I will be thinking long and hard about whether I renew or not for next year. Its been awhile since I got excited about going to a game.
I probably will because I'm an overly optimistic idiot but its not a no-brainer anymore.

For whatever reason, I just don't think we have the pulling power to sign the best players. British International players would rather sign for Wigan, St Helens or Warrington or go down under. Hanging on to Jake was quite surprising for us and Jake is only on the fringe of the international team.

The last top drawer British International player we signed was Ellis, and he was at the end of his career when we signed him, we won things by signing that calibre of player. Before that was ones we produced ourselves like Yeaman and Horne.

When the like of Tomkins, Bateman, Widdop, Williams, Hardaker come available, we're not even in with a shot of signing them. They're the types of players that play in grand finals.

Some of the young rising stars and future international players like Jake Truemam, Tom Johnstone, Tom Davies, and young Pryce at Huddersfield and Newman and Oledzki at Leeds, will be looking for new contacts in the near future, I bet we're not in the running to sign them when they do.

You want to compete at the top, then sign top players instead of average Dan squad fillers.

I think it goes beyond who we do or don’t sign. We’ve had some champion players in the recent past, and except for a brief flirtation, we’ve not kicked on.

Teams like Saints have a certain culture that breeds success. They’ve had multiple coaches, players, support staff and the winning culture is there all the time, regardless of the personnel.

McRae called out the culture of the club years ago, and it’s never gone away. AP has been hoodwinked by certain people in the past, and he’s also paying the price for sacking Radford 18 months too late.

I’m just not sure how many times the supporters will keep going to the well. Whatever AP decides, it’s going to have to be radical to turn things around.

This is the big question - what now? Indeed…

It’s frustratingly and extremely disappointingly true that we have gone backwards. We have undoubtedly signed (Sao, Satae, Swift, Reynolds, Mau, Jones, Fonua) and retained (Connor, Carlos, Griffin) quality players in the past few seasons, but for whatever reasons we still haven’t kicked on.

It is sadly true some of our key stalwarts are now showing real signs of being passed their best. It’s not their fault - all players drop in performance as they age - but it’s certainly not good enough for a club of our size and expectations. Big decisions have to be made for the Houghtons, Sneyds, Taylors etc if the club, who have lead the way to Wembley glory and are now leading us in the opposite direction.

I find it very hard to blame Hodgson, despite not always agreeing with his squad selection or sub rotations. But, it’s hard to spare him of at least some flack. He surely should have a big part to play in motivating his team and instilling confidence to execute effort and plays worked on in training. However, I’m happy to give him time - I just hope the club and fans have the same patience.

I feel anxious mostly about what it could mean more broadly for the club. If Pearson goes we really would be in poop street. He’s ploughed money into us since taking over and hasn’t seen any return in 4+ years. He surely can’t keep up losing money to a team getting worse, and who’s fans won’t turn up. It could mean real, real bad news. I hope I’m wrong and he’s committed to keep with us.

What now? Hopefully end the season with some sort of effort and roll on the pre season with a couple of half decent players going into next year.

Next year…

Its always next year Tommy
You make some good points but the key for next season will be whether we can offload some of the non performing players still under contract and that the club realise that several of our senior players are not good enough.
Its the only way the club can go forward.
Simply adding a wing and a new front row will not hide our inadequacies at half back or at nine.
We have seen the best of Taylor and i dont think he will ever get back to his form of two years ago but until we get some new blood with pace at half back and at nine this inability to convert possession in the opposition 20 into points will continue
to go into next season without these changes would be suicide in terms of season pass sales

The stadium adds another problem in my opinion, we all know its too big and its now looking tired and unwelcoming. Home games are almost silent and our home form is infamously terrible. Id go as far as saying I've only enjoyed the Derby games over the last 3 seasons, nothing else stands out. Its a long way from the early days of the KC when it was fresh, new and crowds were growing or even 2012 when our home form was the best in the league.

I used to renew as I didn't want to lose my seat but there's now approx 20 free around me so at worst I'd have to move a few seats along if someone took my spot. Like you I probably will renew but I am feeling like I can't give the club and the game many more chances to sort itself out and become a good night of entertainment again.

I'll renew because the club that has given me so much joy over 60+ years needs every penny if it is to even survive to next season. I want the club to be there for me til the day I die for it has been there since I was born and life without it is unthinkable. That said however yesterday and the game against Castleford were just appalling performances in a year on year procession of appalling showings, but these were particularly bad when you consider the fact that there are only a few games left and the state that the club is in. Yeh the game is cramming games in to the detriment of the players health but this has been going on for ages at Hull FC.

Lets face it with this lot it is nothing new. It is at times like this that groups of employees should pull together fro the greater good and to maintain their jobs but there has been no sign of that for a couple of games before the Derby and the two after it. Adam may not like it and the players may not like it but the fact that we raised our spirit and fight so much for the Derby shows that when there is a motivation there to beat the old enemy, then their pride and the thought of losing face means that they get themselves up for it but when it comes to the bread and butter games that still mean so much to us lot the paying public (as has been the case for years now) they simply can't be arsed.

We don't ask for a win every week nor do we expect players that ain't up to it to be world beaters but we as fans show passion, we make sacrifices and we will do anything for our team. Thats what being a supporter is all about. Yet out there on the field we know that we can show pride and heart and yet we only do it when the players want to do it. Most of the time it appears to me they simply can't be arsed.

Thats the heart breaking part of being an FC fan and something that is driving people away in their droves. We could put up with it for a season or two but its been happening for years particularly in front of home gates at the KCom. Sadly this lot simply can't get themselves up for the fans or indeed the cause of Hull FC its endemic in this group of players and almost a rationale that runs through the squad and is at the core of its belief system. New players come in and new coaches try their best but its simply for me inherent in this group.

Its really disappointing and Safe to say I've seen enough for now and The Sooner this season is over for me the better.

Next year is a real dilemma for AP and the club as a whole. Its clear from the recent performances that we have big issues within the squad if it is up to the max of the salary cap given that the squad was reduced in numbers. The retention and recruitment since Motu left has certainly been poorer particularly in terms of retention over the last 2-3 years and the deals made retaining in terms of salary cap.

As good as Sneyd is at what he does unfortunately we need more from him and certainly in terms of reading and adapting/changing what he's doing during a game, it was interesting listening to Alan Hunt talk about Sneyd yesterday. Houghton unfortunately as good as he has been for us he no longer seems to offer much other than the number of tackles he makes and when he is a better option than the No.2 hooker we have problems. Taylor has been injured for a long periods now over the past couple of seasons and I doubt we will see him anywhere near to the player he was unfortunately. Bowden again another that has been absent for long periods over the past couple of seasons and looks to be some way off the player he was.
Over the years they have done well for us and been integral in what the club achieved but sadly they can not go on forever and think they and the club need a change to reinvigorate.
We have no pace or flair at 6, 7 or 9 and again are just far too predictable and easy to defend against and as was shown yesterday our defence was abysmal and we capitulated like previous seasons. The only player we have that genuinely gives us any flair or attacking option is Connor but opposing teams now know starve him of the ball & stifle him and they are pretty much guaranteed to win as has been proved as we have nothing else to offer.

Due to the poor retention and deals made AP and the club are now hamstrung and unless they can move out some players then next season will not be much better as the same issues will stil be there.

Add to the fact the covid situation has made things difficult for the club financially, the issues with the Allams/SMC in regards to the costs and use of the Stadium and not just the poor home form but the manner of the perfomance they put in at home (recent derby the exception) then things are looking very bleak for next season to be honest.

Hard to find anything positive about the club on or off the field at the moment

listing some big wage leadership group available on free trans fare might give us a recruitment kitty on cap space ? i am grateful of their past imput but are our 3 co captains untouchable, are we getting value for money on their declining leadership quality ? father time waits for no man and is knocking on their doors imo. love all 3 but business is business