hopefully now some of you numpties on here who constantly blame macca, u might just realise that he is up to the job and bringing in another coach would prove nothing whatsoever!

He's certainly done enough to hold off pulling the trigger but I think a lot of the credit for our good start has to go down to Geoff Evans. The fitness levels are far and away above last years at this time (no disrespect to clogger)

At risk of now jinxing them, its been pretty incredible how few injuries we seem to have picked up, and how much the fitness seems to have improved. As a result, we've been able to turn out settled teams and make changes mainly through choice and not necessity.

I too have been thinking Evans much have had a lot to do with this. Macca in his post-match comments today sort of implies that a bit too.

I guess it is too much to hope that Macca gets any credit for replacing Clogger with Evans?

people on here other than a few dare even praise macca, with the resources available to him hes doing a great job in my opinion and it will be ridiculous if he doesn't get a new contract

The thing about Evans and the fitness is he's not had much time with the squad yet and if it's already having a positve effect then it could pay dividends later in the year. It's a long season and we may not have been spectacular but we are plodding along nicely so to speak. It would be really nice for the lads to hit their straps both fitness and skill wise at the right end of the season.

They will be silenced soon when he takes on the england job and they get thier wish of getting nobby back!

Edited for accuracy.

Results have improved but the level of performance in the vast majortity of games is the same poor.

How do you square those two seemingly-conflicting observations though? Especially given that, by general consent, the overall quality of the competition has probably improved this season?

Well whilst we continue to get the results I will happily accept what you call 'poor' performances. For what it is worth I think our performances have improved significantly from last year. I think this side still has a fair bit of improvement in it yet, the big test is whether Macca can deliver that improvement.

I have only seen one poor performance this year and that was against St Helens. At this moment in time we shouldn't be discussing who should be the next Bulls' coach!

why is anyone even talking about a new coach or still providing poor performances, this time last season i believe we were 10th or 11th, the performances were very poor and yes i agree the only really bad performance this season has come in the game against Saints, people need to to believe in the coach and this team's ability more, i dont expect trophies but we are improving and under the current circumstances we are doing are good job, competing and easily beating teams who are spending much more on the cap than us!

Granted we are doing much better this season but I still have my doubts on McNamara

The games against Quins, Salford and Crusaders were shocking too.

Shocking is too strong a word. In all those games we had some flashes of good play. More importantly for me we showed determination and steel in protecting our line even when things were going against us.

Steve Mac still has a lot to prove for me but I am actually looking forward to watching the matches this season.

I think people are too quick to get carried away with a situation.

In prior years, we lose a few games or a player makes a few mistakes and we are quick to come on here and demand they be sacked or dropped.

Likewise, now we have had a FEW decent results, we have people demanding Macca is given another contract.

Should Macca not get the England job, the bulls management team have plenty of time to wait until the back end of the season, assess the situation then before deciding to renew his contract.

A 3 or 4 year contract is a long time...............

you could ask his biggest critic except he doesnt seem to post unless we lose when he crawls out of the woodwork and tries to turn every thread into a sack macca one.

Spot on we are doing well at the moment but it's not a case of "has he done enough to stay?" let's see what happens. For now Macca is the coach and they are playing well.

We won those three matches without playing well in them. That's not a reason to complain. That's the sign of a good team if they pick up points even when they aren't playing well.

I've heard Lee St Hilaire is having more input nowadays, and is the real force behind the improved results.

I think we're significantly improved this year and a lot of that has to do with the Manly mafia and Brett Kearney - credit to Macca for those signings and the improved fitness levels derived by bringing in a fresh face on that front.

However, over the course of the 3/4 years Macca has been in place we haven't seen anywhere near the improvement in results that has occurred due to coaching at Wire, Wigan (early days I know) or Hudds in comparatively short time frames. Partly this is because we don't have the luxuries these clubs enjoy in terms of finance/staffing etc, and some of it may be due to Macca learning on the job and having to replace dysfunctional systems with proper youth development etc etc. This season gives some measure of hope up to now, but it's not entirely convincing - we have looked poorly organised in some of games that we have won, but then at times we have also looked quite brilliant - first 20 against Leeds. This is not too different from last year and previous years, and as has been said the margins of victory are quite small in RL now, however, the shake up in playing staff has also removed certain people who seemed unhappy and possibly disruptive at the club and this will no doubt make a difference where margins of victory/defeat are narrow.

All in all, I think we're making progress, but I also think a lot of people stopped turning up because of a lack of faith in Macca and I think it's very doubtful (barring a distinct success - a final appearance for example), that they'll be back if we give him another contract. So I would hope he goes to the England job or Auz being able to claim to have seen out his contract, managed a difficult transition and put some good systems in place and we get someone from Auz/here who is capable of taking that forward and bringing some excitement/success/audience back to the club. A difficult ask I know but without the OSV, that's the only route to regaining some buzz and stemming the decline in the gate, and as Hudds and Wigan have proved there are young coaches out there capable of doing it.

Considering all you seem to do lately is slag off the members of this forum, why don't you stop coming on here? Quite frankly, it's getting very very dull. If you don't like it, don't log on. Simples.

It's one thing having a different opinion. That is more than welcomed on forums. But you seem to be intent on just slagging off everyone on here like a true keyboard warrior.

Do you really thing people stopped turning up because of a lack of faith in the coach?

I suggest a lot of people stopped turning up because we stopped winning most games, regardless of cause. The rot started to set in in 2004, after the incredible 2003 season yet crowds fell. The coach is a convenient target for blame in such situations - maybe justified, maybe not. Same in all sports.

And because the families of the early SL years grew up, and the club seemed unable to attract the next generation.

As for Wire, Wigan and Hudds - they have one teeny advantage that we do not - a rich owner to bankroll the club and fund the (sometimes extremely large) losses. The sort of owners who can fund much higher-cost coaching and other senior staff and other support and marketing activities. All are spending the salary cap (and in some cases must be getting some players VERY cheaply to stay within it...) and all have new stadia.

I'm certain that had the Bulls had the financial advantage those three clubs have, and also no large annual financial millstone for a while yet, they would still be at the top of the game.

I agree we need to see how the next few games go. There is still lots of room for improvement but there are some very promising signs. Is Macca just letting the Manly boys have free rein? Or has he finely got the personnel he needed to deliver the style of play he wanted. Difficult questions for us spectators to answer.

I don't agree that salford, crusaders scores were shocking, not very good yes but shocking is far too strong a word

Just watched the extended highlights, good all round result to continue an excellent record in the south of France. It looked lovely out there