After recently watching again the video of our first season at the KC in 2003, I have to ask where is the improvement over that time on the playing field?

Bearing in mind that first seasons playing staff (at the KC) were mostly recruited whilst at the Boulevard playing on front of 7,500 fans (ish). We have since our move probably doubled our season pass holders? Revenue from shirt/merchandise sales has increased hugely. Given all of that, when you look to compare the two teams, have we gone backwards? When you think this was six years ago it warrants some thought.

Just to remind of a few players we had then and bear in mind in some games these players took the field together!

Stevie Prescott - solid and tremondous try scoring support player.

Colin Best - specialist winger of real quality.

Richie Barnett snr - high class centre.

Toah K Love - not the greatest but still a very decent centre.

Tony Smith - specialist number 7 anyone? great distribution.

Richard Horne - still here and looks our best bet of breaking the line.

Paul Cooke - Love him or loathe him, he made us tick!

Jason Smith - the one and only, watch the old vids, see how good on his day he really was - a master and truly world class performer!

We then had Treister join us mid way through. All these players were capable of splitting defences. We now have really only RH and Berro that would get anywhere near those players.

All these players playing on tha back of a pack that contained Maher, a youthful King, Greenhill etc. Some great watchable rugby. OK the side underachieved big style but boy did we score some great tries. Shaun McRea encouraged a much more expansive game than we have now.

I just wonder how our current crop would cope with that amount of class. Seems we dont have it now imo. Where has it all gone wrong - if indeed it has?

There hasnt been any.

That squad all played well as a team. They were organised and disciplined (even Greenhill most of the time) unlike this years lot.

The side now are a mish mash of quality, youth and rejects from other clubs all thrown together and expected to get it right.

We did progress but then we took about 5 steps backwards from the start of last season.

It needs sorting quickly but I'm not sure we have the people to sort it.

It beats me how we can go five unbeaten and then fall apart.

TBF think we have made fantastic progress as a business off the field, and even on the field we have reached 3 finals but the team player for player actually looks weaker imo and lacking the craft and creativity that a team with the 1-7 thats been named above with J Smith at 13.

Because like Hull City did we caught a few teams at the right time, early in the season. Now like them we are being shown for what we really are and that is not very good.

Yup, ive said it elsewhere too, Richard Agar, the Phil Brown of Super League.

Without the perma-tan

All the players you mention played one postion 90% of the time now a days they want props playing fullback and vice versa!


But you make a valid point and one FC should be looking at i do think P. Sharp signing could be a big problem in all this!

Conversely, maybe the last 5 teams have caught us at the right time

The problem is we are coached to play a certain way and we simply dont have the players to play in that style. Realistically a coach needs a minimum of 2 years to get the players he wants in and playing the style of rugby he wants.

The first 5 would have done too if they hadnt been at their wrong time!!

Was saying similar yesterday. We've hardly had a "settled" side all season and some are playing in multiple positions each game.

I'm sure I saw Horney at loose man yesterday

Thorman was in at 1, 6, 7 and 13. Berrigan came on and played at 9, 6 and somewhere in the centres.

Can we not just have a sensible gameplan that allows people to play in their strongest position (awaits sarky comments

)? I know that when we had Jason Smith, he, Judas and Horney used to swap around but it's getting too much now and, I think, is confusing the players.

We could do with Jason Smith and Richie Barnett Snr right now!

Richie Barnett Snr THE player for me - he knew how to break the line, draw the man and pass to his winger.....like previously mentioned watch some of the try's we scored....brilliant.

The comparison between the two sides in an embarrassment and that for me is what is so damn frustrating with this current set up!

i'm suprised no one has mentioned richard swain, i know he didnt join till 2004 but in my opinion we are missing his leadership big time

They have.....

different thread

We started going backwards in terms of player quality when McRae left and Kear almost doubled the size of the squad. Sharpe simply carried on with the same iffy recruitment policies. The CC win in 2005 and GF appearance in 2006 were largely down to some inspirational performances and players hitting 100% in key games. They served to mask the problem for a while, but now the chickens are home to roost.

To be fair to him, Agar has tried to make some steps to rectify the situation but has been hampered by existing contracts and visa problems. This season is really all about hanging in there until changes can be made in 2010.

Back to square one again I'm afraid.

Yep. On a thread concerning possible coach replacements

this thread is about how our playing staff has not made any progress not our coaching staff