Anderson!

[benno]

Mmm be interesting. I dont think he'd change much at the knights attack wise, he's already come out and said the knights are one of the best clubs going round.

Johns boys and Matt gids are in favour of him..plus theres no dount he pull in line perry and a couple of other slacko's....interesting viewing b4 the season..woo exciting

 

[Whats Doing]

Anybody who is concerned with Ando's pig headed nature have short memories as Ryan was exactly the same and look where he took Newcastle.

He is very much like Ryan in many respects, good defensive coach, doesn't take s#it, not afraid to make unpopular decisions on players who are not performing.

We need this type of coach which is in direct contrast to everybody's mate Hagan.

Although I ám not a fan of his flat attack, I think that he is the best choice from the coaches that appear to be available.

 

[Alex28]

To be frank, I don't care whether Matt Johns or Matt Gidley are in favour of him. Matt Johns seems to have alot of influence over the club for a man who only said weeks ago he does not want to come back and coach the club, yet wants to coach at some stage. Matt Gidley - if the club has any sense at all - should not be at the club past 2006 (heck he should be playing in England or First Division now).

Of course Andrew's opinion is important - but it shouldn't be the sole reason why the coach is selected.

All the comments here about how good our attack is - it isn't all that brilliant to be honest. That comes down to the calibre of the players around Johns - while we have some great up-and-coming players (Mullen, Tighe, Thaiday), we have some absolute hacks cemented in first grade that do us no favours (both Gidleys, Carmont).

Anderson's pet play is the flat line of attack, and it has been noted here that it does not suit the Knights (i.e. Johns) play. He will be coming in here and making a massive change to the way the team attacks - just like he couldn't do at Cronulla.

So Anderson will come along and change the way Johns plays, players who have got used to the way Johns plays, and older guys who have been playing the same way for years to suit the same way he has coached for years.

We don't need a guy to come along and make a revolutionary change to the attack of the club now. Do it when Johns retires. It makes no sense to do it now...

 

[Roy]

I dont think he would suit our club, why buy a coach who likes a flat style of play when our players, johns would never want to play like that an wont play like that. It would seem a to be a waist of buying someone like that. Yes he is a good coach, but these days what do credentials mean. Look at ricky stuart a few years of coaching in minor leagues an look at where he took the roosters to. Buy a coach that will coach the team how it would want to be caoched, you wouldnt buy a dog trainer and give him a horse to train would you.

 

[macavity]

Why does everyone just assume that he will try to employ a flat attack?

He didn't do it at the bulldogs or with Oz...

My main issues with Ando are his reputation for squabbles with management (look at what happened to Hages, and he only ever said one thing...) and his propensity to play favorites - hell he even put Jarrad Anderson into FG... I can see they are two issues that our club doesn't need - the main reason Hages got the boot was speaking out against management, and we have all seen him play favorites, and its effect.

So im not sold on Ando as a right fit for us, but the dude can undoubtedly coach. I don't doubt that for a second.

I really hope we are interviewing B. Smith. I have alot of respect for the guy and the more I think about it, he could be just the man for the job. The criticism of Smith was always that he can't rev the boys up - I think we have the culture and the players such that the coach doesn't have to provide that. With his professionalism, defensive nous, talent-spotting and squad building, Smith could be a big success here. Why contemplate the apprentice (Sharp) when you can have his master (Smith)...?

 

[thuganomics]

...

My main issues with Ando are his reputation for squabbles with management (look at what happened to Hages, and he only ever said one thing...) and his propensity to play favorites - hell he even put Jarrad Anderson into FG... I can see they are two issues that our club doesn't need - the main reason Hages got the boot was speaking out against management, and we have all seen him play favorites, and its effect.

So im not sold on Ando as a right fit for us, but the dude can undoubtedly coach. I don't doubt that for a second.

Agreed. Very good point.

 

[cram]

Agreed. Very good point.

Yes I agree with that macavity. As a coach he can coach but he may lack the communication skills to fit into the club.

 

[Alex28]

What makes you think he won't Mac? He did at Melbourne and Cronulla (his two most recent coaching jobs). The Kangaroo's job - I mean seriously...it's more of a babysitting/management job rather than actually coaching.

He also didn't get his own way at both clubs and got the arse. I say thank him for his interest but we don't need his coaching style, ego and attitude at our club.

Brian Smith - I'm in favour...

 

[strewth_mate]

Having a recommendation from players doesn't necessarily mean squat: remember most people here hate Gidley anyway and that Joey also strongly supports (or did) Hagan, whatever you think of him.

I imagine our management would be uneasy with Anderson because of his attitude. I reckon management might feel threatened by any hard-headed coach who shakes up the media and can't be put on a leash, no matter if he was the best or worst coach in history.

Johns won't put up with someone changing the way he plays even if that were to happen, and if a coach pushed him a bit far he wouldn't react well; management also won't respond well to that cos they seem to want to pander more to Joey than a coach. Hagan was a pushover compared to some of the coaches suggested so far.

I don't know what kind of players Anderson would attract if he came here because I somehow figure his reputation isn't the best recently. If so he might only attract people he showed favouritism to in recent years; in particular a certain halfback which might not be in the realms of impossibility according to some. </cheek+tongue>

I don't mind the idea. As someone said a short term thing might be worth considering, but we've said this every time a name has surfaced in the issue which isn't offering a great deal of perspective. He's been out for a while and this might just be a convenient opportunity to get back into the NRL, but as a coach he might do alright. I wish all these options didn't come with their own media baggage and the speculation. A shake up is what we need and a shake up is what we'll get; either way Johns will most probably be gone by the time the new coach ends his tenure anyway so we really need a non-conservative coach, but I'm worried our management won't make such a decision.

 

[Spitty]

Ando's not a stupid man. Since being sacked I'm sure he's had a look at the way he has handles things in the past and attempted to change those things. He may attempt to make a few changes to our attack, but we have to realise that our attack is based on give Joey the ball and we'll see what happens. That's why we can't win without him. Maybe a change in that area would be a good long term decision. I've never been a massive fan of Anderson but IMO he's the best candidate (that we know of) since Noble was ruled out.

I just hope he doesn't put Joey in premiere league and employ Kimmorley. :lol:

 

[macavity]

I've never been a massive fan of Anderson but IMO he's the best candidate (that we know of) since Noble was ruled out.

B Smith?

 

[Spitty]

B Smith?

I agree, but we don't even know if he's even applied and I can't see the club chasing him.

 

[macavity]

I can't see the club chasing him

thats a problem. they should be trying to headhunt, not stay passive.

 

[northern knight]

All the comments here about how good our attack is - it isn't all that brilliant to be honest. That comes down to the calibre of the players around Johns - while we have some great up-and-coming players (Mullen, Tighe, Thaiday), we have some absolute hacks cemented in first grade that do us no favours (both Gidleys, Carmont)..

You hammer the gidleys and carmont . Do you watch tapes of the games from last year or just go by memory of seeing a missed tackle or bad play. If you have a look at the games from last year now. I have them all so let me know if you want a copy. I am amazed at the class midley played with , more or less on his own other than simo, quinn carmont in those games were so over extended and still played well. If Comical Hunt and Benji were in the same place they would of craped emselves. Kidley should never have played at all after the injury he got in the trial. Watch the tapes they dont lie.

 

[MrCharisma]

I guess I can speak from a different light, being a Bulldogs fan and seeing him and his coaching style at the Bulldogs.

I think Anderson is just the type of coach the club needs. Like a hundred people have said before me, he's got 'like it or lump it' kind of attitude which is really needed within the Knights. How often can you say that a player that needed to be dropped in 05 was seen in the line up the following week.

All this talk of flat attack is rubbish. He used a flat attack when Kimmorely was around... only because the guy can't do much else. Andrew Johns is a bigger and far better player. Ando knows his style well from the Internationl level and no doubt would install similar training moves.

I think the big bonus will be this influence around the juniors. He can install some fine training within the lower grades as well as helping guys like Jarrod Mullen and Milton Thaidy grow to another level.

That's my opinion anyway. I don't care much for Smith or Sharpe... I think they are just a waste of time

 

[Alex28]

If you think Matt Gidley has still got it, maybe you are watching the tapes on fast forward ;-)

Carmont is awful - he can not defend and starves his winger of ball. Matt Gidley is well past it - he is slow and defence has got worse than his already suss form of previous years. Kurt Gidley has not shown the form that got him an Origin spot since he made it to Origin and is keeping a clearly better 5/8 out of the team because he is Joey's mate. I don't think your tapes will show me any different.

 

[MrCharisma]

I totally agree with Alex

Although Carmont seems to have improved in 2005...

 

[chinorocks]

I
All this talk of flat attack is rubbish. He used a flat attack when Kimmorely was around... only because the guy can't do much else. Andrew Johns is a bigger and far better player. Ando knows his style well from the Internationl level and no doubt would install similar training moves.

Couldn't agree more and I can't believe its taken 3 pages of talk for someone to say it. The 95 Bulldogs did not have a flat style of attack. The Australian teams Chris Anderson coached when Johns was halfback did not have a flat style of attack.

The teams he coached that had Kimmorley as their focal point (Melbourne and Cronulla) had a flat style of attack, because thats the style that best suits Brett Kimmorley, who was the best player and playmaker on both of those sides. Andrew Johns plays a completely different style to Brett Kimmorley and IMO there is no way a coach with the experience of Chris Anderson would attempt to make Andrew Johns play like Brett Kimmorley. Andrew Johns is Andrew Johns and will continue to play like Andrew Johns no matter who is coach.

Chris Anderson brings experience, he brings defence (which is where we suck) and he will have the balls to tell the Matt Gidleys, George Carmonts, Josh Perry's and Kirk Reynoldsons that there off to reserve grade if they don't perform. He also has alot more recruitment power (landed Kimmorley to Cronulla a year after he signed a MASSIVE deal with the Northern Eagles) than our current coach has. In 5 full seasons in the job, Hagan has not signed one representitive quality player (Carney excepted but he's here for a one year holiday and from what I understand it had more to do with the Johns brother's than it did with Hagan). Chris Anderson in combination with new facilities and money would make quality players want to play for us, and make juniours want to stay, in a way that IMO Peter Sharpe and David Fairleigh couldn't.

In summary at present I believe Chris Anderson is currently the best option by far. If Sheens, Noble, Murray or Bellamy become availiable suddenly I may reconsider my opinion, but as I think that is highly unlikely I hope they appoint Anderson and I hope he takes charge or at least comes on board in some way before the 30th of June.

 

[MrCharisma]

Chris Anderson brings experience, he brings defence (which is where we suck) and he will have the balls to tell the Matt Gidleys, George Carmonts, Josh Perry's and Kirk Reynoldsons that there off to reserve grade if they don't perform.

This is one of the biggest assets. If Anderson was around we wouldn't be seeing all this b******t from Robbie O'Davis because Ando would tell him he's an old hack.... he'd also tell Matt Gidley he's a has been, Josh to stop eating so many pies and Kirk that he is a glorified bench player.

All this Old Boy's stuff really sh*ts me off. Sure we should celebrate the previous players at the club but to what price to they get their imput. As a Doggies fan, I don't remember Craig Polla-Mounter, Steve Gearin or Andrew Farrar getting any imput within the club.

 

[Misanthrope]

I've been mulling it over all day and, though I hated the man at Cronulla, I'm becoming more and more keen to see Anderson as one of the main candidates for the job. MrC expressed my point perfectly when he pointed out that the flat attack inevitably came with Kimmorley's presence. His work with Australia was exemplorary and, unlike Bennett, he was able to look good with even the worst of sides. He may have played favourites with guys like Kimmorley, but at least they got the job done. Bennett's favourites barely showed up this year, with a few notable exceptions.

All in all, I'd have Brian Smith and Chris Anderson at the top of my list, with Anderson slightly ahead (for mine) because he hasn't got that reputation as a big game choker. That, and he hasn't forced players out of the country.