Cory Paterson

[Joshuatheeel]

It's great that we put in place a training squad for the more talented youngsters, and have managed to keep the best ones we already had.

It's a bit facile to be talking about SK's 5 year plan. Neither he, nor the chair, nor the CEO who put it in place are around anymore.
If the 5 year plan was just about junior retention, well then it was a pretty stupid plan, it needed to be the establishment of an ongoing system (hopefully that is what it was).

The success of this season is more about Ricky then SK, but far more about Arthur(s) than either of them. It was the recruitment of a spine (Norman + Peats), and some forwards (Ma'u [came on board after SK sacked, and Ricky around], Edwards, Mossop, Gower) that has made a huge difference, but the biggest 'difference maker' has been someone teaching them how to play footy.

Just having the players meant nothing - we still got pumped by the Roosters early, and also the Cows, but Arthur has been teaching them how to react to disappointment, how to play attacking footy (leading the league in tries per game), and how to defend (although not superb, massively improved on previous years).
The cattle always look better when they are being taught better!

Never mentioned our success this year is attributed to Kearney, I actually questioned whether he could coach. But in my opinion Kearney deserves some credit for the junior system we now seem to have place that now seems to be producing junior players pushing for an NRL start. And the fact we now seem to have identified the right juniors and have them on contracts that stop other clubs from poaching them the minute they show any form.

I dare say the 5 year plan in regards to juniors is the time frame that it will take to produce our first batch of juniors either pushing for an Nrl start or a actually playing NRL.

 

[oldmancraigy]

Whilst I agree with most of what you're saying, if it's a 5 year juniors plan (and we're seeing some juniors in firsts last year and this year), then it wasn't SKs - it pre-dated him, because all those who have debuted were with the club before him....

I have no problem saying longface had a focus on junior retention, and that bringing Nolan to the club was a masterstroke.
But at the same time, longface thought Billy Rogers was the one to pinch from the Storm's U20s system.... His record before Nolan showed up wasn't wonderful - so he had the right idea, but not the gear to carry it out.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Whilst I agree with most of what you're saying, if it's a 5 year juniors plan (and we're seeing some juniors in firsts last year and this year), then it wasn't SKs - it pre-dated him, because all those who have debuted were with the club before him....

The ones that started debuting last year (except Terepo) were Kearney's. The ones from prior to that (Allgood, Morgan, Loko, Sio) were signed by previous coaches.

I have no problem saying longface had a focus on junior retention, and that bringing Nolan to the club was a masterstroke.
But at the same time, longface thought Billy Rogers was the one to pinch from the Storm's U20s system....

Rogers had already played a year in the Queensland Cup when we signed him - he turned 22 in 2011. He was one of the only players available when we needed to bring in some cheap depth. That's why we signed him, not because Nolan thought he was a star.

Once a guy is too old for under 20s he is hardly part of any junior system.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

All the good youngsters coming through were already here before Kearney.

This thread is f**king bullshit.

 

[Gronk]

Kearney signed Connor Broadhurst mate. Just shows how he can spot a special kid.

 

[oldmancraigy]

5 year plan:

Year 1: sign Billy Rogers, Carl Webb, Paul Whatuira and Chris Walker,
Focus on junior development by bringing big stars like Connor Broadhurst to the club. [who else did he actually bring TO the club?]
sign boom halfback

Year 2: sign major names like Harrison and Lussick. Show no ability to coach, and make sure boom halback looks dreadful.

Year 3: get job as water boy for another club after being fired for flawed 5 year plan crap.

Year 4: water boy job

Year 5: water boy job

I'm sure there are some people who can somehow spin Connor Broadhurst and Billy Rogers as instrumental to the clubs current success.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

5 year plan:

Year 1: sign Billy Rogers, Carl Webb, Paul Whatuira and Chris Walker,
Focus on junior development by bringing big stars like Connor Broadhurst to the club. [who else did he actually bring TO the club?]

Radradra
Hopoate
Tonga
Sandow

Four sevenths of our backline that is currently leading the NRL in tries scored. On top of that Kearney also brang Ma'u, Lussick and Kelly.

He also brought in most of our current NYC and SG Ball squads, however I don't count them because they were nearly all under 18, and therefore too young to sign an adult contract.

More important is re-signing 18+ year olds that were already here - that's where previous coaches fell short, assuming (like so many fans) that these guys didn't need contracts because they were 'already here'. Manly and the Dogs proved that one wrong.

I'm sure there are some people who can somehow spin Connor Broadhurst and Billy Rogers as instrumental to the clubs current success.

Three quarters of every NYC squad is full of shit players like Broadhurst. They need to field 17 players every week despite knowing most of them will never play first grade. Broadhurst is now at the Titans making up the numbers for them.

You're better off focusing on the good players than the bad, because every coach signs shit players. The Knights signed Brayden Wiliame for this year. Does that mean Bennett's got no idea?

It's the same story with Billy Rogers. He was good enough to be a backup for the Storm in 2010 when they had enough depth to be massively over the cap. Why wouldn't he be good enough as a backup for the Eels? It says more about the shit squad Kearney inherited that Rogers even made it onto the field that year.

Every year every club has a couple of young cheapies they hope never need to be used (Rogers never played long minutes) and these guys are never seen again. They prove they're not up to it and move on, to be replaced by more recent NYC graduates. There's a good chance Joseph Ualesi and Daniel Alvaro (for example) will never play first grade again. But as second tier players they don't really cost us anything. We're just lucky we're not forced to use them, thanks to the massive depth in the squad.

And that is all down to the 'academy'.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

f**k off

 

[oldmancraigy]

Its hard writing a revisionist history.

Regurgitating the same tired argument isnt working....

When you figure out who signed Ma'u it will be time to talk

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Its hard writing a revisionist history.

I wouldn't know.

Regurgitating the same tired argument isnt working....

It sure is. I've got facts on my side while you idiots have to resort to trolling. Just as well I love being trolled. It's like an invitation to reinforce the truth.

When you figure out who signed Ma'u it will be time to talk

Due to visa issues he was signed a year before he actually arrived at the club, according to this article: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...big-house-to-the-big-time-20140308-34e05.html

He first played for us mid last year, as indicated in this thread: http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/showthread.php?p=9379254

That means he was signed in mid-2012.

So I've figured it out and according to you it's 'time to talk'. The time to talk started back in March when I read that SMH article (I thought we signed Ma'u last year, but there were rumours about him back in 2012). But I'm happy to continue talk time now that you've caught up.

#You'reWelcome

 

[Forty20]

Manu was signed in 2012 for sure. I can clearly remember his NSW Cup debut (after finally clearing his visa issue) for Wenty midway through 2013 against Mounties where we got rumbled but he turned in a blinder.

Reading through the next game (Wenty vs Manly @ Parra) in that thread was interesting...

Semi Radradra dropped out of the named line up to make his first grade debut.

Edwards punched in another outstanding effort. He was almost untouchable in the NSW Cup last year...carved up the right edges of plenty of teams.

Real shame that Takai Moeakiola didn't kick on after a strong season for Wenty in 2013 (especially considering he was still eligible for the NYC). He looked well positioned to challenge for the right wing position this year but didn't maintain the momentum over the off-season. Started 2014 in the Ron Massey Cup and quickly got pushed back to the Sydney Shield, where he still remains.

 

[Gary Gutful]

The Kearney haters are the ones trying to re-write history. He might have been a muppet coach but at least give him credit for signing the players that he did.

 

[oldmancraigy]

So give us a date Sk was sacked and a dste Ma'u was signed Gazz.

Both 2012, one before the other...

 

[oldmancraigy]

Pou, I am starting to think you actually believe some of the crap you post????

 

[Gary Gutful]

So give us a date Sk was sacked and a dste Ma'u was signed Gazz.

Both 2012, one before the other...

I wasn't referring to Ma'u. I was thinking more about Billy Rogers, Carl Webb, Paul Whatuira and Chris Walker.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Don't forget Jordan Atkins.