Brian Smith - Last Chance or Not

[JessEel]

Listen, I'll be the first to say that some of Smithys methods are not to my liking

yea, im the same as nikks, hate some of his descisions, but you can't despise a man who has put in so much for the club i love. im torn between being faithful to individual players, or the club on whole.

my individual players would forgive for liking smith at the moment as there was not a nicer, kinder and more welcoming coach in NZ last week when my sister and i were there for the game. and after last night game he asked me how my holiday/flights were. i have alot more respect for him now then what i did last year when he was crapping all over my favourite players. :lol: give him another chance, sorry misty

 

[Eels Dude]

Smith has signed all these new players for next season, he should be given the chance at coaching them.

If he fails with this side though, then Smith should not coach Parramatta anymore. He has a side which should be in the top 8 definately, and a premiership threat on top of that. If Smith can't do it with next year's side he won't be able to do it at all.

 

[Misty Bee]

How many more teams must he fail with before everyone realises he is a crap coach????

We bought DEan Pay, Jarred McCracken, Jim Dymock and Jason Smith. Smith didn't win a comp with them.

Up came Killer, Hindy, Cayless and Micky V. Smith failed with them.

Chequebook bougt JT, Mick Buettner, then John Morris, Aaron Canings, Thorman (who we all creamed about), a dozen fast wingers from other clubs...and Dykes.

Nothing.

Smith has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that he can't cut it, with or without the big names. Why give him more chances? Most of you agreed that 2004 was his last chance. We are 12th. A winb over an origin tired side and a few names bought, and you have all forgoten that!

I know Smith tries hard. So what? I've sacked people who tried hard,m but where holding the organisation back because they didn't SUCCEED! Smith is employed to do the job, not just TRY and do the job. Geez, Andy McFadden tried bloody hard in each game. No one thought that was a good enough reason to keep him. Why is the coach any different?

History has shown that with that side Parra won't win if SMith is incharge. To make it work, we need a new coach. Pure and simple.

 

[Nikki]

Ok, but in saying that, how are you going to get rid of him? HOW? He is a protected species at the moment. Our only choice is to look positively to next year, coz this one is basically a write off.

 

[Eels Dude]

The difference next year is that he's making changes. He's going and signing quality players, representative players, something which he has never done before. Since Smith has been given the oppurtunity to sign these players, he should be given the right to coach them as well. It is only fair.

He hasn't won anything yet I agree, but it would be stupid to sack him now and employ someone else for next season. If Smith can't do anything with this side next year then he should move on, but only time will tell that.

If you want to commend the side for next year, then you have to commend Brian Smith for signing them.

 

[Misty Bee]

And can you commend Brian Smith for what he has achieved in the last 8 seasons? With arguably better teams?

 

[Eels Dude]

I commend Brian Smith for what he did in the first 5 years.

He may not have taken us to a premiership but he took us to the finals, something which we hadn't done in 10 years. We don't have a trophy to show for that, but you can't blame Brian for that. It's up to the players to life on game day.

Brian Smith has lost the plot in the past few years, but at least this year he is making sense again. Signing quality players, and retaining our best currently at the club. Just because Smith hasn't won us a premiership doesn't mean whoever takes over is going to go the extra step.

 

[Misty Bee]

No, but Smith's history suggests that they will do better.

 

[Eelectrica]

Bugs Bunny as our coach with the three blind mice as assitants could coach the team that will be assembled to the finals next year.

I think next year would be the ideal chance to wipe the slate spotless and introduce a new coach. My feeling from listening to David Gallop is that the league won't expand and that Cartwright will be available. If so move Smith to coaching director and bring Cartwright in as our new coach.

 

[eels1986]

Misty - Didn't John Lang have the same problem and then bammo - he wins a title with Penrith. If he is capable of getting you there he is capable of winning the damn thing!!!!!!!!

 

[Eels Dude]

No, but Smith's history suggests that they will do better.

History suggests that a "hypothetical coach" would be better. I doubt it.

 

[Utey]

Who will replace him. If a coach came along with the name of Johnny Cartright ill welcome him on. But Smith deserves 1 more year but iam guessing fitzgerald will resign him.

 

[Morenito]

I think same as everyone
make or break 2005...top 4 or 6 minimum with the team provided.... and a deep show into the finals

whens his contract over btw?
is it end of next year or after that one

 

[Suitman]

Misty - Didn't John Lang have the same problem and then bammo - he wins a title with Penrith.

Yes, but Lang wasn't given 8 chances.

Suity

 

[bartman]

I couldn't tick any of the poll options. After missing the semis last year, Smith needed this year to be an improvement, and a notable one. So far it hasn't been, but thankfully we have an even competition and sit only a few points out of the eight. Based on Saturday's form, the Eels can turn this around...

By notable improvement I'd say he needs to team to make the semis and win one/two games. Not just be making up the numbers in a lower class to say the top six teams. We're still a chance of doing this, and if we do, then he has met that goal, and can fulfil the final year of his contract imo.

But this alone is not enough for a further extension for mine. In the first half of next year Smith needs to mould all of these star recruits with our existing squad and have the team operating at close to potential (eg top four) to have a decent claim on an extension. Parra should only make the decision leading up to June 30 2005, and take it from there. He has to earn it after last year's obvious low.

 

[Utey]

Without Smith this team will plummet to rock bottom. OUrt whole gameplan is devised on Smith and when the players are in form it does work. Look how we exploited walkers wing. Smith knew that. Its toi hard to change coach mid season and attempt to be sucessful. I think with the talent Parra has purchased we will once again be a force in 2005. Nobody honestly thought we would have a chance this season buying quantity over quality.

 

[Misty Bee]

Smith doesn't deserve one more bloody year! Which coach in NRL/ARL/NSWRL history has had more chances? NONE!

Smith failed the last time we bought big. In fact, whilewe cream our strides over our purchases, on papaer it is still short of the team we had in the 1990 preliminary final.


UTE, I have to take you to task about your post.

Without Smith this team will plummet to rock bottom.

Under Smith, we ARE virtually rock bottom. So you reckon that any other coach would win the spoon with Parra's 2005 squad? :lol:
:lol: :lol:

OUrt whole gameplan is devised on Smith and when the players are in form it does work.

And it only works on spasmodic occasions. Usually, it doesn't work, and has rarely worked this century!

Look how we exploited walkers wing. Smith knew that.

My pet goat knew that! Walker's crap defence is the most known fact in League!!!!!

Its toi hard to change coach mid season and attempt to be sucessful. I think with the talent Parra has purchased we will once again be a force in 2005.

So why not change him at the end of the year?????

Nobody honestly thought we would have a chance this season buying quantity over quality.

Rubbish. Almost unanimously we all agreed that we had bought well, and was looking forward to being semi final bound in 2004.

Smith has had big names before, and failed. If we keep giving him endless chances, we rob Parramatta of chances! It's more obvious than Walkers defensive lapses!!!!!

 

[bartman]

Its toi hard to change coach mid season and attempt to be sucessful.

Above I didn't mean that Smith should leave mid season.

I that meant if the team wins one or two semis this year and Smith gets to see out his current contract, then any future offers of an extension be assesed by June 30 next year. With the club then able to take action to build for a Smith-less 2006 if the side he has next year is not top four from basically the start.

But if the team doesn't compete in the semis this year, then it is time to get rid of Smith, even if it means bringing someone in to coach and shifting him to a meaningless coaching director role for a year for the sake of the contract.

 

[Misty Bee]

But if the team doesn't compete in the semis this year, then it is time to get rid of Smith, even if it means bringing someone in to coach and shifting him to a meaningless coaching director role for a year for the sake of the contract.

At last some commonsense!!!!

Bartman knows what he is talking about, beinb Parramatta's last GF coach himself!

 

[bartman]

;-) Cheers Misty!

That's been my position on Smith all along since the post 2001 doldrums. Sure I hoped we could make the semis last year, and same this year, and I'm glad they've scored a win and succesful game plan against the comp leaders.

But after last year, Smith's performance criteria for this year simply must have been to get the side into the second week of semis, and for next year (given the quality recruits) to run the Eels at top four all year. Anything less and he can't/won't be around 2006.

(And just quietly if he finally gets that premiership win this year or next, I think he'll try and go out on top at any rate...)