Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Aug 07, 2023 1:43 pm  

ArthurClues wrote:

But yet bizarrely he was good enough to take us from nowhere to the GF last year. A fact that is being conveniently forgotten. So we sack Smith because he can't get a squad of clearly average players to perform. Then what? Who else? I can't see any senior coaches coming from OZ, why would they? SL is a second rate comp in comparison. I don’t think the challenge of turning water into wine for an expectent and entitled fan base is one anybody would relish. The likes of Holbrook, Lam, Woolf have been lucky enough to inherit or bring in great players. Smith is rubbing two sticks together in comparison. Anybody who as ever played sport to a decent level knows that structure, process etc is no substitute for talent. Until we invest in some (and really focus on developing our own) we will continue to struggle.

Even some of the best coaches can only work with what they’ve got.

How did Tim Sheens get on at Hull KR and Widnes?

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Aug 07, 2023 1:49 pm  

macdermott won the GF on17. how did 18 go?
anyone who has played sport at any level knows if you get on a roll at the right time anything can happen. sporting history is full of such runs. we have gone backwards at a rate of knots this year. recruitment has been awful but he has a say in that. all coaches do. there us no discernable style or shape. its chop and change. I don't rate him. i stand to be proved wrong and I hope he does. because that means we are winning games. i just don't see it.
one thing is guaranteed. if gawwy gets stick and feels the pressure smith will be hone. sh*t rolls downhill. gawwy won't shoulder any blame

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Aug 07, 2023 1:51 pm  

Should it be a concern though that some of the better ones aren't performing to the standard they're caoable? Ie some of the front row?

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Aug 07, 2023 1:55 pm  

tad rhino wrote:

macdermott won the GF on17. how did 18 go?
anyone who has played sport at any level knows if you get on a roll at the right time anything can happen. sporting history is full of such runs. we have gkbd backwards at aeate of knots this year. recruitment has been awful but he has a say in that. all coaches do. there us no discernable style or shape. its chop and change. I don't rate him. j stand to be proved wrong and I hope he does. because that means we are winning games. i just don't see it.
one thing is guaranteed. if gawwy gets stick and feels the pressure smith will be hone. sh*t rolls downhill. gawwy won't shoulder any blame

You’re kind of proving our point with the McDermott thing.

We Lost two generational talents at the end of 17, and never really recovered.

Herherington isnt ine for sacking coaches too often, he did with McDermott but his time was done, Sinfield sacked Furner and Agar chose to leave.

One of the reasons Smith was employed was to bring the youngsters through, the club has to help him out with some decent signings.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Aug 07, 2023 1:59 pm  

Seth wrote:

Should it be a concern though that some of the better ones aren't performing to the standard they're caoable? Ie some of the front row?

I don’t think the forwards are the issue, how many games have we been in position to win them for us to lose by a point or two. It’s our Halfbacks inability to control a game or execute thats been the biggest issue.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Aug 07, 2023 2:06 pm  

A lot of the problem seems to lie with GH for me. Once, he had his finger on the pulse, good contacts down under and at home and the buying clout to match. It seems like all that's faded over the years. Maybe an age thing. The club structure's different to Hudds but I'm increasingly reminded of Ken Davy: a guy that would like nothing better than to deliver success to the club he clearly loves but without the wherewithal to do so.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Aug 07, 2023 2:10 pm  

tad rhino wrote:

macdermott won the GF on17. how did 18 go?
anyone who has played sport at any level knows if you get on a roll at the right time anything can happen. sporting history is full of such runs. we have gone backwards at a rate of knots this year. recruitment has been awful but he has a say in that. all coaches do. there us no discernable style or shape. its chop and change. I don't rate him. i stand to be proved wrong and I hope he does. because that means we are winning games. i just don't see it.
one thing is guaranteed. if gawwy gets stick and feels the pressure smith will be hone. sh*t rolls downhill. gawwy won't shoulder any blame

Recruitment, by necessity, was very limited last year. We had very little coming off the cap and tbh Smith did very well to move contracted players like Prior and Walker on. He's rolled the dice where he could and met with varying degrees of success, but even if they had all come off nobody in their right mind could expect them to make up for the lack of class in the spine positions. This year's budget should allow for far more ambitious recruitment. So far nothing has materialised and that has to be the major concern. Just think it would be unfair to bin Smith off (especially when there are not other obvious candidates) when his chances to improve the squad have been so limited.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Aug 07, 2023 2:11 pm  

christopher wrote:

I don’t think the forwards are the issue, how many games have we been in position to win them for us to lose by a point or two. It’s our Halfbacks inability to control a game or execute thats been the biggest issue.

I agree the halves are obviously the problem but the pack just lacks the impact it should have with the likes of Oledzki and Holroyd just looking average and nowhere near england selection levels. Theres just no aggression, no desire.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Aug 07, 2023 2:16 pm  

Seth wrote:

I agree the halves are obviously the problem but the pack just lacks the impact it should have with the likes of Oledzki and Holroyd just looking average and nowhere near england selection levels. Theres just no aggression, no desire.

Holroyd was going great until his injury, and was selected for England

Oledski has been poor by his own standards this year.

Annoyingly Smith has improved Walters no end.

As I say our pack isn’t the issue IMO. Take yesterday Lisone and Sangare were running with intent and bumping people off, Lisone was smacking people in defence, we had loads of field position but not the players especially in the halves to capitalise and that’s been the issue all year.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4 : Mon Aug 07, 2023 2:17 pm  

Was Kev appointed on the basis to be the eventual successor to Gary.
If that was the case why was a replacement not found for him when he left.