I don't get this idea of a cheap coach. Surely the board have a heard of the term 'Speculate to Accumulate'? We spend the money on a decent coach and he repays us by getting us to the playoff and further into the cups etc. Hopefully ending with final appearences. This in turn increases the gates and the profit.

But our board pay for dross and we are all surprised with crap tactics and performances!

About what?

Go take a look at the Bradford forum.

Leeds went out to the current CC holders and second best team in SL for the past two seasons. They also have a realistic chance of winning SL this season. Neither of which apply to Hull FC.

And for he record, I haven't asked for the coach to be sacked.

No, the coach is the problem. If players are playing badly, its up to the coach to drop them and give someone else a go. After Cas he dropped Thackray (and now it sounds like that wasn't even performance based) and replaced him with King (who hasn't been as good imo). After Quins he drops Houghton and uses Lee as the second hooker. Why? Houghton may not be playing out of his skin but he has been useful. Lee looked poor at hooker yesterday, he shouldn't have been moved away from the back row. This is a rubbish attempt at trying to get our form back on track.



Folkes sounds like he would be good. It doesn't matter if he uses a forwards game too. In fact its probably better that way. The problem is we aren't doing it well at all at the moment, not the fact we are playing that way.
I actually think that we could get Kearney as our coach if we tried hard enough. McLennan and Anderson both came here from the same role as Kearney has with NZ at the moment, and we have already convinced Kearney to come to our club once before. I think he may relish the chance of been a head coach instead of assistant like he is atm for Melbourne.
While I do think that we should go to the NRL for our new coach, I feel there are a couple of realistic options here too.
I think Matterson is proving that he would be a good fit for us. He is getting a lot from what is a workman like pack (like ours is) yet is still allowing his backs creativity and they are getting tons of points. I feel if a back 5 of Tony, Calderwood, Hall, Yeaman and Raynor would get tons of points under his system. Richard Horne would love it too. I think we could easily get Matterson.
Less realistically would be Morgan. He has moulded a team that wants to play for each other and alwaus seem to show 100% effort. He also seems to be getting the best out of the players he has. I think he could be a realistic approach as he seems ambitious. But obviously the fact that he coaches Rovers would obviously be a massive problem in getting him to.

Agar needs to go, and needs to go asap. I have said all season that I've not been impressed with the tactics etc, and he tooks us backwards last season. As usual though, we will do what 95% of sporting clubs do and wait until it is too late. The likes of Alex Ferguson (who start off crap but eventually turn out good for a club) are the exception, not the rule and I hope we realise this soon. I predict a total of 80 points conceeded this weekend, I'm really not looking forward to the two games.

Totally disagree. I thought Lee looked good at Hooker on Sunday and Houghton has been poor so far this year. Most of the players on Sunday quite simply didn't turn up, Is Agar meant to drop all of them? I'm not his biggest fan but the players need to start taking some responsibility. Our tactics haven't been hugely different in all the games so far this season its been the application of the players and the effort levels that have seen us have poor performances. Not that I think our tactics are great or anything but they can work if everyone is giving 100%

We will have to agree to disagree about Lee's performance on Sunday tbh.
With regards to dropping everyone, obviously he can't do that. But he can't just keep the same team. The back row looks really poor at the moment, and I really do think King currently adds nothing to the side. We also look very poor in the halves. Players can be dropped from the back row, and so can King. It's obviously harder to drop either Horne or Thorman. I wouldn't drop Horne at all, but I would be considering dropping Thorman if I was coach. The fact it's such a big game, in fact such a big long weekend shouldn't deter from the idea that big decisions need to be made regarding the team because we can't continue as we are

Well, that, plus the fact that we don't (currently) have the players to play that style of rugby.

While we haven't got the best pack imo, with the right tactics a forward style game could be implemented. It needs a good coach to make it work with the current pack though.

The board made the mistake of giving Agar a long term contract he should have been given a year to prove himself.

Now we have no other choice but to stick with Agar as I doubt the club has the money to pay him off.

IMO we should have gone for Millward, I like the way he gets his team to play and he has has the ability to attract the top players from the NRL. Ok he didnt have much success as Wigan, but who has recently?

Saying all that Agar needs to be given until the end of the season IMO, he needs to make sure that he brings in a top class Fullback and scrumhalf.

With the team we have I always expected our season to be like this, I just wish we would our brains more and try and play some rugby.

But there isnt one available at the moment.

I would use the salary cap and quota place for a new Fullback and SH to replace Tony, Cusack, Bryne and Thorman.

And have Effy and Crocker in our pack.

New FB
Calderwood.
Briscoe/Hall
Yeaman
Raynor
Horne
New SH.
Dowes.
Berrigan
King
Crocker
Tickle
Washbrook

Manu
Effy
Thacks
Whiting.

Would be the team I would like to see next year.

Not to mention the fact that both Crocker and Lauaki have contracts that would need terminating/paying off.

Sat near to JR and TS the other day at the game and asked them about Crocks and its a simple case of, No visa-No contract.

Also both these two are not getting paid by the club at this time.
When the arrive with a visa, the contract starts and they then can get paid !

King and Thackray wouldn't be in my 17 for next year if I was in charge. Thacks has been better than King and while I think the latter is a poor player, the former isn't exactly tearing trees up. I also think if we can get Tony signed up then it would be great. He is a very good player for us there, and that isn't a problem position. I agree about a new 7 though, we desperately need one. I still think we need a centre as well. Not a long term one but someone in the Domic/Barnett role, in temrs of experience and age (Bell would have been very good for us, despite him not exactly looking stunning for Catalans atm. I would even be tempted by a new 13 (a ball handling one) as I'm not too sure of Washbrook nowadays and feel we really lack a player of that description. We have always looked best in the past when J.Smith, Lupton or Cooke played at 13

New FB
New centre
I'd keep Radford in place of King at prop.
Preston Campbell (Titans)
Whiting at 13

Indeed. However, if we were to pull the plug and a visa then arrived, we would effectively be in breach.

The agreements signed will not have included a clause that says 'if we get bored waiting for your visa to come through we can get rid'.

At the moment we have only offered them a contract of employment with a clause being they must obtain a visa before the contract can be signed. We can at any time retract that offer of employment as no contract has been signed because they dont have a visa.
We cant be in breach of a contract as one hasnt been signed.
Also other clubs have spoken to Crocker with a view to his plan B. Clubs would strictly not be able to do this if he was under contract.

To get back to the point though If we need the cash for a quality no 7 we will probably need some of the the cash which is to be spent on these two to lure one to our club !

Top Scrum half needed.
New Centre.
New Full back.
Crocker and Lauaki.
That may do the trick.

New coaching staff. Fresh ideas needed, too much one man, up the middle boring rugby.

World class SH.

Top centre

Radford not to get played at lock.

Mark O'Meley - Subject to a visa

please,not preston campbell,watched him at the weekend and is pretty much the same as what we have got.

wouldnt mind titans no 8 though,he is class.

Preston Campbell is a good runner of the ball very fast, may not be the best creative player around but would still have him over Thorman without a doubt. There arn't alot of 7's out there at the minute who are available and are world class.

All this talk of Orford being available, well thats not likely to happen now as he is due to re sign with Manly.

Hmmmmmmmmmm!!



Could this be the reason, of the initial application being rejected??

Maybe Chris 28, could enlighten us,

if the employee has no valid contract, Would a visa application would be refused??.

IF the sole reason for rejection,was his previous misdemeanour,

Why re-apply again???

His teammate, Scott Prince is a better option.

prince = rovers