Neither will you if your no1 prop is missing for the first few weeks of the season

Doh!

Are you trying to find a loophole in the non fed rules for mika?

Ok I'm actually been generous there

Coped fine on Friday with 4 props under 23.

If we dont maybe we could borrow Sandys list of excuses, he seems to have gone for a record number of excuses in the HDM today, it's Ok though he promises it will be better next year.

Some very opposite opinions on this one and to be honest we all know it will more than likely fall somewhere in between the 2 and we’;; be fighting it out for 8th as seems the norm at the moment.

Dobbo going is a hard one, I kind of agree with both points of view, yes you don’t get rid of a good half back to improve a poor team and we need someone to step up and lead the team around. The one thing I’ll caveat that with is that we got too reliant on MD to the point where everything went through him, yes good teams have a half back leader but they also have other options, we didn’t or if we did we rarely used them. Any decent team knew this and snubbed it out. We may be in a position next year having realised we have lost the best thing we ever but ultimately it wasn’t our decision and the club have done all they can by quickly securing a replacement with a decent pedigree.

Lovegrove is an odd one to call, yes he seems to be a fans favourite but also does give us a lot of go forward and seems to give his all, the flip side of a Patterson who just seemed uninterested and not willing to put in the hard work. Very reminiscent of Clinton, all the ability no application or heart.

Suppose one thing is for certain we’ll be different next year, and for that at least I’m looking forward to it, can’t say I have been for the last couple of years.

Don't worry they'll be Brain dead by 10 o'clock on Thursday, Gentles excuses are like his play book, lacking in imagination. Still I bet they'll train well

It'd have to be a flat out rule change rather than a loophole. Past experience would suggest that that isn't something that can be ruled out altogether though.



Yeah, I think the change in style and type of player we've got in (less spectacular, bit more solid or hard nosed hopefully) will change the character of the team. I'm not anticipating us leaping up the table, but perhaps our problems will be different and there won't be that feeling of same old, same old when we lose. Or not so often at least.

Tbf though, even having accepted that we've plateaued or hit a glass ceiling now, I still think there's plenty to enjoy. Good sprinkling of rubbish mixed in too, but it is the same for most clubs and their fans.

Gentle starts every interview with "look, I'm not going to make excuses, but..."

He has decided to move on

That's not fair at all. He also regularly opens with 'We're not going to blame...'

There's no so blind as those that will not see!

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