Re: Hodgson : Tue Sep 06, 2022 4:00 am  

Michael McGuire - move for him ASAP

Re: Hodgson : Tue Sep 06, 2022 4:03 am  

westdock boy in oz wrote:

Thats exactly as i see it, - fans always seem to overhype our `young guns.'
The only ones i've been impressed with are Balmforth & Litten (although tbf i haven't seen enough of some of the others)
Over the last 3 or 4 years, S.L players we've produced are 3 small forwards (Brown Fash & Lane), Scott, Wynne, & Jez Litten, - hardly inspiring!
Is there a Murphy, Pryce or Wellsby coming through? - Doubt it.
Shenton seems to be doing a great job but I suspect the Academy is a well coached, well drilled unit,with plenty of good players, but no real stars.
& you're dead right about about Longstaff, needs to be signed if possible.

So you have hardly seen these youngsters play but they are overhyped. I'd say there are a few potential stars in the academy, the ones that stand out for me are Balmforth, Staverly, Martin, Medforth, Laidlaw, Armstrong and Severs. I few others could also make good SL players like Moy and Jebson.

Add in to this Hookem, Litten and Barron, I think we are in good position, to start bringing through 2 or 3 players a year.

For me if Balmforth can get fit, he has potential to be the best player at his age.

Re: Hodgson : Tue Sep 06, 2022 4:05 am  

Doesn't finish off a project? He was at Leeds 4 years and won 2 grand finals, including their first in SL history. Leeds also won the next two grand finals after he left

He then spent about 8 years at Warrington, winning 3 challenge cups, 2 LL shields abd making a few grand finals.

His time at Rovers was hit and miss, but still made the play offs for the first time in over 10 years.

There are a few things you can doubt Smith about, but you can't say he doesn't finish jobs and he has improved every club he has been at.

If he starts to improve us particularly discipline, mentally and picks players on form rather than reputation then he has done a good job.

Re: Hodgson : Tue Sep 06, 2022 4:15 am  

Keiththered wrote:

Take your black and white specs off for a moment. I know it’s difficult to acknowledge that a player you let go might be a success. More independent observers obviously see things in him you apparently don’t. That is of course supposing you actually see enough of him to form a reasoned opinion.

It saddens me to see that the mighty Hull FC are reduced to signing players as a stop gap. I remember when they had a plan for the future and signed players who were expected to help move that plan forward. How the mighty seem to have fallen if your assessment of Dwyer is correct.

Litten is a very good SL player and we (radford) made the mistake of not playing him more meaning he rightly wanted to leave.

I don't see Dwyer as a stop gap, more playing it safe and giving out long contracts (I'm sure Rovers sometimes give out one year deals or at least wish they had at times).

You would honestly think Rovers have had an amazing season and have recruited a world class coach and signings for next year based on some Rovers fans criticism of our club.

There isn't much between the clubs, if Smith comes in and we sign a couple more I think we will challenge the play offs next season.

The recruitment of Hoy, Sutcliffe, Trueman and Dwyer vastly improves out 17, with no real losses except Mau, add to this the young players a year older, more experienced and bigger I'm feeling alot confident with impending coaching changes.

Re: Hodgson : Tue Sep 06, 2022 5:42 am  

Dave K. wrote:

Doesn't finish off a project? He was at Leeds 4 years and won 2 grand finals, including their first in SL history. Leeds also won the next two grand finals after he left

He then spent about 8 years at Warrington, winning 3 challenge cups, 2 LL shields abd making a few grand finals.

His time at Rovers was hit and miss, but still made the play offs for the first time in over 10 years.

There are a few things you can doubt Smith about, but you can't say he doesn't finish jobs and he has improved every club he has been at.

If he starts to improve us particularly discipline, mentally and picks players on form rather than reputation then he has done a good job.

Smith will certainly be better for you than Hodgson has been, he has experience and wont be phased by criticism and the pressure of the job. He 's a hard one to call at his time with us, he certainly made us better and looked to be heading in the right direction but without a crystal ball we'll never know if that was sustainable or if he was a short step from us blowing up, He's a hard man to really like and it seems he fell out with a lot of people in his time with but does that matter if it works? As a lot on here said we got to the paly offs in a year that wasn't exaxtly normal.

Dave K. wrote:

If he starts to improve us particularly discipline, mentally and picks players on form rather than reputation then he has done a good job.

This was our biggest criticism of him, our discipline was shocking and he seemed to keep picking players regardless of form or definitely fitness, picking the likes of Coote and flogging King the week before a cup semi was criminal.

Pearson has both sacked Hodgson and will get Smith in based on pass sales alone. It's obvious that had he done nothing the sales would have plummeted, the Hodgson out chants, empty stadium and micro survey of forums alone show that.

If nothing else it'll be interesting

Re: Hodgson : Tue Sep 06, 2022 5:59 am  

barham red wrote:

Smith will certainly be better for you than Hodgson has been, he has experience and wont be phased by criticism and the pressure of the job. He 's a hard one to call at his time with us, he certainly made us better and looked to be heading in the right direction but without a crystal ball we'll never know if that was sustainable or if he was a short step from us blowing up, He's a hard man to really like and it seems he fell out with a lot of people in his time with but does that matter if it works? As a lot on here said we got to the paly offs in a year that wasn't exaxtly normal.

This was our biggest criticism of him, our discipline was shocking and he seemed to keep picking players regardless of form or definitely fitness, picking the likes of Coote and flogging King the week before a cup semi was criminal.

Pearson has both sacked Hodgson and will get Smith in based on pass sales alone. It's obvious that had he done nothing the sales would have plummeted, the Hodgson out chants, empty stadium and micro survey of forums alone show that.

If nothing else it'll be interesting

Some fair points BR, I think you could find negatives about just about every coach or certainly ones that are potentially available, even Wane and McGuire have had negative comments about them after been linked with us.

I do think he is the best option that we can realistically get and think he has more positives than negatives about him.

Re: Hodgson : Tue Sep 06, 2022 6:12 am  

Marcus's Bicycle wrote:

Absolutely. Like anyone who coaches our club I was desperate for him to succeed. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. I'd like to see him get back in to coaching and be a success. He's still got a lot to offer the game.

Like you say it's sad to see someone lose their job particularly someone who is a genuinely decent bloke.

Fully agree with all of your post, he seemed a very genuine and caring guy, who had at the end lost the players, which can only ever end one way. He looked broken, I thought, after the Wakefield game and my wife, who doesn't follow any sport but works in healthcare, saw him interviewed, when he looked almost in tears, and she expressed concern over his mental health. Maybe it will be better for him in the long run, he obviously cared but didn't possess the ability to turn it around.

Re: Hodgson : Tue Sep 06, 2022 6:15 am  

Dave K. wrote:

Some fair points BR, I think you could find negatives about just about every coach or certainly ones that are potentially available, even Wane and McGuire have had negative comments about them after been linked with us.

I do think he is the best option that we can realistically get and think he has more positives than negatives about him.

This is it. He's a proven head coach and available now. He's got a track record of turning failing clubs around

AP said in his statement:

A new head coach will be appointed in the near future to ensure they have a full pre-season to prepare the squad for the 2023 campaign.
 
This rules out Wane and Madge. They'll both have WC commitments.

Re: Hodgson : Tue Sep 06, 2022 6:44 am  

Never been a big fan of Smith so not sure about this appointment. Paul Cooke described him on RH last night as weird and complex or something similar.

That said he's obviously hugely experienced and last year the RL world was eulogising about his ability to galvanise a squad and deliver big improvements, which you'd say are top of our list of requirements.

Re: Hodgson : Tue Sep 06, 2022 7:11 am  

Mrs Barista wrote:

Never been a big fan of Smith so not sure about this appointment. Paul Cooke described him on RH last night as weird and complex or something similar.

That said he's obviously hugely experienced and last year the RL world was eulogising about his ability to galvanise a squad and deliver big improvements, which you'd say are top of our list of requirements.

He may be a bit odd, but lasted 4 years at Leeds (his choice to leave) and 8 years at Warrington (his choice to leave) so you wonder how odd he can be, strange behavior, partciculay at the end (but you have to wonder how much was Larkins fault) at Rovers, but they are a strange club.