Given that we've worked our way through a whole load of coaches over the last ten years, and the same problems have kept occurring, I think it's fair to assume that the coach isn't entirely the problem.

Personally, I think we've settled for mediocrity for too long. Gone are the days when we went out and bought Barnett, Jason Smith, Prescott, Kearney etc. Fitzgibbon and O'Meley were probably the last examples, and they were coming to the end of their careers. This started under Sharp, continued under Agar, when we were using our Ozzie quota for players like Cusack, Byrne, Dykes etc who were either physically shot or no better than the players we could have found at Halifax, Doncaster, Batley etc.

I like Pearson's idea of bringing through a whole load of youth players, and hopefully it will free up money to supplement them with some really big signings. But then I do wonder about Pearson... He talks a lot about Wigan and their set up but they have dozens of support staff, focusing on every area of the team and the club. We have none of that, and don't seem to be trying to rectify that.

What I don't like, and haven't liked since it was announced, is the appointment of Radford as coach. For me, he was one of our most indisciplined players - and now, lo and behold, the discipline of the team on the pitch is shocking. That Rankin penalty at the start of the second half on Saturday summed it up for me. That reminded me of the sort of penalty Radford used to give away himself.

We all recognise there is a problem with the culture of the players at the club - only here for the beer etc - so to appoint somebody who has been an integral part of that culture as the head coach was asking for trouble in my opinion.

It was never going to work, but I thought it might go marginally better than this. Now it's falling apart he's thrashing around.

Can somebody explain to me how you can loan Arundel to Bradford - who will be eyeing us up as a team to overtake if they get their points back - and then a fortnight later pick a winger at centre and moan about how few centres you've got?

IMO Pearson has to bite the bullet, get on the plane, go to Australia with a blank cheque and bring back an experienced, hard line, successful Australian coach. Not an assistant coach, a coach. Somebody proven. It will cost the absolute earth, but it's going to cost him more in the long run through lost ticket money, lost merchandise money, lost prize money and money frittered away on loads and loads of signings like Liam Colbon and Jason Crookes if he doesn't do it.

Everyone agrees that the club needs a change in culture amongst other more tangible things and it's disappointing that after almost 3 years under pearson we're not further on than we'd like. Where some seem to disagree is who is the best man (coach) to help implement these changes. Some say radford, some not. My take on it is that radford may well be the man but entrusting him with it is a major risk and one I don't think the club can afford to take. He may turn out to be a great coach but at this stage his abilities are unknown. Would you trust a major change project within your organisation to someone with no experience or would you bring in someone with a proven track record? Entrusting it to a first time coach with barely any time as an understudy is asking for trouble. I hope pearson wises up quickly and brings in someone with a proven track record. I don't mind if radford stays to learn from him but unless pearson want to be looking at financial meltdown then he needs to act

I can fully understand that point of view. But if not Radford, who?

That's not my choice to make. if it were then I'd weigh up the likely cost of someone I could almost certainly trust to do it against the likely cost of radford not doing it then I'd go out and get the best person I could within that budget. Likely be an ozzie and likely cost a wedge but the cost in real terms would be less than I'd lose if radford does't work which could see every penny pearson has spent to date and much more go down the pan.

What makes you so sure radford is the man to trust the future of the club with?

Is this something you ask everyone who disagrees with you?

I'm not sure what makes you think he is at the same level or even improved since his last spell in RL.

Can't be any worse than Sam Moa in your opinion, surely!

Surley it's a good question, not worried about your opinion, we could sign Thurston and you would put a negative spin on it, your constant drivel on here about anything Hull FC is pathetic.

The funniest thing is the fact you support a team that has won nothing major for nearly 30 years, in fact when was the last time you made a major final? The way you go on about us, you would think you supported the worlds greatest team.

It's good that you are sticking up for Standee, you have about the same rugby knowledge.

Did ok in SL, not a stand out prop by the way, done very well at the Chucks.

Why don't you dig up my comments on Paea or Carvell? At least get it right!

Not at all but I know where our club is, I don't live in dream land like the majority on here who think your a big club and have the right to beat any team in SL!

Ok then, what's your opinion of Sa, do you think he is a good signing for Hull at centre?

I'm not, I'm just sick of the endless cycle of failure. I think Radford could be that man as he fits the profile of what AP wants. He's determined, focused, identifies with the club and has been successful as a player. It's also important that Radford knows exactly where the problems lie in our club, he's been very public in stating it. He's also an honest guy, and I think if he thought he couldn't do the job he'd be honest enough to admit it.

I think AP is very clear in what he wants, if he thought it was going wrong he'd change it before it gets too far.

We have to trust somebody some day, I think i'd rather it was somebody who was a fan like me.

I don't know, I asked what made you think his game could have improved? He was good at Catalan but has since been playing in an inferior game to RL, with inferior training and playing with inferior players. Not sure about his injury record but some have mentioned it ain't great. Get the player he was at Catalan and he will be a decent signing.

So at best it will be a DECENT signing ?

That's what everyone including me have been saying, if he can find his RL form when he was at Catalans he will be a good signing, his lack of game time and injury record could be issue.

Why mentioning him improving, nobody has said he is a better player than he was or is anything better than a good signing. Not sure about your inferior comments, RU is very professional now, some more than league, it isn't the 80s anymore.

I'm sure the same could have been said about Feka, but he is proving most people including me wrong, certainly better than Carvell and Paea.

I disagree with your views on radford, he's already looking out of his depth and it won't get any easier for him but I guess it's not down to either of us to decide

He's also hugely inexperienced, is arguably a part of the culture we hope to change, and has singularly failed to get the best out of the squad at his disposal thus far.



A fan like you (or me, or any of us) is the last person we should be trusting with such an important task. It needs someone detached and objective, and ideally someone who hasn't played alongside half of the squad he must now take the axe to.

We need a mature, experienced man - a thinker. Someone who can see the bigger picture and is able to plan for the longer term success we crave whilst maximising the potential of the squad we currently possess. Anyone who thinks Radford is that man hasn't been paying attention.

And he's a rovers fan

I would have been happy if we'd signed him, think it will be a big call for him to play on Friday given his lack of playing time even in a different code for the last 2 years but reckon he'll go well once settled in. Guys of this size in the centres tend to worry defences as much as anything else.

I remember him playing at les cats but couldn't say I took a lot of notice other than thinking he was a big sod, think it could see Crooks demoted out of the squad for a length of time tho', unless you use Sa in the back row.

I agree that will happen. I think it will be Yeamo and Sa as our starting centres but long term it needs to be Crooks and Sa.

Crooks will come good - his confidence is shot to pieces and he's suffering second season syndrome.

He needs his wingman back.

I'd like to think that once Lineham is fit that Crooks will get the opportunity to rekindle that partnership with him.

I trust Pearson, that's what I'm clinging to!

He appointed mcrae

I'll raise Jake's "He appointed McRae" with 'he seems to have displayed complete trust in Radford, from acting on his perceived whisperings regarding Gentle, to placing complete faith in him and other locals, to the exclusion of everyone else'. It's bizarre and smacks of Pearson being devoid of proper advisors which to me is the most worrying thing. I trust Pearson, but am seriously doubting he knows who to trust with regard to playing matters.

He'll do what needs to be done business-wise, but desperately needs an advisor that knows what he's doing and without any personal motivation. Swain? Kearney? Not as coaches, necessarily.