Firstly, I absolutely get the frustration with results and performances. They don't look pretty. Fans rightly have questioned this. (Not the grudge brigade, they'll always want misery). Genuine fans who are frustrated with where we are at, at the minute. I haven't really said anything about Chezzy as like Michael both shouldn't be untouchable as regards critisicm. They're not perfect and make mistakes.



Chris is a young coach whose done some good things and some bad things. We've had great success in respect of what we're used to. Top 5 finishes etc. He is learning and always needs to look at where he can improve like players need to.



The last 18 months has been rotten to us with injuries and COVID and at times soul destroying. As a coach it must be horrendous to work with. I've absolute empathy.



I've looked on social media at many, many different opinions and I wonder which one Chezzy should chose? Not digging the fans, it's just factual to say I've seen so much variation in team selection, how we should play, what we should do etc. Who is right?

"Last kick options are killing us and they're starting their sets on the 30", "Forwards aren't creating the platform", "Wrong half backs", "Wrong SR selection", "Wrong Captain", "Wrong structure", etc etc.



My post isn't saying Chezzy shouldn't have critics, it's just not as simple as we as fans make it out to be sometimes.



Anyway I hope we get back to normal soon, I felt that buzz again last night! Let's hope that continues.

No buzz for me just expected them to lose

No buzz for me it’s just the normal these days, while people keep accepting mediocrity that’s exactly what we will get. 5 from 27 says it all

I've nothing against him as a person, I'm sure he's lovely. But he used up the last drops of the good will he earned with the better seasons when he got within 10points of us being relegated last year.



Without that good will, he's now getting judged on his current performance, and that simply isn't good enough. We've gone backwards since nearly being relegated and Chester doesn't seem to have any answers for this.



We can't use covid as an excuse - it's affected every team.



We can't use injuries as an excuse - every team has them, both Wire and Hull had more players out than we did yesterday and both picked up wins.

[/u



Wrong!



Regarding the amount of players out.

Call me naive, but yesterday’s effort gave me some hope that we are on the right track. Think that was Senior’s last game for us. Think the kid has done all right for us.

You're a naive, Willzay...sorry, couldn't resist







Think you could be right about Senior, so hopefully Tom might be in the 17 next week ???

5 wins from 25 with embarrassing losses to nil, passionless, clueless performances, same structural problems for the last 5 years despite being able to work with the same core group of players during that time.



You can call fans who aren’t happy “ grudge fans” whatever that means or insinuate that anyone not seeing unicorns and rainbows in our performances aren’t “genuine fans” all you like. The fact is we’ve been rank bad awful for at least 2 years, maybe it’s the Brian Smith factor wearing off or maybe the John Kear influence dissipating but Chester’s obviously not good enough!



It’s not the Wrong forwards, wrong platform, wrong halfbacks, wrong selection that’s the issue it’s the fact we’ve got the Wrong Coach! He been trying now for about 8 years and like HKR before us we’re now suffering from the coaches inadequacy!

We had 5 players missing yesterday, I could argue it was 4, you might argue 6 but either way it’s not an excuse for the dross we’re getting served

Walker, Johnstone, Miller, Brough, Fifita, Wood, Arona, Ashurst, Kirmond, Batchelor, Arundel, Gigot and Kay. Granted Brough and Kirmond are practically retired but we had quite a large number of absentees, be it injured, Covid related or not selected.

Pre lockdown we won 2/5 which over the course of a season is probably a standard win percentage for us. Post lockdown, it’s nosedived. Lack of confidence, lack of consistency in the line up.



There was no excuse for the Catalans league game. None whatsoever. Yes we lost players to injury in the first half, but I will admit the set up and attitude that day was horrible.

You can’t just run through the unplayed members of the first team squad!



Walker, Jowitt played ahead of him, he’s a first teamed and often been a starting Full Back

Johnstone is a genuine miss for us and would be for any team

Miller, dropped, injured or Covid, he’s been terrible and just skates by uncriticised

Brough, come on Wlzay! He’s semi retired and has effectively moved on

Fifita could have been selected if we wanted to pick him

K Wood was a genuine miss

Arona was a genuine miss, could have been on the bench

Ashurst was replaced by a better player and our best on the night but maybe on the bench

Kirmond, who would he replace Tanginoa or Pitts? Your reaching!

Bachelor, again for who Pitts or Tanginoa

Arundel for Tupou or Lyne, which one? Once again your reaching

Gigot, maybe at the expense of Bailey

Kay, not selected, would you pick him before BJB? No!

Navarette, again possible bench



Johnstone for Senior

K Wood for Crowther

Arona for Aydin

Navarette for Gwaze

Gigot for Bailey MAYBE

Would it be fair to say if those had played we would probably have won the match?



Whether we like it or not we have less resources than most and will be hurt more than most teams when we are missing a significant amount of our better players.



For us to be holding our own we need to be relatively injury free a bit like we were in Chesters early days...a bit like the run Salford has last year.



I don’t see how fans can’t grasp that?



We overachieved the two seasons we came 5th...one reason is the good luck we had with injuries, the other because some so called bigger teams under performed..



Leeds has a couple of bottom four finishes after years and years of success...they haven’t fully turned the corner but look at the money made available to them to strengthen and bring in the likes of Hurrell, Lui, Gale, etc...



Warrington finished bottom four in one of those seasons...they can open the cheque book and sign the likes of Murdoch-Massilla, Austin, Widdop...



Wigan under performed one of those years...they’ve recently been able to bring in players like Hastings, Burgess, Hardaker, French...Bateman next season.



So those clubs after a below par seasons have the financial clout to be able to make a real difference...



After Chesters first real disappointing season, which started well but was disrupted hugely by injuries...he couldn’t go out and sign that calibre of player....he has to rely on gambles and picking up players that very few other teams want...



Overall though I think his recruitment has been good...Tanginoa and Fifita have both proved to be excellent signings...last year we picked up Westerman and Pitts who have both been standout players this season...of course there will be ones that don’t work out but overall I think his signings have been decent on the budget he’s afforded.



He’s proved in the past when he’s had fully fit teams that he can get results and play attractive rugby.



This season was always going to be a write off after the interruption....pre lockdown we started ok...afterwards we’ve been unfortunate to have so much go against us whilst coming up against three of the best teams in the league where we had no chance...the first time we were up against a team we were pretty evenly matched against we did ok and in my eyes were a little unlucky not to win.



He deserves a chance to see this farce of a season out and see what he can do in the off season in terms of recruitment as I think we all know the areas we need to strengthen....then have a look again say 10 games into next season..

In answer to your first question, who knows!

We’ve put in plenty of less enthusiastic and more lacklustre performances with better teams out on the field than last nights. Also, if you’re going to ask that question you’ve got to ask if we’d be anywhere near Hull FC if they had their full team playing?