Jimmy's One Year Anniversary : Wed Jun 24, 2015 5:54 am  

it was 12 months ago today that Jimmy Lowes was announced as the new Bulls coach. How do people feel about the last 12 months? Personally I feel optimistic about the future of the club. We have an owner who, while not some sugar daddy, is a very competent business man who has brought in staff who know what they are doing and have put the club on a firm financial footing. We still have a good academy producing top quality young players as well as a positive attitude in the dressing room meaning players want to be here even in the 2nd division

[Bulliac]

Re: Jimmy's One Year Anniversary : Wed Jun 24, 2015 8:32 am  

I feel happier now than I did then. The future looks stable, and after the last few years we can ask for little more. Promotion would be the icing on the cake, of course, but SL or not, the club is better now than it has been for some time.

Re: Jimmy's One Year Anniversary : Wed Jun 24, 2015 1:58 pm  

The club is in a good place. Marc Green has been a miracle worker when you think where we were 12 month a go.

On the pitch, Jimmy's done a good job. Think it says about him as a coach with the praise he constantly gets from the players and seems to be big reason why a lot re-signed last year.

Re: Jimmy's One Year Anniversary : Wed Jun 24, 2015 2:34 pm  

Happy at where the club is as a whole, still not convinced Jimmy was the right appointment though.
I don't think his coaching ability has been properly tested yet. Perhaps the only time so far has been away to Leigh, when you could argue that Paul Rowley out-coached him with the half time team talks.
The true test of Jimmy's ability is coming over the next two months or so. Time will tell.

Re: Jimmy's One Year Anniversary : Wed Jun 24, 2015 3:40 pm  

Nothus wrote:

Happy at where the club is as a whole, still not convinced Jimmy was the right appointment though.
I don't think his coaching ability has been properly tested yet. Perhaps the only time so far has been away to Leigh, when you could argue that Paul Rowley out-coached him with the half time team talks.
The true test of Jimmy's ability is coming over the next two months or so. Time will tell.

Don't think Rowleys outcoached Lowes at all. Did Lowes outcoach Rowley in the first half? If Purtell grounds that ball early in the second half then we pull away from Leigh. We learnt a lot in that game and hopefully we'll out the record straight in the game at Odsal.

Not much Jimmy can do once the players can cross the line.

But I agree, the acid test is in the next two months.

Re: Jimmy's One Year Anniversary : Wed Jun 24, 2015 5:12 pm  

Think he's been a good addition on the whole. The team seem to have belief in him and if he can persuade the guys to stay regardless of Championship rugby, that says a lot.

I do have some doubts but at the moment they are minor compared to the ones I had about Franny Cummins. Firstly, his attitude when dealing with the press is less than desirable. He's a straight talker but I think its a bit unfair how he takes the mickey out of certain players, especially when they have been playing quite well (I take Ryan Shaw as an example).

I also don't get why there has not been as much squad rotation as first expected. We have a huge squad yet its the same 18-19 players each week. I thought the idea was that players that under performed had to look over their shoulder. This doesn't seem to be happening which is perhaps why the 80mins performances aren't there.

Walshaw, Taharoui and Fleming all seemed to be making progress, yet no where to be seen. Davies, Ulugia, Halifini and Peterson can be added to that list too. They must be wondering how rubbish Crossley and Lauaki have to be to get a sniff.

Just hope that it doesnt end up in burn out at the time where we need to be fresh and firing on all cylinders!!!

Re: Jimmy's One Year Anniversary : Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:17 am  

I would also say he has made a good start remembering the position we were in. I still have some doubts that I hope he can dispel in the coming months. I wonder how a third of the squad must be feeling when they are clearly not one of his favourites which means they hardly ever get a game. I also think we should be playing more consistently now - 80 minutes not just 40 with only a few weeks left. We are still struggling against mid table championship teams who themselves have no chance of getting into the play off's. Yes they do lift their game but all teams should do that and I suspect the four desperate SL clubs might just lift their game also. If we don't go up this season Jimmy will be safe but if we continue to struggle to play 80 mins next year he may have a problem as some fans will start talking about alternatives. I hope this doesn't happen as he will always be a legend to me along with many others from the last 20 years. Unfortunately, this is also a business and the coach does need to get us up as we just can't survive being another Halifax, Keighley etc. We must go up in the next few years or we may end up stuck here long term.

Re: Jimmy's One Year Anniversary : Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:50 am  

Considering where Jimmy started with the Club in free fall at the time, he's doing ok, but like the Squad he's having to develop his style of Coaching to get the type of Rugby he wants to see on the field of play. I don't think any of the Squad that haven't had much or any first team play so far are put out because I would reckon Jimmy laid it on the line at the start of the season what he expected and the challenge was there for all to take, some did some didn't and injuries took some out of the reckoning. His media style is certainly a bit rough round the edges but a hell of a lot better than Maccas ever was. Along with Rhino he is definitely old school in the basics but they are both open to the modern part of the game as well. As the late great Jack Gibson said, "if its right at the Front Office it will be right on the Field" so Marc Green is certainly getting that right, which will make Jimmy's job that much easier, which is something that Macca. Mick or Franny ever had.