I wasn't the ranter on this occasion....

If SG is to stay, and like you i think he will if for no other reason than we can't afford to get shut, he definitely needs a good assistant. He may turn out to be a good coach but at the moment is far from that.

I think he’s a good coach in terms of the technical/skill side of things, and other coaches comment on our shape and threat , however I don’t agree with him singling out players in his interviews especially when confidence is low , getting the players to play for you ( which they have done in the past ) is a skill within itself. I also believe he could do with some support in terms of recruitment, similar to Chris Chester at leigh assistant Adrian lam . That’s what I was hoping for when the board mentioned new members of the infrastructure.

I don't get why the players were "low in confidence" going into the York game. We'd just had a thumping win against Barrow the previous week (irrespective of Sammut's sending off) with some great tries, other results were in our favour and we're still in with a shout for a decent placing.

I think it’s low in confidence against adversity, I also think the constant criticism from Grix is counterproductive, it may work for some players but not for others that’s where I think his man management is weak , I think he needs a middle man to counter his direct style of communication, calling out certain players in his post match interviews is unnecessary and should be kept in house , the club as a whole needs to be more transparent regarding issues and injuries, the amount of Chinese whispers regarding doro is deafening.

Grix's interview after the York looked to me like he's really starting to feel the pressure after a real mixed bag of performances this year. Unfortunately this will filter through to the players, a few of whom have definitely let him down this year, but who now more than ever need a coach who has a clear plan and sticks to it. While everyone has their own idea of who should be in the 17, it's now time for Grix to choose his preferred team - and stick to it, so that players can start playing with a bit more freedom. Perhaps naively I still believe in Grix as a coach, and really want him to succeed, he's going to need a thick skin over the next couple of months, and be brave enough to stick to his principles.

Remember when the previous board gave SG a 3 year contract, people said it would end in tears!
SG knows he is pretty bomb proof at present, the new board have given him full backing ( as they should) but have not been as vocal as promised when they took over, although I am not physically close to Fax the silence from the board is deafening.
On paper Fax have possibly the best squad in the league and most other coaches would love the chance to have them, how the shambles has been allowed to develop is a matter to be held behind closed doors.
It was mooted at the beginning of the season that without Scott Grix and Liam Finn and bringing in an inexperienced coach was a disaster waiting to happen, seems a prophecy coming true.
I don t know Simon, however it is clear he needs man management lessons, and tactical awareness training on having plans b,c,d for backup situations.
As for the players, they are mostly an experienced set with multiple international caps between them,I am not advocating a player revolt,but these guys should have enough nouse to sort it out on the field, where the coach has little option but to watch, he can’t change all 13 .
As for the discipline during game time gifting stupid yards for what are not even school boy errors is unacceptable, laying on, offside, forward pass, dropping the ball, and Fax now seem to have the ref on the front foot. Looking to penalise at the first opportunity, and wow do they help them with that, the only thing they don’t seem to do is backchat.
I don t have an answer to who is available to come in at short notice, even if there was money to spend on help and as stubborn as the coach seems would reject it anyway, is there anyone inside the squad capable of stepping up as a middleman to take the sting out of what is clearly an issue?
As for the coach, grow a pair, admit you are wrong, listen to your players and let’s go forward, no more bull about waiting for dry tracks, they have been here a while now and the desired results have not followed.
That for what it is, is my pennyworth.

The ironic thing is that one of the first things Grix did was to get rid of any influential players who he probably thought had too much influence over the dressing room Ie. Murrell and Tyrer. He did it latley as well with Worthington and Arundel both once again dressed up as players having bad attitudes. It seems he rules with an iron fist and is not afraid of calling people out in public and is happy to let chinese whispers continue about players. I mean heck if I didn't see it myself I wouldn't even know Keyes was injured as there has been no updates from the club.

Going off on a tangent, it's the general direction the club is heading which needs looking at.

I've never liked the Shay, with it's 2 open stands too far from the pitch not to mention paying the Council tens of thousands of quid a season for the use of what is essentially a soccer stadium. I often shed a tear thinking back to beautifully compact Thrum Hall and its cauldron atmosphere. We'd be better suited to a similarly compact RL friendly stadium on the outskirts. Never been to Ovenden RU or Siddal RL but I wonder if they are ripe for development. Where would the money come from? Well, Wakefield bought and are developing their stadium with a "mortgage" from the Council so they actually own it (at the end of the term anyway) and maybe the mortgage payments are similar to what was "dead" rent. Just a thought. I know folk who stopped going after Thrum Hall ..... tried the Shay but not the same, they said.

Not that I'm decrying the vision of the current board. They're doing a great job and something I'd irk at doing, having moaning minnies pecking their heads. I do think something bold and dramatic needs to happen, though, as the current recipe isn't working. I bet the directors heart sank, for example, when the crowd of 1,744 was announced at the Barrow match after 5 weeks on the road.

The Barrow attendance was massively disappointing as I hate to think how many freebies it included.
We started this season with an upturn in support and the Sheffield attendance was encouraging,however Grix's dumbass statement about early rounds not being important and it's a long season,dry tracks etc halted all momentum from which we have never recovered.In a competitive league like this EVERY game is vital.