I don’t think that’s only what the SMH article said. The club failed to offer him long-term security. And so he left. It is mind boggling to me that the club couldn’t even offer the guy a long-term contract. Been the best player for the last 2 years, and is the club captain. He deserves respect. What a slap in the face to him after all he’s given this club.
I believe Mary’s departure eventually had to happen. But. I’m not sold on Hook. I wish I was and originally was willing to give him a chance. Everything I’ve heard about recruitment is mind boggling. Absolutely bizarre. He couldn’t offer McInnes a long-term deal? Is refusing to re-sign Dufty (who I think will leave because of the disrespect shown to him). Wanting to sign McCullough or Peats, two hookers which have definitely past their best. I seriously cannot comprehend these decisions.
He is ruffling feathers with the wrong people mate. He should have moved on Norman. NOT McInnes.
And what he has said about team selections confused me too? He is give a rap to Corey Norman? The most overpaid dud I have ever seen. He wants a Norman Hunt halves combination. That is a failure and it will never work. Hunt needs a real 5/8, and Norman doesn’t work, and never will.
Everyone says Hook brings up youth, which is true. So why not forget giving Norman raps and start pushing for Sullivan and Clune.
Yes the season hasn’t started yet. But he’s constant praise of Norman is very concerning.
Maybe Hook will shock me. I have an open mind. But I fail to see 2021 as a good season and think the team will not improve at all, and might even get worse as other teams get better. I want this club to succeed, and if they do I will give credit to Hook. But I’m not confident unfortunately.
With premiership winning coaches like Bennett, Bellamy and Flanagan free from 2022 onwards, I would have waited until then to hire a coach.
It’s all about the long-term.
I don't know how to answer the situation around why a new deal was not hashed out and subsequently offered to McInnes. I can only speculate that Hook & the new coaching + support staff are presently taking a 'watch and see' approach with all existing rostered players currently off contract (which includes Dufty), and if this is the case, then all power to them (if that is indeed the approach then I support it). I'm sure the club has also told said players that they are free to test their value on the open market in the meantime.
Yes, the recruitment on face value does leave a lot to be desired, we can't deny that (especially with the developing situation around Folau). But in saying that, the recruitment (at least so far) has been solid, 'reasonable risk factor' with not too much outlay in terms of salary cap $. Again, this is to give the club time to assess its stocks and go after potential prized signatures for 2022 (Brandon Smith must absolutely be one of our targets - if we get McCullough or Peats on a two year deal on low money it will barely have an impact on us).
The Corey Norman situation has been argued on these forums many times. Moving him on this year was always going to be a tough ask (pretty much unfeasible really). I'm not sold on Norman either, nor the Norman/Hunt halves combo, but nor am I prepared to make a call at this time on how much upside Sullivan and Clune have as well. I'll trust Hooks opinion and direction on this one for now.
As a side note on recruitment - I'm sure many of us scratched our heads when St Wayne signed Weyman and Costigan (who many regarded at the time as two train derailments from Canberra) for 2009. The rest is history on that one.
Personally, I'm not expecting 2021 to be a year where we set the world on fire, and we may even go backwards a bit further before we can start going forward again. We clearly do have a lot of work to do from top to bottom in this footy side. Bennett, Bellamy and Flannagan would have the same challenges as what Hook will be facing. Bellamy might have a 'faster impact' than Hook and the other names here, but the challenges are still very much the same and he'd need time.
Finally:
I know someone else has already asked you... so you would have stuck by Mary for 2021?
"We've already been there" with Bennett.
Flanno (along with the couple of mates he bought with him onto staff last year) was unfortunately only a stop/gap to try and appease unrest and outside pressures on Mary - he was never going to work out and had too many shackles holding him back.
Bellamy is not going to head coach another team beyond his tenure in Melbourne.
