Well if we are that skint it further shows the stupid decision to award a rookie coach a four and a half year deal to be utter folly.

There's no "if" about it Eddie we are skint.

Compared to the more sensible option of someone we couldn't afford?

Well we've had these discussions before and your both telling us your opinion is fact even though it's not what senior management at the club are telling us Hood, Duckett.

The club is not about to go bust tomorrow - that's thanks to the actions taken by the current administration. (although I fear for the future without then OSV though). Nor is it awash with funds, and a very tight ship is needed. When you examine what "senior management" has consistently been telling people, its essentially that. And that's not inconsistent with what Bullseye and I have been saying. Bear in mind that directors have to be very careful what they say and how they express themselves - been there, done that, and its not easy.

But opinion? Leaving aside what we each might have picked up over recent times that is not necessarily in the public domain, and quite apart from when you go up to the club there seems hardly anybody there any more and all the other signs that are plain for all to see, you could maybe go have a good read of the latest (and previous) published accounts. If you work on the basis that those are "fact", then you've got the unequivocal fact you are asking for.

If you don't know how to read, and more importantly interpret, a set of accounts, you could always ask a professional who does, and is pretty experienced and good at it. You might even have come across one who posts on here.

Bulls may well be short of funds - I was at Cougar Park on Sunday, skint is relative. I think some on here are hiding behind the apparent lack of funds, Bulls have a very good squad, possibly the best pack in the league. They are performing far below what they should, I expected a top 3 finish for the last couple of seasons. ATEOTD performance has to end at the door of the management.

Spot on.

Hiding behind?

That's disappointing, and I thought better of you than that.

How can it be "hiding behind..." to point out to some people - its seems you have to do it repeatedly - that the answer to the performance issues cannot lie just in the chequebook? Its not the fault of those of us conveying the message that some people seem unwilling to face up to that inconvenient truth.

The real problem is that once you recognise that you can't make that much use of the chequebook, which tends to restrict your scope for significant management changes/enhancement in the short term, the remaining options are somewhat limited AND harder.

And that presents a bit of a problem to the mass of people whose proposals for solving the problem primarily require the chequebook. And surely its some of them that are hiding? From financial realities?

But never mind, its dead easy to shoot the messenger.

As I've said before I think the present side is nowhere near top three standard. Our backs are average at best and our halfbacks are almost non-existent. As for our so-called super pack they've not bullied anyone yet this season. If they're top three standard then I'm Lesley Vainikolo.

It's obvious that we're not using the full weight of the cap this season. Why we haven't is open to debate but it doesn't take a genius to think that maybe things are starting to bite a bit harder financially and we're making savings on the playing side?

It's obvious mistakes have been made with player recruitment. Most of the players recruited over the past three years have been poor and for that McNamara needs to take the blame.

IMO we do need a new coaching setup and soon. However unless the OSV comes off it'll only be a short term fix.

Or maybe we are, more or less, but we - for example -

1. No longer have the scope some other clubs may have to secure players who can secure significant external image rights?

2. Have not utilised the cap-enhancing schemes that maybe a number of other clubs have used, which are now attracting the attention of HMRC?

Whether any of that helps explain the player recruitment of late can only be speculation.