The big problem is that 2005 was the perfect platform to go on to more success. Instead we've gone backwards.

We need a balance of both long and short term. There's no use spending a fortune on youth development if you have a poor first team who nobody is interested in signing for, the talent will just go elsewhere. Then all that money will end up being an expensive exercise in trying to polish turds.

I disagree on the latter point. We've been better, but we still haven't really looked competitive with the big boys consistently. We still lost pretty much every big game we played this season.

Your ability to worship mediocrity and celebrate averageness is truly inspiring. I'm guessing you lost quite a bit on those Woolworths shares you bought.

Saints and Rovers are big matches and we won all of them barring tonight.

didnt win when it counted tho did we.

thats the key, not just against the bigger teams, but against teams we would like to beat. Our season has been full of inconsistancy. Anyone who is shocked or annoyed we got beat tonight need slapping around the chops. i said either lose or win by 6.

You obviously not watched us too much.

We've been dire and uninspiring most of the season.
You only have to look at the points for and against to see what kind of season we've had.

So those four point never counted?

Leeds have finished in the top 4 (after the regular rounds) each year since 2000 I believe.

St Helens have finished in the top 6 every year since 1973.

As you rightly point out, no club has a god given right to be in the play-offs. But quite frankly, given the current set-up of SL, we should view top 6 as a minimum requirement for a club of our size. Personally I believe we should be top 4. A club of our size, with the right personnel in place, could be the dominant force in British RL. The current playing squad (with a few exceptions) and the current coaching regime are not the correct personnel for that to happen.

If we are not competing at the summit of the game (and we aren't) then I think the supporters of this great club have every right to question the reasons why we aren't. And we have a right to ask what needs to be done to rectify the situation in which we continue to fall short of this club's true potential.

Either way, it surely must be obvious to all that the off field resources of our club (one of the three 'A' grade licences awarded in 200icon_cool.gif are not being translated into an equivalent level of success on the pitch. One of the areas in which we are substandard is the head coach. He simply isn't an 'A' grade coach and if we have any aspirations in capturing silverware in the next few years, then there will have to be a change in that department in order for those aspirations to be realised into fact (See Wigan & Warrington for further details).

[iTrying [/i but not succeeding.

paul, yake ya tinted glasses off. we aint good enough its as simple as that

And lost to Warrington twice, Leeds twice (to cost us 4th place), and Wigan twice (heavily, and at home in a game that was supposed to have us going after the top 2). Add to that losing both knockout games we played (Leeds again and then tonight). But the biggest disappointment in many of them was how we never looked like winning.

So I'll correct my statement slightly. We pretty much lost every big game when the pressure was on.

its better to try and fail than not try at all?

The end result is still the same.

so you would rather we didnt try to sign them at all? put no offers in?

Sorry but that won't wash, that's ok on a peronal note.
It just doesn't wash when you're a business trying to keep your customers sweet.

if your not happy dont go. Do you want the board to sling silly money at players or want them to have a worth for players and not pay more. Or by the sounds of it you would rather we didnt put offers in at all

No I'd rather us target the players we want and then agressively pursue them and get thier signatures, I don't believe we try hard enough.

What more can they do? The Fielden transfer they did everything and had him right until Wigan changed their mind at the last minute.

you need to understand that some people just enjoy blaming agar KH and the board for everything. Im sick of trying to be rational

Seal the deal, we didn't did we.

He wanted to stay at Wigan if he could if not he was ours.

I can tell you we are speaking to one of the best props in the NRL, top three easily and a deal is close for the next offseason aswell as a top top top halfback.

I was told KH has a five year plan and the aim is to win the lot, I believe she and the club are working towards that aim.

Not at all I've been on record on this forum praising the board for the off field state of this club. However it's on the field that as a supporter I'm really only interested, unfortunately we are also rans there.

well whos the top nrl prop and halfback then. also thought karl pryce was meant to be anounced a couple of weeks back?

When did this fiveyear plan get put in place? She's been here over a decade.