Benny wants the gig.

[idunno]

Big news!
Wayne Bennett has formally applied for the New Zealand job as the Dolphins super coach ramps up plans to renew trans-Tasman Test match fireworks with Australian rival Mal Meninga.
NZRL chief executive Greg Peters confirmed Bennett will be short-listed for a formal interview with a view to Maguire’s successor being formalised by the end of February - NewsCorp

 

[Rich102]

He could do wonders for the Kiwis.
The players respond to him.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Sounds like he has missed the job, Stacey Jones set to be announced

 

[idunno]

I'm happy with that long term..
Would be nice to see Bennett appointed as Stacey's assistant.

 

[JJ]

Hope it goes well for Stacey. Big call taking over Ol Wayne

 

[Meth]

Was blown away to see comments that Jones was “far and miles ahead” of other candidates.

Like, I can get on board with it, but there is no universe where he is “far and miles ahead” of Bennett as a coach of any team.

 

[Matua]

Da fuq. I love Stacey. But, he has no track record as a top level coach to be taking over the Kiwis.

We have a good win last year and then NZRL decides to roll the dice on another Kidwell.

And Kidwell is why I don't want this to happen. I don't want to end up hating Stacey too if the Kiwis fall apart again.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

Da fuq. I love Stacey. But, he has no track record as a top level coach to be taking over the Kiwis.

We have a good win last year and then NZRL decides to roll the dice on another Kidwell.

And Kidwell is why I don't want this to happen. I don't want to end up hating Stacey too if the Kiwis fall apart again.

Yea man, Stacey is a legend but this is just fked.

I thought letting Madge go was a major balls up by NZRL, but when Bennett applied I thought sweet, we've managed to dodge a bullet... only for NZRL to jump straight back into its path. Fk me dead...

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Apparently we told Bennett he needed to submit his resume haha

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Da fuq. I love Stacey. But, he has no track record as a top level coach to be taking over the Kiwis.

We have a good win last year and then NZRL decides to roll the dice on another Kidwell.

And Kidwell is why I don't want this to happen. I don't want to end up hating Stacey too if the Kiwis fall apart again.

At least we'll now know whether Stacey has the chops...my gut feel is he doesn't.

I agree though, poor choice. You had the most successful coach in the history of the game, arguably, and went for one that has almost no head coaching experience. Obviously it's a good thing to have a Kiwi in charge, but not when it isn't necessarily on merit.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Stacey is the perfect choice for the Kiwis gig.

All this talk about he hasn't got the resume or experience as a coach to take us to the next level is nonsense.
These guys at this level practically coach themselves. You need a figure in their that players respect and want to play for. Jones fits that bill to the tee.
I don't know one player that wouldn't deliver and try their guts out for Jones. The technical stuff / tweaks for the Kiwi squad will come from the collective coaching team. The most important thing at this level is mana / passion. I can see so much success with our quality squad and Jones at the helm.

Wayne also when questioned by media whether he is interesting the Kiwis gig. His reply "They know where to find me" lol yeah that didn't bode well with me despite his GOAT resume as a coach. Attitude / Mana / Wanting to see the grass roots of NZ rugby league stronger.

Jones is the guy.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

At least we'll now know whether Stacey has the chops...my gut feel is he doesn't.

I agree though, poor choice. You had the most successful coach in the history of the game, arguably, and went for one that has almost no head coaching experience. Obviously it's a good thing to have a Kiwi in charge, but not when it isn't necessarily on merit.

Mal Meninga was an atrocious first grade coach and had less experience when he took over the Queensland / Australian teams. No reason Jones cannot achieve the same, especially with our squad quality these days. I also would like Webby in the mix too as both work together at the Warriors. I am very excited for this appointment its a shame we all dont feel the same. I guess results will sway people over and hope the OG SJ delivers.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

He could do wonders for the Kiwis.
The players respond to him.

Agreed they will respond. All these guys idolise Stacey.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I also would like Webby in the mix too as both work together at the Warriors. I am very excited for this appointment its a shame we all dont feel the same. I guess results will sway people over and hope the OG SJ delivers.

I don't know if any or many Warriors fans will share your sentiment on Webster. I don't want him within cooee of the Kiwis. I want him 110% focused on his main job, especially as a relatively new head coach.

I hope you're right on Stacey, incidentally. I just don't see him as the personality and the sort of guy to be a head coach in a big job like this (guess it's not that big, anymore, sadly). He's been in the Warriors system for a very long time, and I feel like he would have progressed if he was.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

I don't know if any or many Warriors fans will share your sentiment on Webster. I don't want him within cooee of the Kiwis. I want him 110% focused on his main job, especially as a relatively new head coach.

I hope you're right on Stacey, incidentally. I just don't see him as the personality and the sort of guy to be a head coach in a big job like this (guess it's not that big, anymore, sadly). He's been in the Warriors system for a very long time, and I feel like he would have progressed if he was.

Week to week NRL head coach gig did not suit Stacey at all. (Ask Meninga)
We didn't have the support systems in place and with Covid it sort of derailed anything Jones could do.
In the Kiwis set up and not being week to week. Stace just needs to ensure he can get the players up and keep things simple. Its obvious we have way better quality players to choose from these days, they already know the blueprint.

Attitude is everything for me personally. Look at the following contrast with Bennett vs Jones..

Bennett; "They know where to find me"
Jones: "It would be an honour to guide NZ Rugby League forward"

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Week to week NRL head coach gig did not suit Stacey at all. (Ask Meninga)
We didn't have the support systems in place and with Covid it sort of derailed anything Jones could do.
In the Kiwis set up and not being week to week. Stace just needs to ensure he can get the players up and keep things simple. Its obvious we have way better quality players to choose from these days, they already know the blueprint.

Attitude is everything for me personally. Look at the following contrast with Bennett vs Jones..

Bennett; "They know where to find me"
Jones: "It would be an honour to guide NZ Rugby League forward"

Fair enough man. I hope I am the one way off base here and you prove to be the one on the money.

 

[Matua]

Stacey is the perfect choice for the Kiwis gig.

All this talk about he hasn't got the resume or experience as a coach to take us to the next level is nonsense.
These guys at this level practically coach themselves. You need a figure in their that players respect and want to play for. Jones fits that bill to the tee.
I don't know one player that wouldn't deliver and try their guts out for Jones. The technical stuff / tweaks for the Kiwi squad will come from the collective coaching team. The most important thing at this level is mana / passion. I can see so much success with our quality squad and Jones at the helm.

Wayne also when questioned by media whether he is interesting the Kiwis gig. His reply "They know where to find me" lol yeah that didn't bode well with me despite his GOAT resume as a coach. Attitude / Mana / Wanting to see the grass roots of NZ rugby league stronger.

Jones is the guy.

Were you in a coma for the Kidwell era and then didn't bother reading up or watching videos about it when you woke up? Kidwell was as diehard Kiwi as you could get and nearly destroyed the team.

Oh and despite the tone of your follow up posts (it's not a shame we all don't feel the same way you do), we all want Stacey to succeed, that's different than thinking it's not a good decision.

 

[Meth]

Reminds me of when Matthew Elliott blew Craig Bellamy out of the water for the Warriors job.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Reminds me of when Matthew Elliott blew Craig Bellamy out of the water for the Warriors job.

Not quite the story, is it? Although it is one of the great (awful) stories that was never told, and probably not known by 99% of Warriors fans that not only did Wayne f**king Scurrah give 3x premiership coach Ivan Cleary the axe (and by design, his Immortal-bound son), he also refused to sign 3x premiership coach Craig Bellamy because he wouldn't break a contract and come one year early.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

Stacey is the perfect choice for the Kiwis gig.

All this talk about he hasn't got the resume or experience as a coach to take us to the next level is nonsense.
These guys at this level practically coach themselves. You need a figure in their that players respect and want to play for. Jones fits that bill to the tee.
I don't know one player that wouldn't deliver and try their guts out for Jones. The technical stuff / tweaks for the Kiwi squad will come from the collective coaching team. The most important thing at this level is mana / passion. I can see so much success with our quality squad and Jones at the helm.

Wayne also when questioned by media whether he is interesting the Kiwis gig. His reply "They know where to find me" lol yeah that didn't bode well with me despite his GOAT resume as a coach. Attitude / Mana / Wanting to see the grass roots of NZ rugby league stronger.

Jones is the guy.

I'm not convinced. Love the man, absolute legend of a player and person, but he had 11 games at the helm of the Warriors at the end of '22 and while it was obviously at the tail end of the covid exile, the team went backwards on the table only beating the Tigers and Dogs over that period.

I agree rep coaching is very different to clubland and if it had been between Stacey and say, Cayless, I'd have no complaints. But picking him in the hope he might be a better rep coach than a club one, over Bennett who's proven at both? That's the nonsense part there.

And that's not a criticism of Stacey, I hope he proves me utterly wrong and kills it. But I have zero faith in the NZRL right now. An absolute pack of amateurs.