[Mild Rover]

The W word. : Sun Oct 11, 2020 9:41 am  

I was going to post something about the things I’d like to see the new Chair do but, because who they are, the amount of money they’ll have available and the situation they’ll face remain uncertain, there doesn’t seem much point.

However, I heard a retired NBA player (Chris Webber, probably one of the 100 best of all-time, had some controversies, played for a few teams, never won a championship) talking about what he looked for when changing teams. He said he was struck that he’d visit some places and they wouldn’t even talk about winning - something I feel has been very true of Rovers in recent years (honourable exception for 2017).

Sandercock would talk about having a red hot crack, which sounds painful but I know what he meant - giving our all in likely defeat against a team full of internationals. Chester talked about enjoying the Wembley experience (that went well!) rather than about trying to win the game. JP5YP. Sheens did really well initially, but was soon talking about ‘playing some footie’ and ‘losing but not being beaten’ (I’m sophisticated enough to understand the point but it is still a point about losing). Smith I think gets it and his choices have been very, very limited - but again he seems reluctant to frame things in terms of winning. I‘m not even talking about winning trophies here, just games. New players talk about playing in front of the East Stand or their admiration of the current coach but not about winning. Lots of fans talk about just wanting to see 100% effort. The last decade of Neil Hudgell’s chairmanship has been focused on building and sustainability.

So, the one thing I’d really like the new chair to try to do is break the taboo we seem to have about talking openly about wanting to win games and that being an important priority. It is, after all, kind of the point of professional sport.

Re: The W word. : Sun Oct 11, 2020 11:50 am  

Mild Rover wrote:

I was going to post something about the things I’d like to see the new Chair do but, because who they are, the amount of money they’ll have available and the situation they’ll face remain uncertain, there doesn’t seem much point.

However, I heard a retired NBA player (Chris Webber, probably one of the 100 best of all-time, had some controversies, played for a few teams, never won a championship) talking about what he looked for when changing teams. He said he was struck that he’d visit some places and they wouldn’t even talk about winning - something I feel has been very true of Rovers in recent years (honourable exception for 2017).

Sandercock would talk about having a red hot crack, which sounds painful but I know what he meant - giving our all in likely defeat against a team full of internationals. Chester talked about enjoying the Wembley experience (that went well!) rather than about trying to win the game. JP5YP. Sheens did really well initially, but was soon talking about ‘playing some footie’ and ‘losing but not being beaten’ (I’m sophisticated enough to understand the point but it is still a point about losing). Smith I think gets it and his choices have been very, very limited - but again he seems reluctant to frame things in terms of winning. I‘m not even talking about winning trophies here, just games. New players talk about playing in front of the East Stand or their admiration of the current coach but not about winning. Lots of fans talk about just wanting to see 100% effort. The last decade of Neil Hudgell’s chairmanship has been focused on building and sustainability.

So, the one thing I’d really like the new chair to try to do is break the taboo we seem to have about talking openly about wanting to win games and that being an important priority. It is, after all, kind of the point of professional sport.

Really good point MR...Winning teams thrive, losing ones don,t, end of. For me, it,s do what is necessary to win, don,t injure anyone, but do what is required to win. Perfect example(hate mentioning it) Million pound game, 8 points up, less than 3 minutes left, wind down the clock by whatever means, 1 minute to go and Salford have got to score, we should have sat on their players and conceded penalties, but no we let them get up quickly and the rest, well we all know is history, we get relegated, they thrive. I doubt many teams who are near the top would have let that happen, it seems to be in top teams psyche that they will not be beaten and will do whatever it takes to win, they sicken the opposition off and put doubt into their heads, just wish we had it. two or three extra wins a season can make a world of difference to the clubs standing and how any potential signings view the club. Because of that and our league positions since it,s hard to sign the really good players, with the odd exception. Seasons and fortunes turn on small instances like that. Maybe it,s a mental/attitude thing that top teams have that you tend to see when they play, little niggly actions that do effect the results and infuriate the opposition. Not saying the team is not trying and of course it,s down to the quality of players, but at times, certainly in the last few seasons, mentally the team has switched off at crucial times too often and it,s bitten us badly.
Bottom line, it,s about winning, not being gallant losers.

[Mild Rover]

Re: The W word. : Sun Oct 11, 2020 12:40 pm  

Aye Old Timer, the rich clubs exploit their wealth, the other poor clubs do what they have to compete as best they can and Rovers... try to build patiently?

I mean it is nice, but I’m not sure it is appropriate for Super League. I notice the pundits who advocate the be-poop-for-a-few-seasons patience approach tend not to do so for their own clubs.

Re: The W word. : Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:22 pm  

Mild Rover wrote:

Snip.

Good pep talk that.

Interesting Webber anecdote.

[Mild Rover]

Re: The W word. : Sun Oct 25, 2020 2:54 pm  

Wrote a joke. Deleted it before submitting because it was in bad taste.

Pretty miserable, this.

Re: The W word. : Sun Oct 25, 2020 3:53 pm  

Mild Rover wrote:

Wrote a joke. Deleted it before submitting because it was in bad taste.

Pretty miserable, this.

Couldn’t be as good as the joke Hudgell has been playing on you for the past few years. Remember to pull together and buy your pass for next year so they can dish up the same old slop. Hahaha

[Mild Rover]

Re: The W word. : Sun Oct 25, 2020 4:00 pm  

A Adler wrote:

Couldn’t be as good as the joke Hudgell has been playing on you for the past few years. Remember to pull together and buy your pass for next year so they can dish up the same old slop. Hahaha

Thank you for reminding me that things could always be worse.

Re: The W word. : Sun Oct 25, 2020 11:00 pm  

Mild Rover wrote:

Thank you for reminding me that things could always be worse.

Indeed, you could be A Adler, an abhorent person that people would prefer to wang rancid Laughing Cow at than converse.

An individual so foul that the local chickens would rather eat their own excrement than provide eggs.

A gormclops that the local al fresco drinkers, sitting under their bridges would rather fall into the canal and drown than debate with.