Cheers.

Having watched Warrington home and away for 30 years now, I have been where Salford fans are, pulling my hair out, wondering why we get smashed every week, and thinking why do Wigan, Saints, Widnes (back then), Leeds and Bradford have to win everything.

It happens to lots of clubs - and Salford are at the start of their journey - it can only get better - maybe not next week, or next month, or possibly next year, but it will. You can even look at Saints - who would of thought 5 years ago, they would be going through what they are now, not winning a thing. But they have a new stadium and have to evolve to. Bradford - best Super League team by miles 9 or 10 years ago - they are starting over again now.

Hopefully, in 2 or 3 years, there will be 9 or 10 teams competing week in week out, then there won't be so many meaningless matches, where teams rest 6 or 7 players, not that worried if they lose, because they know the same 4 or 5 will get the top places, and the serious games start in September.

This is true - but pretty much every team in Super League is down - I know we are, by 1 or 2K as an average. That is more a sign of the times than anything.

But, my point was, Salford can't hope to become a top team with 2K home attendances most weeks. You need to get that up to 7 or 8K, and you need to think about ways of doing that. And, we weren't a top team when we moved to the new stadium, we were still finishing an average of 8th, but we really sold the concept of the new stadium, a new era, and despite not winning anything for 5 years, we went from 6K average to 11K.

I just don't think massively discounted season tickets are the way forward. Fans get used to paying a cheap price and abandon ship very quickly when suddenly faced with a huge increase in season ticket prices. It doesn't work long term at increasing the paying supporter base.

Huddersfield sold some adult season tickets last season for £50 and others at around £100 but I doubt many of those new punters who took up those offers last season were willing to pay £200 this season. Same at Bradford... they sold £60 season tickets and their average is now down from around 14K a couple of seasons ago to 9k this season. It remains to be seen what happens at Wakefield when they start charging higher prices for season tickets again. They are another club who have increased home attendances by 2k to 3k per game on the back of selling £125 adult season tickets, £50 for 16 to 21 year old's and £25 for juniors. They'll be back down to averaging around 5k IMO once the massively discounted season ticket offers are removed.

Surely having double the people in the ground paying a reduced fee from this year would create a better atmosphere, greater additional sales and make the club & match pay a more promotable commodity.

Think if the Doc got his way to get a stake in the stadium things like match day sales would become as important as ticket prices.

No. The problem is that,if free tickets are on the cards,people who would normally pay will naturally look to watch the game for nowt.
Free tickets are not the way forward,a winning team is but that could be a while coming !

All but one of those (please whichever idol you worship not Morley) would do nicely, Plum is a beast in the tackle, Sau is the type of centre I'd love to to see inside Williams/Broughton, Clarke is the future England/GB hooker, Steph as he is just class in so many different ways and I think personally we miss Sidlow as much as any of the players we lost at the end of last season.

With the Plum, Sau & Clarke bit I'd love to know if they are some of the names to be released come 09.08 - non would disappoint me.

No one expected us to compete with Wire this season. However, a game against Wakefield is one we should be competing in, if not winning.

Disgraceful performance last night. Can't blame Noble or Koukash - blame the spineless f*ckers on the pitch who couldn't be bothered. So much for professionalism and any sort of pride in the shirt. That has nothing to do with unrealistic expectations, I can handle us not being good enough, I can't handle us not bloody trying, though.

i said morley so your team would have some experience and he would bring a high level of professionalism with him, he can also still do a bit of a run out so i would still use him. But i am glad you agree with the majority, personally i think these players are very realistic and should be the names your owner keeps dropping to the media;

Plum: off contract
Sau: cant get a game in the NRL (you would have to check to see if he had any convictions)
clarke: is still looking for a way out of cas and you lot could probably pay the most.
Ratchy: well i don't know if the rumours are true that he would be happy to go back to salford or not but i do know he had more loyalties to salford than anybody else.
Sidlow: still lives in wigan and i cant imagine he enjoys driving all that way.

IF you managed to add these 5 or similar i think you would a certain for the top 8.

This

Last night was a case of watching a poor quality team play badly. It was dire. I recorded the game but am not sure that I can bring myself to watch any of it again. There was a definite lack of passion from the team last night. The longer the game went on the more confident Wakefield became and the more depressing it became to watch. It's a good job the published attendance figure is not the number of spectators left when the hooter went.

I don't think the Fans' Bar has ever been so empty after a game either.

I have seen some poor performances over many years and last night has got to be there with the worst of them.

I know we lack quality and have lacked it all season, but when Alan Hunte was in charge I felt we tried to play a more expansive game that featured youngsters and was more worth watching. Brian Noble appears to have put his faith in Ryan McGoldrick and for the life of me I cannot see what he brings to the team. I also think we discovered that Lee Gaskell is not a full back.

It will be very interesting to see the team sheet for the St Helens game.

there is an element of truth in this no matter how daft it sounds
Apparantly things said in the recent fans meeting found there way back to the dressing room it did not spark a ' positive ' response in last nights performance.

I see absolutely no point in putting players on the pitch who are not going to be part of next season's squad , Best make those decisions now & put in some of the U20's lads .
If we're going to get beat , alt least do it with lads who want to prove something other than how hard done to they are .

Going off another thread on this forum re. squad profile, the only permanent players on the field last night with their contracts ending in 2013 were Broughton, Gibson, Godwin and Wild. If the rest aren't up to it, the Dr is going to be spending a heck of a lot buying any other's out...

Yes,that was my point,particularly applying to the beaten pack,some of whom are not only contracted for next season but are also recent signings presumably endorsed by the coach

According to Last Nights Match Program the Staring Line -up Noble was going with was:-

FB- 22 Marc Sneyd
RW- 2 Jodie Broughton
RC - 3 Ashley Gibson
LC - 4 Martin Gleeson
LW - 5 Danny Williams
SO - 6 Lee Gaskell
SH - 21 Theo Fages
PF - 37 Darrell Griffin
HK - 14 Wayne Godwin
PF - 36 Jacob Emmitt
SR - 20 Adam Neal
SR - 12 Andrew Dixon
LF - 13 Stephen Wild

Bench
Adam Walne , Shannan McPherson - Liam Foran Vic Muaro or Jordan James

So Ashurst & McGoldrick Dropped , Gaskell At Stand Off with Fages , Sneyd still at Full Back , Adam Neal In the Starting 13 , McPherson on the Bench.
How did we end up with McGoldrick back in and 4 other postion changes ?

pack was very poor last night and McGoldrick needs to be sent packing ASAP.

Nobby couldnt make a competitive team from this squad, neither could David Blaine.

He needs about 3 seasons to bring in his people, the players he wants and then an off season to gel and compete.

Mean time the Dr needs to whip up a bit of marketing and up the crowds.

I'd be worried if I were a Salford fan, 3 seasons is too long for the Dr to wait.

He said he was in it for the long haul, yet shook his head while saying it - 'nuff said.

Couldn't put it better.



I'd leave that until next year now, or it'll do more damage than good. No point bringing people in, until we have a squad that will compete, last night was embarrassing .

you can forget about this season (without having a dig at the RFL)
See what 2014 brings.

Worry not, remember this season is now a celebration of your existence.
I'm sure it will all come good in the wash.

A little thing that disappointed me on Monday apart from everything else was every time Wakefield went over the players didn't even try and make them ground the ball further away from the sticks to make kicks harder, they just gave up & let them run right under the sticks! I know it's only a small point but for me it just summed up the attitude & lack of fight.

I said the same thing last week at Warrington. Riley went over in the corner and he ran round under the sticks without a hand being put on him. Yes, we were well beaten already, but as you say little things like that signal a lack of fight, effort or enthusiasm

It was visually evident from the player’s body language that they didn’t give a stuff. I sympathised with these blokes over the winter but I don’t give a monkeys what happens to them now.

Credit to Wakefield on a solid display but our lot showed no character, creativity or fight. Monday's show was a two fingered gesture to the club and us 2000 mugs that paid to witness it. What peaves me is the difference they showed at magic weekend.

You can accept lack of quality but you cant accept lack of effort and attitude.

I can imagine Morley going to his home town club to finish a long career. Ratchford has a contract at Wire ( which means a chunky transfer fee even if he did want to leave ) is already in a top team and was not born in Salford, so hard to imagine him leaving.

Which Salford players would you want to keep then? Morley is a dead cert to be back there next year. However he won't get a place in the England team when he joins, i shouldn't be in there now but because he plays for Wire he's in there by default!

I knew it would be somebody's fault

Again,

for those who mix up their hopes with reality:
Ratchford's agent has clearly stated that Ratchford is staying at Warrington.
Sidlow is in a team that is improving so will work on developing his chances there.
Cas fans feel Clark will be staying with them.

I'd like any or all of these but my wanting to be proved wrong does not mean I think any of the above will be in our shirt next season.