Re: RADFORD OUT : Sun Apr 09, 2017 8:45 am  

It's not an excuse for the performance but for over half the match on Friday we had missing:

Both our first choice centres
Our first choice stand off
Our only hooker
2 of our 4 first choice props
Our captain and talisman

Add in losing our first choice scrum half and first choice full back for 10 minutes each and there's no surprise we lose but, as I say, the manner of defeat was unacceptable

I don't like back loaded contracts. It's robbing peter to pay paul and just stores up problems for later. I have to say I'm surprised we're doing it after one of the main criticisms of the previous coach was the lack of VFM on the salary cap and although we now have a good first 17, if that's using all of our cap then you're asking for trouble when your squad lacks any real depth of experience.

We just have to hope that the injury situation doesn't get any worse and we can get 3 or 4 back for leeds and keep the squad relatively fit over the next few weeks or we'll be scratting around at the bottom of the top 8 and the season will be over in July

Re: RADFORD OUT : Sun Apr 09, 2017 12:12 pm  

Take the stand off, hooker and loose man out of any team and they will struggle. People are going on about our squad depth being under strength. Wigan with arguably the best youth set up have lost their last three matches playing three or four youngsters. We have lost two matches abd sit fourth. I am happy with how we are going. We are not playing particularly well and sit fourth. I'll take that any day

Re: RADFORD OUT : Sun Apr 09, 2017 4:28 pm  

Irregular Hoops wrote:

Radford has been the first coach in years to bring on young players. If Gentle was here, we'd be watching the likes of McDonnell and Youngquest turning out.
Not only are we a number of players down, they happen to be our best and most influential players.
Let's see how things pan out before turning the knife into the coaching team. Last time I looked, nothing was won in April. Let's see were teams like Cas and Salford are when they pick up injuries to crucial players.

So Gentle never played Lineham, Crooks, Bowden, Green, Hadley, Shaul, Thompson, okay whatever, Genetle had to utilise what we had, he played youngsters all over the park through necessity, we got to the play-offs and a CC final with two shocking injury strewn seasons with a new coach or did you forget just how many players that came through under Gentle?

Gentle had only the beginnings of the new academy system, Radford has now had what 5/6 years worth of Pearson investment in the academy and yet no players have come through since he took taken charge, that's a fact and due to his lack of bringing players through and the academy not producing players good enough (the list of players leaving is growing ever longer due to being discarded by Radford).

I'm not saying the loss is the be all and end all for this season, I've not over=reacted but what Kirk Dixon said on RH is spot on, many on here can see the wide gap between our youngsters and the first XVII selections otherwise those very posters wouldn't be stating that we lost X,Y,Z, we didn't lose them, we still had 17 players, we just didn't have players with enough quality/experience on show. Compare to how well Cas and Wigan have done of late with masses of injuries our showings have being well below that.

Will those youngsters get better, hopefully, will they become part of the XVII on a regular basis, who knows but so far Radford hasn't brought anyone through in over 3 years to do so, unlike the coach before him.

Is this a crisis, no, we've lost 2 and drawn one, however if we cannot change what we are doing on the field to cover for injured/missing players and behind the scenes to change the mentality of the players and improve on the discipline and error strewn rugby we have witnessed so far this season then it's not ideal is it?

One season success that is bought at the cost of success further down the line is very bittersweet, I just hope that isn't the case.

Re: RADFORD OUT : Sun Apr 09, 2017 4:52 pm  

knockersbumpMKII wrote:

So Gentle never played Lineham, Crooks, Bowden, Green, Hadley, Shaul, Thompson, okay whatever, Genetle had to utilise what we had, he played youngsters all over the park through necessity, we got to the play-offs and a CC final with two shocking injury strewn seasons with a new coach or did you forget just how many players that came through under Gentle?

Gentle had only the beginnings of the new academy system, Radford has now had what 5/6 years worth of Pearson investment in the academy and yet no players have come through since he took taken charge, that's a fact and due to his lack of bringing players through and the academy not producing players good enough (the list of players leaving is growing ever longer due to being discarded by Radford).

I'm not saying the loss is the be all and end all for this season, I've not over=reacted but what Kirk Dixon said on RH is spot on, many on here can see the wide gap between our youngsters and the first XVII selections otherwise those very posters wouldn't be stating that we lost X,Y,Z, we didn't lose them, we still had 17 players, we just didn't have players with enough quality/experience on show. Compare to how well Cas and Wigan have done of late with masses of injuries our showings have being well below that.

Will those youngsters get better, hopefully, will they become part of the XVII on a regular basis, who knows but so far Radford hasn't brought anyone through in over 3 years to do so, unlike the coach before him.

Is this a crisis, no, we've lost 2 and drawn one, however if we cannot change what we are doing on the field to cover for injured/missing players and behind the scenes to change the mentality of the players and improve on the discipline and error strewn rugby we have witnessed so far this season then it's not ideal is it?

One season success that is bought at the cost of success further down the line is very bittersweet, I just hope that isn't the case.

Maybe the players "discarded" had a bad attitude?

Re: RADFORD OUT : Sun Apr 09, 2017 5:29 pm  

Jake the Peg wrote:

It's not an excuse for the performance but for over half the match on Friday we had missing:

Both our first choice centres
Our first choice stand off
Our only hooker
2 of our 4 first choice props
Our captain and talisman

Add in losing our first choice scrum half and first choice full back for 10 minutes each and there's no surprise we lose but, as I say, the manner of defeat was unacceptable

I don't like back loaded contracts. It's robbing peter to pay paul and just stores up problems for later. I have to say I'm surprised we're doing it after one of the main criticisms of the previous coach was the lack of VFM on the salary cap and although we now have a good first 17, if that's using all of our cap then you're asking for trouble when your squad lacks any real depth of experience.

We just have to hope that the injury situation doesn't get any worse and we can get 3 or 4 back for leeds and keep the squad relatively fit over the next few weeks or we'll be scratting around at the bottom of the top 8 and the season will be over in July

Maybe not even that good. Rovers unofficial forum discussing sending us down in the MPG. TBH if that's the price for Wembley last year I'd still take it.

Re: RADFORD OUT : Sun Apr 09, 2017 5:36 pm  

knockersbumpMKII wrote:

So Gentle never played Lineham, Crooks, Bowden, Green, Hadley, Shaul, Thompson, okay whatever, Genetle had to utilise what we had, he played youngsters all over the park through necessity, we got to the play-offs and a CC final with two shocking injury strewn seasons with a new coach or did you forget just how many players that came through under Gentle?

Gentle had only the beginnings of the new academy system, Radford has now had what 5/6 years worth of Pearson investment in the academy and yet no players have come through since he took taken charge, that's a fact and due to his lack of bringing players through and the academy not producing players good enough (the list of players leaving is growing ever longer due to being discarded by Radford).

I'm not saying the loss is the be all and end all for this season, I've not over=reacted but what Kirk Dixon said on RH is spot on, many on here can see the wide gap between our youngsters and the first XVII selections otherwise those very posters wouldn't be stating that we lost X,Y,Z, we didn't lose them, we still had 17 players, we just didn't have players with enough quality/experience on show. Compare to how well Cas and Wigan have done of late with masses of injuries our showings have being well below that.

Will those youngsters get better, hopefully, will they become part of the XVII on a regular basis, who knows but so far Radford hasn't brought anyone through in over 3 years to do so, unlike the coach before him.

Is this a crisis, no, we've lost 2 and drawn one, however if we cannot change what we are doing on the field to cover for injured/missing players and behind the scenes to change the mentality of the players and improve on the discipline and error strewn rugby we have witnessed so far this season then it's not ideal is it?

One season success that is bought at the cost of success further down the line is very bittersweet, I just hope that isn't the case.

Gentle wanted to bin Shaul that's why he signed Mccdonell, luckily Radford talked him around, same with Lineham as Gentle wanted to sign Youbgquest to replace him, again Radders spoke out.

Thompson was hardly a home ground youngster, whilst he did play the likes of Bowden and Green how much have they improved under Radford.

So my that reckoning about 5 people made their debut under Gentle?

Litten, Turgut, Fash, Logan, Abdul, Downs, Masi and Lancaster have all played debuted for Radford.

You keep saying the same thing over again, but have no real point, Radfords job is the win games and play the best team, bring and develop youngsters when they are ready by playing the odd game, which to me he is doing.

Re: RADFORD OUT : Sun Apr 09, 2017 5:51 pm  

Mrs Barista wrote:

Maybe not even that good. Rovers unofficial forum discussing sending us down in the MPG. TBH if that's the price for Wembley last year I'd still take it.

The one where you need 11 fingers and a single digit IQ to join? Actually, it would almost be another great season if we did play them in the £ million game and won with a golden point drop goal

Re: RADFORD OUT : Sun Apr 09, 2017 5:53 pm  

Dave K. wrote:

Gentle wanted to bin Shaul that's why he signed Mccdonell, luckily Radford talked him around, same with Lineham as Gentle wanted to sign Youbgquest to replace him, again Radders spoke out.

Thompson was hardly a home ground youngster, whilst he did play the likes of Bowden and Green how much have they improved under Radford.

So my that reckoning about 5 people made their debut under Gentle?

Litten, Turgut, Fash, Logan, Abdul, Downs, Masi and Lancaster have all played debuted for Radford.

You keep saying the same thing over again, but have no real point, Radfords job is the win games and play the best team, bring and develop youngsters when they are ready by playing the odd game, which to me he is doing.

Indeed, he led us to a CC victory at Wembley, its always his fault when we lose, but scant praise when we win. SL is wide open, lets all cast judgement in a couple of months.

Re: RADFORD OUT : Sun Apr 09, 2017 6:14 pm  

Jake the Peg wrote:

The one where you need 11 fingers and a single digit IQ to join? Actually, it would almost be another great season if we did play them in the £ million game and won with a golden point drop goal

Don't be rude. We have a lovely time on there.

[Karen]

Re: RADFORD OUT : Mon Apr 10, 2017 11:32 am  

Tarquin Fuego wrote:

10 tries at home against an average side

You can tell you've not watched Salford at all this season. I said in the pre season friendly that they were finally playing like a team and not 17 individuals, and their ability to keep the ball alive is fantastic. They are the only team to have taken points off Castleford so I have to ask, what is so average about them??