Magpies Forever
Juniors
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Having noticed the resurrection of puzzlement and increasing frustration over WT selection choices and where WT are heading I searched through and found the article I read a week or so ago apparently from a WT insider in the support staff over where the club is at. Is not pretty reading. We still seem to be suffering from the boys club and limited opportunities for those not in the club hence their desire to leave.
We've already had 2 depart- McConnachie and Parihi for 'home sickness' and other reasons and it seems Addo-Clark is already on the way out. Should also mention Taupau in the off-season.
At very least, it makes some sense of the actions / inactions seen at WT lately. Who knows if true though,
Anyway here is the gist of the article:
Team Selection
o The WT website lists 36 players (now 35) in the NRL squad but there's a in-house ‘top 25 list' which may help explain some of the bizarre team selections:
o Jack Buchanan not in our top 6 props - Woods; Grant; Sue; Graham; Grant Griffin; are all far superior under the criteria conducted during pre-season.
o Rankin remains in the side on the wing so he gets familiar with team structures so he can take over from Teddy at fullback during SOO.
o The club has fixed on fielding a minimum 50% local juniors every week in first grade

the selection of Lovett ( Five Dock junior) who has become a close personal friend of Taylor and other influential members of the club. He is also very popular among his team mates particularly with Woods and Sirro.

Nathan Milone is another Balmain local junior like Lovett and is extremely well connected to 2 club sponsors. He's another really good bloke just like Lovett & Buchanan. In addition he's best mates with Brooks & Moses and has captained lower grade sides
• The in-house top 25 squad selection will probably cause the loss of Dallas Graham; Jordan Grant & Josh Addo- Carr.
• The Tigers have developed some new defence terminology which basically critiques an players one on one defence ability. The highest grade is aggressive 'primary defender' which refers to a player who consistently looks to make initial contact in a 'hit and stick' effort.
o Few effective 'primary defenders' in our team apart from Lawrence; Sue & Grant in the forwards Moses (ineffective); Simona & Naquima in the backs. Anyway after 'primary' there is 'secondary' and finally 'third or support'. WT have many in this 'third or support' class most notably Buchanan & Lovett.
o The majority of the forwards should be 'primary', but not at WT.
Appointment of Craig Sandercock as assistant coach.
o many players are actively seeking him out for one on one tips most notably the entire spine. Our 1st grade spine has been playing a style in stark contrast to the Taylor preferred style of Littlejohn and Drinkwater in the NSW CUP.
o Taylor continues to have the support of the team and administration but not all the support staff.
The club remains a cohesive tight knit unit.
• Moses has been earmarked as the priority over Brooks and would play 7 with Rankin assuming his preferred 6 position.
• Farah’s situation in 2017 remains pivotal to WT room to manoeuvre in contract negotiations.
• Chris Lawrence well respected and great clubman.
Club dynamics-
o Harry T won't go over $1m in TPAs p.a. and would only ever consider buying 100% of club. Appears to take advice from Pascoe, Dawn Fraser, Aaron Woods and Robbie Farah, plus 1 Board member and 2 other commercial sponsors.
o Whilst Wests are virtually carrying the club officially, some 70% of all commercial sponsorship is linked back to Balmain connections.
o Mark O'Neils appointment illustrates how much clout the Balmain side of the joint venture still has - he is really close with Dawn Fraser.
o The position of the head coach will be a decision primarily for the Wests side of the joint venture - Taylor is seen as nominally a Wests appointment.
Wests will likely be the principal shareholder by June when a decision on the coach will be made.
At this stage Taylor is right in proclaiming he has 100% support at Board level, and whilst things remain in flux and this may change, it is likely he will survive unless the team falls well below 50% wins.
o There is a demarcation - players play and the admin team run the show.
We've already had 2 depart- McConnachie and Parihi for 'home sickness' and other reasons and it seems Addo-Clark is already on the way out. Should also mention Taupau in the off-season.
At very least, it makes some sense of the actions / inactions seen at WT lately. Who knows if true though,
Anyway here is the gist of the article:
Team Selection
o The WT website lists 36 players (now 35) in the NRL squad but there's a in-house ‘top 25 list' which may help explain some of the bizarre team selections:
o Jack Buchanan not in our top 6 props - Woods; Grant; Sue; Graham; Grant Griffin; are all far superior under the criteria conducted during pre-season.
o Rankin remains in the side on the wing so he gets familiar with team structures so he can take over from Teddy at fullback during SOO.
o The club has fixed on fielding a minimum 50% local juniors every week in first grade

the selection of Lovett ( Five Dock junior) who has become a close personal friend of Taylor and other influential members of the club. He is also very popular among his team mates particularly with Woods and Sirro.

Nathan Milone is another Balmain local junior like Lovett and is extremely well connected to 2 club sponsors. He's another really good bloke just like Lovett & Buchanan. In addition he's best mates with Brooks & Moses and has captained lower grade sides
• The in-house top 25 squad selection will probably cause the loss of Dallas Graham; Jordan Grant & Josh Addo- Carr.
• The Tigers have developed some new defence terminology which basically critiques an players one on one defence ability. The highest grade is aggressive 'primary defender' which refers to a player who consistently looks to make initial contact in a 'hit and stick' effort.
o Few effective 'primary defenders' in our team apart from Lawrence; Sue & Grant in the forwards Moses (ineffective); Simona & Naquima in the backs. Anyway after 'primary' there is 'secondary' and finally 'third or support'. WT have many in this 'third or support' class most notably Buchanan & Lovett.
o The majority of the forwards should be 'primary', but not at WT.
Appointment of Craig Sandercock as assistant coach.
o many players are actively seeking him out for one on one tips most notably the entire spine. Our 1st grade spine has been playing a style in stark contrast to the Taylor preferred style of Littlejohn and Drinkwater in the NSW CUP.
o Taylor continues to have the support of the team and administration but not all the support staff.
The club remains a cohesive tight knit unit.
• Moses has been earmarked as the priority over Brooks and would play 7 with Rankin assuming his preferred 6 position.
• Farah’s situation in 2017 remains pivotal to WT room to manoeuvre in contract negotiations.
• Chris Lawrence well respected and great clubman.
Club dynamics-
o Harry T won't go over $1m in TPAs p.a. and would only ever consider buying 100% of club. Appears to take advice from Pascoe, Dawn Fraser, Aaron Woods and Robbie Farah, plus 1 Board member and 2 other commercial sponsors.
o Whilst Wests are virtually carrying the club officially, some 70% of all commercial sponsorship is linked back to Balmain connections.
o Mark O'Neils appointment illustrates how much clout the Balmain side of the joint venture still has - he is really close with Dawn Fraser.
o The position of the head coach will be a decision primarily for the Wests side of the joint venture - Taylor is seen as nominally a Wests appointment.
Wests will likely be the principal shareholder by June when a decision on the coach will be made.
At this stage Taylor is right in proclaiming he has 100% support at Board level, and whilst things remain in flux and this may change, it is likely he will survive unless the team falls well below 50% wins.
o There is a demarcation - players play and the admin team run the show.
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Very happy to not read about Farah and his issues with the coach. Very happy to read that the coach doesn't want Farah in the team.
