: Fri May 29, 2009 7:31 am  

tigertot wrote:

If all these future world-beating youngsters are only at Bradford due to Mac & he is converting them in a Dead Poets Society stylee perhpas the job for him is Director of Yoof Development. And I am semi-serious.

And I will ask a serious question to anyone who knows a bit more about it. (af, RER etc. )

If McNamara DID go, do you honestly think that all these young players would simply "take their ball home" and leave the club, and that the work that he is doing would simply be left to rot?

After all, it is widely believed that the board are passionate about the continuing youth development and surely such an ability would be a pre-requisite for any possible new coach?

Also, I worry about this youth development anyway if it is to be at to the detriment of the side. Cherry picking will always go on (we have done it often enough in the past) and what is to say that in two years time that we are so far out of the picture that our best young stars get snapped up by sides at the top of the table?

Don't get me wrong, youth development is hugely important but there has to be a happy medium so that it is not to the detriment of the first team, which looks to be the case at this time.

: Fri May 29, 2009 7:41 am  

af wrote:

2. You haven't named a replacement for SM, only stated he should go. When pressed you've suggested people we won't or wouldn't have got. AN Other is your candidate until you come up with another.

Dear me.

I have mentioned the likes of Tony Smith, Justin Morgan and Mr McDermott himself over the last year or so. Fair enough - we will not get Mr Smith or perhaps Mr Morgan now but we may have done when I first mentioned them as possibles, I don't know and cannot say.

However, I doubt it really matters to you WHO I say because you will just keep on saying that there is no guarantee that change would be for the better anyway so the whole exercise is futile.

: Fri May 29, 2009 9:10 am  

mystic eddie wrote:

Sorry WB, but points such as, "We could have won more than we had" or "How many losses were by less than 12 points?" are smacking of desperation I am afraid.

Maybe.

I was just trying to point out that we've hardly been the whipping boys of the comp, we just seem to have had more than our fair share of narrowly losing out.

I'm desperately searching for the answers, as we all are. Being ever the optimist means I'll always try and find a positive, much as others (with their glass half empty) will always find the negative. (That's not a dig btw).

I still persist with my view that we're not too far away and SM is the right man.

: Fri May 29, 2009 9:52 am  

Wigan Bull wrote:

I still persist with my view that we're not too far away and SM is the right man.

I consider myself pretty optimistic but I must confess I'm finding it increasingly hard to support the coach right now. I am certain he is working hard to sort this mess out and that he has put some good things in place at the club. We may well have a much stronger academy and I am sure McNamara can take a big chunk of the credit for this. But watching the Bulls each week, we're simply not progressing. We don't look pumped up for the fight in matches, we're lethargic and lacking spark.

If McNamara does not drop some of the under performers/less than 100%ers then surely he is on borrowed time? I have written this season off now, but we need to see some massive improvement on the pitch in this 2nd half.. otherwise I dread to think what sort of crowds we'll attract in 2010. I've heard all the excuses.. I've offered quite a few, but the coach and the players have to now stand up and back up their statements once and for all. If they fail, big changes surely have to be made to keep the fans on side, because they're the life of this club.

: Fri May 29, 2009 9:53 am  

Wigan Bull wrote:

I still say we'll make the 8

But are you still willing to bet anyone?

[Bullseye]

: Fri May 29, 2009 10:58 am  

Bully_Boxer wrote:

I consider myself pretty optimistic but I must confess I'm finding it increasingly hard to support the coach right now. I am certain he is working hard to sort this mess out and that he has put some good things in place at the club. We may well have a much stronger academy and I am sure McNamara can take a big chunk of the credit for this. But watching the Bulls each week, we're simply not progressing. We don't look pumped up for the fight in matches, we're lethargic and lacking spark.

If McNamara does not drop some of the under performers/less than 100%ers then surely he is on borrowed time? I have written this season off now, but we need to see some massive improvement on the pitch in this 2nd half.. otherwise I dread to think what sort of crowds we'll attract in 2010. I've heard all the excuses.. I've offered quite a few, but the coach and the players have to now stand up and back up their statements once and for all. If they fail, big changes surely have to be made to keep the fans on side, because they're the life of this club.

Couldn't put it better.

I would go further and hope that the club has a contingency plan in place in case we're still in the same position come July/August.

If the second half of this season is like the first we may as well write off next season too if we keep the same personnel

: Fri May 29, 2009 11:48 am  

Bullseye wrote:

Couldn't put it better.

I would go further and hope that the club has a contingency plan in place in case we're still in the same position come July/August.

If the second half of this season is like the first we may as well write off next season too if we keep the same personnel

Im with you Mr Bullseye. If we'r in this position come the end of the season we might be getting worried about franchises

: Fri May 29, 2009 12:50 pm  

tigertot wrote:

But are you still willing to bet anyone?

Yes!

: Fri May 29, 2009 1:23 pm  

Wigan Bull wrote:

Yes!

After putting FA to the charidy betting sword last week I'm severely tempted. What odds are you offering?

: Fri May 29, 2009 1:45 pm  

Ancient Provocateur wrote:

Im with you Mr Bullseye. If we'r in this position come the end of the season we might be getting worried about franchises

IF the same criteria were applied next time as this, then you'd be looking at last year, this year and next year as basis years. Looking at the criteria (if these are the fin al ones...someone correct me if I am wrong):


1. A stadium capacity of at least 12,000;

2. An average crowd of 10,000 or more;

3. An average crowd that fills at least 40% of a club's stadium capacity;

4. A turnover of at least £4 million per annum;

5. Solvency, in accordance with accounting definitions of solvency, although this criterion can be satisfied if there is a written owner's guarantee of the club's debts;

6. A reasonable playing strength, which is likely to be satisfied if the club has finished the season in the top eight in each of the last three years;

7. A reasonable contribution to junior development, judged by the number of scholarships and the performances of the club's under-21 and under-18 Academy teams in the last three years;

8. The stadium meeting the standard of a premier sporting competition, which is judged on the quality and quantity of its facilities in accordance with detailed criteria;

9. Geographical position: clubs that are more than 20 miles away from any other Super League club will be allocated one point on this criterion;

10. Compliance with salary cap regulations. Specifically, clubs must not have incurred any beach of the salary cap in the last three years.

We received a B licence (5-7 points) so we must have dropped at least 3 points - I presume it was 8,9 & 10 we failed on? In which case we were at the top of the B list.

IF crowds average below 10k for this year and next year (IF...) and IF we finish well outside the top 8 this year and next year (IF...) then we would likely drop 3 points (2,3,6) and regain a point (10) so we'd have what...5 points? That would still have given us a B-grade, just...with still 8 clubs below us. But the big questions would be:

1. How many clubs would have climbed the ladder and passed us?
2. Will the criteria have changed for next time (One of the questions I emailed Duffy was about this).

What does seem clear is that if the two IFs I postulated DID come to pass, we'd be on a much stickier wicket than last time. Lets just hope the performances and attendances improve so we achieve 2,3 &6.