adamkungl
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How do the coaches stack up before 2019 kicks off?
Only 1 new face (John Morris) heading up a club this year thanks to Unflushable Flanno finally slipping down the drain.
Some seasoned campaigners under pressure with their last premiership further away then ever, and some yet to deliver anything of note.
At least 1 coach typically fails to see out the year and there's a couple of prime contenders for the dubious honour of First Coach Booted.
Here's how they stack up
1 Trent Robinson - 2018 masterclass after some lingering doubts brings his premierships up to 2 in 6 seasons. Astute mind for the game, near flawless recruitment, strong player development. Rolled the dice on Cronk and came up double 6s.
2 Craig Bellamy - Neck and neck with Robbo for best coach in recent years but 2018s results tips it against him - for now. All of the above applies and he's been doing it for longer. Ruthlessly consistent.
3 Wayne Bennett - Arguably the GOAT. Last comp win was in 2010 and barring some tumultuous years at Newcastle his teams continue to feature in September. Hard to see that changing, he has the roster and financial backing at Souths to challenge again and again.
4 Micheal Maguire - One of the most impressive young coaches in the game. Knows how to win a comp but what he can do with the Tigers lineup remains to be seen. The real judgement will be 2020-2021 when he's had time and a stronger hand in recruitment.
5 Paul Green - Got the first Cowboys premiership but a seriously disappointing season in 2018. Good coaches have bad seasons occasionally, whether they learn from mistakes determines whether they become great coaches. Recruitment looks strong for 2019.
6 Anthony Seibold - Massive debut season but couldn't get Souths to the finish line. Nonetheless very promising. Huge resources but huge pressure at the Broncos. Desperate to move on successfully from Bennett. Needs to deliver immediate results.
7 Ivan Cleary - An oddly fluctuating career so far, early promise has damaged by some bad luck and strange decisions. The promise is still there but can't trade on potential forever. Hopefully Gus doesn't decide he "looks tired" again.
8 Ricky Stuart - 2002 was a long time ago. His teams are always competitive but rarely consistent. Finals as a bare minimum should be expected or you'd have to think his job would be under question. A premiership to his name keeps him in the conversation with clubs looking to rekindle the glory days, but only due to a lack of serious competition.
9 Des Hasler - Could and should be higher but his last 2 seasons at Canterbury have left his reputation in tatters. Poor recruitment bolstered by irresponsible back-ended deals have left their roster crippled. This stint at Manly is crucial for his future coaching value.
10 Nathan Brown - Now or never for Brownie. Early stint at Dragons was considered by many to be a failure. Yet to make the finals with Newcastle but has improved their roster and ladder position year on year. Now has the star power at his disposal to make a dent in the competition - if he doesn't, Newcastle should consider other options.
11 Paul McGregor - Doesn't inspire any confidence. Some high ladder finishes but makes poor decisions, persists with nuffies, and shows little accountability. Some good recruitment is paying off which masks his limited tactical ability. I'd say he needs to deliver something soon but seems to be on a rolling contract at St George regardless.
12 Stephen Kearney - Some recent success in pushing Warriors up the ladder but hasn't won anything of consequence (NZ international tests aside) and his run at Parra was hopeless. Could be a slow burner and improve with age but the Shaun Johnson implosion over the offseason looks like shooting himself in the foot. Happy to be proven wrong.
13 Dean Pay - Only 1 year in the gauntlet so far and nothing to brag about yet. Not winning the spoon with the squad at his disposal was something of an achievement, I guess. Hasn't had time to make a proper impression though, 2019-2020 will show whether he can cut it. Needs to get Dogs moving up the ladder.
14 Garth Brennan - Similar situation to Pay. Early years are make or break. Titans is a tough gig, if he can somehow improve them into a finals team he'll be in demand.
15 Brad Arthur - 6 years at the Eels. He dragged them up the ladder before trashing his own work and taking them right back to the bottom. Which was the fluke, 2017 (4th) or 2018 (16th)? I'm leaning towards 2017 being a weak comp. Dubious recruitment and struggles to get his teams up week in week out. 2019's roster looks worse than ever and with another rocky offseason it's hard to see them firing. Currently the worst coach in the game by some margin.
N/A John Morris - Newcomer to NRL coaching, hopefully he's a smarter coach than player. Best overlap murderer in the game handed the clipboard at short notice, his work will be cut out for him.
Only 1 new face (John Morris) heading up a club this year thanks to Unflushable Flanno finally slipping down the drain.
Some seasoned campaigners under pressure with their last premiership further away then ever, and some yet to deliver anything of note.
At least 1 coach typically fails to see out the year and there's a couple of prime contenders for the dubious honour of First Coach Booted.
Here's how they stack up
1 Trent Robinson - 2018 masterclass after some lingering doubts brings his premierships up to 2 in 6 seasons. Astute mind for the game, near flawless recruitment, strong player development. Rolled the dice on Cronk and came up double 6s.
2 Craig Bellamy - Neck and neck with Robbo for best coach in recent years but 2018s results tips it against him - for now. All of the above applies and he's been doing it for longer. Ruthlessly consistent.
3 Wayne Bennett - Arguably the GOAT. Last comp win was in 2010 and barring some tumultuous years at Newcastle his teams continue to feature in September. Hard to see that changing, he has the roster and financial backing at Souths to challenge again and again.
4 Micheal Maguire - One of the most impressive young coaches in the game. Knows how to win a comp but what he can do with the Tigers lineup remains to be seen. The real judgement will be 2020-2021 when he's had time and a stronger hand in recruitment.
5 Paul Green - Got the first Cowboys premiership but a seriously disappointing season in 2018. Good coaches have bad seasons occasionally, whether they learn from mistakes determines whether they become great coaches. Recruitment looks strong for 2019.
6 Anthony Seibold - Massive debut season but couldn't get Souths to the finish line. Nonetheless very promising. Huge resources but huge pressure at the Broncos. Desperate to move on successfully from Bennett. Needs to deliver immediate results.
7 Ivan Cleary - An oddly fluctuating career so far, early promise has damaged by some bad luck and strange decisions. The promise is still there but can't trade on potential forever. Hopefully Gus doesn't decide he "looks tired" again.
8 Ricky Stuart - 2002 was a long time ago. His teams are always competitive but rarely consistent. Finals as a bare minimum should be expected or you'd have to think his job would be under question. A premiership to his name keeps him in the conversation with clubs looking to rekindle the glory days, but only due to a lack of serious competition.
9 Des Hasler - Could and should be higher but his last 2 seasons at Canterbury have left his reputation in tatters. Poor recruitment bolstered by irresponsible back-ended deals have left their roster crippled. This stint at Manly is crucial for his future coaching value.
10 Nathan Brown - Now or never for Brownie. Early stint at Dragons was considered by many to be a failure. Yet to make the finals with Newcastle but has improved their roster and ladder position year on year. Now has the star power at his disposal to make a dent in the competition - if he doesn't, Newcastle should consider other options.
11 Paul McGregor - Doesn't inspire any confidence. Some high ladder finishes but makes poor decisions, persists with nuffies, and shows little accountability. Some good recruitment is paying off which masks his limited tactical ability. I'd say he needs to deliver something soon but seems to be on a rolling contract at St George regardless.
12 Stephen Kearney - Some recent success in pushing Warriors up the ladder but hasn't won anything of consequence (NZ international tests aside) and his run at Parra was hopeless. Could be a slow burner and improve with age but the Shaun Johnson implosion over the offseason looks like shooting himself in the foot. Happy to be proven wrong.
13 Dean Pay - Only 1 year in the gauntlet so far and nothing to brag about yet. Not winning the spoon with the squad at his disposal was something of an achievement, I guess. Hasn't had time to make a proper impression though, 2019-2020 will show whether he can cut it. Needs to get Dogs moving up the ladder.
14 Garth Brennan - Similar situation to Pay. Early years are make or break. Titans is a tough gig, if he can somehow improve them into a finals team he'll be in demand.
15 Brad Arthur - 6 years at the Eels. He dragged them up the ladder before trashing his own work and taking them right back to the bottom. Which was the fluke, 2017 (4th) or 2018 (16th)? I'm leaning towards 2017 being a weak comp. Dubious recruitment and struggles to get his teams up week in week out. 2019's roster looks worse than ever and with another rocky offseason it's hard to see them firing. Currently the worst coach in the game by some margin.
N/A John Morris - Newcomer to NRL coaching, hopefully he's a smarter coach than player. Best overlap murderer in the game handed the clipboard at short notice, his work will be cut out for him.
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