If that’s an open question, I would have a shot at that.

I think the team lacks robust leadership at the top, and with Karl being the boards pet project, I can’t see him being forced out. As a brand and a business it seems to do ok, but the team is harming his by it’s lack of success. So, I’d bring in a Director of Rugby. Someone to set the tone and vision for the rugby aspect, how the teams are to play (style wise) and embed that throughout the academy, so when the progression comes through from youth they know the ‘role’ inside out. This would also build a blue print for the types of coaches and players you want to recruit. Less of a scatter gun approach, more targeted, should bring a better yield with less misfits.

I think, realistically, Powell is a lame duck. Sheridan, who we’ve been told is leading on defence, isn’t working out either and we appear unfit and suspect to switching off at the back end of games. So I’d clean house. The new DoR bring in a coach to match the ethos and surround that coach with credible candidates who would succeed when the time comes.

From there there needs to be a dialog with the fans. The fans need to be clearly told what the project is and what that is going to look like. They can get in touch with us quite quickly when it’s season ticket renewal period, so an open letter wouldn’t be unrealistic. If we are told that we need to clear the decks and start again and are going to blood the reserves in that period, therefore we’re going to have some uncomfortable days, I think fans would be more tolerant to poor results (subject to those you want out not taking the place of a local junior with promise).

At the heart of this though, there has to be a link between the business, the team and the town. If you have buy in from the town (fans, sponsors etc) you can use that energy for good, more kids play, more people attend, more merchandise sold, more money in the bank. With that in mind, I’d go for someone with a link to the club, who understands the people, in leadership positions. If Tony Smith would consider DoR I would start there (maybe it’s rose coloured glasses on my part).

What you have said here is a combination of what a lot of posters on here have said at some point or other, it’s good it’s been put into one post and you nailed it, unfortunately it will not happen because one thing you have missed is we are Wire.

a point i've seen made, is people saying, players have been told they're not required, so arent going to put in more than minimum(i know) effort.

Annoyingly, its the contracted players that are staying in the most part, currie,king, holmes that are playing the worst. Doesn't inspire confidence

Part of me thinks that waiting until next season is perfectly fine, given that we will have a whole new forward pack, and possibly bring in 1 or 2 new backs. But I just think back to the instant impact of coaches we've had in recent years which maybe puts a huge cloud over my perception of Powell even though I know he's trying to change things.

For all of the times we complained about the forward pack, he mentioned in a podcast/interview that he has certain lines he likes to run. And when I watch us play we are so slow shifting the ball and there is no depth. It's Widdop on one side, Williams on the other, they run at the line and pass it off if/when they can, play the ball and repeat. It's just a single row of 13 men waiting to get a touch of the ball with no sense of direction. And to me, that is the fault of Powell, regardless of what the forwards are doing.

Of course, the players are not blameless. I just keep thinking to myself, surely Widdop and Williams (who are still top players who have experience at the highest level) can surely make decisions in-game, and try to construct plays in training that can open up defences. But it starts with the coach and how they want the team to play.

Surely, if there are bad eggs in the camp, you just don't let them train or play. Because if training is running how it should and they know what lines to run, if they don't do it in the game, surely they don't play. So you'd just bring in the kids to have a go. So as much as the bad eggs claim might be true, I don't think it should have any bearing on how we set up in attack and doesn't excuse the teams lack of attacking threat. If someone is simply not doing what Powell is asking, you shift them out and get in a young player ready to prove himself who will listen to his coach. To put it in basic terms, Cooper causing problems in camp should not stop a player from essentially running a specific line. It makes 0 sense. So it's on Powell and how he is setting us up.

I won't even start on the defence. We're all aware of that monstrosity.

Same conversation every week albeit the moment is swinging to a realisation that Powell is not the man . The philosophy and vision of your club is rotten to the core .from the top you consistently get it wrong but seemingly don’t learn from your mistakes ( not personally , but your club) You need to get rid of Powell as a start point and stop the cheque book mentality of success . That team is a top 4 team and Powell is showing you that he can’t cope . Forget the rhetoric that the players are against his ethos … Rubbish , those players want to win but are being guided by a coach who isn’t upto the job . What you need isn’t a plan for next year , it’s a long term plan of youth development and investment , build quality from within who have a passion for the jersey , not ex NRL donkeys who are topping up there pension and a quality coach to lead . If Powell remains in situ this year he will be gone by this time next year because even with the mediocre signing you have made it won’t be enough . At this trajectory you are looking at 2/3 years of mid table dithering. Another re build before this one has even begun . You club needs to be ruthless and stop hoping that tomorrow will be better

It will be interesting to see how many games & minutes on the pitch our new forwards attain throughout next season considering that by then we will have got rid of two reliable ,ever present props.

Agreed, we will have more old props than Golborne pit, and that's been shut for 50 years!

Apparently the defence system Sheridan has, is….
Defender one slap grabs across at the arm to get the fender to turn a little, while defender two makes the body hit.

Our problem is, big men run straight through the player one slap arm tackle before defender two gets on him.

I love to see around the leg tackles, big men can’t run without their legs.

thats probably standard for around the league, wrap the ball up. whats interesting is that powell did say in something at the start of the year he was wanting to eradicate our habit of tackling around the legs, which lead to quick ptb's and scoots and you know how that ends up.

I'm wondering if the lad that stands to the right of me in the south stand who shouts "LEEEEGS" all the time knows this, he also shouts "WRAP THE BALL UP" when they offload. guess he wants it both ways

Both make sense to me, just the other way around. First man gets the ball wrapped up so there are no easy offloads. And as soon as it's wrapped up, you get the legs to bring them down. They could down more slowly because you have another man in the tackle wrapping up the ball so it holds up the player. The fast play the ball isn't possible and neither is the offload.

Don’t get the Currie criticism. He’s exactly what he’s always been which is a superb front foot player. We have no go forward therefore he will struggle. He’s always been a passive carrier and defender. He’s never smashed people in defence or ball in hand. His form is purely a product of the prop issues. He’s not the player he was pre injury perhaps but there are far bigger issues.

I agree. But, he’s a luxury player. He’s not in the trenches really, never has been. But if you give him good ball, he can create and make space. We just don’t give him good ball.