Chris Walker

[Catatonic_Omnivore]

I feel for you Ed, I share your pain.

I wished that others out there like Slugs or Cassie can see the forrest for the trees so to speak.

Fletch will always be Fletch. A great loss for us but would be nothing less than a great gain for Souths. Stringer, well, I would be surprised to see him still there at the end of 2004.

Despite what anyone else says, there is no shame in supporting the Roosters this year.

Mate, as far as I'm concerned, a person can support whoever they like, as long as they're passionate.

I'm not too confident of Stringer playing for Souths after next year. Unless we can have a more successful season next year.
But as I said, it's not looking TOO promising. Maybe in a few years time if we can hold out. We've got some good young players so you never know.... I've got my fingers crossed.

I hear you Ed.

But you know what, I would agree with you so far as biding my time for success. This would have been applicable say, in the 70's & part of the 80's. Those days of semi-professional sport is long gone.

These days there are so much pressures so far as generating revenue is concerned to cover player contracts that the lifespan of a failing club is not measured in decades but individual seasons.

A dismal season on 2004 will bring the club to its knees. Corporate sponsorship declining, gate tickets declining and the inevitable bad press.

I do have a softspot for Souths but I can't see them exist past 2005. I was bouyed with the prospect of "re-organization" with in the club. Waiting with baited breath to hear that Tapp & Langmack is no more. But sadly this isn't the case.

Young upcomming talent is good if they stay. Unfortunately, there is no benefit playing under Langmack's guidance. I was surprised when Merrit left. I would have thought that Souths would do everything to keep the guy. Such is the the problem with Souths collar & tie brigade at Chalmers st.

 

[EdBurton]

It's already been touched on here, IMO Souths problems start at the Admin/Coaching area. Too unstable in both areas. I really don't think Langmack has the makings of a top line coach, he comes across as a bloke just keeping his head above water, much like Coleman,and that's not de-riding Coleman, his heart is on his sleeve as far as Souths go but he just won't cut it as a coach of a first grade team, niether will Langmack. Souths should forget about spending big money on players that are near the end of their playing days, and spend the money on getting a recognised proven coach, then work on the young players coming thru. It'll take time, but with the right bloke coaching them you can build a team that's there for the long term, rather than trying to buy success immediately with guys that are only at the club marking time until retirement. A good coach, and Fletcher as Captain to motivate the younger players is the way to go I think. Look at Penrith, they are a good example of that methodology.

I agree on most points.
I think Langmack started well and with those close losses at the start of the season and having played well but still having nothing to show for it, the players lost alot of confidnece in him and alot of game plans simply weren't followed. Still I don't know that he has the makings of a top coach.
They have spent money on alot of younger guys, and are trying to bring in some experienced players to perhaps show them the ropes, but I think the reason that they are throwing money around for immediate success is, honestly, I don't know how much longer they can sustain coming last....

And the thing with Penrith is that John Lang is widely recognised as one of the best judges of young talent that there is....

 

[EdBurton]

I hear you Ed.

But you know what, I would agree with you so far as biding my time for success. This would have been applicable say, in the 70's & part of the 80's. Those days of semi-professional sport is long gone.

These days there are so much pressures so far as generating revenue is concerned to cover player contracts that the lifespan of a failing club is not measured in decades but individual seasons.

A dismal season on 2004 will bring the club to its knees. Corporate sponsorship declining, gate tickets declining and the inevitable bad press.

I do have a softspot for Souths but I can't see them exist past 2005. I was bouyed with the prospect of "re-organization" with in the club. Waiting with baited breath to hear that Tapp & Langmack is no more. But sadly this isn't the case.

Young upcomming talent is good if they stay. Unfortunately, there is no benefit playing under Langmack's guidance. I was surprised when Merrit left. I would have thought that Souths would do everything to keep the guy. Such is the the problem with Souths collar & tie brigade at Chalmers st.

Apparently, Merrit, while very talented, also has had MANY problems in his personal and proffesional life at Souths and he was seen as a bit of a liability.

That's just what I've heard. Not first hand evidence or anything.

I am hoping that my club can stick around long enough to get through this slump, but as you say, it will be difficult if next year is as bad as this one..

 

[antonius]

And the thing with Penrith is that John Lang is widely recognised as one of the best judges of young talent that there is....

Exactly my point, he is the type of coach that Souths should be chasing IMO, not unproven guys like Langers/Coleman. I know there aren't many around but David Waite comes to mind, when it comes to developing a junior culture there were non better at the Knights than him. Somebody in that mould is what I was thinking.

 

[EdBurton]

And the thing with Penrith is that John Lang is widely recognised as one of the best judges of young talent that there is....

Exactly my point, he is the type of coach that Souths should be chasing IMO, not unproven guys like Langers/Coleman. I know there aren't many around but David Waite comes to mind, when it comes to developing a junior culture there were non better at the Knights than him. Somebody in that mould is what I was thinking.

I agree with you 100% and if someone like that was available at the time, I wish that we would have picked him up. But I don't know if there was.
But at the same time, I think some stability in the coaching ranks could help a bit aswell.
Langers got stuck with the players that Coleman wanted that he didn't.
I wouldn't want another coach to come in and be stuck with the players that Langers wants and he doesn't. It would probably just throw another year down the drain. I don't know that Souths could survive that.

 

[TheEye]

That's not really the issue. As I said in my post I don't want to get into that, I read your forum all the time and know that you guys have a million and one excuses and I couldn't be bothered arguing the point. I was making a point about Chris Walker as the topic suggests.

The trouble with the point is that it has no basis of fact - as I said before last year we signed 3 "name" players (Finch, Payton and Catic - if you consider Payton and Catic name players) and lost 4 regular first graders and 1 who would have been bar injury (Green). At the very worst the money comes out square but reality we have money left over.

So this year we lose Phillips and sign Walker for $40,000.... again money left over... unless you are going to try and tell me Phillips wasn't on at least $40k a year.