Richard Marshall did try to solve the hb problem . Bringing in Ben White and QLT.
Why change a side that got us into top 4 ? Richard Marshall was a great coach and got best out of average players. He was a victim of his own success. Gone on to be assistant at Saints.
From what i have seen gone backwards since Grix took charge. Results dont lie.

Ha yes Ben White I had forgotten about him.
I wonder why?
Dewsbury away Challenge cup was his best contribution and did he end up as another squad member at Barrow, there is a reason for that.

QLT was not a 7 and RM never intended to leave Muzza out so that left the number 1 shirt which was vacated by Sharp when RM told him he was being moved onto the wing to make way for Q.

You make small but important changes to known weaknesses in any side to stay at the top otherwise you won’t and we haven’t.

RM’s record of successive back to back top 4 finishes with a part time team against some goods sides was a remarkable achievement.

He came unstuck this year for a number of reasons and he was not at fault for them all.
Ultimately he is responsible and accountable for them all though as is any coach.

Not easy at all about SG and 3 years was a huge risk or even blunder but he’s here now and until he has his own side playing his own brand of rugby he deserves a chance.
Should get an idea early to mid way in next seasons games.

PS: If he can get us at least 6 points clear of Leigh he’ll do for me.

Love yer last sentence.

As faxcar says, Ben White and QLT to solve the half back problem says it all. Compare them to players like Sammut and Atkins who he had the chance to sign over the past 3 years or so and it does not paint a pretty picture. Ive said it before that one of Marshall's downfalls was his blind faith in some players and a lack of a ruthless streak in that regard.

Coupled with allowing the players to start a new season unfit and saying we're on an extended pre-season......
The bare minimum i expect from Grix come Feb is that all the squad is fit and raring.

Agreed, the extended pre-season is absolute bollox, poor coaching and nothing else. Marshall did a great job getting the finishes he did but as has been said repeatedly he did not address the pivot problem.
Hopefully SG will start the season on the B of bang, why on earth would you even start to think that not being ready for the start of the season is acceptable.

Exactly Norm and BJ.
There we are looking forward to a new season and apart from everything else I just could not get my head round the poor fitness levels and the coach saying we won’t be up to scratch until the spring and as a player I will never be able to understand how why you would turn up like that.

I have been told from within that RM was too lenient and that SG tells it how it is but obviously it hasn’t worked yet.

Marshall should have been sacked within hours of his 'our pre season dosen't end until four games in quote'. That was unbelievable and, I would suggest, unexplainable.

Faxcar, maybe players being told as it is, some don t like and have acted like little boys sulking . If that is the case not sure why said players not dropped and reserves played , results could not have been much worse.

I honestly don't know how all the players have reacted but the one I referred to preferred to be told as it is.

I got the sense that it wasn't just a bollocking type of thing but more "look your professional sportsman representing your club and these are the areas of your game that aren't good enough, these are the reasons why and this is what you need to do about it, I'll help but if you can't or won't then......."

I don't get the mentality of players at times. Hirst had other chances to go elsewhere, come to us to "prove himself" once again and has done a real good job probably earning himself a contract for next season. Ben Reynolds turns us down and goes to Leigh where his prospects of getting in the first team didn't look good to start with and now looking like he might do well to play another game this season.

It seemed madness that Leigh wanted him in the first place and then went and signed Kevin Brown, who the Leigh fans think should play centre



along with another of their half backs on the wing



. A 5th place finish will give Degsy a taste for it though and there should be a load of high profile signings for next season. Not a chance of history repeating itself though......

GFB how does 'Degsy' and Leigh get away with all these high profile signings, must be breaking the salary cap, or does he 'employ' them on the books within his business and they get appearance money for playing?

Jodie Broughton mentioned again in this weeks press coming to Fax with Will Sharpe linked with York this time.

Announced in Courier on line, we have signed Tom Gilmour from Widnes.

Welcome to Fax Tom.

are we likely to sign another HB or will we go with someone like JWH?

You definitely need another H/B.
Gilmore played 56 games in 8 seasons at Widnes is made of biscuits and not very good.

Just to put in to some perspective the Widnes fans also don't think Shane Grady or Ste Tyrer are very good. I get the feeling they are still rating players as if they are a SL side.

I think Grady would be a good addition but believe me you won't get anything out of Gilmore he's very overrated.

Well just look on the Widnes forum to see about Tom Gilmore and is a very poor player. Shane Grady actually played okay in a Widnes shirt, but Gilmore was always injured and most games that he did play was shocking. I wish him well though in his new venture and probably what the lad needs. I definitely would not want Grady though as a player as we should go for better.

Just hoping the guy does well in blue n white or purple!. must have something about him by being included in the England set up, but does read as though he is a tad fragile,
Welcome Tom Gilmore and prove the doubters wrong.

very uninspiring signing-sounds like he was getting released anyway.Why can't we get someone upcoming like Fairclough at Swinton who mugged us off all over the park other week.

I think the second point is a fair one (some of the players on the "wish list" thread on their forum are quite amusing), but to be fair they have been critical of Gilmore almost to a man on their forum all year.

Connor Robinson never was outstanding at Halifax but tearing it up at York now.

Tom Gilmore might be just stale at widnes and ready for a new challenge.

Before writing him off before he has even pulled on a blue and white shirt is a bit unfair.

That the one that is supposedly 'realistic' and where the OP starts of by including Chisholm from [iBradford[/i?