I am one of the stay aways this year and last, only saw a handfull of games last year and wasn't massively impressed with what I saw and the direction the club headed. This year with the troubled off season I have felt less and less inclined to go, the current results and the restricted off season recruitment has seen me in a position of only paying a passing interest to even the scores.
I think Sunday has to be the darkest day for the Dons within in my tenure as a supporter (started 1986). I was there when we lost to Halifax and they were a professional club of the same level as us, Siddal are technically 2 tiers below us in the RL pyramid and clearly are a well coached and well drilled side. I would like to congratulate them on an excellent result for amateur rugby. I think the failure to score is the most damming part of the result.
We have lost to a amatuer side in the past - Featherstone Lions in 1997/8 but it was in no way as damming a result as this.
We seem to be in freefall on the pitch now and its approaching the anniversary of our last victory. The comments from people I read seem to lean towards the fact we are playing one out barge rugby, well all I can say to that its that the coach wasnt known for his passing ability during his playing days, infact I think I fainted when I saw him pass once.
We missed out on getting a good coach on board last year in Karl Harrison, who as really turned around Batley again with limited resources, we need to fine someone similar who can work the same magic with us and who has good contacts in both the professional and amateur game so we can move on Saturdays result. We need someone who is used to working with small amounts of funds and getting the best from what he has, these coaches do exist we've had one before....Tony Fisher and Ian Brook crafted a very good side based on a very low budget and they always played with some fire in their bellies. Thats the kind of coach we need at the moment not a "clipboard tactician".
As an outsider to the club at the moment I hear nothing from the club on how its going to address what can only be seen as one of the most embarrassing results in the clubs troubled history.