I just want to see the retained list for next season

No wonder Lilley is slow - does he train full-time?

Stevie Ward showed less is more - tried too hard and had an absolute shocker - at least three tries were down to his defensive lapses. He shouldn't feel like he has to do the work of two players.

We looked a lot better with Golding at hooker than Dwyer who is a pretty poor player.

The end of 2015 was the right and perfect time, he decided not to move on. He will sadly have to be pushed it seems. Its hard to be too critical with the amount of injuries but with so many out of contract players and old players ready to retire it certainly seems a good time for a new broom to over see a changing of the guard and bring some fresh ideas to the table.

great post biff

Cheers tad, i want to make it clear im not a McDermott hater, i really admire the guy and his record stands up against anyone but 8 seasons is a huge amount of time at one club in this era, i don't want to see his tenure end like Smiths did at warrington with almost relegation after nearly a decade at the helm. He has nothing left to prove or achieve with us, just let someone else have a go.

I agree. it needs freshening up. I think it's stale

Great post

Think we all agree Biff but think we all know its not going to happen.

Some really good points - I think the club will struggle on until the stands are finished - as long as they don't fall out of SL I can't see the club changing anything. The back row will be retained i.e. Delanney/JJB/Ferres/Ablett - no way the club is going to let all 4 go at the same time. If Moon is off then I don't see him being replaced externally. I see another year of the same i.e. same coach same squad - the club will use injuries as a justification for not needing further strengthening.

Time for mcdermott to move on for me, we look a complete shambles.I Dont expect to win every game or every trophy, but i expect us to at least look like a professional rugby team, that train together regularly, even accounting for the injurys, we look a complete shambles, with not one hint that any thought has gone into a gameplan.

McDermott's biggest asset is his ability to get a side up for a big game. We are a side that plays with little structure and have had a mainly 'off the cuff' style under him. Its no surprise we look all lost at sea without big names in, as we always have under Mac. I still wouldn't write us off as a chance in the CC if we get a few back by the semis should we see off Leigh but regards SL it looks a lost cause at the minute.

That's all well & good when your team has the likes of Sinfield Mcguire Peacock Burrow along with good quality around em.
Now its a Team that needs some sort of structure more quality & less past it/never will bees.
Ive said it before but i think we need a post Lance type Cull.
Back the better younger lads build aroubd good pros & sign some genuine quality.
Oh & just to be clear YES id take 12/24mths without being major contenders as long as we see a clear plan/direction like we did back then.

must watch Mac's Presser again .Did he say give me 75% of my full squad and we'll get to the Challenge cup final and give us a sniff I think we will win it ? looks like he's trying his Cas 66-10 post game statement again at least he's not mention the SL GF

You make two main points there that contradict one another. First, McDermott gets side up for big game, then look lost without big names. That’s the point, which is most important? Personally, and I have never seen anything different, the big names are more important than the title of coach. He’s been an incredibly lucky guy to have the job he has had with the players he’s had. He can’t coach simple as, nothing more than a figurehead.

Last night showed what all can see. Look at Hull with an equal injury list, and they are not alone over last few years. You don’t expect to win a game, you know that you are likely to tire, but what you expect, and what other coaches seem to manage, is to get your side to fight with pride and desire to at least start the game with some momentum. He couldn’t even manage that.

He is so lost without his bigger players, that he puts careers at risk playing them injured. That is not good, not good at all.

Look around the league though, every single team has players missing, they get on with it. Hull KR just beat an inform Wigan with a big injury list. Even Saints went to Cas on Thursday without the best winger and best prop in the country, and still destroyed that team.

I feel sorry for the guy, that he will be the guy for all to blame when it comes, when he has had the worship of plenty, but others who are actually poorly managing the situation above him, will escape the criticism.

On the plus side of the match, I thought Golding and Oledzki were absolutely terrific out there. They put in the required effort, desire, and quality needed. On the Golding thing, that is something we should be crediting McDermott on. Who would have really thought he could be an adequate hooker? It isn’t the running that is standing out it’s his defensive effort. Would rather go with him than Dwyer currently. Oledzki is making a mockery of the pishing and whining of missing props. He offers far more than Mullalley and Singleton, but would be out of the side with those two back.

bluey couldn't coach either. but he recognized that and he was sensible enough to let Cummins and poching do all the training ground stuff.
McDermott won't let anybody else near.
was he lucky? yes he was but let's give him some credit.he obviously contributed a lot.
but now? he has to go.

Didn't realise McDermott was playing today? Are you blaming him now for the injuries as well as the players errors on the field?

would you blame him for anything? or he is blameless and every one else at fault?

You say McD wont let anyone else near but at the open training session in Melbourne he stood 60 yards away talking to someone while Eaton and Chev took the session.

Thats the problem for me, he needs a team full of stars, or full of players more talented than there opposition to be successful, and when the players arnt at there best, theres nothing there in the way of coaching to fall back on, we dont just look bad, we look ugly, an unorganized mess, with players trying to pull a rabbits out of there backsides because they havnt got a clue what to do. I dont see that as an off the cuff style, i see it as poor coaching. Stevie ward said he was proud of the team last night, thats rubbish, teams with less talent than the one we put out last night have hammered this very poor and also very poorly coached catalan team, it suggests even the players feel they need a 1 to 17 clearly stronger man for man than there opponents to succeed. Castleford last week had as many and possibly more important players than us missing, but they played to there clear gameplan and beat us comfortably, while we throw the ball about, without a clue, like its a game of touch rugby, hoping for the best.

Whilst no one can argue with the trophies he's won, or that his important players seem to really like him, he's been fortunate to have a squad full of legends and some of the most inspirational leaders the british games seen throughout his spell here, who would probably not of needed much help getting up for the big games. The rugby we'v played under him has largely been dreadful imo, 2015 was good to watch, not just for the trophies but actually playing good rugby, but again, that squad was so much better than the opposition, dean lance would of had us playing decent stuff.

Just my opinion, and i know it wont be a popular one, but i think we'v won what we'v won despite of him, not because of him.

I see first and second in SL are St. Helens and Wigan....remember them last season, dreadful...loads of injuries and poor form, though Saints did pick up at the back end...a case of deja vu?!

Saints got a coach and a superstar

Hope so, the saints model, sack mcdermott, get a compotent coach and storm the league nxt year.

You do realise Saints brought in a new coach half way through last season? This completely turning them around. But for missed goal kicks in the semi they would have won the GF last season. Yet many on here were quick to write them off as rubbish and would be nowhere near the top six.

I am not so sure of that on bluey. He managed a few times winning matches we had written off due to playing near reserve sides. And his development of younger players was first class. Hell, he could even win league matches against Castleford