Is that the same for all those clubs who year on year have not won anything or not troubled the top of their respective leagues? Perhaps, quite simply as a club we have not been able to compete financially with the more successful clubs. Did we actually over-achieve in the 70s and 80s? Do you want the club to go into debt and try to buy success, which will inevitably come crashing down again? The team we took into SL was not good enough and money was not spent to bring in better players, but lining the pockets of Directors. Perhaps Betts did well in keeping us in SL as long as he did, with the resources he had? Did sacking the coach in 2018 help in any way? I really don’t believe that there has been a “culture of mediocrity” at the club. I believe that there was a culture of greed during the Rule years, at the expense of the club. I believe that, like fans, the players, the coach and the Board want success on the field, but sometimes you have to be realistic and accept that there are some better teams out there that we may never be able to compete with in financial terms. We have a squad that is too small and lacking in size and went into the season with key players injured. People can blame the Chief Executive and the Board for this, but we don’t know what efforts have been made within our limited resources, to bring in players to strengthen the squad. We have a new coach with limited coaching experience, but a decent career in the game. The start to the season was poor, with some terrible results and performances and a few posters on here were calling for him to be sacked. We then had a decent run of performances and the same posters were quiet. After the poor performance again on Sunday, the same posters are back calling for the coach and the Chief Executive to be sacked, without any suggestion or idea who we could realistically bring in who would do any better. In my view, we should judge the coach and the Board at the end of the season and see what plans and ambition are in place for 2022. We might not win a trophy in the next 30 years, but if we have a team that can be competitive in whatever league we are in and gives it all on the pitch, that would be OK with me. If we can win some trophies along the way, that would be great. That is not accepting mediocrity, but being realistic.
Firstly Betts was one of those lining his pockets, he got paid a ludicrous amount of money, don't believe me then ask Mr Carney who was as amazed as myself. The club just wanted to tick boxes for everyone but the fans. They bowed at every opportunity to the RFL, as long as the community work was done and there was harmony everywhere but on the pitch then the club was happy. The culture of stability for everyone within still remains today. As for the CEO the lack of experience has truly shown and the buck always stops with him. In case you didn't know he was Jimmy's nodding lackey who agreed with every lie that was told. How do I know ? well I attended a fans meeting with the both of them rattling of a waffle of un truths. When was the last time any of our management came out and slated the players for there efforts on the field or even dropped a player for no effort ?. Are you getting the gist of the same rotten culture that lies within the club?
Academy coach to CEO is un heard of and a hell of weird choice which shows the real lack of experience throughout. Before appointing a new coach we really need to appoint somebody who knows how to run a RL club, until that happens then nothing will change and the easy life culture will always be around. I want to see pride and commitment back at our club before it is too late and the damage irreversible.
What we actually need is someone running the club who understands how business works. Whoever it is needs to be supported, but not necessarily be directed by, someone who understands Rugby League. The fans see it as a game but within the club it has to be a business.
Widnes didn't need a CEO on mega bucks when we were in SL.We were a small time, small town club with 4500 supporters, not Manchester Utd or Real Madrid. A general manager such as John Stringer in the late 80s could have filled the role of both Rule and O'Connor's brother for a quarter of their combined salary.
What we actually need is someone running the club who understands how business works. Whoever it is needs to be supported, but not necessarily be directed by, someone who understands Rugby League. The fans see it as a game but within the club it has to be a business.
Could not disagree more in fact IMO it is the complete opposite no RL club is a business as making a profit is a non starter, the only way to survive is to have someone on board who knows how to run a RL club and get value for money on every thing RL related.
What we actually need is someone running the club who understands how business works. Whoever it is needs to be supported, but not necessarily be directed by, someone who understands Rugby League. The fans see it as a game but within the club it has to be a business.
Could not disagree more in fact IMO it is the complete opposite no RL club is a business as making a profit is a non starter, the only way to survive is to have someone on board who knows how to run a RL club and get value for money on every thing RL related.
We have a history of ‘rugby people’ being the people running the club since I started watching the club at the beginning of the 1960’s - how’s that working out for us Mick. All I see is the club slowly going down the gurgler - as proved by the majority of the people on this board over the past five years doing little short of constantly complaining.
The club needs to be run by somebody who has success in running one or more small to medium regional based businesses to generate revenue by providing things that people will pay for. Obviously one of the key people he would rely on would be someone who understands the game as the game and club is what the CEO would be looking to market.
Perhaps the fact that some people can’t see the need for a business based manager for what is a small regional professional business is one of the reasons the club has stopped publishing the attendance (because numbers are dropping alarmingly).
What we actually need is someone running the club who understands how business works. Whoever it is needs to be supported, but not necessarily be directed by, someone who understands Rugby League. The fans see it as a game but within the club it has to be a business.
Could not disagree more in fact IMO it is the complete opposite no RL club is a business as making a profit is a non starter, the only way to survive is to have someone on board who knows how to run a RL club and get value for money on every thing RL related.
We have a history of ‘rugby people’ being the people running the club since I started watching the club at the beginning of the 1960’s – how’s that working out for us Mick. All I see is the club slowly going down the gurgler – as proved by the majority of the people on this board over the past five years doing little short of constantly complaining. The club needs to be run by somebody who has success in running one or more small to medium regional based businesses to generate revenue by providing things that people will pay for. Obviously one of the key people he would rely on would be someone who understands the game as the game and club is what the CEO would be looking to market. Perhaps the fact that some people can’t see the need for a business based manager for what is a small regional professional business is one of the reasons the club has stopped publishing the attendance (because numbers are dropping alarmingly).
But in the time we did we where winning things so your point is not making sense.
Betts was a decent coach. I'm not for a second prepared to say that Rule was a decent human being.
But, we all know what certain Widnes 'fans' are like. Nothing is ever good enough. It wasn't when we were great. All this 'we should be smashing the likes of Batley' stuff is nonsense. We are probably at our level now, if you don't like it, find something else to get interested in.
I would say (barring millionaire intervention) there is zero chance of us operating at the top table ever again so ask yourself how you want to deal with that.
Betts was a decent coach. I’m not for a second prepared to say that Rule was a decent human being. But, we all know what certain Widnes ‘fans’ are like. Nothing is ever good enough. It wasn’t when we were great. All this ‘we should be smashing the likes of Batley’ stuff is nonsense. We are probably at our level now, if you don’t like it, find something else to get interested in. I would say (barring millionaire intervention) there is zero chance of us operating at the top table ever again so ask yourself how you want to deal with that.
Who the hell are you to tell anyone that ? if you cannot stand criticism or debate what are you on a forum for ?
Grown up princess
What we actually need is someone running the club who understands how business works. Whoever it is needs to be supported, but not necessarily be directed by, someone who understands Rugby League. The fans see it as a game but within the club it has to be a business.
Could not disagree more in fact IMO it is the complete opposite no RL club is a business as making a profit is a non starter, the only way to survive is to have someone on board who knows how to run a RL club and get value for money on every thing RL related.
We have a history of ‘rugby people’ being the people running the club since I started watching the club at the beginning of the 1960’s – how’s that working out for us Mick. All I see is the club slowly going down the gurgler – as proved by the majority of the people on this board over the past five years doing little short of constantly complaining. The club needs to be run by somebody who has success in running one or more small to medium regional based businesses to generate revenue by providing things that people will pay for. Obviously one of the key people he would rely on would be someone who understands the game as the game and club is what the CEO would be looking to market. Perhaps the fact that some people can’t see the need for a business based manager for what is a small regional professional business is one of the reasons the club has stopped publishing the attendance (because numbers are dropping alarmingly).
But in the time we did we where winning things so your point is not making sense.
We won things in the mid-70’s because we had a coach who was light years ahead in terms of mailing sure his players were fit. We won things in the 80’s based on buying players we couldn’t afford
What we actually need is someone running the club who understands how business works. Whoever it is needs to be supported, but not necessarily be directed by, someone who understands Rugby League. The fans see it as a game but within the club it has to be a business.
Could not disagree more in fact IMO it is the complete opposite no RL club is a business as making a profit is a non starter, the only way to survive is to have someone on board who knows how to run a RL club and get value for money on every thing RL related.
We have a history of ‘rugby people’ being the people running the club since I started watching the club at the beginning of the 1960’s – how’s that working out for us Mick. All I see is the club slowly going down the gurgler – as proved by the majority of the people on this board over the past five years doing little short of constantly complaining. The club needs to be run by somebody who has success in running one or more small to medium regional based businesses to generate revenue by providing things that people will pay for. Obviously one of the key people he would rely on would be someone who understands the game as the game and club is what the CEO would be looking to market. Perhaps the fact that some people can’t see the need for a business based manager for what is a small regional professional business is one of the reasons the club has stopped publishing the attendance (because numbers are dropping alarmingly).
But in the time we did we where winning things so your point is not making sense.
We won things in the 70’s because a group of local lads became available at rge same time that we brought in a coach who turned out to be light years ahead in terms of promoting player fitness.
We won stuff in the 80’s directly off the back of buying and the paying hefty wages to players we couldn’t afford. The best team we ever had was in a real sense the catalyst for the mess we are in now.
On a separate note, I’m more than happy to try and have a conversation about the club and the game. If you want to join in that’s great. If you just want to snarl and belittle because you don’t agree with what people say then I’d rather not make the effort.
The idea that everyone will switch back to the 'normal' setting is BoJo nonsense. There are many who are still fearful of the consequences of Covid both long and short. Their fears are based on their medical situation, supported by a struggling NHS atm.
Confidence will return, but only in time. Survival is the name of the game for the present, both personal and as a club.
Anyway, back to OP.
I see that Hull KR have pulled their loanees back, including York's match winning fullback! He was main threat against us iirc.
We are probably at our level now, if you don’t like it, find something else to get interested in.
Well it seems that plenty of people have done just that and found something else.
I don't think anyone seriously expected us to batter Batley, but it is not in any way unreasonable to be unhappy with how easy it was for them to score 28 points in the second half. Especially as it has not been the first time (nor the first time against the same team) this season.
Since I started watching us in the late 90s, bar a couple of outliers we have basically been a team who has been in the bottom 5 of SL or the top 5 of the 2nd Division. We are below that level at the moment, so given the potential structural changes it is important to see that we have the ability to qualify for the 2nd Division and questioning the tactics or the performances is part of that.
Anyway, as I said before, I think we have a good chance at York if we show the same sort of application we saw at Featherstone and Bradford.
Anyway, as I said before, I think we have a good chance at York if we show the same sort of application we saw at Featherstone and Bradford.
100% right.....but we won't. It's 21st Century Widnes, it's what we do.
Paulie xx
Betts was a decent coach. I’m not for a second prepared to say that Rule was a decent human being. But, we all know what certain Widnes ‘fans’ are like. Nothing is ever good enough. It wasn’t when we were great. All this ‘we should be smashing the likes of Batley’ stuff is nonsense. We are probably at our level now, if you don’t like it, find something else to get interested in. I would say (barring millionaire intervention) there is zero chance of us operating at the top table ever again so ask yourself how you want to deal with that.
1. He really isn't (then & now) he was on a ridiculous salary, he had Cassidy (forwards) & Hodgson (backs) doing the coaching (also, both vastly overpaid). This when we were re-newing the same old garbage year in year out (rewarding mediocrity, that has been quoted on here already) Only Thompson & Brown were the shining lights of our SL tenure (My opinion, thou I'm sure all the Hanbury, Isa, etc lovers will disagree)
2. Every Club is at it's level, you are what you are.
3. 100% All professional Sporting Organisations need big money backers. With due respect to the guys who stepped in and saved the club in 2019, I suspect that none of these hold a King's ransom that they can splash out on stellar players.
Paulie xx