As much as I wanted to, I purposely refrained from posting for a few days as just like 99 percent of this forum, I was bitterly upset, angry (insert superlative here) about Saturday. Like really, really down about it for days.

After having a few days to think about it, yes I'm still disappointed we couldn't take what was a huge opportunity but I've taken the time time to have a think about recent years and our improvement this season.

Last year we were dull, really dull to watch and our performances and final league standing backed that up. Yes the attacking rugby certainly wasn't as fluent towards the end of this year than it was at the beginning, but multiple injuries, knocks and bumps to Sandow and Gidley certainly won't have helped in that respect.

In the space of 12 months we've gone from not challenging in the slightest (Sandows debut against Leeds one game that sticks in my mind, shocker) to challenging on all fronts and not being too far away from winning the lot.

I won't go in to who we should sign and what positions etc as that's been done to death on other threads but with a couple of new faces we could be in a good position again.

Anyone else's train of thought moved on somewhat since Saturday now the emotions have dropped?

I think he needs to leave before we will achieve this.

His unbalanced team selection & predictable tactics, around a quick play the ball, have been a major factor in the two final defeats this season.

Sadly, owing to his stubborness/arrogance, I can`t see any change during his tenure, & we continue to come up short in the major games.

ive wanted a new coach for almost 3 seasons now... but it isnt happening.. so instead of letting it wind me up, ive decide to embrace it next season.

if you ignore the actual rugby we played and the results in the 2 finals, we definitely improved on the season before



So if Smith can learn from his mistakes, bring some decent forwards in and stop doing that silly laugh when were getting beat, then im willing to get behind him next season... sort of.

Fully agree about that smirk on his face.

...but have we definitely improved by going up the table or could it be that our dinner guests have simply took those seats further down it?

The most positive thing I feel about this season is that we have gone through what was always going to be a very tough process of reinvention post-2013, and managed to create another generation that is now competing on all fronts.

The team didn't change much from 2008 to 2013 and that was basically a team of senior players that got old together that was kept together because it was a special team and we pushed it all the way to get trophies. We got 3, and came narrowly short in 2 Grand Finals. Had it not been for injuries in 2013 we would have won that one.

But I think we all knew that that team had a limited window to win trophies. When we lost to Leeds in 2012, I remember thinking we probably have one more shot at this next year before we have to go through rebuilding. When we lost in 2013 how many of us had a kind of sinking feeling that the time had gone, especially when it was announced that Briers was retiring. I was looking at teams like Bradford and Hull (who had been competitors under Kear and Sharp but lost their way) and been worried about the future. I feared we would end up mid table for a few years, lose Tony Smith and be back in the years of mediocrity.

But Smith has rebuilt a team again that's competed and but for a couple of match saving tackles we could have won the treble this year. I see no reason to think we won't be up there again next year.

Ultimately all I hope for is to have a team that is capable of competing at the top. There will be luck involved in big games, injury, form, fitness and so on so sometimes you can be ready but not win, but in the end if you are there or thereabouts enough you will win. Sides like Saints a few years back and Wigan the last few years have been going to Old Trafford and losing repetitively but it didn't mean they were bad teams.