Tommygilf

Yeah, if anything the attachment to individuals is even greater than that to clubs amongst youngsters and beyond across all sports.

I think its bound to get like that tbh. Smith has hardly endeared himself to fans, and frustration often gets pretty nasty when it is prolonged. Sounds like some other posters with that ending mate!

Yeah but Wakefield had to do the main stand with community facilities etc included in that as part of the application for the funding. Cas a few years later I'm not so sure. I can't remember anything being said about Fev.

And then it all went downhill... He's had a season and a third now to prove any doubters wrong. Fans are allowed to be unhappy and express that. I was never McDermott out or anything like that and don't like the idea of sacking coaches (like Hull FC have for example), but I'm not blind to obvious deficiencies either.

I'd like to think a coach of a top side would have better aspirations than what you described. The whinging stops if we start achieving. Smith doesn't seem able to do that...

Originally there was supposed to be some "community benefit" attached to the funding being used. Not sure how liberally that is now being interpreted...

You! And so?

I didn't think Fev had used it tbh? Perhaps on the conference suite area that is also used for other community functions?

The fact its even a consideration says enough. Holbrook was head coach in the NRL on his departure, and Woolf will be head coach next year following the Dolphins bringing in both him and Wayne Bennett for their inaugural 2 seasons?

Not taken losing last night well...

No the unsuccessful one's tend not to do they, the successful ones can though - especially Australians. He's the head coach of one of the biggest Rugby clubs in the northern hemisphere. If he's happy to coach 2nd tier in an Australian State following that (having been unsuccessful), what does that say about him, the club and everything else involved?

Does that say it all though?

I'd hope so, but then again I've been hoping that since Sinfield left in 2021... Again as well it is a question of "who"?

I agree with this. In the absence of a Director of Rugby however whose role is, in part, to keep tabs on available coaches and those that could best fit their team's style and players, I doubt we'd ever be at that stage...

Its certainly one solution, there are elements to like too. I don't think anything changes the fact that one off knock out games (barring finals) don't sell as well with the RL audience as they used to. I also think Leeds or Wigan B team beating Workington or Hunslet in the opening rounds would get old pretty quickly.

Should also give some ready made excuses too...

And now?

Indeed, but he announced it publicly on Sky not in a formal press release. Telling the coach 2 minutes prior doesn't make it much better imo. The fact FC fans are so quick to jump on to defend only highlights how obviously negative it came across...

In the absence of those however, I think a nice nod to the past would be some sort of award like this. Its where having a strong regional body would have helped as they would be the ones awarding it via the RFL.

Croft and Ackers currently do something similar. The cross pennines car share is a little known tradition in RL!

The context of that was as convenient as possible for Salford though...

I'd award the county cup for Yorkshire and Lancashire to the clubs that finish highest in the regular season from those areas.

Like I said in my later post mate, red rose good? White rose bad? If any part of the above rings true then that is the basis of it. Its weak yes, and I don't think its good enough to justify it. However that is it.

At Leigh and Toronto he did relatively well in the championship with relatively big budgets. His win rate at both was way over 75%. I'm not expecting that in Super League of course, but he can clearly put together a squad.

Hull live reporting a 6 figure p.a. contract and loads of cap space spend being offered to Rowley. For an RL coach I think it would be very hard to turn those sums down.