Our ex announcer is not holding back on twitter saying Applegarth is a good man and a good coach who didn't sign this squad, my thoughts are these.

Applegarth may be a very good man but it can't be said he's a good coach at this level. Why did he take this job if he had no input in signing the players and if he didn't who did and who recommended them. Did he actually coach the team and was he told to pick players. I hope the lad gets a job as an assistant somewhere, learns and comes back a better coach in the game. The whole situation this season as been one of disbelief, lose game after game leave him in the job, its as though no one cares.
I've read off numerous fans we'd a decent squad on paper, we'd an ageing squad who'd done well in the past for us and other clubs but your not going to get 34/35 year olds playing consistently well every week and they pick knocks up. We let Miller, batch, hall to an extent, crowther, dave, arona leave and not replace with better, it's been a slippery slope from when we resigned Brough from Huddersfield, his legs had totally gone and he'd been a great player, gigot, gaskell it goes on. Did Applegarth improve anyone this season well its hard to see. If it's aimed at the board phils comments then it's shameful interference

I'm not disputing that he's a good man, but the facts really do point out that he's not a good coach

I agree totally but who the hell is recommending these players if it's not him

Starts with C and rhymes with barter, golfing buddies to an agent or two who capitalise on his lack of rugby knowledge but inflated ego

Where I disagree with Phil is that he thinks Bennett wouldn't have got any more out of this squad. We'll never really know, but a top quality coach in all sports makes the 10% decisions - the sort of decisions that turn a tight loss into a tight win, or a thumping into a respectable loss.

Some more composure and better tactics in a few of our close games this season might have seen us take something away from them.

That isn't what he meant and I'm sure you know it.
Most of the team were signed before he took the job.

I'm mostly OK with the ones he's signed since here.
Not sure whether Proctor was his. I think it was. That signing turned out to be the worst 'top player' signing ice ever seen.

If we had an experienced director of rugby who knew what they were doing then signings like Lineham, Proctor etc. would not have gone ahead.

I would go one further poptart, I would include every player. I think even Jarrod Hickey was in better physical shape. I have never seen such an unfit player

Good men don’t stab people in the back

I don't get it. Its not like he is overweight.
He has a problem.

Sorry Phil, but if you think Applegarth is a good coach, then who do you thinks is a bad coach?

Yes I stood on West terrace on last game and he was SR down that side. Watched him closely, he was bent over totally out of breath before he did 5 minutes. It's like he smokes 100 cigs a day.

proctor, atoni, langi were his, senior I think then I just don't get the loan deals, gale snd dave were is as was dagger

Proctor was a dud, but I can see why he thought it would be good. Same with Atoni

Once he got some ball Langi proved to be a good signing.
Dave, Senior, Dagger and Gale all good signings to me
I like tge French lads, especially Franco.

On a smaller scale I thought the second row from Hudds was good but needed more time.

The loans were just necessary evils. He had to try something but they weren't here long enough.

So overall I'd say they were good, except for the major bad one.

I don't understand why he kept Proctor in the team?

In all fairness i think Atoni has improved massively since Dave arrived

But we had a good quality tried and tested coach who was rousted out of the club by Carter because the players moaned he was too tough on them .So we end up with yes men who have to tread on eggshells lest they upset the team .The tail wagging the dog and there just about sums our problems up , players not match fit not robust enough not enough ball skills , but boy they had a laugh playing at wakey , whilst the fans have had to endure years of life on a cliff edge , well this year that edge has crumble and down we tumble .Its been a holiday camp for far too long and have excepted mediocrity at every level in the club , and that old saying is very true ,that we have reaped what we have sown .

Do you mean the coach who advised Scruton that if he wanted to improve his game he should leave his wife?
Good coach but a very strange man at times.
And Smith walked.

Pretty sure it was said in jest as Scrutons wife was working for the club and Smith at the time

Scruton didn't take it that way.

Wouldn't know, I didn't speak to either party involved. I'm assuming you got that directly from him though and corroborated it with Smith to ensure accuracy and not just taking it third hand from a 'reporter' who interviewed him weeks after the event from a player who perhaps had an axe to grind

It was a live interview so from Scruton himself, where he said good things about Smith but also that he did some weird things that were hard to take.
I spoke to Smith too (not about that) and I liked him a lot. Great knowledge of the game and passion for rugby. Would have been nice for him to stay and build something but he wanted change the whole club and we just didn't have those kinda finances.

Funny that I have to prove my statement but you can just state whatever comes into your head.

And Smith didn't want to stay for the extra year but Carter talked him into it. Hardly ousting him out.

The way Nick told the story on the radio didn't sound like it was done in jest.

It was a director of rugby that signed him - well he wasn't our but he is one now he's at another club....

He looks like a totally different player. Aggressive with some intent and decent go forward.