[Kosh]

Re: Almost half way there-season tickets : Fri Jan 15, 2016 12:17 pm  

Doom&Gloom Merchant wrote:

Hard to disagree with any of that, and the pass sales figures are evidence that there's plenty of fans who've had enough.

The performances at the back end of last year where we played rugby with a freedom we'd not had for a few seasons with a bunch of youngsters, was the glimmer of hope I needed to get a pass this year. Maybe I've been naïve, time will tell on that one.

Our squad is the strongest in ten seasons IMO, and we're going into a season with a settled halfback partnership for a change, which can't be a bad thing. Recruitment has been excellent, and we have a crop of youngsters who can be relied upon to step in, and even push for a starting place.

We're not far off being a very good side. Our defence is generally pretty good. Field position, offloads, meters made, ave gain, possession, clean breaks - are all right up there. The massive question mark is whether Radford, Horne & Last are capable of turning those positive stats into decent rugby and tries. I'm still not convinced, but they have the first handful of games to prove it before I write them off completely.

Can't argue with any of that.

FWIW I've downgraded from a full pass to one of the new General Memberships this season, although that's more to do with the number of games I'll be able to attend than anything else. On the plus side we've invested in 2 General Memberships rather than a single pass and also bought Hull FC Live so the club are getting roughly the same amount of money from our household.

This is a big, big season for the club. Another year of underachievement/disappointment and next year is looking grim.

Re: Almost half way there-season tickets : Fri Jan 15, 2016 12:31 pm  

What's peoples opinions on hull fc live ? Was thinking of getting it

Re: Almost half way there-season tickets : Fri Jan 15, 2016 12:41 pm  

Kosh wrote:

Can't argue with any of that.

FWIW I've downgraded from a full pass to one of the new General Memberships this season, although that's more to do with the number of games I'll be able to attend than anything else. On the plus side we've invested in 2 General Memberships rather than a single pass and also bought Hull FC Live so the club are getting roughly the same amount of money from our household.

This is a big, big season for the club. Another year of underachievement/disappointment and next year is looking grim.

It's a huge year. Pearson still has that one ace up his sleeve, and if we get come away from Easter, 8 games in, without seeing that improvement in performances or a healthy league position, then he has to play it IMO.

Re: Almost half way there-season tickets : Fri Jan 15, 2016 2:48 pm  

Chris71 wrote:

The problem we have at Hull FC is although we have had different owners, coaches & assistants and changed the playing roster since we made the GF results and performances STILL remain the same.

The same failings & mistakes in games have been repeated year on year, the club and coaches say they are worjking on sorting them yet we still see little or no change. This for me is the big reason fans have decided enough is enough as patience has run out.

I'm fed up of hearing people say Hull fans are impatient but its been 8 years we have seen the same rubbish just different seasons and eventually the club was going to face the very real prospect of fans deciding enough is enough.

For me this season really is last chance saloon for the club as I fear another season like the past 8 will be devastating for the club as we know it. Radford and AP both have to up their game to bring this club back up in terms of results and performances, sadly I fear we do not have the quality in the coaching staff to do this.

Both AP & LR are guilty of underestimating or fully understanding the depth of feeling and despair amongst the fans and that has had a big impact and a cause of the current plight.

Its imperative the team get off to a good start and play a more entertaining style of rugby otherwise we will fall into obscurity as a club. We are the opposite to Huddersfield who have a team to challenge but not had a great fan base to back them where as we have the fan base but not had the team.
I just don't think LR is/was the man to take the club on the pitch where it needs to be, just hope he proves me wrong.

When was the last time Hull FC employed an experienced Head Coach who was proven at gelling a group of individuals into a team ??, (Kear? )

Re: Almost half way there-season tickets : Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:36 pm  

weaver93 wrote:

When was the last time Hull FC employed an experienced Head Coach who was proven at gelling a group of individuals into a team ??, (Kear? )

McRae.

Kear was an assistant who led us to the CC Final.

I don't buy the 'proven head coach' argument. Firstly, because SL comes second to the NRL, there aren't many who are realistically available. Secondly, plenty of other successful sides employ assistants or coaches with little experience. Thirdly, I believe its more about the person & their knowledge, skills in man-management etc, than whether they've specifically been a head coach or not.

There are arguments either way. For every Richard Agar, you have a Darryl Powell. For every Brian Noble you have a Michael McGuire. There isn't a set formula I'm afraid.

[Kosh]

Re: Almost half way there-season tickets : Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:02 pm  

hull2524 wrote:

What's peoples opinions on hull fc live ? Was thinking of getting it

Well worth the money IMO, especially if you can't get to all the games. I've had it every year since it launched.

You get a good discount on it if you're a member/pass holder as well.

Re: Almost half way there-season tickets : Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:14 pm  

weaver93 wrote:

When was the last time Hull FC employed an experienced Head Coach who was proven at gelling a group of individuals into a team ??, (Kear? )

Dont know about proven but Brian Smith did

Re: Almost half way there-season tickets : Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:19 pm  

cheers kosh

Re: Almost half way there-season tickets : Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:22 pm  

Doom&Gloom Merchant wrote:

McRae.

Kear was an assistant who led us to the CC Final.

I don't buy the 'proven head coach' argument. Firstly, because SL comes second to the NRL, there aren't many who are realistically available. Secondly, plenty of other successful sides employ assistants or coaches with little experience. Thirdly, I believe its more about the person & their knowledge, skills in man-management etc, than whether they've specifically been a head coach or not.

There are arguments either way. For every Richard Agar, you have a Darryl Powell. For every Brian Noble you have a Michael McGuire. There isn't a set formula I'm afraid.

You need to appoint an assistant with plenty of experience who is ready to step up, not one with a season or so as an assistant under a coach deemed a failure. There's a lot of difference between appointing someone who has worked for some time in a high performance set up and one with scant experience, all of it gained in a failing environment. The job came too soon for radford. Even if he does OK this year, the last 2 seasons have done massive damage to the level of regular support at the club

Re: Almost half way there-season tickets : Sat Jan 16, 2016 12:30 pm  

Jake the Peg wrote:

You need to appoint an assistant with plenty of experience who is ready to step up, not one with a season or so as an assistant under a coach deemed a failure. There's a lot of difference between appointing someone who has worked for some time in a high performance set up and one with scant experience, all of it gained in a failing environment. The job came too soon for radford. Even if he does OK this year, the last 2 seasons have done massive damage to the level of regular support at the club

Agree.

I wasn't defending the appointment of Radford at all. I was saying that an appointment doesn't have to be a proven head coach like some demand, but the right assistant is capable of doing a very good job as a head coach. Hence I referenced the disaster that was Agar, or the success in McGuire at Wigan.