I did a "back of the fag packet" count up just before kick off. I reckon there was no more than 1700 souls to witness that shower.

Great coaching appointment this is turning out to be, who would’ve thought it?

Agree there was no where near 2700 there.

I dont think there is a word in the english language that can describle that performance.

16 senior players shown up by a 17 year old on debut. We looked nothing like a team today.

We are terrible. Utterly terrible. 3 wins at home all season. Speaks volumes.

After the absolute shower that was served up in Newcastle most of us expected a response. What we got was another poor performance.

We were clueless in attack. Slow, out of shape and overweight. Players going through the motions and far too many passengers. Lilley and Patton offered nothing today. Jowitt (if fit) or Lawford should be given a chance next week. The board and coaches must see that the playoffs are a fantasy now and we must start planning for next year.

We were dominated by an improving London team and never once looked like winning the game. There was a 5 min spell when GFJr scored where I thought we would take control of the game but we didn't and faded out of the game.

What a terrible season we are having.

Well my halloumi and courgette skewers with a chilli and mint marinade went down a treat washed down with copious amounts of Sol. Fabulous afternoon and everyone left happy.

Sounds like the fare at Odsal was more raw pork with a side of dog .

I've now just about had enough of throwing 20 quid away every few weeks. The new coaching regime really got their message across to the players this week.
The half back pair are really not working together, the forwards are ineffectual, our try line plays - both attack and defence - are woeful, and ( this is my own hangup, I admit ) there's nobody on the field who I can call my "favourite player". By that, I mean like Minchella, James Lowes, Mick Withers, Leon, and numerous others who I've had regard for over the years. This lot are just not up to wearing the shirt any more.
Alcohol induced rant over....

If we’re pinning hopes on Flanagan Jr then the club has well and truly gone to pot. I feel for the kid. Did his best behind a beaten pack. Literally the only negative is the kick he didn’t go for early doors (I give him a pass being young and nervous).

I’m so glad Dunning got the appointment. Fantastic effort mate. 2 games, 2 losses, against arguably the worst in the leagus.

My highlight was Leon kicking the ball around the pitch after the game. Felt he put more effort in to that than players on field(GF JR apart)

We may as well put a fork in us we are done. It's time to turn the lights out at Odsal once and for all.

I feel sorry for Dunning he seems to be a decent bloke but not the skill set for a professional team. Seems we haven't learnt the lesson of appointing assistants who aren't good enough McMamara, St Hilaire and Cummings.

I do. I’ve nothing personal against the guy. But he’s not the right man. Pumped by Newcastle, outplayed by London. And I’m getting tired of people saying “He’s qualified he’s got X,Y and Z coaching badges etc”. Or “He’s got the respect of the players etc”. He has no experience coaching a first team, at this level or League 1.

I’d love to see the candidate list and see if we had anyone decent applying or whether the club were always going to give it Dunning.

Am I reading too much into some of the comments from the CEO in the T&A? He mentions respecting confidentiality with other coaches and building trust with them as we might need them in a year or two? So have we taken Dunning on as a cheap punt, happy to coast along until we know what the restructure will be for 2024? Coincidence that his deal also runs to this expected restructuring?

Perhaps the squad have also picked up on the lack of ambition or willingness to be competitive. Good luck to anyone willing to watch that for this year and the next, its not for me that's for certain.

Hard to sum up really. We made London look good and we looked like Kear had returned. Fat slow, listless, looking like we dragged 13 men off the street who'd never played together, Patton back to the lollipop kicks into the in-goal handing out 7 tackle sets every verse end....

With 20 to go I was bored rigid

Seems the players are as underwhelmed with Dunning appointment as we were

I am not sure it's Dunning. We were doing ok before his appointment full-time.

But when they announced it they also announced another voice in the changing rooms. One that loves a one up dull fest bashathon. I know there are Nobby worshippers on here but the nose dive started again once he was announced.

Maybe let Dunning do what he wants without big brother on his shoulder because that dross last night was not the way he had them playing. That was straight out of the 90's RL handbook.

I think you’re barking up the wrong tree to be honest.

But if the head coach doesn’t have the strength of character to put his own stamp on the team and allow a consultant to make the calls then again it reflects poorly on his appointment.

My view is just that the “new coach bounce” has finished and we’re back to the same issues - poor squad and a coach who doesn’t have the ability to make them any better.

I went yesterday and it's clear that the fundamental issues that have dragged this team down are still there.

There is no professionalism. No discipline. They carry on like a pub team. There's no leadership and no enthusiasm. They go through the motions but at slow motion.

We needed a new coach from outside the organisation to shake things up as everyone is in a comfort zone. The problem is nobody seems to be very comfortable. The body language is awful. The team is soft all over the field and has no resilience at all.

I've seen some poor sides over the past 40 odd years but this is without doubt the absolute worst. The club is sleep walking into oblivion.

Absolute must for survival is for the Wood to get it right on the pitch first and foremost imo. It's been said so many times before but any decisions made now are key to our survival.Tong was reputed to be a catalyst for fitness programming and the players all hailed the facilities as among the best.A feasible plan with appropriate backing is becoming imperative and a major overall of direction imperative.Sadly the Wood appears not to have the funds which any business person would know is paramount in stopping the rot.After all the turmoil of the past few years this is not progress this is abject regress. Time to talk the talk and walk the walk for NW. We need investment.

It’s so frustrating because for me, that’s one of the better sides we have put out. Only thing I’d have changed is to keep Wallace at SR and obviously Scott (when fit). Yet we throw up that pile of rubbish.

As people have mentioned before, we need to get it right on field otherwise fans will stop coming which means less money coming into the club.

For me Flanagan Jr starts every game for the rest of the season (bar Fev maybe). And tbh I’d have a look at Jowitt/Lawford alongside Patton as I think Lilley has gone backwards this season. Maybe give Ho a few games from the bench.

I think this nails it. While I don't think there was a lack of effort as such, there was no desire or desperation to win that game apart from Flanagan Jr. As you say the lack of leadership is a major concern. I think Hallas performance probably summed it up. He tried hard but he bombed a certain try early on in first half and then in the second when we were chasing the game, we did a crash ball on the powerplay!! It's just individuals making it up. Infuriating. If Dunning is giving them a game plan, no one on the field is making sure we follow it. Twice in the same set Patton and Lilley were attacking the line but as not a single person was running a line or back on the inside, both had to stop and come back.

As you said we just went through the motions and at no point did I or anyone around me feel we were going to win that game.

Agree with the above. I said at the game as always we were so flat and easy to read. Often the only man moving in the line was the man who got the ball. You aren’t going to break a line that way and we didn’t.

Add to that soft defence allowing london to score under the posts on a few occasions tells you all you need to know.

Whether it’s Dunning or the players or both we need real change and sharpish because regardless of whether we can get another win or two, there will be no one there to see it which doesn’t end well for a team with no backer

Maybe so but there's no team spirit, there playing for themselves not each other and something is really wrong. They looked like a team when congratulating GFJr when he scored but it was quickly back to every man for himself.

This link to MD's post match interview. He talks about some improvemnt from last week, team were positive in training, and he seemed to put the London win down to "a couple of plays that won them the game" I was standing watching a completely different game, cos second half I thought London ran all over us. It was a little like watching an interview from a different coach - can't think who though https://www.facebook.com/officialbulls/ ... 5604470750

This link to MD's post match interview. He talks about some improvemnt from last week, team were positive in training, and he seemed to put the London win down to "a couple of plays that won them the game" I was standing watching a completely different game, cos second half I thought London ran all over us. It was a little like watching an interview from a different coach - can't think who though https://www.facebook.com/officialbulls/ ... 5604470750

Quote ="bringbackjimmy"This link to MD's post match interview. He talks about some improvemnt from last week, team were positive in training, and he seemed to put the London win down to "a couple of plays that won them the game" I was standing watching a completely different game, cos second half I thought London ran all over us. It was a little like watching an interview from a different coach - can't think who though https://www.facebook.com/officialbulls/ ... 5604470750'" I'm not gonna start bashing Dunning yet, and I know coaches may say one thing to the media and another in the dressing room, but saying we had an improvement on last week is pretty pathetic. All we had to do was turn up and we would have been better than last week. We've been comfortably beaten at home by the team 1 place above the relegation on the back of being humiliated at Newcastle. If we're patting ourselves on the back for improvements no wonder we're in the state we're in. We should have been desperate to win that game yesterday.

Quote ="bringbackjimmy"This link to MD's post match interview. He talks about some improvemnt from last week, team were positive in training, and he seemed to put the London win down to "a couple of plays that won them the game" I was standing watching a completely different game, cos second half I thought London ran all over us. It was a little like watching an interview from a different coach - can't think who though https://www.facebook.com/officialbulls/ ... 5604470750'" I'm not gonna start bashing Dunning yet, and I know coaches may say one thing to the media and another in the dressing room, but saying we had an improvement on last week is pretty pathetic. All we had to do was turn up and we would have been better than last week. We've been comfortably beaten at home by the team 1 place above the relegation on the back of being humiliated at Newcastle. If we're patting ourselves on the back for improvements no wonder we're in the state we're in. We should have been desperate to win that game yesterday.