by that paper are best taken with a chunk of salt.

Sheens will not be offered a new contract as head coach. I put this on the unofficial forum and unless something major happens this is still to be the case.

This is my opinion. Yes I want Sheens to go and us to get a new coach. If Ford does come then good. Morgan was an unknown and look what he did. Yes Hudge gave him the money to get the players he wanted, but Hudge back in them days had an obsession with getting one over FC. DP at Cas was not wanted by the fans and look at them for the last few seasons. I know what Sheens has done in the past, we all do but you cant go by how you coach then to how you coach now. I don't think he is past it as he has a lot of knowledge but for me we need a younger coach who is more up to date with the modern game. Ford for the 1st year or 2 will aim to keep us in SL while he learns but the higher up we finish then the more he should be backed. But does Hudge have the cash to back him??? I don't think so. What's the answer? You and me wish we new.

I wouldn't worry about Hudges wealth.Its if he wants to invest even more for probably no profit?The scale of his and Rob Crosslands investment since took over will never be repaid monetarily. Think we all as fans would dream of pumping in big bucks if we made it big financially? These lads have done it and now it's just Hudge signing the cheques. Seems to me he is putting everything right behind the scenes and the club from top to bottom is better after the nightmare of MPG etc. Just need to negotiate this season and we should see the benefits of his plans as we progress.Would only take a bit of relative success to get us breaking even at worse. Sheens has done what he had to so far but it probably is time for fresh ideas and a Powell type kick start to a club not reaching half it's potential.

Isn’t that the same mantra used every year?

That's a fair reply. This pre season I honestly didn't think we would be in danger of relegation.Combination of reasons for it plus London have been better than expected so far. Thought it would be a consolidation year and maybe progress next few season but we seem back at square one on the pitch but there are reasons for that. The backroom appointments the youth and reserves coming back in house and just in general positive efforts tell me Hudge means business.Will it be another false dawn ala Peacocks 5 year plan? Maybe maybe not but seems the foundations are there and I'm still grateful for what we have. The relegations the past mismanagement all these things mean we've been playing catch up for years. If Ford does come in as coach it may be the spark we need? We have been hoping similarly each new season yes and it's been hard as a fan at times but you have to believe there is a plan and success can be brought back.

Rovers are taking a huge risk with James Ford. Yes he has had success 2 divisions below us but when you look at the teams in that league it's not so difficult to get out of. Also Rovers will be paying a decent compensation fee to York.

On the other hand Rovers will know Ford well and will have had the opinions of people they can trust who have played for him like Ben Cockayne & Graeme Horne.

James Ford is young, articulate and photogenic not dissimilar to when Morgan arrived. SKY TV will like him. I'm sure we all wish him the best and will give him our support.

I would agree on Risk His Bobness....But wouldn't think Huge. Unknown obviously at super league level but is young as you say, something I think what is needed with the modern game. At the end of the day Tim has a fantastic CV and is recognized as one of the most intelligent and successful coaches over the last 30 years, But I really do think we need a new direction and who else is really available?

Some of the comments on here really baffle me, why should Tim Sheens age be anything but a plus? Why do people think a young man with a couple of years experience at a lower level & none at the top level be the answer? There are probably only two coaches with better records in the world & I don’t see Souths or Melbourne letting them rush to our aid. Nor do I see loads of world stars rushing to join our club, even if we could fit them under the cap!
A big dose of reality needs to be taken by some people.
We should be looking to appoint a coach that would be here for the next ten years that is the only way to build a club from the bottom up & attract good players who will stay for the long haul.

Own opinions I recon. A cracking CV ten years ago is great, its where we sit now, like we did last year....Another relegation battle.

Similar to Brian Smith, just look at his CV yet when he came to Wakefield we only just escaped relegation. There are plenty of potential reasons tbh - Does Sheens have the hunger of an up and coming coach to succeed? The game is constantly evolving, he could be losing touch with the game itself?

Agreed. To be fair to the guy, he has had a Cracking career within Rugby League and is highly thought all across the world.....BUT, at 69 does he really want to be under pressure in this sport? or sat in Aus retired? I know what I would do.

I'm not saying Tim is the necessarily the right man going forward but I think a lot of the fan base (myself included at times) have lost some perspective.

Two years ago he assembled a squad from nothing and won promotion at the first time of asking through a very tough middle 8 mechanism.

One year ago he successfully kept us in SL.

This year may feel underwhelming given the optimism to start the year. But to suggest he is past it or out of touch is off the mark for me. Those achievements above are big and recent and could not be achieved by someone out of touch with the game today.

Yeah, got to agree with that. I think some of the way we feel relates to stuff that predates him. We’re a bit weary of defeat and maybe irritable because of it. If he goes at season’s end he’ll do so with a lot of credit imo. It’d be diminished significantly if we go down - but to me it’d still feel like he’d undone a wrong. That 2016 relegation was just ‘wrong’ in so many ways, whereas this year we’re just a bit off the pace and a bit unlucky, and we ‘get’ that.