Whatever has gone wrong with the Salford City Reds this season, it’s left coach Karl Harrison in a precarious position.
The clearly shell-shocked Harrison pulled no punches in slamming his players’ defensive abilities in Friday night’s post-game press-conference.
The only thing he didn’t do was point the big foam finger and drop the names in the frames: “it’s not a team thing, it’s individual players missing one on one tackles ; that’s disappointing because the ones missing tackles are good players”.
Salford’s defensive system and commitment were the platform for their success in 2006, so it’s hard to understand why they should appear so woeful this time around. But when a coach of Harrison’s character questions the commitment of his players and at least implicitly distances himself from their performance, then bad things look likely to happen.
With Hull KR pulling the Paul Cooke rabbit out of the hat and seemingly capable of further signings then the Reds face a real relegation dog fight this season. Do these players have the stomach for it?
Well with the Warriors already circling over top-performer, Andy Coley (rumoured to be on their shopping list for 2008) and no date yet set for the return of influential and seemingly indispensable skipper, Malcolm Alker, then there are real doubts about the character of this outfit.
Looking good with the ball doesn’t cut it in this Super League; you have to mix that with a real hunger to ‘get down and dirty’ when you need to. And I’m not sure that’s a trait you can coach into a player.
Luke Robinson has buckets of talent but goes MIA to easily for mine and he’s not the only one to drift without Alker’s on field barbs to whip them into shape.
Harrison was on the money with his “It’s not good enough … It’s a disgrace” comments. The Reds fans deserve better and with big off field plans in the offing the club demands better.
Time to stand and deliver.
ibridge
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