Not sure a play-off place is a cracking result. Looking at the squad we're probably the 7th or 8th best side in my opinion and if we don't make the play-offs there would be some massive questions to answer.

surely thats a contradiction of itself isnt it?? if you think were the 7th or 8th best then surely to you a playoff place would be a relief ??

I agree 100% but our squad isn't good enough to challenge for the top 4 and Agar has probably got more chance of a contract extension than the sack.

If he made top 4 he would deserve it 100% too

How is it a contradiction? If I think we're the 7th or 8th best that's where I'd expect us to finish. A contradiction would be me saying we've got the 4th best squad but expect us to finish 7th or 8th. The one thing I do think - and before you jump down my throat, it's only my opinion - is that we're not top four material.

The Top 2 squads are without doubt Wigan, Warrington. Leeds and St Helens are much the same, but both Leeds and St helens have new coaches., Huddersfield have better coach and half back options, but not sure a better squad. I would say Ours and Hull KR s squad are much the same too. Fully fit, Long is a far better scrum half than Dobson will ever hope to be, Blake green is an unknown, just like us using Turner at standoff. where we do lose out is coaching as Justin Morgan is better than Agar.

1. Agree

2. Plus better forwards of which some are in their prime.

3. Obviously Im not going to agree to that



4. Maybe some time ago but certainly not now!!!

So, if we subscribe to the theory, expounded by some on here, that all we need is a better coach. Then, why have these similar squads acheived the same, or worse, as us?

I think our squad would do better with a better coach, but just changing the coach would not turn them into a top 2, trophy-winning side.

Despite what some think, there is more to it than that.

re name the thread "crystal ball reading"
FFS agar got us to the playoffs last year and this season hasnt even started yet give over !!!

miss read my reply mate, wasnt jumping down your throat sorry if it came across that way

yes over the weekly rounds ( not knock out footie ) where did we end up compared to those teams then???

It's not just about the personell though, it's about the salary they were earning! I think the last couple of Sharpe's bad recruitment have now gone in Berrigan and Cusack. Then there's people like Yeaman earning vastly more than their market worth, we've only just had chance to put that right.


Where?


I wasn't a member then, so i doubt i contributed much tbh!


Now, something i can agree with you on, Agar has still failed to get us quality "7" cover. His recruitment this year started well with Westerman and Sharpe but has ended in disappointment.
This is the season were he succeeds or fails. We should be aiming for top 4 as a progression, but our squad on paper is 6th at best. If Agar can somehow get something more out of them to achieve top 4 then he deserves credit.

Somehow, because i don't see "everything" as Agar's fault i'm somehow an apologist. It really is quite silly.

To be honest, I think Webster could well be an improvement over Agar.

That was my point. No one knows yet how good, or bad, Agar will be. He will, quite rightly, be given this season, or the first part of it, to show us what he can, or can't, do.

He won't be seen to have failed.
He already has his hard luck excuses lined up for him.

We improved last year, that's a fact you can't deny, but it's certainly not finished. Agar plays a certain way, the players he brought in for last year helped make it more effective. As will Westerman and with Phelps we're [imaybe[/i a bit safer at the back


That's getting just as old as the "injuries" excuse tbh.


How can i answer that? It's a ridiculous question. Out of who is coaching in SL i would only choose Smith, Maguire and Brown ahead of Agar (although that say's more about the league than Agar).

We didn't need a crystal ball for sacking Tansey did we.
He let us down in the past, and there was little or no hope that he would change in the future.

(IMHO) the same with Agar.

His luck for last season, was that we had better players (credit) and a few great individual performances that won us a few games. We were also fortunate that a few other teams played well below par.

I saw zero, zilch, nada, evidence of any improved 'team' performance, or any glimpse of Agar proving his worth as a top SL coach.

I'd love to here how you've come to this.

I wouldn't take much to be an improvement

Just on this point, tell me which trophy it is possible to win without a knockout stage?

It's the biggest reason why I don't think Agar is capable of delivering silverware. In the real crunch games, we've looked second best and unable to change things.

Nope, lets have a club apologists only thread

Brilliant.

My point exactly, in the weekly rounds we were better than both teams mentioned which includes their so calledm super duper coaches and were beaten by the better team on the day in the knockouts
without any regular halfs and injuries all over the field
so my point is then that agar proved his worth over the weekly rounds and we were beaten in the knockout stage only as can happen to any team
Agar is a good young BRITISH coach , if you dont like him thats your opinion however the majority of fans i would guess are more than happy with our improvement and our imrpoved position last year , now he has to do it all again or better this year BUT if he makes the playoffs as far as any super league coach would be concerned that is the mission then knock out footie is a lottery as we know, but his brief is knock out stages and thats it

So you'd be happy if we finished 5th this year?