Yes we are backwards on 2024 in both squad and performances.  Our recruitment was nothing short of atrocious for a club that was already provably behind Wigan and Hull KR in 2024. How they thought they would close the gap with those signings beggars belief.  Chambers is not inspiring me on the recruitment front even if he is Mr Warrington. (Either he's responsible for new talent acquisition in which he is failing, or it's a puppet appointment which he has accepted).


Also I'm beginning to think that perhaps Sam Burgess is not the messiah we all hoped for. I'm not calling for his exit but neither am I thinking we must extend his contract past October 2026 unless we get a tangible achievement - and I'm not talking about a 4 game cup. Seems the Burgess effect is wearing off. We don't look well coached in 2025.  He won't be doing his NRL coaching prospects any good for sure with this output. He is getting surly in front of the camera when interviewed and it starting to wheel out the same phrasing following defeats. Clearly he is not a hugely effective communicator (outwards) and the prestige and aura will only last so long. Then we get the feeling we are not a happy ship. Rumours abound of fall outs, players misbehaving, players we know are dropped for disciplinary reasons etc. Not a recipe for success is it?

I know we are all desperately wishing to see something "click" and us turn into world beaters, but I fear we are deluding ourselves. There is just something in our club that persists decades, coaches and individual players. Call it culture or whatever. Something is missing. Sure we can make playoffs, but then that's your lot. Promise then inevitable failure. Sort of "meh", "there or thereabouts" (it's always "thereabouts" by the way). It's clear to me the players play when they want, and they seem to like the trip to Wembley (easier to win and doesn't require consistent effort over 8 months). They like making noises about Grand Finals but deep down I don't think any one of them either believes they can win one or are committed to do everything and anything it takes to do so. 


But that's OK. They owe me nothing, nor me them. They can keep their embarrassing gimmicks, self congratulatory back slaps, banging the drum in the changing room, giddy talk about emulating NFL clubs marketing(!), beatification of mollycoddled players as legends, and employment for all the old boys in comfy jobs. Following all the hype the club perennially, collectively, and conclusively fail when it matters and yet have the gall to look confused as to the reason why and promising "this is not the standard we set". It's exactly the bloody standard we set.  We are the also rans, the Tottenham Hotspurs, the Williams F1, the Tim Henman's of this world, plain and simple. What's worse is that the club are in denial. 
 
I only keep engaged as the Wire are a link to my late Dad and it reminds me of the time I used to watch them home and away in the 80s and 90s when as a young boy I was proud to be associated with them. I'm not proud anymore. 

I really don't know why people slag off Price. Two cup finals and a grand final ain't a bad return. And one of those involved stuffing saints without our (apparently) most dangerous player on the day. Unless we reach both finals this year, and win one, Price actually did better than SB. 

Yes, it's a result's business but the real disappointment for me is the optimism that we had last season is ebbing away with every knock back that we are currently experiencing.


To be clear I'm not citing knock back in a lady luck sense some of this is of our own making, better recruitment and planning aids resilience. We had built some positive momentum and didn't kick on as I'd hoped....fingers crossed we can still be in things as some troops return and the current set backs galvanise those putting on the jersey.               

First season - good progress made both finals, 2nd season CC win, but it was blowing out of the playoffs at home 3 times in a row 2019/20/21 to Castleford, Hull and Hull KR which probably left an air of disappointment. People forget this. 

Expectations were higher then I think. Seems to me a run to the final in the Challenge Cup is good enough for most now. 

Not for me! After 09,10,12 and 19 I have a bit of a "been there, done that" mentality. There's only one trophy that matters anymore. 


Funny, 14 year old me who watched us lose to Bradford at the McAlpine in that Semi in '01 would've killed for 4 Wembley wins! 

That was heartbreaking wasn't it but a few years later, 2004 onwards I guess, we found ourselves with the money, facilities, and recruitment to compete with the top teams which allowed us to raise our expectations (rightly).

Following the false dawn with a protracted Cullen period, we appointed a quality, proven coach in Tony Smith and things started to take shape. The 2009-2013 period i thought we were building into one of the dominant forces of SL, playing sublime rugby, then it sort of all went off the boil as the squad quality slowly dropped and Smith lost his way, grew a beard and started signing project players (Gary Wheeler, Ryan Bailey et al).  We had a bit of a go 2018/19 but again faded.


As of now we still have the money and facilities but not the squad or the culture/desire to win a GF.