Three wheels on my wagon

A week apparently is a long time in politics. Tell that to a Shark.

A week at Edgeley Park can, by comparison, seem to last an eternity.

First our club captain announces his retirement in rather acrimonious circumstances.

Then we find out that one of our front row stalwarts is by all accounts being shunted out the back door unceremoniously.

And finally the team conspire to once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Oh joy of joys. No wonder we're all despondent and downcast.

What price loyalty? What price professionalism? What price a backs coach?

Sorry to moan - my weekend, as you'll probably have guessed, was a real blast.

We should actually be celebrating the career of one of rugby's icons this week, recognising his incredible achievements in both codes and thanking our lucky stars that we were privileged enough to witness these.

Instead all the talk has been about contract wranglings and people have been asking themselves, did he fall or was he pushed?

How sad and depressing is that?

Many of us believe Billy Whizz should've played on for at least another year, but he has decided he will retire and we will and should, of course, respect that.

The news was of course very sad, both for Sale and for England. Yet it wasn't entirely unexpected.

There had been rumours for several weeks that this might happen, due to a breakdown in communication between the club and the player. Both sides have come out since and stated their views on what did or didn't happen and why the whole deal ultimately collapsed.

As fans I guess we'll never know the whole truth. However, what I find most distressing and upsetting of all, is the fact that the dirty linen had to be so publicly laundered.

Whether you prefer to lay the blame at Jason's door or the club's, the fact remains, matters should've been sorted out many months ago in private and the end of a glittering and illustrious career shouldn't have been tarnished by an unnecessary public squabble.

I'll remember Billy for his rugby, and his rugby alone. I hope others will do the same.

It would also appear that Barry Stewart, our own Scottish Bear', is set to leave Sale Sharks this summer, after the club has failed to offer him a new contract.

If this news is true, then it is terribly sad. What's even sadder is the fact that this news had to be broken to supporters by Barry's own mother and father.

Personally I find that astonishing. He came to Sale after a serious injury and insurance issues which prevented him from ever plying his trade in his own country again, and has fought back to become an invaluable member of our squad.

In all the years I have watched him, I've never seen him give anything other than full and total commitment, nor take a backward step. He is a consummate professional. What's more, he is a gentleman and is liked and appreciated by one and all.

Are loyalty and professionalism mutually exclusive concepts? Well, you can accuse me of naivety and living in an ivory tower, but I don't think they are, nor should they be.

I know what we watch week in, week out is effectively a regional franchise, not a rugby club in its traditional form, but nonetheless I feel that loyalty and commitment should be rewarded and appreciated.

If the club is seen to act with honour and integrity, I'm sure profits will continue to rise and the business expand. If it's not, then recruitment of new players is going to become increasingly difficult as it's hard to commit to a club you can't necessarily trust.

Let's just hope that good sense prevails and Bear stays at Sale to fight another day.

Back on the field, we slumped to yet another last gasp defeat to this season's nemesis, Leicester Tigers.

They played their second string. We played the best available. It was a tense and fiercely fought game and exciting because both teams came to the match with different agendas - the Tigers to ensure a top four finish and a play-off place, Sale to stave off relegation.

That we didn't manage to take the game by the scruff of the neck and dominate from the first whistle won't come as any great surprise to anyone who's watched the team over the course of the season. Our pack may well dominate games but we appear to have no penetration.

We mullered them in the scrum, pushing them backwards continually. Had the normally eagle-eyed Tony Spreadbury spotted the constant infringements and lack of binding earlier, then we would've been awarded numerous penalties.

As it was, it took 75 minutes until he spotted one. The problem is, whatever platform our pack can build is of no use if our backs can't do anything with the ball, or worse than that, don't know what to do with it once they receive it.

That unfortunately has been the trademark of our game this year - a lack of invention and a cutting edge in our back play. We never look like we're likely to score a try.

I don't blame the players. Far from it.

Every one of them gave their all for the cause on Friday night and that much was appreciated by the fans.

We have some of the finest backs in English rugby, though a few of them never get a chance to shine, yet something is obviously wrong. They might lose form, but they don't become bad players overnight. The problem, therefore, must lie elsewhere.

As far as I can see the problem lies in the coaching. To improve, we need new ideas and different strategies. Until this is done, all I can foresee is more and more lateral rugby with lots of possession and a distinct lack of penetration.

That shouldn't happen to a team ultimately managed by a legendary and predatory winger.

Many of us would've hoped that the experience at the Liberty Stadium would have taught us valuable lessons.

When you have a narrow lead with minutes to go, you don't gift the ball to the opposition, you simply retain possession by any means available. So why did we not take longer with the conversion of the penalty try and why did we not find touch with our clearance?

Perhaps it's simply down to naivety, though frankly most of our lads are long-enough in the tooth not to use that as an excuse. The younger boys can and should be forgiven, though let's hope that this time the lessons are learned and not forgotten.

So all in all, a week best forgotten. The wagon might be just about rolling along, but if another wheel comes off, then the Cherokees will definitely capture us.

We're just about safe from the prospect of relegation, but another point wouldn't go amiss.

Better still, let's have 10 more points and open up and play heads-up rugby.

We have the players, so let's do the business. In the meantime, we need to strengthen the squad, give some of the younger lads their head and hope that the back door' is firmly locked and bolted.

We don't want any more of our established players shunted out quietly like Barry Stewart. To try to do it once is appalling, but to attempt to do it again would be unforgivable.