He took over from Bluey's dad in 1995/96 when the changeover to Superleague happened. We were a good team, yes, though a bit soft on defence. We won the challenge cup and championship (Grand Final) that year and then the challenge cup only the following year. Because we came I think it was third in the league the year after that, the board sacked him. But remember this is the same board who sacked Ellery Hanley after just one season and he also took us to a Grand Final and won. So don't interpret the sacking of McRae as a comment upon McRae! Our board was pretty dismal back then. Things picked up hugely when our chairman took over (saving us from administration in the process).

Like I say, I think it's primarily your team that is the problem. When McRae is able to get his hands on more cash, as he will be able to do come next season, I reckon then is the time to judge him.

However, I'm not the one supporting a struggling new SL side so what do I know? Sometimes kicking out the coach and bringing in someone new, for a new task in hand, can work. Not totally sure that would work for you - it is so easy to blame the coach - but who knows? Either way, I hope your team find a way through because I for one want some competitive Lancashire teams. We can't let the Yorkies dominate Superleague, dammit!

Saintsfan get your facts right before going to print Cas won 7 games last year scoring on average 22 points per game with 32 against, now compare this to Salford this year on average we have scored 15 and had 38 scored against us. Meanwhile the other newcomers Celtic have scored 14 per game and 27 against.
not the best comparision with only so few games played but it is the best for now and illustrates how bad our defence is, infact in our last three games we have scored on average 12 (each game) and had 42 scored against us so we are getting worse and the coach admits in interviews he doesn't have a clue what to do. Now that doesn't sound like a good coach to me it sounds like a water carrier out of his depth.

My humble apologies. I thought they had won 4 and drawn one. I'm not that bothered about my mistake, however, because the point remains equally valid.


Now you need to get yourself sorted out. You don't get away with quoting a whole season's Cas figures but only a quarter season's Salford figures! Not heard of a fair test? You're skewing the averages. You can only play the averages game at the end of this season.

Yes, your defence is poor and I think I referred to defence? I personally see defence as the divider between you and the Crusaders and indeed defence was Cas's problem last year also - in spite of your skewed averages - and they had some tonkings too. Oh yes they did! On that I know I am right. However, they also managed to beat both Leeds and Saints, which won them kudos at the time.

They were still bottom of the table throughout the WHOLE season, however. You haven't been bottom at any time during this season, so far. If the Crusaders win then yes, you will be unless you win too because Celtic have been better than you defensively.

So your team needs to put in the effort to defend. They are bound to have the structure there because for the first half today they quite clearly defended. But they don't seem to have either the effort or fitness to last the full 80 (neither do Celtic, it has to be said, but I think they may be closer to achieving it than you at the moment).

saintsfan i did mention it was not the best comparison but it is what we have as well as a bunch of players who for some reason do not want to play. But thank you for your concern about our club and the lack of Lancashire teams in the Superleague.

Yeah, it's the team. We haven't got Goulding, Martyn, Joynt, Newlove, Hunte, Prescott, Sullivan, Cunningham and Matautia (that I can recall off the top of my head) in their prime playing for us.

Perhaps we should ask what McRae has got against our club, did we beat him at saints that cost him his job there?
have our supporters in the past upset him for some reason and now it is pay back time?
As a visiting coach did he bang his head on the changing room roof?
It reminds me of Brian Clough at Leeds, took the job but couldn't stand the club, I think we need to be told.

Ok, I'll butt out. Just trying to lend my support and encourage you guys.

Can anyone tell me what does Sims do for the team?He seems to have been at Salford for ages and served under a couple of coaches.(Harrison and Mc Rae)

Nothing apart from go on holiday to australia

its amazing this always seems to be the view of the LOSING away support

Nothing apart from go on holiday to australia


NUFF SAID!!Best one sentance reply on here for ages




The guy is laughing all the way to the bank.
Would be interesting to do a poll to actualy see how many fans think the guy is needed/worthy of employment at the club!??

Whereas Salford resembles the Bahamas

A lot of emotion shown tonight. Rightly so for the few of us who made the trek to Caravan Park. Let me just make a couple of observations though at this stage :-


Steve Simms

Has nothing to do with coaching. Has nothing to do with selecting the team. Has nothing to do with selecting the players to be signed. He organises all the playing administration which is plentiful nowadays and has taken a lot of work off the Chairman so he can concentrate more on his business which happily makes more money than Salford and also provides less stress.

Shaun McRae

Coaches, selects the team, selects the players to be signed.

who do yo

u think told sir john to give mcrae the job then

so if simms has nothing to do with coaching/who we sign/team selection....why does he tail behind mcrae everywhere?
Perhaps he could give it up for a week and next week at gateshull we could do a raffle and the winner gets to be steve simms for the day!!go in the dressing rooms walk across the pitch holding mcraes hand,helping the fat old loaf up the steps into the stand and giving him a comentry on what is going on in the game as he is quite clearly blind to see what is going on in front of him!!!!
Quality idea hey???£5 a go all money raised goes towards paying mcrae off!!!




perhaps shirley could sought something out

I wasnt defending Steve Simms I was merely pointing out what his job entails. As Fatboys Limb points out its akin to Kenyon being sacked when Scolari was dismissed.

He is Football Director and therefore he should be seen to be with the coach. Sir Alan Sugar doesnt walk around with his employees he gets the other two to follow them and report back to Him. I can only presume SS reports back to JAW with info about what is going on as well. JAW cannot be everywhere.

Unless someone can come up with 2 years Contract Settlement to SMc I would guess that JAW doesnt have to worry about who to give the job to.

dont recall kenyon stepping in for a couple of games while chelsea get a new coach there for why does simms if he has nothing to do with it

Whatever Simms does or doesent do neither he nor McCrae drop balls, miss tackles, give away penalties or generally @rse around the pitch for eighty minutes trying to keep their shirts clean. Now i dont believe that McCrae can turn it around this year. For whatever reason the players dont seem to be a happy bunch with each other, and maybe he will not be around come the second season we play but the players not doing the basics is killing us. It has become obvious (to me anyway) that a combination of poor recruitment and some players from last year not being able to step up has along with having less money than most left us way behind where we would want to be. Poor old Myler must be really looking forward to taking the field every week just to try his nuts off for no reward. I have said elsewher on this board that i have written off the season as i cant see this group of players improving enough to become competative. We will get more thumpings and that will not attract fans will it. I have no idea of where we begin to put it right but i will still turn up at home games but spending the season as Super Leagues equivelant of the school spanner is not one i am looking forward to.

How much is it in your crap cold ground this year?

just £16 I believe but I have a season ticket so i wouldn't know, but it is a lot cheaper than the East coast

This club needs sorting out and it needs sorting now the whole set up is nothing short of shambolic on and off the field, they cant expect people to watch that for much longer.

Summats got to change or else Salford RLFC are as good as finished.

Sorry to dissappoint to help with the above, but you are all talking through your ar#es re Simms, he doesnt pick the team & only contacts the agents of the players he is asked to contact by his coach, aka, Mcrea.

At this moment what I agree with is that McRea does not appear to know what he is doing & has more or less admitted to that in his post match radio interview (which I have not heard) as people who had heard say he seems to be talking his way out of a job!!!!!
If the guy has never been in this position before coaching a club over here, he probably doesnt know what to do, so he should hold his hands up to the board & say so & go, If I was at work & knew I couldnt do the job I would be big enough to approach my employers & say so & to give the job to some one else.
Looking round at todays game plenty of usual die-hard fans who for years through thick & thin(iknow, mainly thin) have travelled to the away games no matter what, were conspicuous with their absence today, before long, those die hard fans , who dont buy into the season ticket will stop going to the home games, & as for new fans attending, they will be none existent, so incoming revenue will be massivly hit, can the club afford for that to happen? Maybe the club need to cut the losses now, keeping him may be false economy, use a plaster before a bandage is needed.
Nobody seems to be giving the team any encouragement during the game from the touchline , so is that the same at training, if so no wonder there is no motivation, Goulding eluded to that in his interview last week.
The interchanges, why, after having a break at half time for 10mins, within 5mins of the start of the second half, he subs Leuleui, it seems just because you can have 12 interchanges, they HAVE to use them.
Have to say, we need a complete change in both coaching depts, then see how the players play & then see which , if any , of the players are not performing, because they certainly cant for this coach

This ofcourse is only my opinion.

Like I said on the other thread - Paul Groves AKA raggy/kit kat is up for the job



Go on Wilko give him a call

Old Walrus Chops career has certainly had something of a decline in it.

Maybe he will just be kept on until the end of his contract and let a new coach build from there.