Stephen Kearney has spoken a lot about culture, in terms of where he is headed. It's one of the reasons I've supported him, because I have long believed we needed to get tougher and far-more performance oriented in terms of the underlying culture.
However, it's all very well to criticise a pre-existing culture and tear it down, but you have to have a very clear idea of what kind of culture you're replacing it with.
I thought Kearney had a great opportunity to send some pretty clear messages with his team selections on the weekend. I know from many of the comments on here that people wanted to see Maitua in the side, but to me his decision to include Maitua just goes against everything he should be trying to build.
Quite simply, without that offload from Lasalo against the Panthers we don't win the match. As I said after the match, his contribution off the bench across limited minutes was outstanding. His reward for that effort - dropped for the next match.
I get that Maitua is a senior player. But quite frankly, he has not earned the right this year for automatic inclusion in the side. He has had limited impact in 2012. Even, the senior players should be on the understanding that unless that are consistently excellent, they shouldn't expect to return straight into the side over players that got the job done the previous week.
When a guy gets given a shot, and he steps up and kills it, you have to keep him in the side.
Same goes for Ryan Morgan. Almost our best a couple of weeks in a row, and his reward - he gets shunted out to the wing while Cheyse Blair who has been consistently defensively fragile gets the centre spot.
I can't tell you how much I believe in the 'you don't change a winning side' mantra. Winning should be rewarded, because that's how you build habits. Selection should be on the basis of performance, not seniority. Were it not for that space opening up, I'd have even asked Tonga to come back through Wenty - he as another who has not earned the right for automatic selection.
I have a pretty good understanding of what Stephen Kearney didn't like about the culture he found when he arrived at the club, however I still don't have a clear understanding of what the culture is he is trying to create and I certainly have yet to see his team selections and indeed a lot of the recruitment decisions reflect any clear philosophy of what it is we now stand for.
Replies
Dude Hindmarsh won us the penrith game....
you really think Lasalo would have beaten the knights for us?
Tonga was shite though, murdered a try.
Having said that Morgan was very uncomfortable on the wing
Burt was shocking at fullback, 1 on 1 misses are unforgivable like that
Maitua is basically an auto selection because of his experience and ability
Do you leave Jarryd Hayne out of the team if he was away from the last game they won? Of course not, there are always going to be auto selection players.
Fair points Phil, i tend to agree, when you say ''i have a pretty good understanding of what SK didnt like about the culture he found when he arrived at the club'' any chance of you expanding on that a bit, not so much about the juniors but regarding the first grade team, cheers
Both he and Arthurs have told me that when you played Parramatta, you knew if you got into an arm-wrestle with them, they would eventually fold and once they got behind they would just revert back to playing reckless and hope it would come off (which it sometimes would). Parramatta has always been the "when they are good they are very very good and when they are bad they are horrid" style of team who would knock off the competition leaders and then get cocky and lose to the last-placed team. It's absolutely something we've needed to address, but to build something new every single decision you make has to be driven by what you now stand for.
If Maitua and Tonga don't perform this weekend they should be flicked to Wenty. Experience and ability is useless if you don't perform. You can add Burt to that as well.
I agree fully on the Maitua point, 2012 for him has been poor. He has nothing in attack and defense. Whilst Lasalo previously had been weak, the Penrith game he came to life, and that gem off a pass that led to the try did show his capabilities.
I find it a mixed message to Lasalo for his effort. Its saying, play your heart out, show how you have improved playing in Wenty, but you will be heading back there regardless how you play. Gives Lasalo nothing to play for next time he steps up?
The Tonga one is tough, i think Kearney is looking at the experience he brings, the money he is on etc. Thats all that is keeping him in 1st grade, certainly not performance.
I see a good future for Blair, but his defense really needs work. This shirt grabbing he has a habit off needs to go ASAP...
I fully agree. I would dearly love to know the thought process that was used to arrive at the position that Blair deserved the centre role over Morgan.
No Hayne has earned the right for automatic selection. There are a few players who have like Hayne, Hindmars, the props. Maitua hasn't. Tonga hasn't. I can't remember one match this year where either have been in my 3,2,1 selections. Both have coasted. Maitua has gotten off very lightly because he's not playing poorly, but he's not playing with nearly the same hunger he showed last year.
I'm not denying Hindmarsh was the player most instrumental in the Penrith win, the fact remains that without the Lasalo off-load that resulted in us scoring the try that turned the momentum our way, we wouldn't have won either. You have to reward those efforts.
We had absolutely zero impact on the fringes again. What was going to be the result of Hayne being out. We were going to be less threatening out wide, and what we needed to do was bolster our edge running - not weaken it.
I'm not saying Lasalo would have made the differenece, but this blog is about creating a culture and what you stand for and if you don't reward players who contribute to you winning the previous week - I don't know what you stand for.
Actually, I think it's the other way round with your backrowers Crow. Maitua was best last year when he was the ballplaying lock. When he's running on the edges, its too much like you've got two centres. He doesn't have the power to smash through the defence. Since Paulo has come into the side and excelled Maitua has really lost his role in the side. He's not powerful enough to do damage on the fringes and he's an inferior ball-player to Paulo. We went into last night's game with only one edge running second rower, without a threatening fullback - how the hell are you supposed to threaten the defence.
It's a coaches job to get his players to improve. When you're asking players for improvement and they deliver, you have to treat them based on their last performance. Lasalo earned that spot he was named in and he should have played. (And I won't even take the cheap shot option of pointing out Maitua's poor tackle attempt on Mullen that resulted in that crucial second try).
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
of 6 Next