Who should coach Eels in 2025, Why and how do we get them?
After 37 years without a Premiership Eels supporters seem unable to fantasize and just want to be realists - refering to the Coach 2024 blog that was just meant to ask who people (hypothetically) thought was the best coach for the eels at the moment regardless of any realistic chance that this would happen.
While I hate the Storm because they robbed us of a Hayne era premiership, they do seem to have had a core of very smart footballers. Not sure who is the best out of Bellamy, Smith, Cronk and Slatter. However, there seems likely a change of guard at Storm with one or both of Smith and Slatter taking over from Bellamy. Don't think we have a chance of Smith or Cronk. Bellamy has the track record as an elite coach who can bring premierships, and has the reputation. We need someone of that callibre to get a fairer deal from the NRL and Bellamy may be able to bring a few rising stars from the Storm system - including the ones that started at Parra. He would also be able to attract players for reasonable money from other clubs. My first choice would be Bellamy. How is maybe unrealistic; but, Bellamy has only had success in the Storm system. He gave up/failed at SOO. To really be considered an elite coach like Bennett or Gibson he needs to succeed in another system. Hassler and Cleary in my book are not elite coaches. Hassler only succeeded in the Manly system but failed at the Dogs. Cleary failed at Penrith and Tigers and only succeeded in the Penrith system once everything was in place for him. Bellamy's legacy needs proof in another system and what better than the Eels system that is not a basket case but has not produced a Premiership for 37 years and does not look close to cracking a spot as a top tier team. Time for the next gen at Storm and he needs to proove his ability elsewhere. If that does not work I would try Slatter. I doubt he would see us as anything but a stepping stone to a side he would prefer to coach and we may risk players going with him. However, so be it if he can produce a premiership for us before he leaves, which is a good chance if he can reproduce what he has done in SOO and does not need the think-tank he had around him or can still acces it.
BTW the best coaches voted in the 2024 blog were BA, Slatter, Hannay, Bellamy, McDermott, Bennett, Holbrook, Cronk, Ben Teo, Barrett, Ryan Carr, Madge, John Morriss and Hornby
Replies
Bellamy is a pipe dream.
Once he retires from coaching, he will go into a coaching directors role.
I can't see him ever leaving the Storm and if he did it would probably be for a Queensland club.
He is from country NSW and coached NSW SOO, otherwise you are probably correct
Yes he is but I'm pretty sure most of his family are in Queensland.
Yeah they are, which is why he nearly took the 17th team job which was at the time a guarenteed Brisbane team. Also linked heavily with Broncos.
All of us are absolutely guessing.
None of us have any idea what plans any coach would have for the club or what ideas they would have to take our club to the next level. I think we should be bringing in any candidate that wants to apply for the job and hearing what they have to say and that includes BA.
All we do know is we have a group of players that are comfortable (perhaps no longer evolving much under BA) and what we've seen BA do with the side over the last decade. Add that to the fact the teams performance regressed over the last 12 months and NO coach in history has taken a team to where we want to go this late in a tenure and its time to shake things up or accept being mid. Sadly I think this board might be content with raping the diehards pockets with increased membership bottom line and putting out a team that competes for the 8.
How many accountants and actuaries are on this fucking board? That's all they care about $$$
Anthony Griffin/ith. He would be exceptional and his post match conferences are well worth the entry fee alone
Well Cleary coached Penrith 2012-2015 with a 45% win rate
Griffin coached 2016-2018
After Griffin Cleary Coached 2019 - now with a 76% win rate
Don't know if it was Griffin but getting him in for 3 years seemed to work wonders
He's old school type coach but you just never know. Sometimes the old ways are better and sometimes they're not
I'm sticking solid with BA...
Fuck yoy guys, where's your loyalty and commitment to the cause - plus he only lives 7 mins from the stadium. Who else this good lives that close?