When do we call time?

[Bazal]

Well there’s no certainty, but given Moses’ and French’s form this year, I think the odds are slim.

It doesn't have to be one or the other FFS.

It's simply yet another setback in a season full of them, and evidence that it's not exactly just a coaching issue when we can't go one week without losing a key player.

It is utterly simplistic and bordering on wilfully ignorant to blame the coach and call for him to be sacked based on this season. I could sit here and write a couple of thousand words about why we've sucked this year, coaching included, but it'd be a waste of time because the same idiots would shit all over it with meaningless catch-calls and go back to blaming the coach wholly and solely.

Agree or don't, tbh.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Well there’s no certainty, but given Moses’ and French’s form this year, I think the odds are slim.

If not just losing a half or fullback that is a problem, it’s also means our forwards play longer mins then expected.

For example king’s poor attempt that lead to a try or Moeroa’s shoulder charge - these 2 played longer mins then normal which may have led to these incidents.

Let’s not forget Jennings binning and Peni also
went of in the last 15 or so.

 

[Happy MEel]

It doesn't have to be one or the other FFS.

It's simply yet another setback in a season full of them, and evidence that it's not exactly just a coaching issue when we can't go one week without losing a key player.

It is utterly simplistic and bordering on wilfully ignorant to blame the coach and call for him to be sacked based on this season. I could sit here and write a couple of thousand words about why we've sucked this year, coaching included, but it'd be a waste of time because the same idiots would shit all over it with meaningless catch-calls and go back to blaming the coach wholly and solely.

Agree or don't, tbh.

I disagree that it’s “wilfully ignorant” to suggest a change in coaching staff based on this season, but I’m genuinely interested to get your thoughts (even dot point them) on some of the issues that have resulted in our year so far.

 

[emjaycee]

My mail is that the Board are giving BA time to rebuild following the debacle we know as 2016 and the setback that season caused.

I reckon 2017 was the anomaly and was partially due to an attitude carry over from 2016 and our treatment by the NRL. Effectively we are in year 2 of the rebuild - the same kind of rebuild that took the Panthers 8 years even with Gus at the helm.

 

[Happy MEel]

If not just losing a half or fullback that is a problem, it’s also means our forwards play longer mins then expected.

For example king’s poor attempt that lead to a try or Moeroa’s shoulder charge - these 2 played longer mins then normal.

Sure...I’m well aware of this. But given our inability to score points and our poor defence, even when we haven’t suffered a bad injury till mid-game, I’m keen to know what makes you think tonight would be any different. The knights were all over us in the first 20 minutes when fatigue shouldn’t have been an issue.

 

[emjaycee]

The problems are this in order of importamce

No 1 - Injuries

No 2 - Juniors

No 3 - Luck

No 4 - Players out of form

No 5 - Coach and tactics

No 6 HOPE now is no 1 prpblem. We have none.


If we managed to snag a few wins and where on 8 points. Even say we beat NZ and Dogs we go into tonight with a sniff and hope is still there. Once that is gone you begin to give 90% and in nrl 90% effort means a flogging.

Its been a merkin of a year. Coach part to blame. But not much he can do. His roster is set up with lots of old expereinced has beens, which is 100% his fault. If he developed a squad with 7 or 8 young juniors cracking for a debut amd chance then we habe future and hope. A big X for mine here. He blocked pathways for young guys who want to play in the NRL for old injured guys who have lost the desire.

I scored each one for you:

No 1 - Injuries (18%)
No 2 - Juniors (12%)
No 3 - Luck (15%)
No 4 - Players out of form (18%)
No 5 - Coach and tactics (9%)
No 6 - No Hope (13%)

Total: 85%

Seriously though, I have 3 questions for you.
1. Who are these 7 or 8 juniors that he should have developed and promoted to First Grade in the last 2 years? Do we have them in our system? Did we ever?
2. Who are the old injured guys that have lost the desire? The only one you can say that about is probably Beau Scott because on 2017 form you cannot say it about too many others.
3. Do you understand that juniors are identified as potential FG footballers when they are 14-16 years old and at that age are moved "into the system". When some one who is 20 years old now was 15, BA wasn't even at the club. He has identified 5-6 youngsters in the last 4 years who are nearly ready for FG and who we will hopefully see in the next year or 2 (Dylan Brown, Oregon Kaufusi, Reed Mahoney, Ray Stone, Jaemon Salmon, Greg L, Dane Aukofalou, Noel Aukofalou). Unfortunately they aren't all ready yet.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Sure...I’m well aware of this. But given our inability to score points and our poor defence, even when we haven’t suffered a bad injury till mid-game, I’m keen to know what makes you think tonight would be any different. The knights were all over us in the first 20 minutes when fatigue shouldn’t have been an issue.

Yeah not saying we wouId have won, highly unlikely!!

But the score wouId have been a lot closer. I agreed we have been poor in attack but most games in my opinion our effort has been good - actually think our defence has been ok but attack terrible!!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We’ve made Newcastle look like the storm.

The season as a whole has been poor and obviously not attributable just to the injuries. But tonight we lost a halfback and a fullback during the game, when they can't be replaced with like players. That's the main reason we were so ordinary tonight. Not the coach.

But he definitely deserves some blame for the season as a whole. And the problems that aren't his fault are still his responsibility to fix, obviously. It's just that many problems can't be fixed during the season while merkins are under contract and difficult to buy and sell. Don't forget these merkins performed for the coach last year. Why wouldn't he trust them again, especially when most were still under contract for 2018.

 

[Gazzamatta]

My mail is that the Board are giving BA time to rebuild following the debacle we know as 2016 and the setback that season caused.

I reckon 2017 was the anomaly and was partially due to an attitude carry over from 2016 and our treatment by the NRL. Effectively we are in year 2 of the rebuild - the same kind of rebuild that took the Panthers 8 years even with Gus at the helm.

OMG.
Does that mean we have 6 more years of tonights sh*t?
Lol.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

A squad only he has assembled

Were you happy with the squad he assembled last year?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

And a squad that was going shit before a shit load of injuries

The Brookvale flogging in round two proved there was something seriously wrong with some attitudes at the start of the year.

 

[Sphagnum]

My mail is that the Board are giving BA time to rebuild following the debacle we know as 2016 and the setback that season caused.

I reckon 2017 was the anomaly and was partially due to an attitude carry over from 2016 and our treatment by the NRL. Effectively we are in year 2 of the rebuild - the same kind of rebuild that took the Panthers 8 years even with Gus at the helm.

So they should. This is just a horror season from hell. It's hard to lay the blame with any individual.

Would be very disappointing if they made BA the scapegoat.

 

[Noise]

The Brookvale flogging in round two proved there was something seriously wrong with some attitudes at the start of the year.

Yep.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The coach has a role to play but so do our tight arse administrators, our underperforming players and injuries. You would love to make the coach responsible for everything but thats just dumb. He shouldn't be the only person the fingers are pointed at.

It's easier of you can just blame one person. The narrow mind struggles with complexity.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

People have said all those things hundreds of times. In every game day thread. And they are all true. And the coach signed every one of them, a few of them long term.

Players that were great last year are now ordinary. Do you really think signing them 'long term' (the standard 2-3 year contract for most of them) is the reason for their poor form? Or that Arthur should have anticipated they would fall off the cliff this year?

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

I blame everyone. Even you merkins.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

The season as a whole has been poor and obviously not attributable just to the injuries. But tonight we lost a halfback and a fullback during the game, when they can't be replaced with like players. That's the main reason we were so ordinary tonight. Not the coach.

But he definitely deserves some blame for the season as a whole. And the problems that aren't his fault are still his responsibility to fix, obviously. It's just that many problems can't be fixed during the season while merkins are under contract and difficult to buy and sell. Don't forget these merkins performed for the coach last year. Why wouldn't he trust them again, especially when most were still under contract for 2018.

Yep!! As I have said in my opinion, how BA reacts to this year (in recruitment and the offseason), is how he should be judge.

Almost impossible to change paths during a season!!

 

[Bazal]

I disagree that it’s “wilfully ignorant” to suggest a change in coaching staff based on this season, but I’m genuinely interested to get your thoughts (even dot point them) on some of the issues that have resulted in our year so far.

Sure, why not. Bear in mind that I had us finishing 6th or 7th having lost Semi...which I think is relevant because I believe we were already on track to slide somewhat from last season.

-Attitude. Our first big issue. We blew Penrith off the park in the first little bit of the season, thought it was all going to be too easy, and failed to put the game away. We then didn't even bother to leave the sheds vs Manly. That is a player issue no matter how much some like to argue that it falls on the coach. Both losses also show elements of the form issue for certain players.

-Injuries. The biggest issue, like it or not. Gutherson and French, pivotal parts of our success last season for various reasons, missed much of the start of the year. Williams was playing an important role, Takairangi might be a shit player to have in a poorly performing side but he was also a big key for us last season. Brown is obviously immense. Mannah was in immense form, Pritchard was starting to find his feet and our hooking stocks aren't great (as I've said all too many times). Even Hayne hasn't had the chance to show anything either way because he's been injured. This week we had a third string spine and immediately lost two of them.

-Refereeing. And I don't mean some of the conspiracy shit people have come up with at times. The way the game is refereed has changed from last season, and we have suffered for it. Last year we played on the edge and we got away with it, this year with the refs happy to blow 30 penalties a game we aren't. Quite a few teams are in the same boat. Whether this one is a coaching issue, a player issue, a communication issue from the NRL or what, I couldn't say. Likely it would be a combination of these factors.

-Players Form. I've mentioned before that Vave and Matagi, for example, made 100m or more 20 times or so last season between them. Will smith was good last season, King was very good, Taka was a key attacking weapon. We haven't got anything like that input out of those kind of players this season. We saw the difference in that Panthers game when the bench came on and we got torn apart.

-Squad. I've said for years we need a better hooker. Since Peats left tbh. This one can fall 100% on the coach, but I also think that he demonstrated knowledge of our issue. He just wasn't willing to sell the farm to put 600k into Peats or 400k into Rein, and I support that too (although I would have signed Peats, personally).

-Confidence. Losses bring low confidence, which leads to one out footy and panic plays. The more you lose, the worse it gets.

 

[Bazal]

My mail is that the Board are giving BA time to rebuild following the debacle we know as 2016 and the setback that season caused.

I reckon 2017 was the anomaly and was partially due to an attitude carry over from 2016 and our treatment by the NRL. Effectively we are in year 2 of the rebuild - the same kind of rebuild that took the Panthers 8 years even with Gus at the helm.

I agree 100% with this and I'm glad that the board seem to think this way.

Our issues run deep and it takes more than two seasons to recover from what we went through, no matter how many posters get red faced bashing the word EXCUSE into the keyboard when you bring it up...

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Mate, none of us are paid multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars to see it coming.

How would anyone see it coming? All the experts in the media tipped us for top eight as well.