Perspective aka the 7 year itch

I wanted to write a short(ish) personal view on the club following recent changes and performances.

I've always been a big fan of looking at the big picture and so I write this in that context. Of course we also have the benefit of hindsight which both helps and hinders in equal measure.

Anyway, we entered Super League in 2007 with the simple objective of survival. We assembled a bunch of lads based largely on the 2006 promotion squad and met our objective of staying in the league when franchising arrived. Let's not forget however that the squad was significantly added to during the season to deliver that survival.

A wholesale (over) investment in top players delivered a great spell from 08 to 2010 with some improved consistency. That said it also coincided with the global financial crisis and the effects of that would hit us all. In reality and with hindsight we invested too heavily in the first team to the detriment of off-field and youth. The ramifications of that would come back to hurt us.

So the Morgan era ended with us wanting to have more emphasis on the youth and a more balanced approach. This was both financial as despite a level of success both commercial and consumer income had taken a hit. That said, we continued to attempt to invest in both off and on field and when I contrast facilities to 2007 it's significantly better.

Perhaps it's because of the balancing act or probably more related to a skew in initial priorities, the last few seasons have been very inconsistent. We probably haven't been able to feel more balanced off field until the start of last season with some good back office hires and promotions. Sandy has left us with a good legacy relating to a number of technical improvements and we can see with 16's and 19's some of that is coming through. One of Craig's other objectives was to help us create succession with the club and Chris Chester is also testament to that.

What have we (BOD) learned?

You can't win. Despite how hard you try you simply can't please everyone and one mans favourite is another mans pariah. We therefore try and keep our business quiet. Remember, I was that fan who was convinced of the conspiracies prior to being involved. The reality is far more mundane, sensible and caring than you might imagine.

If you consider the playing inconsistency then that to some extent mirrors the strategic inconsistency. Over invest in players, under invest etc. it's hard when times are good it's been much harder in challenging economic conditions.

So strategically we know that we need to balance. That mans being very competitive based on commitment and attitude first and foremost. We need a new attitude from the new playing group in 2015 and both the players coming in and those staying, know that. We've been too soft and it will be addressed.

On the subject of head coach it's easy to imagine what may or may not of happened. It's also important to understand that being an assistant is a hard task. Often those views are not heard or taken on board, Chris having been in that role will I think be happy to hear views. He's also a very honest man and a good bloke, the players will know when they stand. He can't change a seven year old culture overnight but is making a great start.

Were all entitled to an opinion and we accept that but it can be hard work at times! I encourage everyone to consider that with most "stories" there are two sides.

So to everyone on here and further afield, thanks for your support in 2014 and I really do think 2015 is the start of a better future. Won't be overnight but with honesty and commitment we will have a team we can all be proud of.

Thanks for listening and hope to see some of you at the Insight forum with myself and the head coach.

RTID!

Rob
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Open and (too?) honest assessment from Rob as ever.

WELL said lets hope and that every thing we wish for in time we get

As always a totally honest post from rob, and what he says makes sense.As a fan myself for longer than I care to remember,I know how lucky we are to have 2 fans in rob and neil,who are willing to put their time and money into trying to bring our great club back to the heady days when we won the cup and back to back championships in the 1980s.
After the torrid times in the 90s and early 2000s,when we wondered if we would still be here the following season,we won promotion at a vital time and have come so far in 7 or so years we are in general competing at the top level.We have made some fantastic signings over recent years,and also some duds,which is part and parcel of trying to make progress,some you win,some you lose.
The new stand and the potential progress off the pitch is there for all to see,as for on the pitch,the keyword is frustration,some terrific wins this season,hull twice,saints,wigan home and away,very unlucky not to win at wigan,warry away and then some stinkers,last week against hull,2 shockers against widnes,salford and so on.
Our signings so far seem pretty good IMO and with more to come only time will tell,but if a fan like rob can be so positive about the future,thats good enough for me.Keep up the good work and to our fans,if rob can be so positive,shouldn't we be ?
If he thinks 2015 is the start of a better future and with hard work we can all have a team to be proud of,who are we to disagree.Cheers rob

Season passes on sale soon ?

Irony alert

replace crossland with pearson, however you want to read it, it basically the same road hull fc have gone down

youth
keeping buisness quiet
hard financial times
assistant coach becoming head coach!

Well, to counterpoint, you've read it exactly as you wanted read it.

But then you're an idiot , so you would.

Pearson appears to me from a very slightly interested outsider, very good for the Hull club. He bought the business as a business, whether he wants to ultimately sell that at a profit remains to be seen. It's certainly a much more viable option at Hull than Rovers.

If he does that (and I'm not saying he will) he'll leave you in a much better position than when he acquired the club.

Crossland and Hudgell, are clearly fans with some brass. I'd say, if it was my money it's not an investment I'd be looking to exploit. They're very, very unlikely to see a return on the money they've put in over the last ten/twelve years.

An entirely different scenario, and neither are more valid, other than to the terminally dim.

That stool in the corner with the bg "D" hat, as ever, awaits.

well you would be an idiot to buy a club not to make money or profits! why would hudgell threaten to pull out if the fanbase didnt increase or why build the north stand if they didnt want to make money! wasnt he hoping to break even this season?

talk about blinkered!

This has saved me the effort, cheers mate.

For the love of it?

They want more income so the club can be a little more sustainable off the field and a little more successful on it. There's more (or less, depending on how you look at it) to RL than profit motive.

Interesting to read RC's take on the SL adventure. Clearly the theme moving forward is attitude - here and in the membership marketing in fairness to the cynical (where Rovers are concerned) L&I.
I think they've done better than they do, I suspect.
It is important balance investment, but its the scale of the spending that the very richest clubs are capable of that keeps us under the glass ceiling. I guess the board thinks a better attitude will get us closer to it again and that is reasonable enough.

I think Castleford have set a benchmark this season where they have shown you don't have to be one of the big four to have success and it's not all about money this I think has made the chairman of the other clubs start asking the question why can't we do what cas have done and thinking what's wrong with our club all the coaches of the middling clubs don't have any excuses anymore after this season

Agree 100%

That pesky Daryll Powell chap has caused a right stink for other coaches.

Cas have done well this year but they have had one thing money can't buy....luck. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying they're lucky its just that for any team from the lower reaches to achieve what they have you need an element of luck, Be it the players you bring in, the injuries you have to contend withor just the luck of the bounce. They have a good coach and some good players but I'm certain if they could have they would have kept Chase.He was lured away and they have looked all the better for it. Being written off at the beginning of the year helped as well. People are forgetting we had a year similar to there's, we finished 4th and were up there all year. So its nothing new what cas are doing.

Add to this 'model' that they are now being decimated and will have to start again, so I'd say its not the best model and money ultimately is

It's the same except they got to Wembley finished higher in the league probably won't get a couple of hammerings in the play offs like we did so not really the same