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OK I've refrained from posting on our troubles for far too long now.

At the end of last season we knew the ¾’s was an area where we were light, we brought in Talau, fair play a good signing in my eyes (and could still prove to be so), we could have done with another centre I believe but with Talau, Littler, Henry & Turner so fine my main worry was and as has been proven was on the wings.

We only had White and Wilshere left after we'd released Gardner and Ballard, now I'm not saying these lads were anywhere good enough for SL but we simply didn't replenish that department. (Ballard incidentally has scored 5 tries, 28 goals, 76 points in just 6 games for Oldham!) OK we brought in McGilvray from Saints, a young kid with no real experience to be a front line winger in SL, a very tough ask. It was a shame we lost both these wingers to injury so early but it was clear to everyone that it could happen and if it did we'd be up shat creek.

Whilst we're on Wilshere, he hasn't looked interested once this season and I don't give as sheite whats happened within the club just get on with it. I feel for Turner and Ratchford, as they've been dropped right in it and I would be pretty certain neither of them have had any real coaching in the position they find themselves playing at the moment. Stu Littler has been very poor I'm afraid, Talau, as of yet, hasn't got anywhere near his best (I know his missed the last couple)

Full back, as a professional Fitzy is virtually the epitome of one, but I'm afraid (and I know it won't go down well) but so far this season he's been very, very poor and in what is a massively important are these days (and I suppose it always has) when you look at Webb (Leeds), Duggen (Celtic), Hodgson (Hussd Brett that is) Wellens (well maybe

) etc etc and how important a weapon they are for their sides, I feel that Karl's injury a couple of seasons back has taken its toll on the lad, I hope he proves me very wrong as he’s a top lad but I can only go on what I’ve seen this season.

Half backs, well Richie Myler is doing what we all hoped, for me he hasn’t put a foot wrong this season (I hope that doesn't curse him), as for Smith, I hope this is just a settling in process for him but I'm getting increasingly frustrated and short of patience with him and, as has been mentioned a spell on the bench/reserves may be the order of the day. As for Stef Ratchford, again the kid has done everything asked of him in an alien position, time for him to get a start at stand off, his kicking game alone is a great weapon to have at our disposal, and again as people have said, this is what franchising was about promoting young British lads, so give him a chance. Oh and a word on Robbie Paul, in fact no I won't.....



Now for our pack, the great hope for this season. Well whilst not really being dominated, we haven't dominated anyone either. I think we've been fairly solid but with little impact going forward, which looking at the size of our guy’s surprise me a little. Big Phil is one a handful of players who can hold his head high so far he's run his blood to water at times trying to get us moving, Stapo has been his solid self in both attack and defence. Cashmere well I've been a little disappointed with him, he's made plenty of yards going forward but his defence has looked very shaky at times. I don't feel we're really giving him a chance, when we keep dragging him on and off, just 'cos that's what props do, play 15 minutes and then come off doesn't actually apply to all props, Peacock and Fielden for example. Give him more time on the park. Swain, whilst not being spectacular hasn't let anyone down, he's a decent solid forward and if the rest of the pack could dominate the opposition then I feel we’d see a gem of a player. Alker has been tremendous I must say, Rob Parker has worked tirelessly and for anyone who thought he was going to be a game break or some wonder player then you clearly haven't watched this lad play before he joined us, yes he's no Steve Menzies but he puts it all in. Adamson, Sidlow and Thornley (in his one game) have shown glimpses and Jewitt needs game time to get upto speed but Nash has been a huge let down, yes he trys hard but he’s not big enough or good enough for this level for me.

So in summarising, certain players don't give a damn about each other, which is pathetic, we don't always like who we work for or who we work with but in the real word you either put up or shut up, if I didn't like someone at work and decide that I wasn't going to put it in then I'd be sacked for breach so does the same not apply to sportsmen who don't apply themselves correctly for what they are paid to do?

And the big one for me, it's all about coaching and coaching staff at first team level. We appear to lack motivation, inspiration and any general direction either technically or otherwise and of course playing people out of position doesn't help!

Anyway that's enough from me for now, but I'd be damn sure you're going to read more soon ....

Cracking post you always seem to talk sense, until you hit your 5th pint of the black stuff

Well said Paul, put on paper what lots are trying to do & think.

Ballard made that mistake against Wakey last year and that was it for him.
Ratchford makes a couple of mistakes again of he goes into the reserves, Turner the same, Sidlow,Adamson need I go on.
We have a very capable winger in Thornley who again has been dropped after one game (dont know what he did wrong)
Our coach has his favourites and keeps on selecting them no matter how badly they are playing.
This has now been going on for over two years and enough is enough.
Put players in their correct positions, drop those who are underperforming and lets get a bit of heart and passion back in this club of ours.
Any more performances like against Wigan and we may as well pack up and go back into the NL because at present that is where we deserve to be.

As for Stef Ratchford, again the kid has done everything asked of him in an alien position, time for him to get a start at stand off, his kicking game alone is a great weapon to have at our disposal, and again as people have said, this is what franchising was about promoting young British lads, so give him a chance. Oh and a word on Robbie Paul, in fact no I won't.....



great quote from a great fair and imo honest post!I will travel to Hull KR but walk straight back out the ground into the nearest pub if ratch is not played at 6 with myler!Nuff said

Funny I have put something along the same lines on another post!

Ballard is playing 2nd Div RL (or 3rd) He wouldn't hack it at SL.

I can't stand the excuses anymore, hearing the coach on the radio each weekend makes my blood boil.

A little honesty from players and staff please.

Still should off been given a shot at SL, there was only way to see if he was good enough, and he couldn't have done a worse job than the current batch of players, but thats just my opinion

Sounds all too familiar does that, although in fairness he's a confidence player and will continue to look disinterested until he gets a bit of good fortune his way on the field (and as long as opposition teams don't target him in defence).

My thoughts exactly kots.

cracking post K.O.T.S.

bet you have a sore finger typing that out though?

Ballard wasn't good enough for NL1 last year,never mind Super League. Main problem this season is the 3/4s where we have the 4 probable starters out injured.For a club like us this is a massive handicap.Don't agree with all the Smith knockers on here as he has had his good moments and laid on most of our tries.If Smith has experience of playing centre then I would try him there and play Ratchford at stand-off as it's not fair on the lad to play him out of position on the wing outside another inexperienced youngster in Turner.

I thought this myself. Seemed strange in the last few weeks he hasnt tried to mix one experienced lad with one youngster to give the team a little more balance. I know it's not Stef or Jordans fault but they're getting targetted and some of the tries that have been scored down their wing have been soft to say the least.

Great Post KOTS straight from the heart that one.
Bet you feel better now dont you now thats off your chest?

As with most of the players it is the defensive display that lacks. Smith is like a small dog, 3 or 4th in and doesn't make many tackles.

agree 100% KOTS. On paper were a solid if unspectacular team but its not being reflected in the games so far this season (bar Celtic). I'm not expecting us to go out and beat teams week in out but being competative is the bare minimum i expect which we simply havn't been.

I'm not usually one to knock the coach and its true that you don't become a bad coach over night but there seems to basic coaching issue at the club because we can all see the problem yet absolutley nothing seems to be done about it or the players arent responding to what their being told to do.These players have played RL there entire lives and you don't suddenly forget how tackle or move up in a line beacause your playing against better opposition. Their were signs last season in NL1 that our team lacked cohesion- especially away from home.

I'm just hoping the players can show us some improvement on Sunday- I'm not expecting anything out of the game but they've got to show us some signs of improvement and better commitment than they've dished up this season.

I think King of the Shed's post is excellent. It is thoughtful, reflective and reasoned. I think that he has been a little bit kind to some of our forwards though and I hope that they - along with the rest of the squad - can stand up and be counted.

No McRae has been a bad coach for a lot longer, he was a bad coach when he came here and I stated that then, he had been away from rugby after his disaster of an attempt in the NRL, bottom two years on the trot but for some reason Sky paid him as a pundit. He was alright at Hull and Saints with Internations who needed little or no coaching but with average players he has been found out at least by the Fans and other clubs if not the Board.

He's the Henry Akinwande of Rugby League Coaches.....he talks a good fight on SKY, but when push comes to shove, his coaching style is as ground-breaking as McFly!

Although I agree with what is being said aren't you sick of saying the same thing year in year out?

Every other small club in SL (bar Celtic) has managed to show some improvement over the past five years, except us.

The one shining light on the horizon was the stadium which was to rectify the situation, and that has been pulled from under us.

Salford are going nowhere, fast.

Great Post KOTS, there's not alot I could dispute, a pretty fair assessment of the team. though I 've noticed that you refrain from commenting on Coaching , Tactics and Team selection. Still choosing your words ? If so I'll look forward to that post.

As for the coaching, tactics & team selection, is it just McRea, what input does Scott Naylor have in the above, he was there when our downfall started under Karl Harrison, he appears to call the shots as regards interchanges in the game & for the life of me interchanging 4 players at a time , surely disrupts the pattern of play in the team. Malc has always played full 80 mins but he gets subbed to let robbie on, but why not move him rather than sub him, he is our best defender. Cashmere asking to play longer, as he always played 80 mins in NRL, some players just getting into the game after 15mins, have heard Leuluei say the same, he is just getting into the game & he is subbed. Im not saying all our forwards need to stay on for the full 80, some do need a break, but others dont. Just a few things to mull over

So it appears that McRae actually does nowt, Simms buys the players and Naylor does the coaching,





Naylor wasn't at Sydney souths

Great post, pity at board level we don't see the same!

Naylor's on the touchline, however I'd be surprised if he was deciding on interchanges without prompts from the shaun in the Gantry.
Lack of confidence or lack of coaching? we always look flat on attack , look at our opponents backline, running from deep, being able to miss out a man, ours flat slow and predictable, been that way for years. Are they coached that way or is it beyond them ? Ratchford has a mean up and under , used it with our kick off, why not during the game? Myler read Smiths grubber for our 1st try so presume this was a training ground move so where are all the forward moves ? Stapleton, Lueluai at least should be linking on a run from dummy half or a short pass on the tryline , Alker used that in the past that with Coley even Haggerty, If you look at the stats we have alot of offloaded ball but nobody knows what to do with it once off loaded, no 2nd phase usually head down straight back into the melee. Confidence or coaching ? Alkers stabbed 40/20 attempts are new but our long kicking game is weak, we rarely turn the defence and put pressure on their 20 yard line. it's usually left to the kicker and a couple of other ' bothered ' to chase the kick receiver, gone are the times when we used to run up as a line . surely now at this time of the season its about moves not fitness?

I watched Swinton in the Sixties and they had moves from everywhere on the park. Cliff Evans was the coach and he of course moved to Salford later. He was a quiet genius and his planning was meticulate.

Swinton had a hardworking but only average pack and the extremely slow Albert Blan pushed them around the park with some craft. There were dummy runners, pi$$ offs, run arounds, face balls, dummy scissors etc etc all the time BUT the players (part time) knew what was coming and how to manoevre.

These lads do nothing at work except play Rugby League. It is surely not beyond the bounds of credibility to expect a totally different style of play from what we are seeing. I agree with Steve on the other thread. Isnt it getting VERY tedious and boring. We need a change in style of play PLEASE.