.....we had Tony Smith as our coach with the same squad. Would we be any better?

I was impressed with the Wire in the second half of their game today and it got me wondering how Smith has improved the Wolves.

Yes we would.

Definatley Yes,,Wire are a different team now that Smith has taken over there,,think it was said they have won 5/6 games and they were impressive 2nd half,,,.I hate to see coaches go but it looks like Mac*s time is up....

Hard to think that we could be any worse.

Doubtful, other than the normal (usually temporary)jump in performance that you normally get with a `new` regime.

The differences in circumstances between Wire and the Bulls are very large; The squad at Warrington have been massively underperforming, since given the names on the teamsheet they really ought to be in the top two or three, whilst we have what, by the standards of recent years, is a relatively poor squad.

That said, Smithy has shown himself to be a very capable coach who got the best from a poorish Huddersfield squad before his move to Leeds. Can`t comment on Wire last night though as I was otherwise engaged in Salford

So with a new coach we'd still be 13th in the league.

Dunno, is the short answer. We haven`t got another coach so it`s all hypothetical. We might have been bottom, who knows.

If we`d been regularly hammered I`d be more concerned, but we`ve generally been competitive; if the players were showing any lack of spirit or involvement I`d be more bothered, but they`re not. The majority of games we`ve lost (or won) have been by around one score so clearly could have gone either way. With just on a bit of luck swinging one way or the other we COULD have been below Celtic.......... or in the top four.

Hopefully things will get better and the ball will bounce our way a little. Whatever happens this is no time for pointless knee jerks since, one of the few certainties in life is that all coaches are doomed to fail (on the basis of results and being sacked because of them), it goes with the territory; sack the Mac and get someone who has failed elsewhere, plus ca la change?

Nil desperandum.

What they said.

All that said, seems increasingly clear that there is a big issue with both confidence and motivation. Increasingly wondering if Macca is maybe an excellent technical coach, but is struggling to inspire them to perform to their best? That may help explain why other clubs with similar teams on paper (if that) are outperforming us. If that's the case, then we won't get anywhere under the present set-up. But I said "IF". Is there anyone on here sufficiently qualified to comment from first-hand experience, rather than just from their armchair? I'm sure not, so that's why I am asking.

And, again, even if we DO want a change, who would come on the sort of terms likely to be available? Someone above mentioned an upcoming guy from the NRL keen to try and make a name for himself as a stepping stone to top grade coaching in the NRL. Maybe that would be affordable?

What's so bugging me is that we seem to have been only just the wrong side of winning so many times. We got hammered by the Pies and the Wire, but we've been hammered in games in previous seasons and still gone on to do really well - so I'm discounting those - it happens. Its all those "other" games where were just not good enough that are the problem. And each time we saw the same - either we were doing fine, then let something in and suddenly collapsed and went into panic mode, or we started badly and could never really pull it back. Seems to me its locked in players' heads now, that's the trouble.

Either that or there are problems behind the scenes. If so, doubt the fans' forum will shed any light (obviously) but you never know.

For now though, I'll just echo what someone else sensible said above - I'm actually glad its two weeks till we have to endure all this again.

Why do people just keep getting hung on this season results. The problems go further back than that to mid-season last year. Since beating Wigan in round 12 last year our record stands at 11 wins from the last 29 games. IMO that can not be described as making progress.

Good points, as usual Adey.

I guess confidence is inevitably going to be low, chiefly since it comes from winning and probably no words from the coaching staff are going to do what a few back to back wins will. I`m not so sure about a lack of motivation though; many teams just go to pieces when they go behind and that`s only happened to us in a couple of games where we got hammered plus the Catalan cup game second half, of course (how could I forget that!!). As you point out we`ve been agonisingly close to a win on so many occasions.

I`ve heard it said that Macca is a bit `too close` to the team (I think that means he socialises with them) though I`ve no idea whether it`s true or not (or even if it matters, to be honest). It`s also said he doesn`t `do` bollockings which, perhaps, might be a bother.

I say that because in a previous incarnation I was in charge of a small team in the world of engineering and if there was one thing I learnt it was that all people are different and to get the best out of your team they had to be treated as the individuals they were. Where one would respond to being told that you felt let down another needed a kick up the jacksie, the trick of course was to know the difference. Back at the Bulls maybe a second coach with whom Steve can play good cop bad cop with might be the way to go, though I suspect finance might rule out that option.