I am not impressed with NRL coaches. I have made no secret of that. For what they do, they are grossly overpaid. They get money for jam. However, if club bosses want to throw money at them the coaches have no option but to accept. I think the best coaches, are there any such thing?, have, at best, a five percent positive affect on their team. Some have a negative affect. I mention this because now the Grand Final has been run and won we are already getting, what is to be a plethora of claims, that coach Maguire has reached the level of "Greatness"-(sic). In fact he was called "Great" before the GF by no less a luminary than Ray Martin, TV odd jobs man, and South Sydney tragic.
When you look at Maguire`s record at Souths you could well put another verdict on his 'success'. He has been there for three years for one grand final win. Not bad by normal criteria but hardly the stuff of greatness. When you consider that Souths should have won in 2012 and 2013 under Maguires control his record is poor. Souths had the best team, and the best players, and the best form going into the finals in those years yet bombed out due to the game plan devised by Maguire. He had Souths do nothing but hit the ball up, one man out for the complete 80 minutes in both years. I would have thought that when Plan A is not working and time is running that you would go to Plan B. Not Maguire. This year was a bit different but not too different--Canterbury was still in with a chance ten minutes from time.
Jack Gibson, probably the best coach ever in Rugby League, would never get involved in the ground celebrations of a GF win. His take was that it was the players who won the title and they should celebrate the win without camp followers being involved. I noticed that Maguire was celebrating as though he was in the match. He never took a pass or kicked a ball or scored a try. It was a lack of class on his part . He should let the players do the celebrating. But then he is no Jack Gibson.
Some have already blogged on the goofy performance of coach Des Hasler who keep the Canterbury side in the rooms for five minutes letting Souths be out on the field getting nervous! Well that did not work because Canterbury dropped the ball two or three times in the first minutes of the match. Hasler is being paid close to a million a year according to rumour for the job he does.
These coaches are snake oil salesmen to get the money they do for the results they have achieved for their current employers.
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When you look at Maguire`s record at Souths you could well put another verdict on his 'success'. He has been there for three years for one grand final win. Not bad by normal criteria but hardly the stuff of greatness
Even if Ray Martin calls this "Greatness" is obviously biased towards his Team - However, most fans would agree that 1GF win out of 3 chances = 33% - this translated means "bloody good"
You clearly have no idea about Leadership, and what makes a group of men able to come together to rise as 1.
I was around in the 70's when Parra coulda shoulda WON the 1976, 1977 and 1978 Grand Finals - but fell agaonisingly close......dropped pass, missed conversion, and "The Hartley Affair" x 2 - 7 tackles and a Ray Price send off with Harley
Never underestimate the pressure of carrying the hopes and dreams of thousands of fans, desperate for Grand Final Victory. Parramatta's was a 34 year wait - you should have seen Parra in 1976 BEFORE they even played the GF - the place was going nuts, The City of Parramatta was dressed in Blue and Gold
Parra eventually "broke through" in 1981
Souths, with their 43 year wait had a similar journey - much heartbreak then finally breaking through after carrying the hopes and dreams of DESPERATE fans
Unlike Parra, that had to wait 5 years since they were a realistic chance - Souths had only 3
And Hasler - 5 Grand Final appearances in the past 8 seasons and success where EVER he goes
As I said, you have absolutely NO IDEA about Leadership, and no concept at how good a job BOTH coaches have done for their respective clubs
ps - not allowed on the field to celebrate with their players - please, just STOP IT !!!!
He has had only one year with a pretty poor side. Give him some time with a better quality group and see how he goes. He does no seem to be the attention seeking type of the two that I mentioned. That is to the good from my point of view.
I agree with Robert.
Let's face it, they're barely under any pressure at all.
As a citizen you, and I, have the right to make a citizen arrest. Would you arrest your neighbour? Its a matter of class whether we do some things but not others. Coaches that carry on the way Maguire did lack that quality.