Quote ="Winslade's Offload"Ah, that was taken from the start of the season in early February I believe. Better to wait for the season to actually take place though, before writing off the team and the coach ?'" I think it was when we were 0 and 4 and were playing broadly similar to how we are now when I wrote the season off. The reason I did is that the coach did not then or now attribute any fundamental, underlying problems to the performance. He treats each loss in isolation as an act of God that is no way due to any failing of himself, the coaching team or squad balance. His quote here “We'd built up well this week, we'd trained well. Some of these performances just come out of the blue,” www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/spo ... =mrb&lp=11 We then see no unenforced squad changes for the Salford game. Business as usual. So whilst the coaching approach and the squad remain the same, the outcome will be the same. Season write off.

Quote ="Winslade's Offload"Ah, that was taken from the start of the season in early February I believe. Better to wait for the season to actually take place though, before writing off the team and the coach ?'" I think it was when we were 0 and 4 and were playing broadly similar to how we are now when I wrote the season off. The reason I did is that the coach did not then or now attribute any fundamental, underlying problems to the performance. He treats each loss in isolation as an act of God that is no way due to any failing of himself, the coaching team or squad balance. His quote here “We'd built up well this week, we'd trained well. Some of these performances just come out of the blue,” www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/spo ... =mrb&lp=11 We then see no unenforced squad changes for the Salford game. Business as usual. So whilst the coaching approach and the squad remain the same, the outcome will be the same. Season write off.

I wonder if we can have the Tony Smith poll again now?

I think that if you ran a poll now as opposed to after 4 games then the result might be different, with more people calling time on Smith's tenure.

You might think that this strengthens your 'case' whereas I don't, as to have a change of opinion over time shouldn't necessarily be seen as weakness

Quote ="Wires71"I think it was when we were 0 and 4 and were playing broadly similar to how we are now when I wrote the season off. The reason I did is that the coach did not then or now attribute any fundamental, underlying problems to the performance. He treats each loss in isolation as an act of God that is no way due to any failing of himself, the coaching team or squad balance. His quote here “We'd built up well this week, we'd trained well. Some of these performances just come out of the blue,” www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/spo ... =mrb&lp=11 We then see no unenforced squad changes for the Salford game. Business as usual. So whilst the coaching approach and the squad remain the same, the outcome will be the same. Season write off.'" Lighten up a bit 71, all this negativity and bolded print isn't good for you. Anyway didn't you tell us a few weeks ago you had turned over a new leaf ? Who knows where the season will end or whether TS will get the heave ho this year. We are having a bad year, but it happens. In any case, if the year is a write off surely that strengthens the chance of TS leaving which is what you want ? - there you go, the power of positive thinking.

Quote ="Wires71"I think it was when we were 0 and 4 and were playing broadly similar to how we are now when I wrote the season off. The reason I did is that the coach did not then or now attribute any fundamental, underlying problems to the performance. He treats each loss in isolation as an act of God that is no way due to any failing of himself, the coaching team or squad balance. His quote here “We'd built up well this week, we'd trained well. Some of these performances just come out of the blue,” www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/spo ... =mrb&lp=11 We then see no unenforced squad changes for the Salford game. Business as usual. So whilst the coaching approach and the squad remain the same, the outcome will be the same. Season write off.'" Lighten up a bit 71, all this negativity and bolded print isn't good for you. Anyway didn't you tell us a few weeks ago you had turned over a new leaf ? Who knows where the season will end or whether TS will get the heave ho this year. We are having a bad year, but it happens. In any case, if the year is a write off surely that strengthens the chance of TS leaving which is what you want ? - there you go, the power of positive thinking.

God forbid we win the Challenge Cup and we get to endure another year? I'm not saying that we will on either count but I do wonder how much people are actually relishing our current situation.

Is this not what masochism was invrnted for

" Lifes a bitch and then you die"

Pope Paul XX1V

I suppose it is and that is what makes sport, or more accurately supporting a team so compelling

Seems I was wrong. Only takes 4 months.

It's just about seeing things earlier. The writing was on the wall a long time ago.

More chance of plaitting snot

Your 'hunch' appears to have been proved right, but, then again if we'd have managed to limp into mid table obscurity in the top 8's with a few more wins and a couple of less drubbings you'd have pulled another 'I saw this first' out of the bag.

After all if someone considers that ONLY winning the GF marks a successful season you are giving yourself a comfortable 'I told you so margin'.

I think that you are right. However If we manged it would the majority on here be disappointed?

I've already got a silver trail up both my sleeves drying as we speak.

What if Brett Hodgson is appointed, the club gets on a bounce, knocks out Wigan and is only a game away from Wembley.
Stranger things have happened.

If this does happen though, Hodgson can't take the credit because he will basically have just ridden on the team that Smith built over many years, like TS did by taking Cullen's team to glory.

It's not about that. After copping a lot of flak earlier in the year for questioning Smith it seems de rigour now yet are playing as poorly now as we did in the first 6 games. Same mistakes, same disorganisation and same excuses. There is no sudden decline. Just some were in denial.

and that's where you and I differ in opinion, the "denial" strictly speaking it wasn't denial, but, a willingness to take a view based on more than three or four games.

I greed that the opinion poll might have a different complexion following the return to poor results and form

Don't worry, this team wouldn't Win a meat raffle.
This team is destined for relegation the teams below us are gaining momentum and we are in free fall.

If Smith is sacked and a new coach is brought in and he saves the club's superleague status it will be one of the greatest coaching achievements in the game such is the desperate place the players are in at the moment.
Smith took over a team that couldn't get past a play off game. ...the Tony Smith built side is much much worse.

If we had got rid of TS at the end of last season for failing to win a Grand Final and brought in Brett Hodgson now and were say 3rd what would we be saying....he took a team that was top last year and took it backwards?

....am I missing something?

Why does Hodgson's name keep appearing in the (as of yet) situations vacant column, for Smith's job?

As far as I can remember, he's played second fiddle to Denis Betts, who's team has been dog pooh (bar 6 of the first 7 games in 2016) for the last 3 years. It's hardly a glowing cV, is it?

Hodgson or Michael Monaghan would be credible choices as they were top players for us and so would have goodwill from the fans. Possibly Willie Poching would be the other who would be popular with the fans.

If we brought in an assistant from another club like Sean Long, Ryan Sheridan, Andy Hay, the fans would be sceptical from the start and so even a revival/consolidation to safety and to comfortable top 5/6 in the next couple of years, would start being seen as treading water.

The alternative would be to go for an ex head coach with SL experience like Paul Anderson or Steve McNamara. Anderson doesn't seem a bad option - he had Hudds right at the top and seemed to have one bad season.

Or go in big with money and try to tempt an existing coach away from their club - Brian McDermott, Ian Watson or Chris Chester would be obvious choices.

Sally's just doing sarcasm again, Lefty

it beats reality so i'm told............

Well done to you, go give yourself a big pat on the back.

TS is a rich mans Ian Millward.
Does great when someone else has built the team. When forced to build his own team, takes them to the brink of relegation before getting ousted. .

Hence a little piece of Sally's post that isn't sarcastic, or that's how I read it