Quote ="lefty goldblatt"From a time best forgotten.
We were foooked, financially.
Harris had to go, Sculthorpe not long after.
The remainder of the time, we were picking up people's scraps, Hulme, Eyres, Mann G, and trying to cobble a team together.
Dark days, indeed.'"
someone could and should write a book on what happened during 1997. i always remember that as it was the first year i paid for my own season ticket and as a i kid was obsessive over it, even though we were e.
I even bought tickets to all the WCC games and was amazed how poor the crowds were, which tbf was probably accurate as we were garbage (for you younger folk, compare it the Cas play off game last year)
it was soul destroying as we were being pencilled in along with bradford as being one of the threats to saints crown, having invested heavily in the best of Auckland Warriors reserves, Mead, Vagana and Tatupu, the experience Dermot was bringing from Wigan.
Daryl Van de velde tipped us at the team to beat in his pre season Daily mirror column. i bet hhe didn't think that when he took over 2 months later. I'm amazed that he lasted as long as he did here, he was never happy, and the club was a show extraordinaire.
Losing a load of players pre season in the gary sanderson testimonial, mead his knee, hilton reinjured his shoulder
getting battered on sky opening night away at bradford
the harris saga being resolved after the off season of 'will saints buy him, wont they', and him turning out for the reserves and then the first and everyone hoping it was rectified only for him to end up at leeds 2 weeks later.
john smith sacking all the reserves and a lot of the first team, including mafi, willie swann and dermot that first week. After realising we didn't have enough money to cope with being full time ALL YEAR ROUND.
Using 47 players throughout the year, including the aforementioned cast offs that were left out of other teams, doc murray, richie eyres, and a supporting cast of many
the aforementioned hooker merry go round.
The return of Derbs and tony thorniley.
And then THAT game against paris at the back end of the season to secure safety from relegation (something popped in my head that day)
The death of princess diana.
going to oldham for the premiership/play offs on the same day, and seeing john fieldhouse turn out for us as i think warren stevens missed the bus.