Can anyone answer this question for me:

[K-Man]

Definitely a bit of hindsight there but at the same time most of them are fair calls, especially Sau & Wes.

I'm not sure I see much hindsight. A lot of people disagreed with every single contract decision that was mentioned. I'd say the majority of people disagreed with all of them. So how is it hindsight?

Do we have Bennett's experience? Of course not. Do we have the right to say I wouldn't have done that, I said I wouldn't have done it at the time, I still say it now, and it's pretty clear I was right? Yes, we do.

 

[Nuffy]

I just don't know what to make of it all, I genuinely thought that Bennett was tha missing piece to a better overall side, not necessarily a premiership.

What concerns me is that each of his three seasons is the same, erratic performances and a tallyho paper between making the eight and missing out although this year is shaping up worse than the other two. Winning two games at the end of last year hid the fact that we were bog ordinary for much of the year.

The roster is better overall but the performances aren't and you could argue that our signings have been by good luck rather than good management and there are a lot of old legs in that team.

My greatest concern is that there doesn't seem to be grand strategy, we seem to be hoping for success and hope isn't a plan.

I fear that history won't be kind to Bennett's reign at Newcastle.

 

[Jobdog]

I just don't know what to make of it all, I genuinely thought that Bennett was tha missing piece to a better overall side, not necessarily a premiership.

What concerns me is that each of his three seasons is the same, erratic performances and a tallyho paper between making the eight and missing out although this year is shaping up worse than the other two. Winning two games at the end of last year hid the fact that we were bog ordinary for much of the year.

The roster is better overall but the performances aren't and you could argue that our signings have been by good luck rather than good management and there are a lot of old legs in that team.

My greatest concern is that there doesn't seem to be grand strategy, we seem to be hoping for success and hope isn't a plan.

I fear that history won't be kind to Bennett's reign at Newcastle.

Hammer. Nail. Head.

 

[The Showstopper]

The game has moved past Bennett. Fact. Look at what Arthur is doing at Parra! He is brilliant.

 

[Apey]

I'm not sure I see much hindsight. A lot of people disagreed with every single contract decision that was mentioned. I'd say the majority of people disagreed with all of them. So how is it hindsight?

Do we have Bennett's experience? Of course not. Do we have the right to say I wouldn't have done that, I said I wouldn't have done it at the time, I still say it now, and it's pretty clear I was right? Yes, we do.

I don't remember a 'majority' disagreeing with any of those contracts mentioned above, besides maybe Sau and Wes, which I already mentioned. I think you're changing history to suit your argument. Defending the signing when it happens then saying we should never have done it to begin with is called hindsight.

Judge for yourself

Uate 500k - pretty much everyone in favour, including... your post

Gidley's new contract - barely anyone bagging it except aqua (careful to not be blunt about it :lol: )

Houston re-signing - well this thread is mostly off-topic...

You were sceptical of Houston, though, so fair play to you on that one. Fair bit of discussion about his re-signing spread across 20 odd pages in this thread (search page for houston/house ftw). However, a lot of it was pretty much based on the fact we had been linked to Lewis, and to a lesser extent, Cordner.

So yeah, I'm going with hindsight for the most part.

 

[Knight Vision]

Our forwards on paper are not a top 8 side let alone a top 4 side.

Have to agree with this. We are lacking A grade mongrel in a big big way. I'm talking the next time the oppositions forward gets the ball he is shitting bricks....in fact he doesnt want the ball next. We are missing a JWH a major ALPHA male on the field.

You know we are in trouble when Housten is included. i dont think he would be in any other side in the NRL to be honest:crazy:

 

[Frederick]

I hate the fact that clintdogg was right about gidley

 

[K-Man]

I don't remember a 'majority' disagreeing with any of those contracts mentioned above, besides maybe Sau and Wes, which I already mentioned. I think you're changing history to suit your argument. Defending the signing when it happens then saying we should never have done it to begin with is called hindsight.

Judge for yourself

Uate 500k - pretty much everyone in favour, including... your post

Gidley's new contract - barely anyone bagging it except aqua (careful to not be blunt about it :lol: )

Houston re-signing - well this thread is mostly off-topic...

You were sceptical of Houston, though, so fair play to you on that one. Fair bit of discussion about his re-signing spread across 20 odd pages in this thread (search page for houston/house ftw). However, a lot of it was pretty much based on the fact we had been linked to Lewis, and to a lesser extent, Cordner.

So yeah, I'm going with hindsight for the most part.

I'll definitely cop Uate. And I might be in the minority, but I'm still hopeful he can come good again. I think he was vastly improved the last few weeks before injury. I'm also of the opinion that wingers are more important in the modern game than given credit for, so his price tag doesn't bother me at all if he lives up to his potential.

4 years for Gidley was always a stretch for a player without a position. I should have been more vocal about it at the time, I suppose.

Houston I have never, ever rated and I will never fathom how he made Country let alone 18th man for the Blues. It defies logic.

Sau and Naiqama were constant whipping boys from the whole forum, so that it is two standout ticks in the box of non-hindsight fails by Bennett.

Leaving a scoreboard something like:

Uate = -1 (based on performance so far, I was wrong)
Houston = +1 (right by several thousand country miles)
Sau = +1 (right, as was just about every single person here)
Wes = +1 (right, as was just about every single person here)
Gidley = draw (some were for it, some were against it, many suggested it was too big a contract for a player without a defined role whose best years were behind him, but conceded at the time we probably also needed his leadership and inspiration). Personally I wasn't up in arms about the re-signing, but I questioned why it was 4 years and why it was so much money when we could have landed an actual playmaker.

So that's 3-1 in favour of not hindsight, by my calculations.

But even all that is getting off topic really. The real 'hindsight' that simply doesn't exist is the fact our mix of ageing forwards and those with little impact or skill can't compete in the modern game. This was definitely discussed in the 2013 pre-season. I wrote a number of posts about how our forwards lacked creativity and tackle-busting ability, and how it would be the reason we will fall behind the better sides.

So again, how is it hindsight if you're mostly right?

I'm happy to give credit to Bennett when it's due. I applauded the Leilua signing and stood up for it (when some were calling him "Sau Mark II"), and I'm happy to admit I was wrong about Scott, who I thought would be part of the forwards problem not one of the few shining lights among it.

But you can't have it both ways. It's not "great recruitment by our mastermind coach" when it works and "hindsight" when it doesn't.

Mostly, Bennett's decisions have been flawed. The issues were there, our coach didn't fix them.

 

[Dutchy]

I hate the fact that clintdogg was right about gidley

:lol:

Best Facebook friend ever. Provides the lols

 

[Bring it home Knights]

I'll definitely cop Uate. And I might be in the minority, but I'm still hopeful he can come good again. I think he was vastly improved the last few weeks before injury. I'm also of the opinion that wingers are more important in the modern game than given credit for, so his price tag doesn't bother me at all if he lives up to his potential.

4 years for Gidley was always a stretch for a player without a position. I should have been more vocal about it at the time, I suppose.

Houston I have never, ever rated and I will never fathom how he made Country let alone 18th man for the Blues. It defies logic.

Sau and Naiqama were constant whipping boys from the whole forum, so that it is two standout ticks in the box of non-hindsight fails by Bennett.

Leaving a scoreboard something like:

Uate = -1 (based on performance so far, I was wrong)
Houston = +1 (right by several thousand country miles)
Sau = +1 (right, as was just about every single person here)
Wes = +1 (right, as was just about every single person here)
Gidley = draw (some were for it, some were against it, many suggested it was too big a contract for a player without a defined role whose best years were behind him, but conceded at the time we probably also needed his leadership and inspiration). Personally I wasn't up in arms about the re-signing, but I questioned why it was 4 years and why it was so much money when we could have landed an actual playmaker.

So that's 3-1 in favour of not hindsight, by my calculations.

But even all that is getting off topic really. The real 'hindsight' that simply doesn't exist is the fact our mix of ageing forwards and those with little impact or skill can't compete in the modern game. This was definitely discussed in the 2013 pre-season. I wrote a number of posts about how our forwards lacked creativity and tackle-busting ability, and how it would be the reason we will fall behind the better sides.

So again, how is it hindsight if you're mostly right?

I'm happy to give credit to Bennett when it's due. I applauded the Leilua signing and stood up for it (when some were calling him "Sau Mark II"), and I'm happy to admit I was wrong about Scott, who I thought would be part of the forwards problem not one of the few shining lights among it.

But you can't have it both ways. It's not "great recruitment by our mastermind coach" when it works and "hindsight" when it doesn't.

Mostly, Bennett's decisions have been flawed. The issues were there, our coach didn't fix them.

I seem to remember this a little differently. I could be wrong, but I thought a lot of people on here were happy with the re-signing of Wes. From memory, after a couple of ordinary years, he strung together half a dozen or so good games, then people on here were pushing for him to be re-signed again. It wasn't until a few games into 2012 that people started saying he was a bad re-signing as his form was pathetic at the time. That's how I remember it anyway.

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

His trying to coach us to play a style of footy that doesn't suit.

Let our players off the leash and get rid of this boring grinding style and we have a roster that can win games.

 

[K-Man]

I seem to remember this a little differently. I could be wrong, but I thought a lot of people on here were happy with the re-signing of Wes. From memory, after a couple of ordinary years, he strung together half a dozen or so good games, then people on here were pushing for him to be re-signed again. It wasn't until a few games into 2012 that people started saying he was a bad re-signing as his form was pathetic at the time. That's how I remember it anyway.

You're probably right. I didn't have any time for Wes as a player and I voiced that opinion repeatedly, even throughout his decent season which in my mind was just that - decent. Form is temporary. Perhaps I'm still struggling to come to terms with how quickly people forgot that he was below average.

 

[Apey]

I'll definitely cop Uate. And I might be in the minority, but I'm still hopeful he can come good again. I think he was vastly improved the last few weeks before injury. I'm also of the opinion that wingers are more important in the modern game than given credit for, so his price tag doesn't bother me at all if he lives up to his potential.

4 years for Gidley was always a stretch for a player without a position. I should have been more vocal about it at the time, I suppose.

Houston I have never, ever rated and I will never fathom how he made Country let alone 18th man for the Blues. It defies logic.

Sau and Naiqama were constant whipping boys from the whole forum, so that it is two standout ticks in the box of non-hindsight fails by Bennett.

Leaving a scoreboard something like:

Uate = -1 (based on performance so far, I was wrong)
Houston = +1 (right by several thousand country miles)
Sau = +1 (right, as was just about every single person here)
Wes = +1 (right, as was just about every single person here)
Gidley = draw (some were for it, some were against it, many suggested it was too big a contract for a player without a defined role whose best years were behind him, but conceded at the time we probably also needed his leadership and inspiration). Personally I wasn't up in arms about the re-signing, but I questioned why it was 4 years and why it was so much money when we could have landed an actual playmaker.

So that's 3-1 in favour of not hindsight, by my calculations.

But even all that is getting off topic really. The real 'hindsight' that simply doesn't exist is the fact our mix of ageing forwards and those with little impact or skill can't compete in the modern game. This was definitely discussed in the 2013 pre-season. I wrote a number of posts about how our forwards lacked creativity and tackle-busting ability, and how it would be the reason we will fall behind the better sides.

So again, how is it hindsight if you're mostly right?

I'm happy to give credit to Bennett when it's due. I applauded the Leilua signing and stood up for it (when some were calling him "Sau Mark II"), and I'm happy to admit I was wrong about Scott, who I thought would be part of the forwards problem not one of the few shining lights among it.

But you can't have it both ways. It's not "great recruitment by our mastermind coach" when it works and "hindsight" when it doesn't.

Mostly, Bennett's decisions have been flawed. The issues were there, our coach didn't fix them.

I wasn't including Sau & Wes when I said 'hindsight for the most part' as I agreed with you that they weren't hindsight, I had the impression the forum wasn't too happy with those signings at the time but as BIHK pointed out, I could be wrong too.

Point being I think it's pretty unfair to label them all failures of Bennett.

No arguments from me on our lack of punch in the forwards.

 

[K-Man]

You're probably right. I didn't have any time for Wes as a player and I voiced that opinion repeatedly, even throughout his decent season which in my mind was just that - decent. Form is temporary. Perhaps I'm still struggling to come to terms with how quickly people forgot that he was below average.

Just backing up my opinion of Wes with some facts (from the middle of his 'amazing' season and after it)...

http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/s...s+Naiqama+username_K-Man_username#post7292192

http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/s...ht=Wes+Naiqama+username_K-Man_username&page=3

http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/s...s+Naiqama+username_K-Man_username#post8466265

http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/s...s+Naiqama+username_K-Man_username#post8437444

 

[K-Man]

I wasn't including Sau & Wes when I said 'hindsight for the most part' as I agreed with you that they weren't hindsight, I had the impression the forum wasn't too happy with those signings at the time but as BIHK pointed out, I could be wrong too.

Point being I think it's pretty unfair to label them all failures of Bennett.

No arguments from me on our lack of punch in the forwards.

Fair enough, we're probably debating semantics. I wasn't suggesting every single contractual decision by Bennett has been a dud, however I am certainly suggesting that when you review ALL of them combined, it doesn't look great for the 'best coach in the game'.

I'd expect a man of his reputation to easily spot the limitations in players like Wes, Sau, Houston, Tetevano... and more generally the implications of accruing a roster with no impact in the forwards whatsoever.

Unfortunately I think Wayne's style is past its used-by date. And his much vaunted ability to get the most out of a player stops at Mullen, who I admit has gone to a new level since Wayne arrived.

 

[slotmachine]

Good to see you're all catching up.

 

[The Showstopper]

Good to see you're all catching up.

To what exactly? Wayne's coaching methods? We have known this for a long time. The writing was on the wall when The Dragons got found out in 2011 IMO. I didn't want to believe it at first but in three years we have not won a title. His recruitment has been based on luck and stubborness in many regards. Kurt seriously is the most cringeworthy captain in the game now. A world class sook.

 

[timka4]

Did most people think automatic premiership when Wayne came? I don't doubt he is a good coach, but the premierships at Brisbane probably would have happened anyway. If anything they should of won more with the rosters the Broncos had and the Dragons were a premiership waiting to happen with the roster they had.

Our team is inconsistent for reasons I do not know but our best now is better than what is was between when Joey retired and when Wayne came.

 

[The Showstopper]

yeah but he should have recruited more aggressively. He limits the dollars he throws at players in key positions and we miss out.

 

[Noname36]

Here's the thing: when we play "Bennett ball" effectively (I.e. Getting our forwards into the grind with a strong defensive effort, controlling field position off Mullen's kicking game and frustrating the opposition) we're very hard to beat. It's how we won two semis last season and it's how we were playing for the second half of last season when we went onto have a long string of wins. I also find this is actually when we play our best attacking footy. We frustrate the opposition like we did Canberra last week and then can score some great trys off the back of that.

Problem is though, we do not have the forward pack to control the game like that and play "Bennett Ball" on a consistent basis (especially when we're not in form) and we don't seem to have a backup plan for when the opposition takes control of the game like Brisbane did on the weekend. We get frustrated when our usual tricks don't work and don't seem to have anything to fall back on and we end up just dropping our bundle completely in both attack and defence.

I can understand why Bennett decided to implement his Dragons style of footy here. While a lot of people (including here and in the media) were jizzing themselves about premierships there seemed to be an expectation that he'd bring that style here to get us the goods too. We're a completely different squad to the Dragons though. They had a stellar forward pack and just needed someone to come in and utilise it to it's potential. We never had that and frankly I doubt we ever will. We cannot produce quality front rowers to save ourselves and we can't seem to sign any either. Thank God Snowy wanted to come home that's all I can say.

We simply don't have the squad to play that Dragons style consistently and frankly we need an overhaul. If Bennett can't/won't do that then bring someone in that can. And no, as much as I like Stoney he isn't our man. Everyone here that seems to be dreaming of this wonderful time pre-Bennett where we were world beaters get your heads out of your arses because it didn't exist. If anyone seriously thinks Stoney was ever going to take us one game away from a GF then you're seriously delusional. Has anyone watched our NSW cup side lately? Their defence is consistently deplorable. Worse than FG. Who coaches them? Defence wins big games and we won't go close to one with Stoney as head coach unless we bring someone in to help with the defence.