We ended up going out at the same stage of the competiion as last season, but going into this offseason I feel significantly worse.
Our squad didnt improve on last year yet we jumped the gun in extending BA, who again subsequently proved that his effort coaching hasn't evolved into top 4 worthy coaching. I don't give a fk what any of you true BA believers say, the squad deep down now genuinely know he doesn't have the answers. Theyll put in effort for him, and do everything he asks, but its not enough. They didn't know how to win tonight and dropped their attention to detail which they have done in games all season without it being corrected. That game was there to be won, and it was wasted.
Players who progressed this year: Gutho, Paulo, RCG, Marata
Players who you consistently know what youre getting (on field): Matto, Nathan Brown, M Jennings* (prior to this drug shit)
Players who went backwards / didn't improve: Sivo, Waqa, Ferguson, D Brown, Moses, Mahoney, Lane, Evans, Kaufusi, Takas
Compare and contrast this to Souths who have lost Latrell, Braiden Burns, James Roberts to name a few. Every player in that squad has gone up levels under Bennett, and every player called up has developed as the season has gone on and done a job for them. The difference in the coaching they are getting vs what we are providing our players is chalk and cheese. Their kids are developing though their team , ours are not. I can only imagine the level of improvement players like Reed and Dylan would be seeing under a coach that knows what theyre doing. Not just 'start fast and win the effort areas'. Both these players win PLENTY of effort areas. Theyre doing exactly what theyre coached to do. It's not enough.
I'm all for stability, BUT we have a top 4 roster and are wasting our window. We have some key spine pieces whose development is being stagnated by playing for a coach who has not evolved past trying to get the most effort and intensity. There is a point BA can take us to, and I commend him on his efforts and helping get us from the place we were in 2012.. but he doesn't have what it takes to get us to the next level and we don't want to be in that cycle of going back down and then up again ala 2017/2018. This squad is plenty talented. We need someone to come in and give proper development, attention to detail and put our players in a position to succeed. BA aint it. He's reached the limit. 49% overall win record, 16% finals record, players going backwards... we're at a cross roads and if the people making decisions settle for what was dished up this year and deem it a pass mark, then we just don't have the ambition to get to where we need to go. It wasn't good enough. It should've been a year we progressed as a club, we did not.
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Spot on GWF as usual.
Bea has done a fair job of putting a top 4 roster together but the best thing he can now do for the club he supposedly loves is get out the way for someone with higher than a used cotton bud. Hois assistants have to be looked at at the very least, and if he resfuses to do anything about it he can head back off to barber college.
Thats what BA thinks. He thinks its just a matter of continuity and natural progression.
It's not. Individually their games have to develop and then their games have gotta be moulded into our structure. It helps everyone in the team the more the spine are playing together for sure, but there's more to it. Reed is 3 years into his career and still offers no attack around the ruck. He doesnt engage the markers, doesnt threaten off quick play the balls. He just fires wide passes. It was a year our attack should've taken steps forward on last year with another year together and another year of experience. Our spine was so putrid practically all our decent ball playing was coming off our forwards.
Good blog GW&F. I too feel that a 16% finals win record is completely unacceptable. In contrast, Wayne Bennett is sitting on a 50% record (won 36 from 71) in the finals.
Brad Arthur has some glowing deficiencies as a coach but they seem.to be out shadowed by one thing or another.
The adage of "a change is as good as a holiday" couldn't be truer at the club. It doesn't matter who it is, a change in the coaching ranks at the eels is due.
Flanno, Green, Sheens, Toovey....
Precisely how I feel today - it doesn't matter who, just make the necessary change.
What happened to moses this year. But its just not Moses.
Its obvious the trainers at Parra are sh*t. It seems the trainers cant identify a player that is stalling in developement , same said for the coach.
Who assesses the players after a game? What do they do about the results?
It is pretty clear that Parra have a definate lack of depth and that you need to die before you are replaced.
Make combinations you say? They can do that at training
For me personally, good on you boys its a good effort, look at all the teams behind you. You have been a good representation of the west of Sydney.
I reckon BA needs to change his pick & stick attitude. He should drop out of form players. It also give dropped player a rest. Look at Dunster last night, he played generally well considering the circumstances he was picked. He could have replaced Fergo earlier in the season to help him recover whatever is bothering him. We also need 2 replacement forwards since we lose momentum when Junior & RCG are taken out.
Absolutely - had no idea about Dunster but since he couldn't get on the field when we had the chance had players obviously needing to sit out in his position and needed to experiment and send a message assumed he was no good. Thought the kid did very well under enormous pressure and circumstances too.
Great Blog, everything is spot on.
BA is there for the next 2 year, Top 8 coaches don't get sacked, but he 100% needs to refresh his staff around him, for no other reason than some new ideas
Top 8 coaches do get sacked. Anthony Griffen (Panthers) and Neil Henry (Cowboys) say hi.
BA is still the man for head coach. I think he needs better assistant's. Not sure who is out there. Flanagan is available now tho he didn't help the dragons at all
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