: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:06 am  

I imagine you'll do better next year because you'll be scrapping for every point from the start. I get the feeling that the coaching staff didn't take a lot of clubs as seriously as they should have in the early part of the season, and only really raised games against Leeds and Saints.

: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:09 am  

Bullseye wrote:

Powell deserves credit for brining those kids through by 2003 Leeds were only a whisker behind the Bulls.

It felt like a lot more than a whisker when you beat us 5 times in that season

Some credit should go to El Presidente for getting the youth policy going and predicting that Leeds would be World Champs. He was right, although his prediction came a few years too late IIRC.

[Bullseye]

: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:11 am  

Trimalchio wrote:

I imagine you'll do better next year because you'll be scrapping for every point from the start. I get the feeling that the coaching staff didn't take a lot of clubs as seriously as they should have in the early part of the season, and only really raised games against Leeds and Saints.

Without us recruiting any real quality we'll just be the same as this year. From game one we've struggled creatively and in defence we've had problems out wide. We've lacked impact off the bench too.

: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:14 am  

J.I.M wrote:

LOL

That's only because they ALREADY have a good team in place.

You are sh*t.

Back before leeds came good, they didn't make the grade so they had a clear out, powell went, the experienced players were let go and youth came in.

Substle changes aren't good when your team is terrible.

Go and be a prat on your own time, eh?

Regarding your first point - I never suggested otherwise - indeed, it was implicit in what I said.

Regarding youth coming in - that is precisely what the Bulls are doing but it takes time from a standing start. We are in the same position that you lot were a few years ago, when Hetherington came in and started developing the academy. It took you a few years before your golden crop came through; same here.

I was responding to the argument that "...only way i could see the bulls acheiving anything next year is if they have a total clear out of players". I was pointing out the reasons both why that was impracticable as it stands, and that it generally takes a side with serious personnel changes a while to gel.

Sibbs Rhino's made a sensible and constructive contribution to the discussion - one with which many of our own fans would wholeheartedly agree if it was do-able. Why could you not do likewise, instead of trying to look clever?

: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:18 am  

Cibaman wrote:

Trying to be optimistic, we made quite a significant improvement in 1999 compared to 1998. We made some good signings, Henry Paul, TV, Naylor & Withers (and some fairly poor ones if IIRC), but we also saw young players such as Fielden, Deacon, Pryce & Peacock emerge.

If we do make a couple of good signings and the young players that have been blooded this year blossom we might see a significant improvement. But its a big if.

Sound reasoning (as usual) and I would go along with all that. But with the observation that in those days we did not seem to have the sort of constraints on what we could spend on players that we now have - for whatever reason. There was a time when we somehow seemed able to afford a team full of internationals...inside the cap.

[Bullseye]

: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:19 am  

Snake Eater's always a wind up artist when it concerns the Bulls.

: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:21 am  

Trimalchio wrote:

It felt like a lot more than a whisker when you beat us 5 times in that season

Some credit should go to El Presidente for getting the youth policy going and predicting that Leeds would be World Champs. He was right, although his prediction came a few years too late IIRC.

Disagree.

[gritted teeth mode]A LOT of credit IMO.[/gritted teeth mode]

: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:22 am  

Bullseye wrote:

Snake Eater's always a wind up artist when it concerns the Bulls.

I know. That's why I had no reservations about telling him what I thought!

: Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:07 pm  

There's a lot of good sense on this thread in amongst the inevitable trolling.

A key factor for me would be a realistic view of the 2010 season coming from the club, together with a whole fresh approach to PR. We need much better channels of communication from the club, including an end to the spin that gets trotted out when (as is inevitable) the team loses a match.

Of course, we don't know what goes on behind the scenes, but I would like to think that there will be some sort of post-season analysis from McNamara that let's the squad know in no uncertain terms how much they have let themselves, the club and the supporters down in 009. Nobody surely expected us to top the table and cut a swathe through the playoffs, but somewhere between 4th and 7th was being widely predicted and we should have at least been competitive through the season.

I'd like some honesty and genuine soul searching. Those players being let go should be told, and the news released by the club - then we can start to move on. The remaining players should be given proper off-season diet and training regimes so that they come back ready and pepped up for a good pre-season. By then, hopefully, we'll have a good backroom and fitness staff in place ready to make them suffer in pre-season, lol.

Realism for 2010 would be to continue to bring through Whitehead, Crookes and Donaldson, whilst also giving significant game time (not the last 4 minutes) to Olbison, Hyde, Crossley and maybe others, whilst remaining competitive and giving solid, pride-filled performances throughout. I would be happy with finishing in the Top 8, frankly. This is a time of rebuilding - we're not going to challenging at the top, let's be honest

Another key aspect for 2010 would be significant and demonstrable progress on the stadium. But that's not something that the club can easily deliver. However, what they CAN deliver is honest, realistic up-to-date information - not spin and marketing bluster...

: Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:25 pm  

paulwalker71 wrote:

snip..

Mostly points I agree with in principle.
It is difficult for a club (or any organisation for that matter) to put everything that goes on behind the scenes in the public domain. Nor would it be wise to IMO.

A huge part of going forward for me, is the OSV, this seems to be hanging over us and pulling the club down, with, I suspect, a great deal time and effort being used here instead of other areas of the business.

A post season review would be good, as would a preview to 2010.

I've a feeling some of the player issues will leave the club with those players exiting.

With regard to the young player’s only initially getting 4mins game time - don't get to hung up on that. It's about slowly introducing the players to the first team arena. See Donaldson & Whitehead.

On the subject of PR and Media; It shouldn't be forgotten that this is an area that has been massively cut in terms of budget and head count. People need to bear this in mind when having a gripe.

Better still, if you've an idea on how to improve it, then get it on the sticky!!