We see what we want to see to keep up the interest as hope flickers and dies. Same as about two thirds of the league. Tbf, when I bought my 2007 Rovers SL shirt it was partly in expectation that’d be my one chance so I maybe shouldn’t complain too much.



The move-to-win thing is a real and undeniable problem. I mean, if one of the clubs outside the evil empire elite times a peak just right… well, Hull showed it is possible. But it was off the back of some heavy and sustained investment. Radford and Motu Tony did really, really well too. Cas had too little to show for what a good team they were too.

Given what has happened, I think you will likely be better off under Smith, whereas we reached a point where his departure became a cause for optimism. Both things can be true.



In this particular salary capped sport the difference between success and failure is still almost invariably money.

I suppose that is an oblique reference to Rovers.

I can assure you 8th was seen as a failure. TS was solely responsible for that. Up until his unfortunate announcement we were doing well. After Danny M managed to steady the ship we did quite well as you witnessed in the last match. It was only the poor results TS presided over between his announcement and departure that spoiled our season. The big mistake we made was not terminating his contract immediately.

If you think Hull are in the same position at Rovers and Huddersfield, you are even more clueless, we have a basis of a good squad and a established academy with some good players coming through, Huddersfield or Rovers have neither when he took over.

He also got you to two semi finals you where gloating about previously in this thread, you can't have it both ways. Smith is a good coach who all Rovers wanted to keep up to the point of that press conference.

You might see it as a failure, but others seem happy, I'm sure someone has even written a book about your season, why would some write a book about such a mediocre season.

Given it was published about 3 weeks after the end of the season, I imagine the book was planned before and written during the season.

There are loads of interesting sports books and documentaries that cover fascinating stories of mediocrity, struggle and failure. Graham Taylor: The Impossible Job, Another Bloody Sunday, the Miracle of Castel Di Sangro (with its change of tone twist), Domestique, Ball Four. Rovers’ own trouble at the top documentary.

Would anybody outside of St Helens and in possession of a soul prefer their end of season review?

No one is denying that he is a good coach and yes we were chuffed when he got us to two semifinals.

However the way he announced his departure took the gloss off his achievements. He had every right to make the decision he did and no one coukd have a problem with that. However whatever went on behind the scenes the way he made the announcement showed another side to his character.

I can comment on the good things he did at our club with great pleasure but I can also comment on the dark side of his actions. That is not having things both ways it is talking about two different issues.

How he deals with the deep seated problems at FC will be interesting to watch.

Strange that he only had problems at Rovers. I'm not aware of any "dark side" to his actions at Huddersfield, Leeds or Warrington.

If the majority of clubs are at full cap, then coaching has to be the difference between success or failure. Unless you have a brilliant recruitment window, like we did in 2016.

Just feels like the Dobbins projecting their perceived TS faults on here is an indication of their worry, as they know as well as us that we haven’t had a proven head coach in years.

It’s also notable that TS specifically mentions upon his appointment what a big club FC is. Can’t recall him making the same comments when McGuire persuaded him to take the Dobbins job.

As I said earlier, time will tell.

Every new manager and every new player says good things about the club they have signed for. You would not expect anything else. It does not mean that in their heart of hearts they actually believe what they are saying. There is no reason to believe that TS is any more realistic than anyone else.

FC fans continually claiming to be a big club is only to reinforce their own delusions. If FC really were a big club the fans would have no nead to continually make the claim. Wigan, Saints, Rhinos’ fans are not continually making the claim. They just know they are.

That’s because they’ve fulfilled their potential, which we never have. Hence the phrase “sleeping giant”