As fans we wanted the season to end but at least we turned up. Pity the players didn't.



What was John Lydon's famous quote



"Ever get the feeling you've been Cheated?"



I certainly do after reading that.

One thing i hate is player power



Should be in contracts if manager/coach is sacked your position also in question



If players don't like it what they gunna do ? Get a proper job ?



Players get depressed when they retire cos they have to do proper jobs and find out what the real world is about



Look at yeamo GB international etc and working in a prison!

Shocking.

Unfortunately this has been a recurring theme for many many years. The hierarchy hiring proven assistant coaches, but not recognising the attributes required of man management.

Hopefully now, this has been resolved.

Thankfully Pearson has finally realised the important of an experienced Head Coach rather than just an enthusiastic former assistant.

Yeah cause last season worked out great didn't it

And doing very well there too. Hard work never bothered Yeamo! nor I'd add did he get involved in the player powers stuff, he just loved playing for his home town club.

Spot on Pete. Yeamo was Mr FC through and through and never gave less than 100% for his club.

Unfortunately we've had far too many of the opposites pulling our jersey on.

I meant about life after rugby league proper jobs



Yeaman imo our best centre last 20 years working in a prison



Majority of time it's the players that are the problem not the coach

If we only learn one thing from professional football it should be that the most important player on the team is the manager.

Ferguson, Klopp and Guardiola demonstrate this point perfectly.

Ferguson agree with



But other two ( esp guardila ) are checkbook managers



Easy to be near the top when you spend nearly most money in the league



Look at likes brian noble and mcdermott struggled at other clubs after leeds and Bradford

Klopp isn't a cheque book manager if you compare his net spend and the the success he has had with other clubs.

Quite a damning read but not that surprising as we probably knew the cue was already on the rack for a long period of that season .

You could read Hodgson's face like a book .

I honestly dont think Wayne Bennett would have got a masive amount more out of the squad we had, the pack was very weak.



Tony has got to show the team is improving quickly though.

As for Connor, Ellis' comments just confirm that it was right to let him go, he did little at Hudds this year too, bags of talent but always looks unfit and the constant sledging at the ref and opposition players wore thin by the end.

We finished 10th so basically couldn't done much worse



Smith is getting time on his record ( rightly so ) but any other coach like radford Hodgson etc would of been under pressure if they was here last season



Yet smith didn't really get any flak

Because people realise the recruitment has been bad for about 5 years now and Smith came in too late to change the squad.



Must admit I was dissapointed by the predictable end of season slump though, seems no coach has the answer to why the players are in holiday mode from August.

What and Ferguson didn’t spend any money , he spent more then other clubs most years until Chelsea started spending .

Net spend that old chestnut

still spent more money that majority of other clubs



See if they can win at a smaller club like Fulham or someone like ferguson did with Aberdeen

He won titles with likes of Darren fletcher and wes brown etc

That old chestnut?



Why was he able to spend more money than the majority of there clubs?



He had to generate money by selling players like Coutinho otherwise he wouldn't have been able to bring his players in and compete and win major trophies.



He didn't have unlimited spending power.

I'm not having a go at you at all, I just stress the fact that Yeamo had a few job opportunities when he retired, but chose to work in the prison service because of the job prospects, career path etc. and with him having a young family that gave him the best chance, and what's more . In his chosen career path he is doing OK.



The thing is before the game went fully professional all players went back to work when they finished, in fact they worked whilst they were playing!! But, on retirement, many fell on hard times. When Hodgson was here I know that Danny houghton was contemplating going back to his tools as a Plummer/electrician and no doubt he'll pursue that when he eventually retires and he does that as one of the FC's and indeed the British games all time greats (as is Kirk). But there are no guarantees in life after Rugby league.



Sadly we might love our very demanding, physically debilitating and taxing sport, but we have missed our chances and failed to grasp the opportunities over the years as a sport (probably the best in the world) so we stay what is in effect a semi part time environment, which rewards players in the short term, but doesn't however give them any sort of security, so most understands that they go back to more menial tasks etc when they retire. Most players I know have no other aspirations than that.



Sadly that's where we are, we think we are supporting the best game there is, but financially and prestige and public awareness wise we are really nothing but a sport that has all the ingredients to be great but that has been so badly mismanaged over the years we are also rans on the national scene.



That means that although our players are heroes and titanic sportsmen whilst playing, they end up back where they started, that's why they are all to be respected for the sacrifices they make, the pain they go through and the enjoyment they give us. In the end the rewards they get for that are at best short term and they all have to adjust to being back on 'civi street' when it's over.



They do whatever they have to , to support their families and that's why Testimonials ae so important as they give players who have been loyal a little nest egg to help them through. What a sad situation that is, but I respect players like Yeamo who were heroes for all of us and continue to strive to succeed in life after they finish, whatever that means they have to do.

Personally think itd of been harsh to give Smith any flak, given the absolute mess of a squad he inherited.



We saw a definate reaction after a shaky start, and id say an arm wrestle with Smith and certain players as to what wouldnt be tolerated, we saw people moved on due to Smith standing by his principles for the good of the culture, even if it left us very light at times. For me id say the season was a success in the aspect of smith changing the culture and removing some big names with thr wrong attitudes from the roster. Moves that previous coachs didnt have the balls to do.



Very much in the middle of a huge transition, and also hamstrung by loan repayments, but ive every faith Smith with patience will leave us in a much better state.



I dare say in 2 seasons time we may even be praising our academy products and signing a marquee player

Bloody hell mate stop talking sense…we are finally catching up with the other clubs academy’s and like you said in a couple of years time we may reap the awards with acedemy players and possibly a marquee signing once we get the Covid loan out of the way as unfortunately we haven’t multi millionaires on the board or a billionaire owner who is prepared to buy any player

We shouldn't be "catching up" with anyones academy given we're one of the biggest hotbed of rugby league in the uk



Just the players that have come through last 10 years haven't been that good