To whom I know are concerned,

At this crucial point in the season where all things are still possible I feel compelled to write a letter to you as I did to the squad back in 2009.

Back then my main concern was a lack of spirit and desire, as far as I can tell those things are still in tact this season although I have to note that there were some signs of looking dispirited towards the end of your defeat in Hull.

Now you face a moment when people are categorically denying the possibility of you getting to Old Trafford let alone winning the title, some of you are being called past your best and no longer good enough, others are said to be not good enough yet whilst some of you are being told you’re simply not good enough.

Some people are even giving you the harshest criticism of all by saying you aren’t giving your best effort - but surely that’s not right, is it?

In your darkest hour you have to look from within to provide the light.

People told Roger Bannister he couldn’t possibly run a mile in under four minutes, Walt Disney was fired for lacking imagination, over a thousand people told Colonel Sanders that his secret chicken recipe would never be a success and others told the Wright brothers they would never build a flying machine.

When people tell you that you can’t do something, you can either sit back and believe them or you can put absolutely everything you’ve got into proving them wrong.

Science tells the hummingbird that it’s wings aren’t strong enough to support the weight of its body to allow it to fly, but it doesn’t listen to science, instead it just keeps flapping away until it does fly - you guys need to react like a humming bird right now.

Any time someone loses their way in sport what tends to happen is that the game becomes way too complicated in their head and over analysis tends to occur.

You can analyse a Rugby League match in thousands of different ways and attribute the result to an almost endless list of factors, but in my eyes one fact still remains that if one team runs and hits harder than the other then in the vast majority of cases that team will win.

One humble strategic suggestion from me is that you have to go back to having much more players in motion around the ball when you’re attacking, to increase your options and more importantly your unpredictability.

As they will always do, fans compare you to teams and players from the past, you cannot afford to get caught up in those comparisons, instead focus on creating an identity that future teams will be measured against. The only player you can be is you, just become the best possible version of that player.

Besides all of the comparisons I keep hearing are those with teams from the last few years and remember none of them won the Super League title, so you don’t need to be them, you need to be better than them.

You are getting a lot of criticism right now, that’s not a good experience for anyone, but remember two things, people only tend to criticise things that they care about - so remember that you’re lucky to be part of something that means so much to so many people.

Also remember that unlike all those people doing the criticising you are in the fortunate position of being able to do something about the current situation you are in.

I know you put your bodies through pain that most of us will never understand and that your careers are short and unlike top flight footballers the money you earn won’t tide you over for the rest of your life, but I still think you’re unbelievably lucky to get to play a great sport at all, let alone for a living.

So enjoy the game and get back to being the most enthusiastic and spirited team in Super League and you’re even allowed to smile!

Yours still faithfully

Spirit of ‘55

(Read his 2009 letter here)