Yes in fairness it can't be underestimated how difficult it must be trying to bring in top players in their prime to Salford. I agree with the comment about us firing later in the season. Harris just needs time and support and we will improve significantly and have something to build on for 2015.

I wanted Salford to do well for the sake of having another good team, and at first quite liked kashcow, but after the crap he has spouted and his disrespect for the game I'm probably in the camp of most people wanting Salford to finish as low as possible, and I'm sure most teams lift their game for Salford because of his arrogance.
He seems obsessed with celebrity more than anything else.
Will be interesting to see how long he gives Harris.
I bet Harris isn't the coach next year.

It doesn't take a genius to see that our right wing is getting hammered by the opposition, week in week out. You can see Gleeson frantically flapping at the others to say "help us out!" but it's too late by the time they've noticed.

Thanks for such a balanced assessment. This is pretty much an entirely new squad, and it will take time to gel. For me, though, there are still two problems that no amount of gelling will fix: the lack of pace in the backs and the lack of a goal kicker. It seems Marwan's trip to New Zealand is an attempt to address at least one of these.

I think most Salford fans were expecting no more than a mid table finish this season. It was really only fans of other clubs who thought they knew what we were thinking better than we did, and decided that [iwe'd[/i decided we were Grand Final material. I don't think even Red League/Mike 87 went around saying that.

It's still too early to say whether Iestyn is the right man for the job, but I'm increasingly of the opinion that Nobby wasn't. If Iestyn tries to build a team fit for the modern game rather than trying to build a team in the image of the Bradford Bulls of the turn of the century, then we'll be on the right lines.

Never a truer word spoken.

You're right in your analysis about Salford fans, at least those on here.

The season is a bit of a stutter at the moment. Changing Coach at this stage wont help any stability that we had to start with, but that will iron itself out with familiarity and time. Will we finish the season stronger than now? I think we will. The Club needs a prolonged period of calmness at the moment. Pre-season was manic, with speculation and confirmation fueling a media frenzy. We have been under the spotlight from day one, then Noble going and all the goings on between Marwan and the RFL have kept us firmly in the public's eye. A period of a month or two without any sensationalism can only be good for the Club and staff, allowing Harris to concentrate on the changes and bedding them in.

Harris will ultimately need a pre-season and recruitment drive of his own to be fully judged on his ability. Hopefully he will get that opportunity.

At one point yesterday I turned to one of the lads I go to the game with and we both simultaneously said there is something wrong in the camp.

Obviously have no proof and can't for the life of me say exactly what it is but there does seem to be a moral issue and then to read later on that Harris knows there is still a losing culture in the squad is disturbing.

I normally avoid things of this nature as tend to think of them as bunkem but maybe a sports physiologist could be the answer.

For me at times yesterday they looked scared of being the one to make the mistake when they be all looking to be the one making the biggest difference. Eden started off showing all the balls in the world with his wonderful takes of the high balls he was targeted with but even he seemed to start to look jittery like the rest.

That is also in my eyes a fair shout as to why Smith is struggling so much, anyone with a mental illness of his nature needs positive affirmation rather than to be surrounded by work mates who look scared of their own shadow.

Also as everyone sees the main issue in the squad is it's pedestrian nature in the back line, there seems little chance of getting any fliers from other SL teams at this stage of the season as they know what we know and would I'd imagine prefer to keep us weak in such an important position. The Doc is obviously targeting the NRL to improve this situation but I have my doubts mid season anyone of great class can be sourced leaving the lower leagues or RU as options. Are there any reall speedsters in the lower leagues in the Caro mould who can be brought in? I think it increasingly likely that an outside back from RU might be on the radar as we're coming closer to the end of their season and it's possibly the position that a good RU player can make the transition too quickly.

One thing I thought was that we only seemed to throw the ball about in the last 5 of the first half, after Smith came on & the last 10 of the second half. Outside these periods we mostly played one up rugby and were getting nowhere. Could be the players were sticking to the plan and only deviated when it was obvious the plan wasn't working? God knows, there's major issues in the camp whatever they are.

Anybody clock a player and coach physically clashing yesterday? Could be nothing more than frustration but who knows?

I think when you’re building a team more or less from scratch you need to bring in some solid professionals who have good habits. I think that’s what Noble tried to do. Let’s face it there wasn’t much of a winning culture at Salford before he arrived either.

The danger is that when recruiting older players you can overdo it and get too many and this leaves the team lacking enthusiasm and hunger. Some might be just happy to settle for what they’ve already achieved.

As far as turning Salford into the Bulls under Noble I’d say if he could do that he’d have been onto a winner. Between 2001 and 2006 Noble presided over some great sides with a great blend of youth and experience.

I think Harris is going to need to breed a different mindset, probably based on what he learnt under Maguire and Wane. That requires a much more aggressive approach on the field with the side being very fit and well drilled. Have Salford got the players to deliver that? Not overnight. Depends if the Dr has the patience with Iestyn.

I couldn't make the game yesterday so I listened on the BBC
More or less from the start Woods and Crabtree said we looked tired and flat

It is academic now,of course,but what exactly,in terms of youth and experience and club structure,did the previous coaching input of Brian Smith,the assistance of Mick Potter,and lastly Matt Elliott leave for Brian Noble?
Paul Anderson hinted that the sacking of Phil Veivers may have been hasty but none of the former players now coaching have made public any thoughts on the change of coach this time.
It is strange that Noble was at 2 clubs where the salary cap has been breached.
Strange also that when Lenagan went to Wigan,from Harlequins,the decision not to offer a further contract to Noble seemed to be his first decision.The question can only be,why?
It is certainly ironic that his book - Building Winning Teams - was published prior to his appointment at Salford where he had every opportunity to build one here.
Whoever pointed out that 'Bull baffles brains' seems to have called it right.
Noble can certainly talk the talk but I suppose a media course can teach that.

There is a quote by Matt Elliott that states it was Brian McDermott who ensured the fitness of the players,while he was there,by literally wielding the rod.
I don't think the paying customer ever knows what really goes on at professional sports clubs.

On the other hand,and to play Devils Advocate, Noble was fired after our best win of the season and the jury will be forever out on whether he would have moulded this team into a winning unit.

Smith was mainly a CEO while he was with the Bulls in 95/96. Elliott was the man that coached the team most of the time. He also brought through Fielden, Peacock, Pryce etc but Noble was academy coach for those kids.

I don't think Noble gets the credit he deserves for his time at Bradford. He was the most successful coach in our history. Sure he inherited a great squad but he helped bring them through. It took 6 years for us to win a gf. It'll take at least as long for Salford.

First things first and it doesn't matter who is the coach, the players need to cut out the stupid individual errors;

1. Rapira ripping out when they were on our line. Penalty.
2. Meli and Eden miscommunicating and failing to deal with a kick. Widnes try.
3. Eden crossing after picking ball up in our 20. Penalty.
4. Martin Gleeson knocking off after a daft "flat" Tim Smith ball that he favours.

There just a few examples of the stupid errors, there was more.

Coach killers.

He did get the Freedom of Bradford !
I must express my surprise that Ferres can make his statement about the players,and Duffy about the supporters,but the rugby league family don't seem to have seized on their comments in the same 'vulgar' way that they interpret anything attributed to Dr Koukash.Seems the rugby league family are prejudicial,in my view.

Although the recruitment is seen to be poor, Noble had a style of play to suit the players he had bought in, which brought 4 wins from 8 including the cup game.

Now we have Harris trying to change the style of play, yet if it doesn't suit the players he has at his disposal there is unlikely to be any major improvement. As much as we would like to see expansive rugby, regularly throwing the ball out wide in your own half will have little or no effect if the players brought in don't have the pace to capitalise.

Spot on.
Whatever you feel about the recruitment or ,indeed ,Noble there needs to be an acceptance that he bought players that could play his way.
As I said earlier, we will never know whether he could have been successful with those players.
But we are where we are and I have to say Lee at 13 and Platt on the wing are decisions for which Noble would have been crucified !

Lee didn't out of place at 13 for me but Platt on the wing was the stuff of nightmares, at times he look like he had custard filled wellies on he was that slow.

It seems the fixture list was almost as kind to Noble as Dr K was.
Noble also had the players,in 2013,left at the club by his previous assistant Phil Veivers,on the limited funds.Not much improvement yet there was over at Castleford when Powell too over.Powell has also 'gelled' a host of new players for 2014;including 1 from London Broncos,Marc Sneyd from the Wooden Spoonists,and Liam Finn who was not wanted by Championship club Featherstone.
I have seen more style of play from part time Championship players coached by their part time coaches - none of whom have been indulged to the extent Noble has.
Posters on this forum wanted Howarth dropped - he was - no change
Posters on this forum wanted Smith dropped - he was - no change.

We need to keep faith with Iestyn Harris and with Sean Long and the rest.
Last season it was a beaten pack - now it is no pace.I think the coaches have a hard job on their hands while it seems failure is being rewarded.

Piggin' hell -

I agree fully

Good post RDP. However, last years Cas side had a lot more potential than the rabble Noble took over.

Onto this year, I am supportive of Harris however my main point was the sacking of Noble has set us back another 4-6 weeks, as Harris now has to attempt to improve the style of play with a squad set up to play the Noble way.

There would/will be little or no difference in results this year under Harris or Noble IMO.

I sense you are sympathetic to Noble.
Taking your first point allows me the opportunity to question the retention by Noble.
Jordan James - Released for the 2nd time by Noble.At Easter featured against St Helens.His current side higher in Super League - still in the Tetleys CC
Ashley Gibson - Featured for Cas on Easter Monday - beating last years Grand Finalists - Higher in Super League - still in the Tetleys CC
Lee Gaskell - Featured in Bulls coming back from 16 points down to beat Catalan Dragons in Tetleys CC ( This after Steve Ferres stated the previous performance by Bradford was the worst seen in Super League.Is that not putting pressure on players?
Marc Sneyd - Playing for Cas - Higher in Super League - still in Tetleys CC

Under Noble I cannot recall any fightback apart from the CC game at Hull FC earlier this month - not a great advert for the team bonding gained at South Africa.Not a great legacy after 12 months in charge.

I think it unfair to judge Iestyn Harris as he arrived just as the exhausting Easter schedule arrived and had us playing last years league leaders still smarting from a referee influenced CC defeat,and then a game at Leeds.
Even though I want the 3 Saturday fixtures coming up to be SRD victories it may be difficult - [iChris Brookes, the experienced and respected Wigan doctor, said on the BBC 5 Live Sports Extra podcast at Langtree Park on Friday that it is not the Easter Monday games, or even next weekend's cup fixtures, that offer the greatest physiological challenge, but the Super League programme the weekend after that.[/i

Going into June/July I would hope to see a difference in results/performances that we did not see under Noble.

If I told you the team did little to no ball work in South Africa what would you say?

I'd say that it was obvious at the start of the season.

I still think it was pure folly to start the season with what was essentially a completely new team with only a game against Leigh and Warrington. South Africa might have been a nice idea if there had been another SL or NRL team there for plenty of contested training sessions and a full blooded game. Other than that we'd have been better spending the fortune it no doubt cost to head down under and learn from how the NRL teams prepare pre season and further warm up games.

I don't always share the same views but I agree with you on this.