A virtual ever-present at press conferences during his time with Hull KR, Tony Smith was conspicuous by his absence when Wednesday's Zoom call went live.
Sat in his place was Stanley Gene for the first time since rejoining the club two years ago.
It is not unprecedented for the Rovers head coach to miss a press conference but such instances have been few and far between in his three years in charge. Danny McGuire stood in twice last year and David Hodgson faced the press when Smith was forced to self-isolate towards the end of 2020.
Read more: Paul Cooke explains why Hull KR stay will be more appealing to Tony Smith than Leeds Rhinos return
Super League's most experienced coach, Smith has never been one to shirk tough questions or difficult situations. But he took the decision to skip this week's press conference amid ongoing speculation over a potential return to Leeds Rhinos following Richard Agar's departure on Monday.
Smith had the perfect opportunity to put the rumours to bed but, for whatever reason, he decided to stay quiet on the subject. It is important to stress at this stage that the link is based on conjecture, from fans as well as the media through 'contenders' stories.
The pieces certainly fit together, if you want them to. Smith guided the Rhinos to their first title in 32 years, effectively kicking off the club's golden era playing the kind of exhilarating rugby the fans have been longing for ever since.
At the heart of Leeds' success was Danny McGuire, a homegrown lad who bled blue and amber. Conduct a straw poll and a high percentage of Rhinos supporters would view Smith and McGuire as the perfect combination to revive the club's fortunes. What is more, both Smith and McGuire are out of contract at the end of this season.
Super League's title sponsor Betfred is wary of the romantic element, offering odds of 10/1 on Smith becoming the next permanent Leeds head coach with McGuire at 12s. Hull KR are understood to be relaxed about the situation and there has been no suggestion from either Smith or McGuire that they would be interested in a return to Headingley.
But for any fans anxious about the rug being pulled on KR's revival under Smith, silence can be deafening. Smith is experienced enough to know what was coming on Wednesday and he took the decision to swerve the press conference. Instead of handing over the duties to McGuire in a repeat of last year, he opted to give the responsibility to Gene.
In the absence of both Smith and McGuire, conspiracy theorists were working overtime. The decision to go with Gene over McGuire was perfectly logical to avoid the press conference being dominated by Leeds chat. But no official reason was put forward by the club for Smith skipping his usual media duties.
There may be a perfectly innocent explanation but in the absence of one, fans are left to draw their own conclusions. Given the sacrifices the supporters have made over the past two years, they deserve better.
