Pickering Red wrote:
I want Chezzie and Poching out now. Too nice and not tough enough. I expect the board will only act if we get a 0-3 start and the performances remain as dire as they are at the mo.
Even that might be too late. This squad lacks biff, strength, mental fortitude and without Campo, any leadership. I also think deep down that some of these players don't trust one another defensively anymore and as a result our attack is now misfiring.
Another massive prop, big ball carrying second row and a top centre are priorities. Sack Tilse, Allgood, Larroyer, Cockayne and Donaldson. Marsh is not the answer.
Need to go left field on the coach front - Sinfield, Shaun Edwards, Glenn Morrison, Richard Marshall or a big name Aussie.
I agree PR with your sentiments.
What makes me angry is the fact that I keep hearing people saying...well its only a friendly and its meaningless etc.
What are these people on for gods sake? was it not also a friendly for Hull as it was also for Huddersfield last week? , I wonder if they had the same unprofessional mind set, obviously not.
Many people including myself said at the end of last season that we had reservations about Chester and Pochings (especially Pochings) ability to take the club forward but thought ok, we will give them the benefit of the doubt and see how the close season turns out.
Well the close season is now over and we are just 2 weeks away from our 1st competitive game, looking no better than were we left off at the end of last season and in fact possibly even worse in some departments.
As you say, we lack some big punch up front, something Hull looked to have in abundance today though its to early to predict just how good they will be against better opposition, most people you talked to at the end of last season realised that we did not have the weight and aggressiveness up front and was something that needed to be addressed so, why did Chester and his coaching team not realise it and make it one of their priorities.
Of our current crop of players I would say Donaldson is a grafter but simply not big enough, Cockayne looked out of sorts and I wonder if his heart is really in it anymore.
Marsh once again looked ineffective, he just does not appear to have that self confidence to boss a game, the centres were also disappointing though I still believe they do have potential and are still young enough to realize it and mature into good players.
When you watch Rovers you do get the impression that it does not take much to knock them off their game, which fits in with your comment regarding mental fortitude.
With regards to who would we get in as head and defence coach replacements, I would imagine this is what JP and Mike Smith are paid to do and I would hope that they are already making some kind of contingency plans should Rovers find themselves in a position where they have to take drastic action early in the season.
