We have a good team but no leader - not one who can manage a game and the men following him.
I really do not think we should resign Moses. He has elite talent and determination. But from what I can see no idea how to manage a game. I can't see that changing - so he cant be half back. He also does not seem able to play side-kick and make the half back look good. So I see no place for him.
Gutherson also has no idea. He played great . But he also does not seem to know when to hold and when to fold. As soon as we get a penalty he goes for a quick tap and then turns it over straight away. Should not be captain.
The team just has no patience, does not know when to play safe and wait. They just try and score of every play.
I don't blame BA, I doubt that was the game plan.
We badly need someone to take control onfield and make wise choices.
Whole team should be sent to the Casino to play poker and don't come back until they learn how when to hold and when to fold.
Only hope I can see is Dylan Brown or Schneider coming through - can they manage a game?
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No halfback would have won that game Coyote. They won the middle and moved up fast on our big men. By 20 in the juice had been sucked out of us. Moses isn’t the best going around but he’s in the best 5 or 6 and getting better at managing the game. He’s a lot calmer this year. Must resign him
We lost because of possession. A good leader will make sure we do not get into this situation . We had our chances to get out of it but handed the ball straight back. We did not play smart safe foot ball and go for repeat sets to maintain possession but tried to score a try off every play. We went for low percentage plays when we were tired and the opposition was fresh. We should have played safe and just aim to maintain possession and dominate field position until a better time. Need to play the arm wrestle before going for the knockout
Trouble is Moses does not have a track record of being a constructive sidekick. He wants to be the game manager but is not good at it
I would think at this point in the season enquries would start to be made into prospective coaches, If Parra dont start the search now they will be in a bidding war for a coach later on in the season. BA may very well have a great season, and I hope he does, but I would have to assume that the search is starting. Same could be said for some of our players still on contract and off contract.
The BIG question is. DO we have a coach who can develope a premeirship winning team.
It is madness to keep doing the same thing over and over again. The team is pretty good this year, where do the improvements come from to make that massive leap.
Parra forever
Good blog Wily.
I think we have two problems. Leadership and captaincy.
John Eales, once said If everyone takes responsiblities for their actions, or words to that effect, we have a team of leaders and the captain becomes less important.
Yesteday we buckled under pressure and committed suicide with 19 errors and 54% completion rate. I don't think one individual will fix that.
But this year I feel we have more on-field leaders with Fergo and Dylan Brown, along with Nathan Brown.
I am a fan of Moses. He's passionate and we need the x-factor he provides, when the team is on song. But he does tend to panic and needs to work on that to fully realise his leadership potential. Probably because he's desparate to win and his nerves take over.
Gutho and Mannah are always smiling and cracking jokes. Like they're preparing to go on a picnic, rather than to war. I've always felt Mannah is like a lovable big teddy bear. Beau Scott would have been the captain and leader we needed, but he's gone. Though, Gutho has some leadership abilities, and always tries to inpire his mates with his energy, he isn't a greatest of all captains.
Dylan Brown in my mind has a lot of leadership and Captaincy potential, even though that's based on a very small sample size and I'm probably clutching at straws, out of desparation.
HOE, I'm currently reading Legacy, which is the book about how the All Blacks became the most dominant team in world sport. There's a big emphasis in their team on leadership and also accountability. If you put on the All Blacks jersey, you're expected to be a leader and expected to wholly own your performance. I'd like to see our club move that way
Super, Great point. Sounds like a great read. I would love for you to write a blog on that. Even though it's a bit philosophical, without quick fixes, so it may seem a little left LOL.
Blaming coaches and individuals is probably one of the most talked about topics, but one of the biggest problems we have had for decades isn't. And it's what you're talking about. And our lack of it is something that's frustrated me for decades.
Something deeper that goes beyond individual players and coaches.
The All Blacks have it. We've lacked it for decades. Navy Seals train for it. A culture of winning. Toughness. Leadership and accountability. Getting back up after a loss. Never giving up. But also being fully prepared for the worst. Being open to change, learning and evolving.
The jersey means something to the All Blacks. Interesting that the All Blacks don't chop and change the fundamental nature of their jersey as much as most NRL teams. Marketing...
This year has shown improved culture but yesterday showed we have a long way to go. We buckled under pressure.
The All Blacks have had it for so long it's part of their DNA. We've had ours for so long it's hard to change. Sometimes a great leader or coach can inspire a cultural change and everybody in the club, from the top to the bottom needs to be on-board and ride the ups and downs. Bellamy, Sir Alex Ferguson with Mancester United, Pep with City. Rare though.
The biggest question is how. If it was easy everyone would be able to do it.
Did last year's big review help?
I think we are close enough to that. But we are a long way away from good game management on field. If our on field leaders went to the casino they would lose all their money in the first five minutes.
Wily LOL.
Soemetimes you get unlucky. But sometimes you make your own luck by making poor choices. We need to know when to calm things down and play safe. We need to know how to wait patiently to make that play. A good percentage of our mistakes could have been avoided by playing safe and winning the arm wrestle.
I was a Moses fan and think he is one of the best in everything but game management. Trouble is he wants to be the playmaker and be paid like a playmaker but cannot make the wise choices.
Gutho seems very competitive to me but also has no idea about playing the percentages. Most of the time you should not take a quick tap. Most of the time yo do not throw a no look pass. Most of the time you take the two if it is straight in front. We always take the high risk option and often when it is least likely to succeed.
I agree Mannah does not have the ruthlessness or smarts to be captain. However he is a good leader. He was one of the few good players last night.
I am clutching at straws about Dylan Brown being a good captain. He reminds me a lot of a young Foran. He is calm, makes good choices, plays straight and tough and makes those around him look better.
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