Brian Smith

[Engine]

Stick with Brian Smith....
His record speaks for itself. He has taken teams with limited talent to grand finals in the past. I honestly reckon he has just been unlucky in not being able to go all the way in the past. Heck, Hagan had more luck than Smith (2001) reaping off Reilly and Wok's work. Now, Hagan is reaping the benefits of Brian's work at Parra.
Brian Smith is a man of honesty and integrity. Those qualities can conflict with management and fans on occassions. But, I don't think you'll find many as committed as Brian towards a club's success. I met the man a few years ago at a clinic and you can tell that he lives and breathes footy.
The walkout of Newton shows that Smith is willing to change the roster and culture of your club. He is trying to cut out an increasingly negative culture at you club towards picking underperforming home juniors at the expense of getting outsiders into your club. Problems Brian is facing are not unkike the problems Chris Anderson faced at the Cronulla Sharks. A culture change is hard to do. He is already trying to change that through the Newton, Davico, Luke MacDouggall and Cooper Vuna issues. I suspect that more will go come the end of the season. He changed the Parra roster almost 100% within his first three years there. The club still reaps the benefit of Smith's changes.
Your fans should support Brian 100% as he was on a hiding to nothing when he arrived. At the moment, your fans need to support your club at its darkest hour. People said Newton bled red and blue, but that is total crapola. If he truly did, he'd train as hard as hell for next round to erase that defeat from their minds. Newton owes your club bigtime, yet he does a Lyon and leaves. Pretty poor attitude which proves Brian was right for not retaining him for 2008.
Line up in droves for the next home game and don't sledge the coach.

 

[Yosh]

Stick with Brian Smith....
His record speaks for itself. He has taken teams with limited talent to grand finals in the past. I honestly reckon he has just been unlucky in not being able to go all the way in the past. Heck, Hagan had more luck than Smith (2001) reaping off Reilly and Wok's work. Now, Hagan is reaping the benefits of Brian's work at Parra.
Brian Smith is a man of honesty and integrity. Those qualities can conflict with management and fans on occassions. But, I don't think you'll find many as committed as Brian towards a club's success. I met the man a few years ago at a clinic and you can tell that he lives and breathes footy.
The walkout of Newton shows that Smith is willing to change the roster and culture of your club. He is trying to cut out an increasingly negative culture at you club towards picking underperforming home juniors at the expense of getting outsiders into your club. Problems Brian is facing are not unkike the problems Chris Anderson faced at the Cronulla Sharks. A culture change is hard to do. He is already trying to change that through the Newton, Davico, Luke MacDouggall and Cooper Vuna issues. I suspect that more will go come the end of the season. He changed the Parra roster almost 100% within his first three years there. The club still reaps the benefit of Smith's changes.
Your fans should support Brian 100% as he was on a hiding to nothing when he arrived. At the moment, your fans need to support your club at its darkest hour. People said Newton bled red and blue, but that is total crapola. If he truly did, he'd train as hard as hell for next round to erase that defeat from their minds. Newton owes your club bigtime, yet he does a Lyon and leaves. Pretty poor attitude which proves Brian was right for not retaining him for 2008.
Line up in droves for the next home game and don't sledge the coach.

Wow dude great post. Yeah I'm fully for Brian Smith man. I was really glad we signed him last year. I know he hasnt won a premiership and stuff but he changes clubs man, from sh**ty unprofessional clubs without a future to ones that challenge for the premiership for years to come. I am 100% behind you SMITHY!!!

 

[Engine]

I don't agree with your Josh Perry calls Yosh . I get the feeling that if he played for Melbourne, he'd kick butt. No offence to him, but I think he needs a new environment (like Carl Webb did).

 

[aqua_duck]

I think SMithy's job is not so much to win the comp but more to fix up the club. He's not the most popular coach and not the most successful either as far as premierships are concerned, but he's someone who does things his way, he's not one of the boys so to speak. I believe he'll bring in sme professionalism. In saying that he might dig the club into a deeper hole too but thats a chance im willing to take

 

[perverse]

i'm happy with smith. much more so than hagen. at least smith THINKS.

 

[CJKnight]

Great post Engine.

The thing with Brian Smith is he doesn't give a s*** about what fans or players think. He will do whatever he sees fit to bring success to the club. He will make selection decisions that will make Knight fans pull their hair out. But compared to "laid back" Hages, he will bring professionalism and discipline to the club.

 

[fred_knight]

I am still unsure, some raise good points about Smith, but i cant see the passion in the man, maybe he is reserved, i dont know the bloke, but look at Ricky Stuart or Bellamy when their team aint going to well, they fire up big time, and some of our boys need to be fired up from time to time

 

[Doctor]

Dear Brian Smith,

I'm not phased by the heavy defeat to the Broncos – ours was an inexperienced team that was beaten by a team that managed to put it all together on the one day. I hoped the boys would use it as motivation for the rest of the season.

I'm not phased by the need to release players – there are some passengers in our side that need to vacate in order for our exciting juniors to come through the ranks.

I'm not phased by your attitude to player selection, provided it is based purely on form and potential.

But, I am phased by the willingness to get rid of one of our best clubmen – Clint Newton – albeit with him having shown no loyalty to the club that stood by him through long-term suspension and injury. What a way to repay the club. The timing of it, right after a heavy defeat, is not surprising – how cowardly.

I am phased by the unwillingness to offer Luke Walsh an appropriate amount of money to stay at the club. Walsh and Mullen are the future of this club, and yet we seem unwilling to compete with rival offers. The Bulldogs and others are ready to still one of our best three juniors. We do all the work developing them into top-class players, then jettison them just when they're starting to shine. Don’t let us down on this one.

I am phased by the apparent desire to look beyond the Hunter for big name players when we have more than capable players in the same positions in the lower grades here (players who are leaving the club and killing us when we play their new teams... e.g. Michael Ennis, Anthony Tupou, Brendan Worth).

I am phased when we do a wholesale clean out of players and throw the baby out with the bathwater. Some players need to go, but there are plenty there that have ticked all the boxes and are suffering only from a lack of opportunities. Yet we seem unwilling to keep them.

I am phased by a lack of mutual loyalty from both sides – the players and the club – in a time of unrest. I’m phased because this is my club, a club I have supported through thick and thin. It seems like some of the players are not prepared to get dirty for the sake of emerging out of the present, temporary struggles. That shows a lack of heart, commitment and guts.

Finally Brian, make your changes, but by all means don’t wreck the club in the process. Don’t underestimate how important the fans consider their local juniors. I don’t want another club’s superstar in at halfback when we have Luke Walsh already available. I don’t want another team wearing the red-and-blue. I want my team – a team of mostly locals – a team that plays for the jumper, not the money. Don’t lose sight of what made this club great. What must the Chief be thinking.

 

[sneaky_is_here]

Great post Engine.

The thing with Brian Smith is he doesn't give a s*** about what fans or players think. He will do whatever he sees fit to bring success to the club. He will make selection decisions that will make Knight fans pull their hair out. But compared to "laid back" Hages, he will bring professionalism and discipline to the club.

good point, but if the team isnt happy, are thjey playing good football.. or wining games.

 

[Frederick]

good point, but if the team isnt happy, are thjey playing good football.. or wining games.

If certain players aren't happy with how things are run differently, if they're not happy that the coach isn't one of the boys anymore, and they decide they're not going to play to their full potential and give 100% each week, then they deserve to piss off. We don't need a team full of heartless, gutless, overpaid pisspoor excuses for footballers who chuck a tantie when one of their mates doesn't get things his way.

 

[Yosh]

Hmm... I think it isnt really a question of whether or not players are happy or not, they are just faced with this massive culture shock if I may call it that. Like we get a new coach who is totally different, we lose our best player through injury forever and we are trying new combinations in positions to see what works best. Sure this wont please everyone but seroiusly you cant just drop everything and leave... You have to persereve and then when we come out the other side the team will be 100x better for it

 

[Misanthrope]

But, I am phased by the willingness to get rid of one of our best clubmen – Clint Newton – albeit with him having shown no loyalty to the club that stood by him through long-term suspension and injury. What a way to repay the club. The timing of it, right after a heavy defeat, is not surprising – how cowardly.

How can Brian be blamed for Clint having a tantrum and deciding to leave now rather than at season's end. Smith told him he wasn't in the clubs plans for 2008 so rather than sucking it up and trying to prove management wrong - he plays his 100th game, reaches his personal milestone, and then asks for the release? Why not last week?

I am phased by the apparent desire to look beyond the Hunter for big name players when we have more than capable players in the same positions in the lower grades here (players who are leaving the club and killing us when we play their new teams... e.g. Michael Ennis, Anthony Tupou, Brendan Worth).

FFS - this tactic doesn't work! How can you complain that he's not prepared to do the same stupid sh*t that Hagan's been doing for the past six years? We've tried the 'Newcastle juniors at all costs' approach and it hasn't worked. We've lost guys like Kennedy and Tahu and replaced them with guys like Carmont and Tanner. No other club so blindly relies on its juniors, save perhaps Brisbane, who have the better part of a state to act as their breeding ground - and even they've gone elsewhere to secure the likes of Hannant and Ennis.

I am phased when we do a wholesale clean out of players and throw the baby out with the bathwater. Some players need to go, but there are plenty there that have ticked all the boxes and are suffering only from a lack of opportunities. Yet we seem unwilling to keep them.

The club needs a clean-out, as I said on Sunday night when you claimed I was panicking. Smith clearly sees that Hagan has done some damage to the club, and he's taking steps to remedy it. I'm saddened that it's seen guys like Newton having to leave the club - but at the end of the day, a football club is out there to win games, and not to cater to fans with nostalgic hearts. If we lose Woolnough and Perry, I won't be phased either. Perry's had years to live up to his potential and grow out of his attitude problem, and doesn't look like ever doing it. Woolnough's a bench player at best, and if Penrith want to throw $250,000 at him (like their bold Worth experiment), they can have him.

Finally Brian, make your changes, but by all means don’t wreck the club in the process. Don’t underestimate how important the fans consider their local juniors. I don’t want another club’s superstar in at halfback when we have Luke Walsh already available. I don’t want another team wearing the red-and-blue. I want my team – a team of mostly locals – a team that plays for the jumper, not the money. Don’t lose sight of what made this club great. What must the Chief be thinking.

This I can agree with. Although my time as a Newcastle local was restricted to just eighteen months, the city's always felt like a second home to me, irregardless of where I'm living at the time. I'd hate to see a Knights' side without any local flavour, but while we're producing brilliant juniors, it won't happen. What I do hate is seeing a Newcastle side made up of all Newcastle products bar Reynoldson, especially when most of the local products aren't getting the job done.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Hagan had more luck than Smith (2001) reaping off Reilly and Wok's work

What a stupid thought! by that rationale Parra's 3 premierships in the early 80's was all the work of John Peard

Canberra's 3 premierships in the late 80's-94 was all the work of Wayne Bennett

Folkes success was all the work of Chris Anderson

Ron Hildtich must have been some sort of coach i guess.....:roll:
Pathetic

Now, Hagan is reaping the benefits of Brian's work at Parra.

Much like thanks to Hagan you guys have Mullen etc l:lol:


Are you stupid? If Brian stayed the likes of Hayne, Mateo, Inu etc wouldn't of gotten a look in, Brian didn't rate these players. It was more the good work of JT not Brian!

The walkout of Newton shows that Smith is willing to change the roster and culture of your club.

Didn't Cronulla have the same idea under Anderson?

He is trying to cut out an increasingly negative culture at you club towards picking underperforming home juniors at the expense of getting outsiders into your club.

This is just getting worse....He never had a positive culture with us! negativity was his motivational technuiqe. He brought off the shelf at Parramatta and didn't promote juniors. Hagan has promoted more juniors in the past 12 rounds then Brian did in his last 2 & half years with us!

Forgot to mention how many players he failed to re-sign for Parramatta...please mention that point and who he brought into replace them, i'll give you hint A Ryan, Gallen, Clinton, J Cayless, Shifcoske, Tonga, Hodgson etc


Why does Brian need to always buy players? why doesn't he just hang onto the juniors and develop them? hmmmmm good coach!

Problems Brian is facing are not unkike the problems Chris Anderson faced at the Cronulla Sharks. A culture change is hard to do.

Yep, very hard

He changed the Parra roster almost 100% within his first three years there. The club still reaps the benefit of Smith's changes.

What a load of crap!!!!!!!!!!!! where did you get this information from? he hardly changed anything!! Parra have always had a good juniors setup well before Brian came in. Brian had the players to work with for 97 which gave him the perfect platform to perform thanks to Fitzy spending up big on a number of players.

He was provided with Dymock, Smith, Pay etc, obviously players come and go in a club in 3 years, and if you think bringing blokes like Kusto, Herron, Wheart, Horsnell, Carige, Quinn, Muspratt, Muckett etc to our club was positive then i'm glad your not a coach!

Your fans should support Brian 100% as he was on a hiding to nothing when he arrived.

And for good reason, this guy didn't rate Hayne, Mateo etc walked out on a club because they didn't offer him a contract, falling outs with players, the list is endless and well documented.

People said Newton bled red and blue, but that is total crapola. If he truly did, he'd train as hard as hell for next round to erase that defeat from their minds.

Much the same as Brian walking out cause he wasn't offered a contract........

Newton owes your club bigtime, yet he does a Lyon and leaves. Pretty poor attitude which proves Brian was right for not retaining him for 2008.
Line up in droves for the next home game and don't sledge the coach.

And Brian didn't do the same thing?

I know Newy fans think it was a good post but it's one of the most least accurate posts i've ever come across, pathetic actually:lol:

 

[Misanthrope]

What a stupid thought! by that rationale Parra's 3 premierships in the early 80's was all the work of John Peard

Now you're being delusional. Hagan walked in without any coaching experience and took a side that Warren Smith had almost taken to the grand final in 2000 (and easily the best Knights side in our history) and took it to a premiership. He then proceeded to take us further down the ladder each year until we got a wooden spoon, before jumping back up in his final year at the club.

Why does Brian need to always buy players? why doesn't he just hang onto the juniors and develop them? hmmmmm good coach!

You realise that Hagan's problem is with the development part, right? He never failed to promote from within the club (in fact, with the exception of Reynoldson, he did exclusively that) - it was knowing who to promote and knowing how to improve their careers that let us down. We lost guys like Tahu, Morris, and Ennis in order to promote guys like Carmont, Lowrie, and Tanner.

 

[Bicey_18]

Now you're being delusional. Hagan walked in without any coaching experience and took a side that Warren Smith had almost taken to the grand final in 2000 (and easily the best Knights side in our history) and took it to a premiership. He then proceeded to take us further down the ladder each year until we got a wooden spoon, before jumping back up in his final year at the club.



You realise that Hagan's problem is with the development part, right? He never failed to promote from within the club (in fact, with the exception of Reynoldson, he did exclusively that) - it was knowing who to promote and knowing how to improve their careers that let us down. We lost guys like Tahu, Morris, and Ennis in order to promote guys like Carmont, Lowrie, and Tanner.

:lol: Annoying commentator on Fox but didnt kno he coached us back in the day. You mean Ryan, Bushy? lol

 

[Misanthrope]

Annoying commentator on Fox but didnt kno he coached us back in the day. You mean Ryan, Bushy? lol

lmfao. Yes, I mean Ryan. I was thinking of Ryan and Brian Smith at the same time. God, it gets me hot.

 

[Yosh]

Also we had Andrew Johns. Come on man, with a player of that calibre playing for our club, we should of at least been able to attact better quality players to the club, and at least won one more comp. Like seroiusly, Joey was that good, and he shouldnt have had to play with some hacks like he did. Imagine Joey moved to Brissie, they would of won the comp 3 or 4 years straight (assuming he moved in 02 or 03), because he had an amazing coach, club culture which pointed to winning and not mateship>all, and had quality players to play around him.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Now you're being delusional. Hagan walked in without any coaching experience and took a side that Warren Smith had almost taken to the grand final in 2000 (and easily the best Knights side in our history) and took it to a premiership. He then proceeded to take us further down the ladder each year until we got a wooden spoon, before jumping back up in his final year at the club.

didn't he win a premiership with Canberra? What did John Monie have?

Newcastle would've won in 2002 & 03 if Johns didn't get injured late into the season, take any playmaker out in a finals game and you have no chance, ask Canberra.

You realise that Hagan's problem is with the development part, right? He never failed to promote from within the club (in fact, with the exception of Reynoldson, he did exclusively that) - it was knowing who to promote and knowing how to improve their careers that let us down. We lost guys like Tahu, Morris, and Ennis in order to promote guys like Carmont, Lowrie, and Tanner.

Tahu was offered $400,000 by Brian lol Morris was signed to a good deal.

Would you like me to mention who Brian kept in favour of Ryan, Shif, Cayless etc?

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Also we had Andrew Johns. Come on man, with a player of that calibre playing for our club, we should of at least been able to attact better quality players to the club, and at least won one more comp. Like seroiusly, Joey was that good, and he shouldnt have had to play with some hacks like he did. Imagine Joey moved to Brissie, they would of won the comp 3 or 4 years straight (assuming he moved in 02 or 03), because he had an amazing coach, club culture which pointed to winning and not mateship>all, and had quality players to play around him.

There is a thing called the salary cap, Newy signed Johns and co to huge deals to retain them, they ended up having no money to spend on recruitment.

 

[Misanthrope]

Newcastle would've won in 2002 & 03 if Johns didn't get injured late into the season, take any playmaker out in a finals game and you have no chance, ask Canberra.

As much as I'd like to believe that, it's flat out untrue, and beside the point. Hagan relied entirely on Johns to get results, and it's lead us to the state of affairs we're in now. He's retired and the club had no contingencies in place due to Hagan's reliance on it never happening. Smith's done a great job of turning Kurt into an Origin player after Hagan had made him one of the most hated players of the club by his persistence with the five eighth experiment.

Would you like me to mention who Brian kept in favour of Ryan, Shif, Cayless etc?

There is a thing called a salary cap, as you've pointed out yourself. All three of them are pretty big earners these days, I'd imagine.

And for Christ's sake, if you're going to reply to two separate people, do it in one post.