Who do we want? Coach 2026-

[jonno_knights]

White also worked with both Maguire and Daley in the NSW camp, so must be held in decent regard from those in RL circles to get those opportunities.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Club has approached Luke Keary to be a halves and attacking consultant. Michael Chammas reporting.

Here's the link to the article but it's behind a paywall (sorry I can't access it from where I am to post its text) -

Bulldogs in talks with former Knights coach Adam O’Brien

Canterbury officials met with O’Brien on Thursday to discuss the prospect of him joining the club as an assistant coach in 2026.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Yosh]

Sounds pretty good. Bringing on ex players who have all played at the highest level.

Can I be optimistic? I'm scared of being hurt again. Lol.

 

[mozza91]

Glad that’s he’s bringing in his own assistants. Need some fresh ideas and a total overhaul on the coaching side is better than doing it to the roster. We might turn into one of those clubs that can rebuild quickly instead of the mediocrity we’ve had for the last 20 years.

Keary was a terrific player. His CC effort in 2018 was truely special. Cronk was a total passenger and Keary dominated a favoured Storm side. As mentioned being a great player doesn’t automatically make you a great coach but I like the idea of having someone who’s played at the highest level since the rule changes coaching our halves. His insights into the current game will definitely help.

 

[Zoidberg]

Glad that’s he’s bringing in his own assistants. Need some fresh ideas and a total overhaul on the coaching side is better than doing it to the roster. We might turn into one of those clubs that can rebuild quickly instead of the mediocrity we’ve had for the last 20 years.

Keary was a terrific player. His CC effort in 2018 was truely special. Cronk was a total passenger and Keary dominated a favoured Storm side. As mentioned being a great player doesn’t automatically make you a great coach but I like the idea of having someone who’s played at the highest level since the rule changes coaching our halves. His insights into the current game will definitely help.

Nah.

 

[mozza91]

Nah.

Ye of little faith. You’re almost certainly right though.

 

[perverse]

How many rebuilds have we suffered for a lofty peak of a single preliminary final since Joey retired (that'll be 20 years ago soon, just by the by)? At this stage I'm going to have to settle for a club that can rebuild at all, let alone quickly.

 

[Yosh]

How many rebuilds have we suffered for a lofty peak of a single preliminary final since Joey retired (that'll be 20 years ago soon, just by the by)? At this stage I'm going to have to settle for a club that can rebuild at all, let alone quickly.

Maybe in some alternate universe Tinkler is from Perth or something and doesn't buy our club and we don't get Bennett but one our assistants named Trent Robinson takes over as head coach. Joey doesn't snap his neck against SBW and we go on to win another premiership or two before Joey retires. Systems are put in place to keep all our promising juniors and our front row is Haas and Tapine with Latrell lining up in the centres with Best. Just maybe.

 

[Knight Tales]

Maybe in some alternate universe Tinkler is from Perth or something and doesn't buy our club and we don't get Bennett but one our assistants named Trent Robinson takes over as head coach. Joey doesn't snap his neck against SBW and we go on to win another premiership or two before Joey retires. Systems are put in place to keep all our promising juniors and our front row is Haas and Tapine with Latrell lining up in the centres with Best. Just maybe.

Let us not be reminded of what ifs. Tinkler era was very rock and roll, and we almost made a GF after two years of his ownership. So things can turn fast. But four spoons since his takeover and sale of the club also tell us it can be for the worst.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I’m pleased that there seems to be an overhaul of the whole coaching staff. Looking to bring in the Manly attack coach, Brett White, Luke Keary etc. We need a coaching team that can get this group playing a brand of footy that the town and community can get behind. Not just “we’re a gritty team” line being rolled out every week.

So does all this spell the end for Blake Green? There hasn’t been an announcement about him yet right?

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I’m pleased that there seems to be an overhaul of the whole coaching staff. Looking to bring in the Manly attack coach, Brett White, Luke Keary etc. We need a coaching team that can get this group playing a brand of footy that the town and community can get behind. Not just “we’re a gritty team” which we heard to much from AOB but was basically just an admission that we had no back-up plan outside of 5 hitups and a kick to the corner.

 

[SamSepi0l]

I'm not super keen to get Brett White in. Not a stellar history there. Keary is interesting as he's untested from a coaching perspective.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

I'm not super keen to get Brett White in. Not a stellar history there. Keary is interesting as he's untested from a coaching perspective.

Yeah, I’m not sure Keary can coach. Needs an apprenticeship.

I say that as a recipient of an ordained ex halves coach, parachuted into the role who isn’t coping.

Keary had a lot of natural talent, that God given vision not easily picked up.

AOB being head hunted while the corpse isn’t yet cold.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

“…no back-up plan outside of 5 hitups and a kick to the corner.

At least you got that far!

We’d be chuffed if that was our lot.

 

[jonno_knights]

Wonder what it all means for Dom Young. Holbrook was part of the coaching staff that happily let him walk, Keary was part of the side last year when his formed started to dip. So its not like they are new to him.

Will we ever see 2023 Dom Young again? Do we see him pushed out again, for Fletcher to take his wing spot and find another hooker solution allowing Smith/Brown in the halves?

I think he was surplus to the Roosters needs with the rise of Toia and Mark, and return of Billy Smith. So may have purely been salary cap driven, and they wanted that off the books rather than persevering with him. Like he wasn't all that bad in 2024.

Does Holbrook rate Marzhew? Was he the coach when the swap happened for Randall? If so, Holbrook was part of the coaching staff that punted our starting wingers, so interesting times ahead!

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

The traditional fresh coach clean-out will be interesting.

Heaps of pressure to build a competitive 80 minute side asap.

Does he try to buy or revamp veterans like Flanagan or does he dip his hand into the lucky dip of juniors?

And of course, the November 1 “next season promise”, which is easier to sell when the club has been struggling.

I didn’t think AOB was a bad coach per se, but I think he’d reached the point of a clean break was best.

And imho, a bit of honesty about the dogs, moving Jason Taylor on from their attacking coach where I thought their defence was their Achilles heel appears counter intuitive.

Although, I’m in the growing number of people who think attack and defence are equally important, in the broad.

There’s going to be some very enigmatic twists and turns ahead.

Pre season with a new coach is always ten times more interesting than same old.

If I’m a betting man, at least 4 fresh faces into the top 17 as a minimum. See how I go!

 

[jonno_knights]

If I’m a betting man, at least 4 fresh faces into the top 17 as a minimum. See how I go!

4 on top of the new guys already coming?

Brown
Smith
Mooney

Would all be walk up starters.

Then maybe at least 1 of Hola, Crouch, Saulo, Sullivan or Manuleleua to potentially crack the bench depending on their preseason. They'd obviously be battling some guys who have already debuted but werent exactly in our top 17 going into this year (ESL / Hopwood).

Backs look pretty set, but crazier things have happened.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

4 on top of the new guys already coming?

Brown
Smith
Mooney

Would all be walk up starters.

Then maybe at least 1 of Hola, Crouch, Saulo, Sullivan or Manuleleua to potentially crack the bench depending on their preseason. They'd obviously be battling some guys who have already debuted but werent exactly in our top 17 going into this year (ESL / Hopwood).

Backs look pretty set, but crazier things have happened.

Ok, I’ll trip the light fandango and wager a full 7 in the 30 salary cap roster, including the 3.

I’m a closet fletcher fan, he’s off the scale this kid, could be anything.

 

[SamSepi0l]

I'd be shocked if Dom is forced out. I don't care if Holbrook was part of the Roosters team his form dropped, Dom has been great here. He'll be in the side.

 

[ryan.a87]

Moley saying that Buderus has been appointed one of the assistant roles

Taking this with a grain of salt as I know he as a role in knights admin and it could be just a consultation role like Joey had a few years ago