Voorts' View - "Bully's" astounding achievement will be remembered (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Voorts' View - "Bully's" astounding achievement will be remembered

10:17am Thursday 19th May 2011 in Rugby

KENDAL'S Ian Voortman offers his weekly view as the season ends:

THE less said about Saturday’s performance against Huddersfield the better.

We certainly enhanced our reputation for being a team who gives away soft tries and with no prospect of improving our league position, I’m afraid to say too many of the players had their minds on the end-of-season bash afterwards.

The saddest aspect of Saturday’s performance was the fact that it left Mark Ireland an agonising four points short of being the league’s top pointscorer, a truly astounding achievement for a player who has come up with one strong performance after the other when the team around him has too often struggled for consistency.

Our skipper Gareth Gore has decided to call it a day after four very successful seasons at Mint Bridge.

The Welshman is so skinny that he has to dance around in the shower to get wet, but his athletic lineout play and skilful work in the loose is going to make him a hard man to replace Finally, I'm sure I speak for everyone at the club in thanking Jon Nicholson for the role he has played in running the first team for the last five seasons.

“Bully's” love for his club is very evident and his stubborn nature has seen him lead a great comeback when others would have rolled over.

Mark Bowman and Ian Thompson have agreed to take on the roles of forwards’ coaches next season.

Both are proud Kendal men and I look forward to working with them.