Seraph made a good post on the above i.e. Nerves and Inexperience.
I started a reply but thought maybe it would be more interesting as a Blog. Here is a discussion that may facilitate it further. It is also an attempt to be proactive as against the negative reaction.
I think you have hit the nail Seraph, you have made some good posts lately.
The question I would ask off the back of that post is how and why nerves and inexperience has raised its head in this manner.
Even the inexperienced, such Volkman has had prior FG .....the fullback is a work in progress, so is say Sam Taiviti, Samrani proved to be a handy fill in but is not at this stage ready for a permanent spot. Smith is at this stage is a revelation and not shown any nerves....who's left other than the experienced?
i.e I suppose I am saying that the inexperienced have not in isolation showed up negativity....Volkman has but he might just be playing completely out of position.i.e he is a 5/8 a 6 not a 7, we should appreciate that given DB's inability to trans.
Jamie Humphries transferred as a rookie from Manly to Souths and appears to have settled in with a calmness beyond his years .Bennett is an obvious denominator here. This is where we may learn from an old head? I am sure that Bennett would have just that demeanour now, if he was coaching us. Let's imagine what he may do.....I will continue on in the interim, because I can only guess that he will be cool calm and collected.
The Elephant in the room is! what has happened in the last month that has caused this total collapse? I can only think that Brown's contract and Moses injury has shaken the process and the rest of the team to to this mistake ridden mess that has emerged from nowhere. I understand there are some out there that predicted this but in general we had much more optimism and hope than the "all of a sudden negativity " that others are now saying was inevitable. I dont accept that! Surely all the work that needed to be done has not come back to what we have seen delivered in the first two matches.
Maybe there is not a "cure all" for this because that inexperience and nerves just may have effected the head coach and the knockon effect to his coaching staff......arguably Nathan Brown has a role to utilise his experience. Can he do that? It is something that Randy of all people noticed.
My suggestion is that Ryles needs to selectively gather the senior players together, Moses, Paulo, Lomax, JAC, Matterson, Hopgood, Williams, Lane and yes Dyllan Brown and address the potential of this discussion in a way that should reinstate some equilibrium in the team. He (Ryles) needs to have this group pulled aside and address whatever issues they perceive as the cause......whether it is Moses injury (what is it actually?) or DB's lack of enthusiasm, then get it out in the open. Yes he has already established a senior players group, but we can say even at this stage that is a failure.
We have an opportunity this weekend against the dogs with them having significant dislocation. It needs to start now!
Ryles has to start again and reinforce a restart and then with this group address the "young and experienced" into the process and assure them that there is no need to be inexperienced in a game that even young players have been playing for many years. Look at the format of other teams and games and get this group involved in the next level of discussion also.
Lets hope there is someone in the room with experience to gauge how they react to this process, it should tell the coaching staff who wants to be on the bus and who wants to get off!
I would wish or hope to have the foresight to have an experienced sports physcologist in the room and reading it. I know someone like Tad would love to see that.
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Thanks Popps - Never thought I hear you put my name and 'good posts' together in the same sentence haha.
Honestly I think its a compounding of things that have all attributed to it. The DB saga I think has had a much larger impact than we would like to admit or thought it would. Looking at the timeline of events:
Preseason game one - things looked decent, not amazing but positives to build on.
Preseason game two - DB is away - fine. Things look shaky and disjointed. I believe by this point DB's decision was made and the playing group knew it. Gut punch number 1
Moses silently resigns - questionable considering the past media circus, but positive. Then announces his is out for 6-9 weeks. Gut punch two.
Round 1 - picked apart by a contender side is an uppercut
Round 2 - nearly shut out by three-peat wooden spooners is essentially a knock out punch.
Add in the old playing group still having mixed feelings about BA and it's a recipe for disaster. I don't think any coach would be able to avoid it, maybe minimise at best.
If there was any side for the inexperienced to build confidence, the Tigers should have been it - in theory. They have bolstered their squad and was going to be tough. The mental resilience to get back up from the senior players just seems to be missing. There's no leading from the front just 'do your own thing'. Ryles can try and instill new systems, but the players need to hold fast.
Also, having DB in the side at the moment is probably to the detriment of the side. I cann't count how many people I know when they have resigned, for their notice period have either been walked or moved out of their department. I honestly think he should just be released or sat on the bench in Reserve grade. He isn't adding any value to the side. His roster spot could be better utilised giving recruits NRL time like Papalii (not sure on the spelling)
I think in his case there is an application for the DB case, but Papillii and Reed Mahoney both played a full season in 2022 after signing with other clubs and it did not effect their performance.
I don't know if you read my comments in a post yesterday but I think DB maybe burn't out. I see no other reason for his lack of effort..... I am sure Ryles is monitoring him and "one" more performance like the first two and he will not be picked on merit, let alone spite.
Nice sumation of the first two games.
Seraph, you have made some outstanding posts mate, and you're a reasonable poster you can have an adult discussion with. Kudos.
Your point about players having mixed feelings about BA leaving i think are true. To that i say what i've always said. Cry me a river. Perhaps you don't give up against Canberra and the Dolphins if you cared about keeping him. If loved BA that much you don't give up.
I think the main problem is that we have 2 halfbacks in the club, both of whom are injured. I don't know that Volkman was supposed to be thrust into the halfback role so early, and that is showing in our lack of options in attack. We had plenty of opportunity early in the game on Sunday but never looked like scoring. Volkman just put in grubba kicks to the in-goal, which were easily covered by Wests defence. An experienced halfback would have been much more dangerous, and used players like Lomax to their advantage. Brown didn't take this initiative either.
Having said that, out problems are much deeper that just the halfback. As you rightly mentioned, the senior players need to lead the way. The young guys are showing all the signs of exuberance, but they need some direction and encouragement from the senior players. We are seeing none of that, which is a massive problem.
If we can get a few of these basics right we will be much more competitive. I'm sure thats what the coaching staff are focussing on now.
After the flogging they took in week 1 I think has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons and the Mike Tyson quip comes to mind everyone has a plan until they've been hit.
With regards to senior players leading that's a given.He let RCG and Gutho walk and no one's stepped foward that's on the coach he's made that decision and now we are paying the price.
The most positive thing is the new guys that have come in have performed that's positive but like you and others have mentioned if players have that connection to the last coach and can't perform here it's going to be a hell of a long year for the club and the coach.
With regards to Volkman no one knows what he's going to do you can see in his kicking game no one is chasing especially the short kicks in the attacking zone.No one is running holes off him and that's an experienced player like Lomax outside him.
The thing for me is how disjointed we are how unprepared we are against any team that holds the ball against us.We aren't winning any effort areas in the game.So I'm at a real loss to what if anything new has been added over the preseason.
Nice Post Pops, agree with most of what of you've said - you mentioned last month I believe that Jordan Samarani was training on the wing in the preseason to which I had a shot at you saying Jordan is not a winger - well after watching last Sunday I'll happily eat my words, Jordan was super impressive last Sunday good post contact metres, a good target for the high ball he will benefit once Moses come back
Agreed about Samarani he had a cracking game last week and going foward I see a backrower in the making.
Yep I said it in my rookie report last year. So much potential as a backrower.
That's what the Bulldogs do really well versatility across the squad but in big games names being witthout dominant middle they are unable to match it with heavyweight of the comp
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