7 replies to this topic

[saints10coach]

Looks like Oxford are the next club in our league and their coach will be Tony Benson.

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

Looks like Oxford are the next club in our league and their coach will be Tony Benson.

How much are you betting he will come back and bite us on the bum?

[thecrab]

....and players to follow because they're offering decent money!

[winedrinkerme]

at least we wont finish bottom oxford bottom us next to bottom

[Ex-scrumhalf]

Well I'd just like to wish Tony Benson all the very best in his new job, except of course when playing against Oldham! No matter what anyone thinks about his coaching abilities I think he was a genuinely nice guy who rolled his sleeves up and did things for Oldham that were way above his remit. When you look at his coaching you have to look at what he had to work with and when he had the players around him he didn't do so badly. Later on he had lots of talented youngsters. The words talented and youngsters are OK but there is one word missing, experience, and we lacked that in abundance. He needed good experienced players in key positions and he didn't have that in the later years. You could argue that he had Roden, and there is no doubt that he WAS a good old head in a key position, but he was on his own and the opposition often knew that if you took him out we had little else to control the game. We should have gone up under Tony on at least three occasions. The debacle of being pipped to the post by a team with less wins than we had, the loss of an excellent squad mid season, beaten to it by at least one team that cheated, and the season when we were undone by a cup run and a battering at Wakefield before playing midweek up at Gateshead. Am I right in thinking that we only lost that game because of a new rule that had only just been introduced? Didn't the rule come in on the previous weekend that after a try had been scored you weren't allowed to move while the kick was being taken. The kick was missed but because we moved the referee gave Gateshead a penalty, which was kicked and we lost the game? Has anyone sen that rule applied in a game since? Anyway good luck Tony, I hate to see anyone out of work, and unlike football managers I don't suppose he was paid enough to stay out of work for long.
After the disaster of last season I hope CH gives the fans something to lift them by appointing an exciting coach and giving him some experience at half back and loose forward who can come in when Roden or Dallymore, if we still have them, are being snuffed out.
Another thread mentions the ground and I agree with those who think Whitebank will never ever be upgraded to a standard that gives us some credit, let alone entry to Super League, though I doubt that will ever happen anyway. However I totally agree with those who think a joint venture with OAFC is the only way forward but it has to be brokered by the Council and it has to give ORLFC access to funding from catering and car parks. Latics are not doing well and I believe a joint venture would benefit them, as it does in other towns, and if done properly could benefit the community in general.

[Tony Mac]

Well I'd just like to wish Tony Benson all the very best in his new job, except of course when playing against Oldham! No matter what anyone thinks about his coaching abilities I think he was a genuinely nice guy who rolled his sleeves up and did things for Oldham that were way above his remit. When you look at his coaching you have to look at what he had to work with and when he had the players around him he didn't do so badly. Later on he had lots of talented youngsters. The words talented and youngsters are OK but there is one word missing, experience, and we lacked that in abundance. He needed good experienced players in key positions and he didn't have that in the later years. You could argue that he had Roden, and there is no doubt that he WAS a good old head in a key position, but he was on his own and the opposition often knew that if you took him out we had little else to control the game. We should have gone up under Tony on at least three occasions. The debacle of being pipped to the post by a team with less wins than we had, the loss of an excellent squad mid season, beaten to it by at least one team that cheated, and the season when we were undone by a cup run and a battering at Wakefield before playing midweek up at Gateshead. Am I right in thinking that we only lost that game because of a new rule that had only just been introduced? Didn't the rule come in on the previous weekend that after a try had been scored you weren't allowed to move while the kick was being taken. The kick was missed but because we moved the referee gave Gateshead a penalty, which was kicked and we lost the game? Has anyone sen that rule applied in a game since? Anyway good luck Tony, I hate to see anyone out of work, and unlike football managers I don't suppose he was paid enough to stay out of work for long.
After the disaster of last season I hope CH gives the fans something to lift them by appointing an exciting coach and giving him some experience at half back and loose forward who can come in when Roden or Dallymore, if we still have them, are being snuffed out.
Another thread mentions the ground and I agree with those who think Whitebank will never ever be upgraded to a standard that gives us some credit, let alone entry to Super League, though I doubt that will ever happen anyway. However I totally agree with those who think a joint venture with OAFC is the only way forward but it has to be brokered by the Council and it has to give ORLFC access to funding from catering and car parks. Latics are not doing well and I believe a joint venture would benefit them, as it does in other towns, and if done properly could benefit the community in general.

Hi ESH

Not a lot to argue with there.

Tony Mac
Chin Up, Chest Out

[SINGE]

at least we wont finish bottom oxford bottom us next to bottom

I would not bet on that, their Board comprises
"Former St Helens chief executive Tony Colquitt is on the new club's board, along with former Hull and Bradford back Tevita Vaikona, director of rugby at Oxford Rugby Football Club in North Hinksey (whre Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute mile), where the new club will be based."

[thecrab]

Don't underestimate these clubs.

They're likely to have more money, better facilities and better organised management than we have.

My pint glass is half empty on this one...I can't see us getting out of this league for a few seasons...assuming we survive that is