Why the love with Brian Smith appearing in blogs more and more. I understand looking at him for head of football but some suggesting he coach short term are outrageous and I would even question his head of football credentials. We need change but not sure he is right person. I am not sure who we need but pretty sure Brian Smith is not the answer. I just did quick read up to see why so much fascination and man love by some on the site regarding him and found the following. Judging on recent positions I doubt his credentials.
He has been sacked from majority of positions or left on mutual terms after poor results. His last major role before warriors head of footy was with Wakefield Trinity. If he joined parra as coach it would be similar circumstances as they were team was struggling and Smith was the big hope to turn it around.
Results didn't improve and actually got worse. Yes he won the million dollar game to super league which was good result however 4 wins from 15 was his record. Much worse then previous 2 years prior to his arrival, but I suppose that is 1 up on BA as we only won 3 this year. Once he left wakefield results picked up again.
His record at past 2 nrl clubs prior to England were at Newcastle and roosters and other then 1 grand final appearance for roosters results were not anything special.
2007 took over knights where went from 4th on ladder 2006 to 15th in 2007.
Improved in 2008 to 9th and then quit mid season in 2009. Sacking came after signing with roosters mid losing streak which stretched to 5 games before victory when Stone took over.He also did mass clean out of knight players, but bought outside talent not develop juniors as he was tasked with. He also had a bigger budget than previous coaches to help get success which he didn't deliver.
Then off to the roosters turning wooden spooners to 6th on table or 7th when take out Melb salary cap deductions. He replaced struggling coach Brad fittler and took side to grand final. Question needs be asked though was it an easy draw as many claimed BA had last year. Todd Carney was huge for roosters and won dally m as he was proving point after spending year out of game. This shows good players can make bad coaches look good and vice versa. This is validated as the following year roosters only won 8 games to finish 13th as Carney's form dipped and results returned more in line with Brian Smith other results.
Now working at warriors who are having success and I can't deny warriors have improved this year. Possibly because of Smith as head of footy, as he obviously made some changes. But for changes to occur so quick it is more likely small changes in coaching ranks as they kept the same head coach in Kearney who has been labelled as useless by same people wanting get rid of BA.
My question is if Brian Smith comes to parra as head of footy and makes improvements as per warriors do we need to get rid of BA?
If using warriors as guide and reason to hire Smith you would have to say keeping BA is not as ridiculous as many unicorns say.
Personally I know we need changes however I believe changes can occur and the team can fire with BA still involved with the club. As head coach or not I am not sure, however as seen with the warriors a few good footy minds and assistants can turn around team. That and the inclusion of 1 or 2 top line players. For warriors it was Blake green and Tohu Harris who isn't getting the wraps he deserves. If we had green or Harris how would our season look. Harris wanted return to NZ and not sure if we chased green however many had high hopes for Moses and Norman so understand not chasing him.
I am not ready to crucify BA on recruitment just yet as many people are pointing to decisions that have been made in hindsight, and forgetting the affect of things like salary cap and certain player managers not even entertaining the thought of sending players to parra, regardless of coach.
I am neither a unicorn or a realist, I just a parra fan who can see both sides of the argument and don't just want change for change sake. I want changes to improve the club and planned out. If it means chasing top coach for 2020 so be it as names like hasler and Smith aren't what I want for the eels
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I’m on a phone and my eyes aren’t what they used to be so excuse me for skim reading . You’ve forgotten the fact a thing Newcastle that Andrew Johns retired one or two games into Smiths first year with injury . He did a pretty good job up there with a club that was majorly busted .
As for The Roosters , what he did there to get them to the GF was brilliant . Brian’s always been able to get the best out of kids like Carney . Carney needed discipline , it’s no shock that Tim Smith went down the gurgler once a soft drongo like Hagan was in charge . Even Riddell another known party boy played his best footy under Smith.
Its a pity Hayne wasn’t broken into submission by earning his spot in Smith’s team . You think Smith held him back because he didn’t think he was good enough ? Hayne was ripping it up , Hayne was held back because smith was trying to educate the kid with some life lessons . JT brought him through and undid Smith’s work because JT was trying to secure the top job and needed results .
I similar pattern to what BA has done and been crucified for which many here have forgotten. He got sacked after plenty of speculation after poor results and fan outrage so if that is your level of pretty good fair enough.
As for the roosters they did turn around in 2010 and looked great but was it because of Brian Smith. If it was him why do they go backwards so quickly the following year. I think it was more a case of Todd Carney with a point to prove and he had pretty handy assistant in Trent Robinson. Smith started fearing Robinson was after his job so stopped taking his advice when the downward spiral started. He listened and worked well with Robinson till he realised Robinson was major influence.
BA needs more support from coaching team as Brian Smith had however I feel he may be similar and resent others on staff. For that reason maybe go back to assistant role with different head coach. We also need marqee player which Norman was supposed to be but never delivered. Moses was a hope as well it has plenty of growth and consistency to reach anything close to marqee player status.
Mate The Roosters didn’t poach him because he was a niff nuff . He cleaned out Newcastle which is wholly and soully what he was hired for .
What do you think the eels were when he took over and the dragons, busted clubs that hadn't played finals footy for years and he built both clubs into premiership contenders.
Nice piece. Kind of what we need at the club, balance.
Try to find someone these days who has poured their heart and soul into a club like BA. He may not be our coaching future, and I agree on the face of it there have been some very very odd recruitment decisions, but it defies logic that anyone in BA's position would not go for the best out there....unless the shackles were applied. BA may have indicated he will do it all, but that may go as much towards his passion for the club and making it work, as his actual ability to wear multiple hats. The clue may be in what Gurr is doing. Despite conventional marketing BS, we as humans cannot multitask, and given multiple distractions, we cannot give 100%. The Parra Mx should never, ever have allowed this to happen. That, in itself shows a gap in smarts and planning.
Is he a victim now of the brilliant crisis management he performed in 2016? I think so!
Brian Smith was good, and yes, I believe he would be good as Head of Football. But there are others
How can you call winning 3 from 15 change for change sake?, if constantly losing is not good reason for change I don't know what is.
Brian Smith has a long history of improving clubs, you point out a couple of fails but they were short term stints and even the great Wayne Bennett failed at Newcastle. He has never started at a club with a star studded roster, he usually gets thrown in at clubs that are struggling and on most occasions he has improved that club with some astute signings and Improved junior talent. You only have to look at his stint with the eels to see what he can achieve in both the short term and long term. Short term he got the eels to the finals for the first time in a decade, long term we had more first grade quality juniors coming through our system than we could handle and were providing other clubs with quality first graders for years.
HKF my wording was wrong in saying change for change sake. I mean rushing into changes without plan to go forward. Grabbing a coach because they are available isn't the best move. We need coach that will fit and improve the side and work with club. I would prefer a thorough process to ensure right coach is found instead just handing position to someone not ready or won't fit direction of club.
As for Brian Smith his stint at parra was long time ago and he had many positions since then which have failed. You say they were short term stints at Newcastle, roosters and Wakefield so want ignore the issues I outlined. So you will suffer another couple years misery and poor results while his systems take place in short term. I look forward to the blogs in a year or 2 when results haven't turned around after his appointment. We need coach who can deliver immediate improvement and long term sucess. Brian smith has failed on these fronts at last 3 clubs as I outlined. It may be that as he got older he started believe his own hype from his fans that he stopped listening to the advice of others to his detriment. He had good team around him at parra but failed when didn't have it elsewhere. If you want to argue to give him total control it won't happen while still in administration and would be dangerous move. He like Bennett have old school methods which are not as successful now and they seem reluctant have people along side of them that may be a threat to their position. Hence his ignoring Trent Robinson in 2nd year at roosters as others saw his potential and part of roosters success.
The junior situation was more to do with 1 of best recruitment teams going around. Once we lost them to other sides they improved and we fell. Why aren't we getting any more country kids anymore? Who do we have as junior scouts. It wasn't Smith identifying and improving players they were quality when arrived and improved in lower grades.
How did he fail at roosters?, he got them to the GF after getting the wooden spoon the year before.
Anyway, i'm not suggesting he should be coach, I believe he would be perfect for head of football, it is no coincidence the warriors have improved out of sight this season with him at the helm, do you think it is Kearneys coaching that has turned them around?, no way, they bare playing Brian Smith style footy which is the total opposite of steve Kearney style footy.
I think Smith would do his best work for the club in a head of footballs role, but there is no way we would of 3 from 14 with this roster if Smithy was coaching the team.
Best coach ever to not win a premiership.
And so would Paul green. Except he is coaching the cowboys and how many they won. This year there are more issues then just BA.
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