Could it be possible that BA is a top-quality coach that has overachieved for the past 2 years? Could it be possible that the Eels roster (totally BA's roster) is below par?
When you look closely at the Eels roster it is lacking in many key areas. Starting with the spine. Our #1 and captain is below probably 5-6 other #1's. He is an effort player, not so much a strike player. Our #6 is way down the list of #6's in the comp. I would best describe him as a steady footballer. Our #7 is inconsistent and lacks leadership and direction when games are tight. Again not much more than a steady footballer. Our #9 is top quality. His only problem is his overenthusiasm, (especially in defence) resulting in fatigue slowing him down whilst attacking. Our starting 2 front-rowers are top-notch but lack punch when they are off the field. Our edge back-rowers are better than we have seen in attack due to the ball-players letting them down. They can go missing in action in defence. Our centres and wingers can do what is needed with the ball but they can get lost in defence. Our #18 through #25 leave me with very little confidence.
So once again the questions are .......... Has BA performed as well as expected with his roster (understanding the roster is 100% his)? Is BA"s problem more roster management than coaching? Has BA put together a top-quality roster and his coaching is letting the team down?
Replies
At coaching BA is a deadsh*t.
He has been here 8 years, and we have only won one finals game. Our game plans, or làck there of, are boring. Our defence is terrible, and as for our attack, well............. We need a completely new coaching staff, whether that is this year, I doubt it, but certainly in 2023, we need to change. BA has had more than enough time to have success with this team.
Slippery we were at the top of the ladder mate well into both last two seasons with these players and went downhill towards the end. That should tell you something.
I'm not a huge fan of BA at all. Personally, I don't believe he can deliver a premiership in the near future with the current roster that he has built. However, I doubt many could argue that BA is totally useless. He has done well with signing fringe 1st graders and players on the outer at previous clubs. For example RCG and Papali’i. On the other hand, I don't see any improvement in big-name signings. Maybe BA could add value to a football club but not as Head Coach.
I think he can add values a head coach only if he reinvented his attitude into a head coach that was happy to surround himself with other people that can add value. He seems like he isn't able to have anyone around him that may be able to apply pressure to do anything differently to how he wants to do it. My way or the Highway attitude. And he ain't no Wayne Bennett that can get away with that. Even Waynos got some good smart guys like Benny Hornby around him.
Nope although of course it's both. The system the eels defend in which has been highlighted by many commentators is coaching. Our game plans that don't change is coaching. The failure to drop and promote is coaching. Our lack of variety in attack is coaching
I’d really like to see what a different head coach could do with our roster.
The more I think about things though I’m starting to think with the covid situation Brad will see out his contract.
For us fans it’s all about winning, for those who make the decisions it’s probably comes down more to the dollars and cents.
when we talk about coaching and leadership we need to understand what does coaching means?. We have been conditioed to follow Paternalistic or Patriachical leadership for thousands of years. This type of leadership has done some good and many disasters.We are locked into thinking around a head coach mentality. Some have been very good Lombardy, Pepi,Bellamy, etc.Not everyone is to that standard. What are the ingredients of a good coaching model.Does it need one person to lead or are their other models with an in-built check and balance?. Coaching is about the empowerment of individuals to express their potential. Playing to a plan devised by a paternal coach who may be right or wrong can be restrictive with limiting individual potential. Here is a good article about what leadership is about. Note the last comment. Today people may be more interested in achieving something they create in performance rather than earning top dollar.I threw up a thought about looking at a different coaching structure around coaching team structures which can break down the power of a head coach who is leading in maybe not the best way. A more democratic coaching team model.i haven,t thought it.Just planting a seed to think through
Are you a paternalistic leader?
Billy Paul Ebenzer, Consultant - Learning and Development, Wipro Limited and Leadership Coach, examines the damage of paternalistic leadership, and how businesses can move forward from this model.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a Leader”, quipped John Quincy Adams. In other words, the ultimate measure of a true Leader is not in terms of how many followers he/she has, but in terms of how many Leaders he/she has created. This is in essence what former US President John Adams insinuated while describing a good Leader as one who would ultimately make their followers “become more” like them. Many Business Leaders of today are ‘inspirational’, ‘courageous’, and even ‘benevolent’. However, only a few go on to don the ‘visionary’, ‘inclusive’ and ‘change agent’ hat too. To put it in perspective, much of today’s Leadership is more “paternalistic” than “transformational” and the young workforce (Gen Z in particular) of today finds it debilitating.
Paternalistic Leadership
Paternalistic Leadership, according to Business dictionary, is a fatherly managerial style where Organizational power is used to control and protect subordinate staff who are expected to be loyal and [unconditionally] obedient. A more modern version of paternalistic Leadership is where the Leader behaves like a “Conservative Dad”. This dad thinks he knows everything way better than the child and that the child should circumnavigate a certain path in order to reach a particular destination. This approach – though benevolent – leads to underutilization or burnout of the staff.
Moreover, paternalistic Leaders are difficult to approach. Even if they are approachable, they score very low on listening skills. And even if they listen, they would never like to listen to the bad news or improvement suggestions. Hence in some bizarre twist, a simple method to check the existence of paternalistic Leadership within an organization is to just count the number of employees who have nothing to say – these would far outnumber the ones who only speak and cannot listen.
Leadership schools of today
In most Leadership schools, the stress is on the importance of having a vision, integrity and cognitive and relationship building ability. Rarely do they emphasize on the importance of being a Servant (transformational) Leader – to serve people with their interests in mind and eventually step aside or walk alongside their followers, so that they too can follow in their footsteps. A strong sense of insecurity runs deep within many Leaders of today that they simply refuse to delegate or even accept the ideas of junior staff. While there is a good amount of traction on initiatives like “Diversity & Inclusion”, there is also a great resistance to include employees who are “young” and with a “difference in opinion and working styles” in the decision making process.
Gen Z’s dilemma
The current prevailing mood of resentment and anger found among youngsters and women is undeniable and justified. Popular movements such as “Me too” and latest memes such as “Ok Boomer” has only exposed the dark underside of paternalistic Leadership. A recent article in Times magazine, portrayed Gen Z as frustrated, angry and scared. It seems Gen Z apparently holds the Gen X responsible for milking the system dry and thereby leaving them high and dry to figure things out all by themselves. The recent police shootout of the four gang rape suspects (while still in custody and yet to face trial) in Hyderabad, India only affirmed the patriarchy’s culture of toxic masculinity – a terrible irony, as that was exactly what the whole nation was protesting against during that time.
Gen Z, otherwise known as digital natives, loves transparency a lot. In an age of information technology, where data is readily and freely available, the young workforce of today is a little perplexed when their Leaders go incognito. In the absence of real-time feedback and continuous communication, employees are prone to misread the situation or the message despite the best intentions and efforts of their Leader. And this happens when paternalistic Leaders, who are famous for their stoic silence, tend to believe that too much communication could distort the actual message and sabotage real results.
Gen Z’s Leadership expectations
The fresh campus recruits of today want their Leader to interact much like a coach rather than act like their doting parent. The young professionals of today isn’t much excited with their Leader’s five year plan for them; they are more concerned about their immediate requirements being taken care. The junior colleagues of today do not crave for special treatments like a family member; rather they would like to be recognized based on merit alone. The millennials of today is motivated more by autonomy and career development opportunities and less by promotions and salary increments.
It’s interesting isn’t it Tad, the role of a coach and why have one at all?
I mean when it comes down to it in real terms the coach has very little leverage over players. They aren’t paying them, they can’t terminate their employment, they can’t stop them from pursuing other job opportunities etc etc.
For mine, the head coach is basically involved in sales. They are pitching an ideal to their team and trying to get everyone to buy into it.
Wayne Bennett has conducted motivational/life coaching speaking sessions touring Queensland in the past.
I have thought what is there stopping a club from employing a head coach with absolutely no knowledge or background in rugby league? It certainly could work.
Adam head patriarchal structures have their draw backs particularly when some egos go overboard and listening stops. I am sure if Bellamy slipped out of top 8 and he stopped listening he would destroy free expression with all around him. A coaching team maybe should include a good facilitator who does not necessarily know much about football. He should be someone who can empower the coaching team who empower players and players empower the coaching team
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