This is turning into a Smith vs Powell loyalist debate. Which is absolute nonsense, Smith had credit in the bank from the era he had delivered prior to the poor year (still light years from where we are now).

I hope I’m wrong, I hope Powell turns it around at makes us champions. But, there is no evidence of that being realistic right now.

Spot on this. Another example of the type of player we have/had at our club - thats why we need to clear the decks - it's endemic.

Not really. More about identifying where the problem lies: players, Powell, bit of both etc?

I agree it was wrong for King to find out he was going on loan by a phone call from Watson, but maybe this wasn't just a case of Powell being lazy. I imagine it was more mismanagement of the communication. Maybe Warrington had planned to talk it through with King but hadn't had the foresight to tell Watson to wait. I'm sure we could have handled this more professionally.

On the other side of the coin, King is being equally as unprofessional here. He's on loan due to poor form and (if rumours of the services incident are to be believed) a non-team attitude. All he had to do was stick with the ethos. Now he's bagging the coach while he's still part of the club.

What's interesting with King's comments is that he's upset at criticism (which Powell has alluded to with some players not liking being scrutinised) and he's been dropped. The whole reason Wardle is on loan to us is that he couldn't force Leutele or Cudjoe out of the centres at Hudds. Does King think Watson will drop Leutele or Cudjoe when they're both fit and playing well, just so King can fit in?

Smith was the right guy at the time he became head coach, but I do think that he lost his enthusiasm for the game and should have been replaced earlier than he was. However, we didn't get the right replacement in Price to take us up that level and get the elusive GF win. Smith openly admitted that he didn't coach the players in our attack, and left that to the players In the era of Briers, Hodgson, Mike Monaghan and others, wasn't a particular problem, but once they no longer wore the P&B it was a different matter.

I've mentioned Tony Smith in a couple of posts, but not in any way have I encouraged any Smith v Powell debate, as it's not relevant to what were currently facing.

Think most would agree that this needed to be done, but the replacements, so far, have not helped to provide continuity with our results against 2021. Had this happened and at this moment in time we were in 5th, 6th or 7th, then I'd be on board in the belief that DP is the man for the job. However, were 10th and heading in the wrong direction, with his judgement being questionable on and off the pitch, with a number of decisions and the way some matters have been dealt with.

We've heard this before.

At the end of Tony Smith's reign, it was "anyone, [ianyone[/i would be better than TS, we just need change"

We got Price. Then it was "get rid of Price, what have we got to lose, it can't get any worse."

It got worse.

So who would you bring in then?

Also, apart from Shaun Wayne (not sure he would have come anyway), who else could we have appointed with Grand Final winning experience? - Brian Noble, Anderton, Millward, Brian Mcdermott, Nathan Brown, Justin Holbrook, Tony Smith again, Kriston Woolf, names off the top of my head.

Are any of these realistic and sensible? We had to take punt on someone who has a track record of improving players and a track record of playing attractive rugby to get the fans back.

The only other potential at the time was Watson and look at his first season at Huddersfield. They've stuck with him though and the green shoots have appeared this season.

We're not great at the moment, but the club hasn't got much alternative even if they did decide to release him.

Can't argue with any of that. It's no doubt tough to stomach, but as long as we finish above 12th, we've got to be patient and see how we go once we've had a bit of a reset over the off-season.

I have a sneaky feeling that if we win today at Magic, and no pressure is put on the players to fight for 6th place, then we might start to relax and slowly start to string some half-decent performances together. All depends on the relegation threat, and how Toulouse go I suppose.

There is no evidence that we will put in a single convincing performance at the moment, never mind competing at the right end of the table.

I'm really torn, on one hand the players should be accountable for their performances and they are poor at best currently and have been for some time BUT the coach should be given time to clear out and implement the necessary changes. That said there are plenty who are staying and so part of the future and they aren't performing either, there doesn't seem to be any green shoots at all. I don't have a great deal of faith that they can turn it around having seen absolutely no evidence of a team capable of decent rugby, no evidence that the problems around our game management are being addressed, no evidence that our poor defence is being addressed andno evidence of our poor attack being addressed. No upturn by the end of July and I'd rather somebody else have the opportunity to turn us around to be honest.

It really should have been Watson, sure he hadn't won anything but Salford over achieved massively under him. Why the club didn't sack off price and bring in Watson is absolutely baffling IMO.

Who though - that's the major issue if you want Powell gone. I can't think of anyone suitable who would come.

Watson's Huddersfield were also poor this time last season. Would people be saying the same thing and wanting rid - probably.

If Huddersfield had got rid, they'd be regretting it now after the upturn in performance levels and reaching the CC final they should have won.

If Hudds had got rid of Watson they wouldn't have had that upturn so they wouldn't have regretted it, they would have just thought he was an overrated coach who had a lucky run with Salford.

Maybe there's an alternative universe where Wire persuade Price to extend his contract and we're now sitting top of the ladder with another Challenge Cup win, and the name "The Entertainers" given our champagne style of attacking rugby. And on their rlfans forum people are saying "imagine how much we'd have regretted it if we got rid of him and brought in Daryl Powell like silly cannamon was suggesting". And their version of The Duck was giving it the big I told you so for being the earliest to predict "we would win the lot".

I get the feeling that this version of the duck would always be correct.

Well, well, well, all very interesting.

Now we’ve got the win, I’d rather not see us talking about the top six. Too much pressure. Just let the team slowly improve and see what happens. We are not going to win anything anyway this year, so let’s just chip away letting some of our academy get the chance to show why they’re worthy of a spot in the 17.

We've beaten two of the top 4 and were a Makinson tackle away from beating St Helens.

Do you still think he should retire or are you going to give him more time?

Great result today! Holmes looked decent in the middle, much better. Williams had a good game too, liked up well with Currie, especially coming away from our end.

Took our chances against the weakened side and put them away at a canter. More of the same please

LETS SACK THE NEW COACH.. OFF WITH HIS HEAD.

...and get another coach in for six months. Then another, then another and let's keep going like that. We might stumble across a good one but hey, we'll be able to enjoy half a season before they leave.

six months is too long gaz.... lets demand they are sacked after 4 months... thats will do it.

I take it that's a no to the first and yes to the second bit.