What's going wrong at Knowsley Road?

Small wonder fans are asking 'what has gone wrong at Saints?' So, in an attempt to get to the bottom of it, I put the following questions to chief executive David Howes.

WHITTLE: What, in your opinion, is the root cause of Saints' slump in fortunes?

HOWES: Without doubt serious injuries to top players disrupted what were hitherto five-star performances and obviously resulted in a general lack of confidence within the senior squad. Other side effects included the inevitable gossip around the town with this snowball syndrome - as I call it - gathering momentum until it eventually melts on you. Saints cherished a global vision via the World Club Challenge and this has been rudely shattered, and supporters have understandably called for new blood to plug the injury gaps, but the financial and physical constraints of our business plan do not allow for the short-term 'fix.'

WHITTLE: Regrettably all this has resulted in a dramatic drop in gates at Knowsley Road, or is the reason for this that the moment of truth has arrived for Super League following the 'honeymoon' of the first season?

HOWES: First and foremost you have to remember Saints have a hard-core following of around 7,000 fans and, as anyone in the entertainment business will tell you, the more successful you are the more the ancillary support will rally around. That was the case at Knowsley Road last season, which was a very special one but, after gates of 11,000 for the visits of Salford and Sheffield and the Wembley encore, it has proved to be the other side of the coin for Saints. However fickleness of fans is not precluded to us, because Wigan, Leeds and to a lesser extent Bradford, have experienced reduced attendances and the hard lesson to be digested is that quality on the field is vital to set the turnstiles clicking - anything less and you have a problem. From a Saints' angle I believe that it is not defeats in themselves that have upset the faithful, rather it is the manner of them because they probably feel they have been served a snack after the five-course banquet of 1996.

As for summer rugby, I remain convinced of its long-term viability particularly after the Sunday night clash with Bradford which, despite the defeat, found a shirt-sleeved crowd basking in the sunshine and enjoying both the rugby and the entertainment package.

WHITTLE: Have contract differentials had any detrimental effect on player-performance?

HOWES: In any walk of life finanicial rewards are graded according to ability, and others will invariably accept this principle as long as performance levels have been maintained. What we are talking about at Saints is attitudes and commitment and certainly after the fiasco at Sheffield some of Saints' players should ask themselves 'I am giving 100 per cent to the cause?' I lectured the squad on the consequences of the drubbing by Wigan, from a sponsorship, lottery, superstore and every other conceivable aspect because it is all interwoven, with my over-riding message being that rewards have to be earned.

WHITTLE: Will there be a player clear-out?

HOWES: Both in Rugby League and soccer club management tend to adopt a policy of player-rostering, which effectively means moving from one club to another from time to time. At Saints we have a full-time squad of 24 players with an optimum contract bill which is currently running at some £2m and it should be remembered that, with the advent of the contract system, a board of directors can't do what it likes when it likes because both player and club have certain rights. Figuratively speaking it should also be borne in mind that you can keep adding without subtracting.

WHITTLE: WHAT became of the proposed salary cap?

HOWES: All I can say at the moment on this matter is that there is no sign at the moment of one being imposed by the governing body of Super League. From a Saints' standpoint a salary cap is already firmly placed on our heads by the National Westminster Bank!

WHITTLE: When the Murdoch lifeline was thrown in mid-1995 it was said that some of the money was for ground improvements. Apart from the Superstore this has not happened. Why?

HOWES: You are quite correct because the original intention was that 40-50 percent be used for that express purpose, but the reality is that keeping abreast of escalating player contracts has swallowed up a great deal of the Murdoch cash. But here again this is the case at virtually every Super League club.

WHITTLE: In the light of this what will happen if Rupert Murdoch pulls the plug when the present agreement expires in the year 2000?

HOWES: It is obviously impossible for me to speculate on what will or will not happen three years hence, but what I will say is that major improvements, particularly in the field of administration, have brought an added degree of professionalism to Saints. However, several vital undertakings need to be tackled on the fabric of the Knowsley Road enclosure if we are to be at forefront of Super League, and to achieve this desirable goal we need to develop a wider vision and not be blinkered by parochial thinking.

WHITTLE: Is there any likelihood of assistance from corporate business in regard to these projects?

HOWES: Saints have received inquiries from at least two well-established companies and there are several more in the pipeline, and it is my firm intention to set these in motion on my return from Australia. WHITTLE: So much for 'structured' Australian-type rugby. What the Saints' fans want to know is what has become of the traditional flair which was once the club's birthright?

HOWES: No one is more aware of the need for free-flowing rugby than our coach Shaun McRae and the point is constantly hammered home on the training ground, and I would be the first to agree that his words have not been translated into action on the field of late. However, it is very feasible to blend a well-conceived game plan with a high degree of handling skills - just reflect on Saints' approach last season!

WHITTLE: What attempts are being made to keep Chris Joynt at Knowsley Road?

HOWES: It is almost superfluous to state that Chris is highly rated at Saints and this quality factor is a vital ingredient, but good old-fashioned commitment is another preference. Human nature, injuries and outside influences sometimes prove disruptive and the whole affair needs to be handled in a thoroughly professional manner.

WHITTLE: Turning to transfer matters, why was Lee Briers allowed to leave Saints with indecent haste just days after winning the man-of-the-match award at Wigan?

HOWES: In holding contract talks with Lee the player made it clear he wanted first-team football, but we could not guarantee this with Bobbie Goulding about to return after suspension and committed to Saints for another three seasons at least. Briers was told that Warrington were prepared to offer him that plus a better contract than we could and, as they say, the rest is history.

WHITTLE: Why did Saints fail to sign Iestyn Harris and Richie Blackmore?

HOWES: With regard to Harris this was arguably the most difficult decision made by the board, and in the final analysis the total package was far beyond Saints' budget. Kiwi Blackmore already had a home in Leeds and that, along with other family considerations, caused Richie to move to Headingley.

WHITTLE: Rumour has it that Scott Gibbs wants to come back to Knowsley Road. Any comment?

HOWES: The immediate situation is that Saints still hold Scott's registration and the last payment of his transfer fee to Swansea is due, and if he should move to another Rugby Union club Saints would be entitled to a share of any fee. Swansea, of course, have first call on Gibbs' services in what is a 10-month season so, if Scott did re-appear at Saints the major question would be one of fitting it in. I might add that losing a player of Scott Gibbs' standing was heart-breaking to everyone at Knowsley Road.

WHITTLE: Do you intend to honour your contract at Saints, which expires in three years time?

HOWES: Yes, unless something unforeseen occurs. I have enjoyed many aspects of my two years at Knowsley Road, in particular the public reaction to Saints' successes, but I would be less than honest if I did not say that it has been frustrating to see little movement in ground re-development.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.