I originally posted this list on Good Friday 2009, after we were beaten by Rovers...

[iWatching today, in my opinion, here's a starter list of the BASIC things that need improvement.

1. Play the ball is too slow. By the time the dummy half has picked it up, the other team has advanced the 10 and is on top of us.
2. In contrast, our defence doesn't move up. Instead we wait for the attacking team, giving them easy yards every tackle.
3. One man rugby. Because of 1, our attack tends to be drive, drive, drive, drive, under pressure kick.
4. Our attacking kicks were terrible. Not only were the kicks poorly positioned, the chasing was equally poor.
5. No enthusiasm in returning kicks. Compare Sean Briscoe running head down full tilt to Craig Hall's gambolling amble.
6. Here's an easy one. Poor penalty kicks to touch. 10 metres each time. You can hear the crowd's groans.
7. Defending high kicks. Is there a single player in the hull team who can field a high kick ? Easy tactics for the other team.
8. Straight down the middle. Do our wingers ever get a pass ?
9. No enthusiasm. In the first half, Hull KR wanted it, we didn't.
10. Laziness. In the first five games, our second row were on fire, they now don't look interested. Is this because they were expecting the arrival of Crocker/Lauki and were playing for places. Now that it looks like neither is arriving any time soon, the effort has gone.
[/i

Can any of these items be removed from this list ?

Worse, can we add any new ones ?

Yes - you can remove Crocker from the list

And Craig Hall, where did he end up?

We're better but still nowhere near as good as we should be with the players at the club

We have improved but impressions at the minute are that we have not improved significantly enough. We have a nice easyish run now till July and July will make or break our season.

Shouldnt have been released and would still have him over Sharp.

We are great at training sessions

Nothing will change until Agar goes. End of.

I have said it before,maybe we should pay to watch those,and miss the matches?

So basicly,nothing is going to change.

1 Teams use the wrestle technique now to slow attacking teams down Hudds, Wire , Wigan all do this to great effect . I would say Hull is one of the slowest teams in ball movement .
2. I agree ,Line speed has been poor for ages and hasn't improved one bit.
3. Agar has tried to move away from this with a bit of success but the handling skills of some of the players lets the side down. This aspect of our game hasn't improved either , Maybe we need a handling coach !
4. Hopefully , A new half will next season will rectify this.
5. Part of the game I'm not to bothered about as long as the ball is returned safely .
6. Why the hell doesn't Tickle or Westerman do this job permanently .
7. It still needs to improve .
8, Were two slow as a team to create space and get around sides .
9 & 10 . We've seen both already this season .

I'd say we can remove 3, 5, 8, 9 & 10. So that's an improvement in 50% of your list. Sadly the other 50% doesn't look like being addressed any time soon if yesterday was anything to go by.

Problem is though at times, when trying to get it outside to the centres and wingers, we panic far to early in the tackle count and make mistakes. TBH, don't think I have seen so many bad passes and knock ons in a game from FC (against HUdds) for a long time. We have been poor but not made that many errors with ball in hand.

His defence was shocking, and him and sharp are like for like, so why would you have him over Sharp? personally thought Hall was not good enough, nor is Sharp, would rather have kept Calderwood

You make some valid points in your list which I agree with.

We were below par yesterday and to improve on last year need to be far better in some areas than we were. Going backwards is bad. Yesterday we went backwards offensively.

One question for you. Why, like others, do you ask these questions after a defeat ?
Why don't you start praise threads when we win well - for example over Easter home and away ? Or are your questions not valid when we win ?

I ask now because I am (one of the minority) who is still boycotting games whilst Agar is in charge. I haven't been to a game this season and the only games I get to see are the ones on Sky.

From watching the game yesterday, I see a squad list with improved personnel but lacking direction, ideas and a game plan.

From what I've seen, there's not been enough of an improvement during Agar's tenure to convince me that I'm wrong with my boycott. As the board are primarily interested in profit over performance, I will withhold my money until they replace the weakest link at this club.

Fair enough your choice but it doesn't answer why you withhold your criticism when the team gets a good win but lay into them when they lose.



What evidence do you have that there was no plan ? Is there a possibility that there was a plan - which involved hitting Hudds hard and often - something which we actually achieved ? Did the plan assume that the players would execute the basic catching and passing that is required at SL level ? The same level the players achieved over Easter ? A completion rate that would help nullify our obvious disadvantage we take into every game from a kicking game perspective ? Or is it that when we win it's the players that gain the win without a plan, but when we lose it's the coach who doesn't provide one ?



I'd never boycott personally but you may be right about the lack of improvement. Harder than ever to beat last year's finish now.



If they were only interested in profit they wouldn't have paid transfer fees for Tansey, Westerman, and Obst. Nor would they spend to maximum cap. They wouldn't invest in the community side of the club. The evidence is the opposite of what you claim in this respect.

Of the three,Calders is the better player I.M.O.

The bit about the board is laughable. If we were doing well in the league and had announced a massive loss no doubt the Board would be in trouble for not being prudent, but because at least off the field we are balancing the books, they are apparently only interested in profit!

yes

I guess the accuracy of your comment depends on where your reference point is being taken from. Personally were behind from where we were 4/5 years ago, with no signs of that changing anytime soon.