As we go 3 and 5 with a Bye / Brisbane / Melbourne / Bunnys and the Sharks coming up, all logic dictates that we could quite easily find ourselves rooted to the bottom of the League table. Our season in shambles, the volcanic pressure to replace the coach mid season will heat up like never before. Last night with only a 72% completion rate, literally a dropped ball every 3rd set. The terrible service that our dummy half provided at times, the goal kicking accuracy of under 8's, the loss of an elite half back, playing the game with 12 men for 20 minutes, a lopsided penalty count against us, a team that looks and feels fatigued. A Manly team in the top 4, full of international players with their goalkicker kicking 5 from 5 all over the place. I have just one question that really bugs me.
How with 10 minutes to go - We have outscored Manly 4 tries to 3.
Let that sink in for a moment. With 10 minutes to go we have scored more tries then them, kick our goals and in a fantasy world we are actually in front 26 -20 with 10 to go.
Im so confused by this team, every inch of me wants to blow the team up, sack the coach, bring in better players. Tear the joint down, sack the football board, sack the retention committee, sack the CEO.And that is probably valid. But the truth is with 10 minutes to go we had outscored a current top 4 team full of internationals.
So where is the truth in this team, are they that hopeless, what will it take to finish games, and ice the moments. Is it a coach change, is it a Captain change, is it a senior player returning to the team, is it an off field culture. Something has to change, but im not sure if its a wholesale change. We outscored Manly 4 tries to 3 and Im dumbfounded that that was the case, it didnt feel like that. Do they need time off over this Bye fortnight with a holiday to relax and re focus, or should they be heading out to Holsworthy Army Base and the Blue mountains with an SAS like mini preseason of hard work and team building skills for a fortnight.
Is it a major change and shakeup that we need, or will some tweaks with players minds and buy in's rectify our season. Im not sure.
I sum up our team a bit like Mika Sivo. The representative figure of our season. He scores a hattrick of tries, but a lot of us want him gone. Now that is confusing in any ones language. But thats our reality. Like the Eels team, how can we do so many things right and still get it so wrong.
Surely its between the Ears of the players ! Isnt it.
Replies
With the backs it's no contest but I never said backs I said forwards.
At the beginning of the year on paper, our forwards shitted on theirs, however after only 8 rounds that can't be said anymore - they are over achieving and we are under.
I would take DB and Penisini and put them in the centres. I think Moses is a better halfback that Hughes. However one is just in a far superior system. Lot of our forwards would thrive under Bellamy
This is why it's so hard being a Parra supporter
Unfortunately to me the hidden truth is that it looks as though BA has a sort of coalition happening with key players and they use this coalition to decide on who the coach is and which players to keep.
Its zero coincidence that all the key contracts are negotiated at the same time as the coaches extensions so this coalition needs to be split up IMO, sooner rather than later. And if this means we lose a key player over this, well it's pain this club will need to endure. You simply can't have the players selecting the coaches and holding the clubs to ransom.
And before anyone says it, yes it's easy for players to dictate who the coach is.
They simply place a get out clause based on who the coach is and they leverage the hell out of this.
100%!!
We will find out next year so many off contracts and hope lomax hasn't done this
I don't know about players holding the club to ransom over the coach, RCG's comment that he would die for Brad is a bit over the top. I have mentioned the BA/Gutho alliance a few weeks ago, this sort of relationship isn't good for overall team dynamics.
Saw an interview posted on another fan page where Tim mannah was saying the leadership group do get treated differently and more leeway than the rest . That was his experience .
We desperately need to appoint a key HOF. Someone experienced like a Frank Ponisi, Shane Richardson or a Peter Parr.
This is the starting point.
I'd even go for Brian Smith but I think Brian has well and truly retired or a Matt Cameron to rebuild the club. Bugger the money, just pay for the best.
New HOF and a new head coach.
The West Tigers have started their rebuild and they are going to be well ahead of us both this year and next.
Those in charge will no doubt have a good look around and see the absolute chaos that the club is in and this chaos will only be ripe fruit for a factional challenge at the next board meetings.
It's a massive job and shows how far we have fallen as a club since 2022. Any thoughts that Bennett will just come and wave a magic wand are truly nieve. I'm sure he would be shocked by the decline in the football program.
And lower grades as well. Successful clubs like the Panthers and Storm must have similar systems in place across the grades, such that when a player is called up to 1st grade, he just slots in. Nathan Cayless is probably the Steve Bradbury for the job, as no one else wanted it. Nathan Brown (the bald one) didn't take long to pull up stumps after doing his review, and head to the GC. It was too much of a basket case.
I'm thinking given the structural problems, this may be beyond even someone like Bennett. The board needs to replace the HOF with someone who has the balls and authority to fix this. BA has probably overachieved with what he has had at his disposal, despite his shortcomings.
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