Very true and if I recall the impression given was ‘the board’ weren’t impressed by the outcome. Still let’s try it again might work this time. As a precaution Eccles should be polishing his CV. He could well become the Lee Harvey Oswald in this scenario if we get relegated! Me I think half a year with a modest L1 squad and coach might have been a factor.

Brian McDermott is rapidly falling out of favour at Featherstone Rovers. Anyone fancy seeing him return ?
He would have his work cut out for him, that is for sure.

He failed us last time he was with us........talked a good game, but delivered nothing better than a series of bottom quarter finishes. No thanks.
EDIT:
116 games with 42 wins, 71 losses and 3 draws delivers a 36.2% win ratio. He delivered 9th, 9th, 11th and 13th place finishes and we never looked like troubling engravers of the Challenge cup either only making the QF in his first year.

Looking at the squad he pretty much inherited in 2007, 9th spot was a shocking return on investment.....shocking. Scott Hill, Henry Paul, Mark McLinden, Matt Gafa, Ron Purdham......

I’m increasingly of the view that we won’t get a new coach this season. It’s too deep in the season now and coach would have to work with what we have and be held accountable if things went badly. He wouldn’t be able to sign up any new players for next year because we are likely to be in a relegation dog fight right up to the wire and without certainty there is no way we could recruit effectively unless we plundered L1 again and surely all will now have realised that doesn’t work.

I have to agree. It looks like Mike Eccles is stuck with the job.

I hope at the end of the season he gets more appreciation than poor old Tom Tsang did

Yep, that would be my concern.

Acknowledging he’d left would be an upgrade on Tsang’s treatment. We are very erratic on announcing coming and goings. Dixon barely a mention, Battye a one liner, Williams contract extensions are mentioned as an afterthought. Juma came and went without mention in fact only the first tranche of Skolars players rated a nod and then there is Walker who did merit a post but is still not on the 1st team page on the website.

To be fair, Loubser can't be expected to do everything and he's really busy signing cheques for the rental agreements on 4 grounds now, not just the one as it had been before

To be fair Mike seems to be getting better performances out of the group than before. If that's his work or the dynamic of a coach being sacked and players reacting is difficult to gauge. Am with a few on this I reckon Mike is stuck with it until the end of the season

Has the CEO/owner made any updates/comments on when/if there will be a new coach/manager.

Don't think anything has been said since Mustard left and Eccles stepped in.

I doubt anything will change this season, so I'm not expecting much on this front

If they do ask Eccles if he want it, his first question should be what's my budget for hiring players next year, will you fund a team capable of making the playoffs.

They're still trying to figure out how they'll spin 2022 out as anything other than an abject failure.
Hughes should F-off but not before binning lobster boy

The problem you have (IMO) is that any half decent UK player is not going to sign for PT money paying big city prices for everything when he can stay in the M62 corridor and ply his trade. Result is you get journeymen/untested Aussies/Kiwis. Pay the money Mr Hughes or forget it. I wait to be hanged.

In addition, it makes it even less likely we can retain talent developed through our own academy.

I've been contacted by a couple of friends up north. They don't know each other but have both heard rumours Anthony Murray will be coach at Broncos next season. It's already confirmed he's leaving North Wales Crusaders, suggesting he has a job lined up with someone currently in situ.

Whether there's any truth in this or its just 2+2=5 remains to be seen.

There's a couple of postings saying the same on the other forum. One states it's a complete guess,the other provides no evidence or source information.

I think Murray has done an awesome job at Crus, (they could get promoted this year), but if it is him, he needs to be given a proper budget, and not expected that LB squad will be full of Crus players next year.

Yes the Crusaders are much better than Skolars, but its still a L1 team who would be bottom 4 of champ next year if they go up

Sigh.....it's that depressing that it'll probably happen.........sigh.
This f567ing club will never learn

Couldn't agree more. If that is the case, call the clubb something else, move them to Ebbsfleet then I can forget all about my 42 years of RL.

kent invicta Broncos 2023 rebrand coming.......
Just play in Black please

Good God whatever next.

2023 tag-line right there folks.....


Hughes is out of control now and whilst I disagree with nearly all of his decisions since 2007, it is HIS CLUB.
The RFL offered him what he called "lip service" in the form of marketing advice and assistance, but very little cash. He ha single handedly propped up the pro game in London for 15 years, if not longer and is entitled to do as he sees fit to secure the clubs future.....but again, he is making too many huge errors.
1. The ground. The move failed. There is no other way to put it ....we are getting the same gates as we were at Ealing and we're asking for volunteers to help out in the members lounge....I can only assume to make it profitable. Not one comment or social media post has remarked on the fantastic game day experience and Wimbledon fans have shown little interest....about as little as the local schools and community groups who normally boost attendances in year 1 at a new home. If we stay at Cherry Red then they will need to spend some serious cash on marketing, but I still say they should return to Ealing and if need be, assist with the development costs of that ground.
2. Part time has been an epic failure. The fact we are celebrating being safe from relegation to the 3rd tier speaks volumes ....we are as far away from Superleague as we have ever been in my 20+ years on board. We got lucky with Eccles......the same way we got lucky with Ward and with Henderson.......the last coach Hughes recruited & appointed before the schoolteacher was Joey Grima......before that it was Mac.....in fact, other than Tony Rea, he's proved useless at appointing coaches (and any other staff for that matter).
3. Silence. All 2022 we've had silence.....nobody, least of all himself knows what's next and I fear that if he ploughs on as is, we will be either battling the drop or sighing with relief this time next year with a 500 gate average.....

......as I say, it's his club to do with, but fewer and fewer peoe will care each year if he is allowed to continue unquestioned.

would Ealing have us back? After all DH has a reputation of falling out with all our previous landlords.... Ebbsfleet might be next, in which case the club is finished

The guy at Ealing strikes me as a no nonsense type businessman. If Hughes were to offer 800k up front now 4 years rent at Cherry Red) for the next 4 years, with all the sides playing/training together, then that's 800k they didn't have half an hour ago.....not be turned down flat.
The straw man debate about corporate hospo is moot.....we've begged normal fans to fork out more rather than sell corporate to...er....corporates. if need be, buy/hire a Marquee and employ a food truck to feed the corporates, but I can't believe that we can't negotiate better terms.....I suspect we weren't getting the numbers to make it profitable.....but we need to think outside the box.....13 events.....not announce a KO time and hope for the best.
Ebbsfleet would see 25% more drop away........if not more. The club would need to spend another lump sum on marketing and without a professional marketer in place, they'll waste their money again.....but I don't see Hughes accepting a 4th tier soccer ground, especially when it's so far away from the training pitches....I see Ealing as a no brainer, but for the sake of everyone, keep Hughes/Loubser out of the negotiations.......
......the lack of anything this weekend just gone makes me think that they'll clock off now and look to reboot in January......what they should be doing now is using the final 3 games to get as many people through the doors, free or otherwise and showcase the hospo on offer in 2023.....start with the local chamber of commerce.....get all the members to a game and wine and dine them....