Maybe someone could answer me these questions. Is it true that Jason Taylor was hooked at half time in the 2001 grand final and did not feature in the second half?. I was 14 at the time when that game was played but I don't remember that part.
Is it true that Jason Taylor wanted to play on after 2001 but Brian Smith/The Parramatta board said no?.
What did Jason Taylor actually write in the letter that he gave to Smith which convinced him to give him a second go in the first place. I could never find any exert from it online. (I am expecting some funny/daft answers to this one but if someone could be serious that would be sound).
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I remember he was hooked at some point, don't remember when though.
I seem to recall he was ready to retire but Smithy convinced him to play one more season.
From what I remember he actually overprepared them. He had them wound so tight they were literally unable to think clearly. The Knights on the other hand ...
Kiama , had a relaxing preparation as he’d done the intense preparations at the Dragons and lost both of those games . I’ve been told by an ex Newcastle player who was in that room that as soon as Johns saw us walk into the GF breakfast he said to the team “ we’ve got this , they look like scared children “ , so in my opinion Smith should’ve stuck to his usual intense preparation .
At the end of the day we were a very young and inexperienced team that was beaten by a very experienced team of Internationals . On paper they had every right to beat us .
Correct. In a RLW article post the GF both Buderis and Harrigon said that when the eels turned up they were ultra tense, the whole teams demeanour showed that they were easy takes.
The knights blew the eels away in the first half with the eels going much better in the 2nd, had the 2nd half been played in the 1st could have been different.
I believe that Smith's biggest problem as a coach was very much demonstrated with that loss, a couple of eels players I remember reading comments from them was Smiths mannerisms in the sheds, as to be intense, along with school teacher lectures with his black/white board drawings instead of working with the players. The board plan was often thumped with his pen to highlight/ This is what to do" often the opposition already knew the plan for the match.
Smith and Taylor whilst a very successful coaching duo when it comes to development of players and game strategies ,were too alike when it came to personality and relationships with players . There really needed to be a settler in there somewhere with a more likeable approach for the players. I think that’s why JT and Robinson are such a great mix . Behind the scenes I have zero doubt the footy brain is JT over there .
When I look at most coaches even today, how many of them actually look as if they enjoy the game?? From what I see of many of them they are more morose than anything, JT & Smith were serious and the expressions were like that all the time. Of the modern day coaches, Bellamy is a shocker would be a great one to show a series of coaches box shots.
Dessie and Toovs should join up for a comedy team for the light hearted.
Rarely any joy in them at all
A lot of winning is down to psychology. In hindsight, Smith should have kept that relaxed attitude right through to kickoff. As you said, the players looked tense, but that should never have happened. Instead of lecturing to the players, he should have been a bit calmer, and even cracking jokes with the players. It might have helped to have some of the past players who had actually played in Grand Finals before. We were almost, but not quite as bad in 2009 (and many of the Finals that we lost in the late 90s / early 00s).
The Knights got us on the edge a couple of times and it was no coincidence who they targeted in defence; and also they played almost near perfect footy for the first 40.
We could have won in 2005 and also 1998.....again did not aim up for the entire game. Coach and players.
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