Few, if any, coaches, have wished their reign in charge at a club to come to an end – but that is the unique position James Webster finds himself in on Saturday afternoon.
With Tim Sheens arriving next year, Webster knows he will not be coach of Hull KR in 2017 – he has known from day one – but he was never quite sure when his final game would be.
With KR’s destiny in their own hands in the Qualifiers, it is possible that his final game will be Saturday afternoon – providing they beat Huddersfield.
“That’s right, I sack myself Saturday don’t I,” he jokes. “We win – I get the sack! But it would be good to get it done this weekend.”
Lose however, and Webster will be coaching again for another seven days – but it means the heartache, the turbulence and the drama of the Million Pound Game.
“There is another week after this but everyone understands we’re hellbent on winning this week,” he says.
“The aim is to finish off this week. That said, if we have to go the hard route, the longer one, we’re confident we can still do that, too.
“We want to be in Super League as soon as we can and get the job done. The aim of the Qualifiers has always been to get yourselves secure as early as possible.
“Unfortunately it’s the last week we have to do that but hopefully that can be the case.”
The game has been dubbed the ‘Half Million Pound Game’ by some, and having experienced the joy of winning silverware and promotion with the Robins in the past, Webster admits it ranks alongside most of the big games he has played in.
“As they say it’s Million Pound Game before the Million Pound Game. It’s a big game for the club and enjoyable. I’m looking forward to it and the players are, too.
“It’s a different type of game for different reasons. The promotion game had a similar feel to it in that was probably something we deserved as we were so good that year and could potentially have it taken away from us.
“This is one you hope everything you’ve done all year, with the bad luck we’ve had, not necessarily rescue it, but solve it at the back end.”
