100% it is in my opinion.

Hes created a culture of player power IMO and mismanaged the salary cap.

When you think Smith had to give away our best player to sign a scrum half tells you the situation he inherited. 4 Hookers, 3 Full backs, 5 Centres but only 2 second rowers.

We can't keep changing the coach and we won't this time. I think Smith knows he's got a hell of a job on his hands. I do believe we are in a dog fight with wakey who goes done. Hopefully we can wheel and deal in the next few weeks. Maybe time to give a few of the youngsters a chance. Pearson has to take a fair share of responsibility but let's be honest without him we properly wouldn't have a club. Buckle up your belts it's gonna be a roller coaster

The old adage that you can not coach effort & determination has never been more true you either have pride in those things as an individual or you don’t. The majority of these players do not have any determination nor are they seemingly that bothered in regards to effort. Maybe part of the problem has been since winning the CC at Wembley they have believed their own hype and had their egos massaged by Radford, AP and Clarke enabling a poor culture evolve and grow.
As much as it will be difficult to shift any of these under performing lazy players it’s something that’s needs doing as a matter of urgency to remove the stench that is stinking out this club.
Smith as has been mentioned is likely experimenting to try and get improvement out the turds but much like rolling one in glitter it is still ultimately a turd. Think Smiths laid back style is being tested to its limits and the cancellation of time off shows his patience has worn thin with them. What is a surprise is this is the first time I can remember the players actually have a consequence for their so called efforts.
All we as fans ask for and want to see is a team play with effort & pride something that this bunch lack in barrow loads.

AP & Smith need to act quickly and cut a couple of players to try and give kick up the s to the rest, though even that probably wouldn’t bother some who have downed tools until their contracts run out.

I think hes tried dropping a few and it hasnt worked.

Big meeting needed with Shenton to identify which youngsters can come in and perform to a higher standard than whats on show.

Surely some of Balmforth, Staveley, Gardiner, Laidlaw, Wakakoke, Jebforth can do a better job than some of the current players.

For me Rovers line speed in defense was another level to ours.
I thought our forwards actually worked well at the start , but the gains were undone by bad organisation the last. Has to hit Clifford everytime thought dywer had a mare in that respect.
As Smith has said we just dont have the players or unity to cope under adversity.

Crying out for some leaders as theres none willing to galvanise the current lot. Also lacking major game smarts amongst the players, we need to be identifying some players with good rugby IQ.

Id like to see Brown in for Evans.
Balmforth on the bench
Staveley given a chance at loose forward.

What I can't fathom is that these players are playing for their futures. Most of the underperforming players contracts run out at the end of the season. The way things are at the moment is they have no chance of getting an extension with us but they are hardly putting themselves in the shop window to get one anywhere else. Or maybe they are simply not good enough anymore.

Obviously there needs to be some kind of shake up immediately. Maybe three or four need to be given a chance but you can't make wholesale changes despite the fact that the vast majority of the team deserve dropping.

Exactly if they can’t or won’t put the effort in for their own sakes then not a lot of hope of them putting any in it all. Think a few will likely retire so explains their body language and efforts, some probably sulking now their easy life and ruling the roost is over, some plainly not good enough and some either already plans are elsewhere after this season etc.

Laidlaw and Gardiner should be ahead of Evans as well.

Player power happens in all sports

Definitely happening at Hull fc last 5 years

All it would take is all super league teams to put things in a contract like possible termination of contract

Cause I hate player power , sport is the only industry where the main people can under perform and nothing happens to them

Players would still sign as majority would rather play rugby than work on a building site ( aka Jamie shaul )

Pearson got lucky for a couple of years because he had a top coach who could deliver some silverware and identify good players and the pulling power to get them on board. Apart from what Radders did for our club, Pearson's time here has been atrocious.

Pearson has always delivered the cash for new signings

How's it his fault the players not been a^sed?

I’d like to see Evans sent back to Oz now or, if that’s not possible, then played in the reserves until he goes a run of games without giving a penalty away



On the odd occasion we do put some effort into our defence he invariably gives a six again away or a penalty



We then have to do it all again and usually end up conceding.

Well then he's quite obviously wasted his money on bad decisions if that's the case.

I don't necessarily think "atrocious" is right. It's been, 2016/17 apart, not much different to the Hetherington/Rule era in terms of on the pitch delivery?

40 nil at home against your nearest and dearest. Radford got sacked for less.

Signed some good players in 2015-2017 but then he ended up signing the likes of Danny Langtree, Matty Dawson-Jones, Levi Nzoungou, Jordan Johnstone and Lewis Bienek.

And we are still paying for affects of Radfords tenure with ooor recruitment and old boys club much like Cas will.

Sadly Pearson had taken rugby advice from the wrong person starting with sacking Gentle then appointing Radford backing the wrong guy. If it hadn’t been for Motu and the players he brought in I doubt we’d have had any success as it was more the core group of leaders we had on the pitch rather than Rsdford that lead to the cup wins.

Yep worryingly it's been the same story under Hetherington and Pearson, a few good years with cup wins and promise followed by disappointing years missing the playoffs.

Shaun McRae once talked about a cancer at the club and I still don't think we know what causes a culture of poor performance (though McRae himself didn't help with some duff signings in his 2nd spell) players just seem to underwhelm at this club.

It was a damn sight lot more entertaining than the e we've been served since he's gone.

No one knows how signings will turn out until they play

Pearson hasn't got a crystal ball

Radford stayed too long and we are still paying the price for his poor choices of contract extensions. He should have gone after that long run of defeats in 2018.

The only thing I can say was he had a clear style, big blokes who barged it up with Sneyd providing pin point kicks. That style had most likely had it's day but we haven't adopted a better one to replace it, our players are now smaller but somehow not any faster or creative, we've lost the power aspect

A sensible,honest opinion as usual,I think that the last 30 secs of the first half,get 2pts in front of the sticks and your within 2 scores,surely somebody on or off the pitch,should have the brains to call it.Smith is as good a coach as there is,he improved us,but needs a mass clear out,to many old favourites and no savelio strange call.

We're crying out for a Swain/Fitzgibbon/Ellis type player, someone who leads from the front and can rally the players when things get tough...even sneyd had smarts about him and would have made good decisions like taking the two at the end of the first half

Yes it was baffling not to go for the 2 with such a small amount of time on the clock, it would have avoided the embarrassment of a nilling and as you say would have meant we'd have gone in 'just' 2 scores behind at the break and that changes the tone of the half time teamtalk

With Savelio I can only assume it's either a discipline issue or an injury they are keeping quiet as he has been one of our better players.

The not taking the 2 was mad. Especially when you look at the 2 'plays' we put on after the penalty