I have given up on BA on quiet a few occassions in the sense of he needs to go! BUT!
I have always had one proviso on this, that is his replacement has to be better. Well given the name coaches of Bennett and Bellamey are off limits as to being available, this task of replacing him has been a lot more difficult and it seems to becoming more difficult every year.......why is this? basically because he is improving every year, to the point if he wins a comp, I think he is in the elite class.
We once saw BA as a "battler" coach brough into to do a fix, whilst waiting for a big name to become available.We seem to write him off at some stage every year and the big one now is of course he has been 10 years plus in the job and its time to give someone else a go. BUT
If BA keeps improving and I dare to ask who can deny he's not......then why would you let him go? He bleeds Blue and Gold and has an enormous history with the club.
I think its time that some of the "haters" on here start aknowledging that he is a very serious coach and would command very high dollars in the coaching market.
We have had Fong's bush ballad book that went for 3 pages, probably the length of most of Fongs reading and many others that wanted to sack him....the JA thing has left us now and I know some will harp on it. Personally I always thought it was a huge mistake to put his kid out there but I think the man is so honest, he just didn't see it other than the way he did.
In recent weeks we have seen him dig into the depths of our non recognised players and emerge with some Treasure's that we did not think possible.
Brad Arthur is cool calm and collected and this appreciation blog is to say this "little black duck" has not let it go outside of his notice.
Lets see a few of the "haters" come out and aknowledge this guys coaching has improved exponentially and he deserves our respect!
PS I was talking to someone outside of 1EE yesterday about this subject and he thought BA was a "bum" coach and would not feed him......I put up all these arguments and more and told him he was a fcukwit and a moron, unlike me I know.
Finally I want to reprint a post that Brett Allen made yesterday, I think it says a lot about the man and his family.
Michelle Arthur babysat the Niukores three kids when Mrs Niukore was in hospital getting lifesaving surgery, and then regularly afterwards whilst in hospital and after leaving. Niukore's wife was basically incapacitated for the last three years, MA looked after her and the kids when Marata was away with the team. Brad and Michelle basically became surrogate grandparents to their kids. Marata is like a son to BA. Nikki Niukore had Ulcerative Colitis, she had her entire colon removed.
Replies
I tend to agree with you Pops. There has been times throughout BAs tenure that I've often wondered what he was doing but every year we seem to improve and or go better than the year before. I'm excited yet cautious about what we can achieve this year and will ride them all the way. I was talking to a mate the other day who was carrying on as to why Davey was playing instead of Doorey. I believe there are areas in Doorey's game that need to improve and BA is making him earn his opportunity. Davey is no doubt a journeyman who is just filling a hole until someone else steps up and demands the spot, plus Lane willl replace him anyways. I think what is clear as day is we have to trust that BA knows how to develop a forward. He has proven this without doubt
The addition of Barrett was a step in the right direction in his development as a coach. He has been loyal to Steve Murphy and brought in Ryan Carr but knew they weren't getting the job done, so he keeps Murphy needing that familiar face but brings in Barrett to overhaul and run the attack his way. It has worked, BA not normally has brought in a coach he has not worked with before, but bit the bullet and went hard for Barrett.
Then moves on from Kidwell early and gets Antonelli over from Souths and that has improved us also. BA made choices to bring in new voices while keeping Murphy as that bridge for new coaches on the current players and worked well, it is building nicely.
Murphy and Barrett know each other from Barrett's time when Murphy (a former Australia rep touch footballer) was a boarding school teacher at St Greg's when Trent was a student there.
Wow i never knew that, wonderful insight Mapik, thanks for sharing. I could see Murphy being the cool teacher, the he is in interviews in the past he seems that fun uncle type of bloke around the club, which you need from time to time.
no arguments from this eeler pops , hey I was one of his critics ( even Barrett ) now as father time grows on us all so does the character in us all , I look at his post match press conference and I can't help but feel that this bloke ( Arthur ) he's speaking like a coach but also he's body language suggests he's also their mate and more importantly somewhat of a fatherly figure for the Team . cool calm and collective indeed is Brad Arthur. I've a great feeling thing's are starting to gel nicely.
I've stuck by BA from day one..
Me too.. only true negative spiteful fans were blind to his potential. The blokes a man manager.. fits the mould perfect for what this westie club is all about. I'm proud of BA and the general he has become.
Fair points, Pops. Good blog. I'll need to eat humble pie, as I haven't always been BA's biggest fan. By the same token, you'd hope after 10 years on the job, he's learnt something, which he has.
Kudos, also needs to be given to the playing group and the club. Not just BA.
I've been impressed with the mental strength of the team as a collective this year.
There's always someone willing to really put in, and step up, even when he's mates aren't able to or they face a plethora of injuries and adversity.
Even when they were in the bottom four at R11, they didn't seem to be mentally broken, and had faith and confidence in themselves they'd turn it around.
It would not have been possible if the board were trigger happy. So, kudos.
Additionally, the R&R team have made some astute signings in recent years. And, we've found ways to regenerate the herd after losing important cattle.
As an aside, I also wonder if Barrett has helped our attack sync better, or whether that's just the maturity and pact the team have made to be there and do their job, or all of the factors galvanizing together.
Whether BA wins a title or not, I'm unsure.
No coach in history has won a grand final after more than 7 years straight at one club. Every coach in the game's history has won in 5 years or less (at one club, in one tenure). Only Flanagan (5 years and a few weeks) and Folkes (7 years including a salary cap scandal in his tenure) have done it in more than 5 years.
Can he? Well, yes. If he assembles a champion team: the right playing group playing for each other, in sync and doing things for the good of the team, that are mentally tough enough.
There's still much of the season left, though. So, I'm not going to be counting my chickens yet.
I'm hoping, all the blood, sweat and tears the team (as well as BA and the coaching staff) have shed to get inside the eight won't be a waste.
We need to keep going. Now, is not the time to pat ourselves on the shoulder too much. The job's not completely done. A week at a time.
You summed up well Hoey and I think the main reason I wrote this was yesterday arguing his improvements and the way he has changed and matured as a coach and a mentor that made me think.....do we appreciate this man enough.
He has taken a few hidings in his time but like a good fighter he gets up after every knockdown and doesn't whinge or complain about the many low blows his side has received.
I love the story about Marata's kids that his wife and him took on......anybody that looks after kids away from their parents deserves the most trust and rewards as it is is one hell of a job (no pun).
His loyalty to his players and the club I suspect has not gone unnoticed by the board, criticise them for what you want but they have in turn been loyal to him. I particularly note that we are seemingly picking up that special commaradie that i sensed we were starting to lose.......its not lost yet that's for sure.
Initially I was a big supporter of BA for quite a while and saw him as someone who would progress with experience. The progress for me was slow.I think stubborn was a big feature in how many perceived him. Stuck with one up plays,poor defensive issues which were constantly not addressed despite many frustrations on this site Stubborn best described him for me.He stuck with assistants who had little influence with change. We will probably never know why. Poor use of bench rotation was also a big issue for years The poor judgement with the nepotism thing probably sealed it for me. Many didn't seem to think anything thing wrong with that which is the way we all see the world (differently). My concern always was with opportunities for other players not given the same opportunities JA was given permanently . Maybe players like Assi and Hands etc who have benefited with opportunity may have some thoughts on this.
Many great changes have happened this year. I have no idea what triggered these changes.JA going to Manly.Bench rotation much better.One up hit up style of play very well addressed.We have a much better style of play. Great improvements in attitude and no big margin losses.
Stubbornness does not appear to be something of BA,s persona anymore.
Maybe some good things are happening behind the scenes and maybe others need to be given some credit as well for what has happened in a short time period. This is just the way I am processing this.
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
of 14 Next