Fan Forum (Part 1): Lessons from last season

Over the next week, 1Eyed Eel will bring you all the news and views shared by Stephen Kearney, Luke Burt and Peter Nolan at Friday night's Fan Forum. We start with a look at last year's season and how that has flowed into the pre-season

Asked what the club had taken from last year’s dissapointing result, coach Stephen Kearney said the main thing he aimed to impress on his squad at the end of the season, was that the players shouldn’t look to the 2012 season and think it was up to the new recruits to life the side. With nine games during the season lost by six points or less, they weren’t that far away from what they would have needed to have won a lot more games.

“I didn’t want there to be a reliance on the new recruits coming in to be the difference between us winning those nine games and losing them,” Kearney said. “I wanted the people that were here to realise that if they were able to improve themselves that five to ten per cent over the pre-season that even without our new recruits we could have won those games.”

Listen to this segment on the Fan Forum by clicking the play button below

Pre-season Improvements

What’s more, he believes that those improvements have come across the squad. Luke Burt, he said, had doubled the number of chin-ups he was able to do. Justin Horo had lost weight about his middle and had made a big improvement in terms of body composition. Burt also said that the improvement had been noticable on the training paddock and in particular noted the “application to each training”.

“Whereas last year we had a few up and down sessions with a bit of inexperience, this year it’s been full-on at each training everyone is putting 100 per cent in.” He said the team had been given a week off recently, and sometimes it’s hard to come back and re-focus. “But I thought we had another really good week training and it’s looking good going into the first trial”.

Burt said the team was taking the trials very serously because it was important to get its combinations going prior to hitting the start of the competition.

Listen to this segment on the Fan Forum by clicking the play button below

I really enjoyed the FF. I haven’t been to anything like this before so I ventured down to the club to see what it was all about and I am pleased I went. I was impressed by all three speakers who tried their best to be honest and forthright and I came away thinking that our club is in good hands. I couldn’t believe how open Kearney was about selections and positions and Nolan has the communication skills to explain where the future lies and what mistakes have been made in the past.

These are some of the things that I made a mental note of from the Fan Forum on Friday night;

Peter Nolan referred to the vicious cycle of the NRL clubs based in Sydney and the disparity of junior boundaries between clubs. He said that the NZ Warriors had claim to the north island of NZ while the Storm had the south island. The Coyboys had the top half of QLD while the Broncos had the bottom half. Canberra had the bottom half of NSW, Newcastle out west while the remainder of the Sydney based clubs scavenged for the rest of Sydney. Clubs like the Broncos where he came from put long range plans in place with a strong emphasis on junior development. Too often Sydney clubs simply sign big names and a new coach and repeat the exercise two to three years later. Nolan said this was not the way to go and he said that the club would not be making any big name signings in the near future.
The academy is about preparing players for the NRL and while the Eels had the best history of Harold Matthews and SG Ball titles to our credit Nolan said that he didn’t care if we didn’t win another title so long as we won an NRL premiership. He wants to put an emphasis on challenging young players to step up. He gave an example of the current squad make –up of both Ball and Matts where many younger players have been selected over older players. He believes development should be done in this order. 1. Develop the players physically. 2. Develop their skills and 3. Teach them the tactics. It follows that I think we will see a few more NYC players playing in the Wenty colours this season to help blood players for the NRL and challenging players to see if they can handle a higher level of footy.
In terms of selections 1 eyed has covered this. He did say that if there are injuries to key positions in the halves and centres that he would call on the two NYC halves in Jason Seage and Jason Wehbe. In the centres he has been impressed with Cheyse Blair and Troy Savage. All those players mentioned would be seen in the NRL within 12-24 months.
Peter Nolan said Parra is a club blessed with great resources – Leagues club, offices and ground within a stones throw of each other. We have a great supporter base and systems now in place to properly develop our best juniors. He said, “I can’t understand anyone wanting to leave here”

Replies

ŦōmMýþØΨ-Parra Till I Die! February 5, 2012 at 10:15am

Times 2
CP February 5, 2012 at 10:16am

Great, thanks Phil, cant wait for the season to begin!
Brian Jackson February 5, 2012 at 10:23am

Thanks for providing us with this - very informative
Jimmy February 5, 2012 at 10:36am
I really enjoyed the FF. I haven’t been to anything like this before so I ventured down to the club to see what it was all about and I am pleased I went. I was impressed by all three speakers who tried their best to be honest and forthright and I came away thinking that our club is in good hands. I couldn’t believe how open Kearney was about selections and positions and Nolan has the communication skills to explain where the future lies and what mistakes have been made in the past.

These are some of the things that I made a mental note of from the Fan Forum on Friday night;
- Peter Nolan referred to the vicious cycle of the NRL clubs based in Sydney and the disparity of junior boundaries between clubs. He said that the NZ Warriors had claim to the north island of NZ while the Storm had the south island. The Coyboys had the top half of QLD while the Broncos had the bottom half. Canberra had the bottom half of NSW, Newcastle out west while the remainder of the Sydney based clubs scavenged for the rest of Sydney. Clubs like the Broncos where he came from put long range plans in place with a strong emphasis on junior development. Too often Sydney clubs simply sign big names and a new coach and repeat the exercise two to three years later. Nolan said this was not the way to go and he said that the club would not be making any big name signings in the near future.
- The academy is about preparing players for the NRL and while the Eels had the best history of Harold Matthews and SG Ball titles to our credit Nolan said that he didn’t care if we didn’t win another title so long as we won an NRL premiership. He wants to put an emphasis on challenging young players to step up. He gave an example of the current squad make –up of both Ball and Matts where many younger players have been selected over older players. He believes development should be done in this order. 1. Develop the players physically. 2. Develop their skills and 3. Teach them the tactics. It follows that I think we will see a few more NYC players playing in the Wenty colours this season to help blood players for the NRL and challenging players to see if they can handle a higher level of footy.
- In terms of selections 1 eyed has covered this. He did say that if there are injuries to key positions in the halves and centres that he would call on the two NYC halves in Jason Seage and Jason Wehbe. In the centres he has been impressed with Cheyse Blair and Troy Savage. All those players mentioned would be seen in the NRL within 12-24 months.
- Peter Nolan said Parra is a club blessed with great resources – Leagues club, offices and ground within a stones throw of each other. We have a great supporter base and systems now in place to properly develop our best juniors. He said, “I can’t understand anyone wanting to leave here”
- SINBADS_2Sexy > Jimmy February 5, 2012 at 11:44am
  
  Thanks for the update gents it's good to know where our club is at and the future direction of it with players and development .
  Hoping to get to trail on Saturday night.
  Phil can you please re- active sinbads account thanks mate.
  No I'm not sinbad I'm his cousin
Joseph m. Briffa February 5, 2012 at 12:52pm

Phil that was amasing.Thanks again mate.

This reply was deleted.

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