Dragons & tigers Fans treated like fools

[TruSaint]

I'm getting pi55ed off with all the Sims is a local boy who wants to or should be extended & finish his career here. He's only been here since 2016 after playing for the cowboys & knights.
If it was people like Nighty, Hornby, Creagh, Coops,Young etc I would understand.
Jesus the press love to bash us.
Imagine if we do happen to snare someone like Kikau to replace him the press would probably say we've paid far too much, he's not worth it blah,blah,blah.

Well said mate.
The players you mentioned were ONE club champions. Some stayed for less money ( eg Nighty ).

 

[baggygreen man]

some of the forwards just aren't that athletic. In my opinion Blake Lawrie is an example.

Not sure what you are implying here. Lawrie is a local junior represented both the Blues Under-20s and the Junior Kangaroos. He may not be a huge bopper but he is a willing worker and will take ball up all day. Is that not what our engine room needs. Craig Young was not a big bopper either.. in fact he carried a bit more around the waist than Lawrie and weighed three kilos less. Did not stop him becoming a Kangaroo.

 

[Dragonslayer]

I fully agree Blacksafake and I don’t buy this shit from Tariq that I am passionate to the RedV & my whole family love this club.

1. Ashton played for Dragons / Broncos / Cowboys / Warrington / Toronto Wolfpack
2. Korbin played for Knights / Broncos / Dragons / Hull KR
3. Sister Ruan played & captained the Roosters
4. Tariq has played for Broncos / Cowboys / Knights & finally Dragons
Sure they are very talented sporting family & seem wonderful role models…..but I think their loyalties may lie in chasing the professional sporting dollar that is best for them.
As they say Rugby League is a business and I feel the Sims have followed with their heads, not necessarily their hearts.

Well said.

And just go back to the first couple of pages in the Tariq Sims thread on this forum to see the comments listed there.

 

[Ghostrider22]

Websters article below from todays SMH. He is spot on with some of it but what the f--k can be done when the Boards cant be voted out !!! Dont agree re Simms but the negative nellies on here will relish this and the positive Petes will think "well when you put it like that ! The real damage for me was done decades ago when the Leagues club passed through new charters and whilst the original setup was to be the money spinner for the football club , is now independent and can do what they want but still has a say & control on football matters ! As for WIN , f**k what do you say. We can whinge all we like but how do we change this ??





Is there a greater cop-out in rugby league than a club announcing it will launch an “exhausting review”? It’s the fluffy, corporate gibber-jabber management spits out when it’s run out of answers.
The Wests Tigers are about to conduct a review that will arrive at a result we already know: Michael Maguire ushered out the door and another poor soul given the NRL’s toughest job before he, too, is inevitably thrown on the scrapheap. Next!
The Dragons asked Phil Gould to conduct a review at the end of a miserable 2019, told him coach Paul McGregor couldn’t be sacked, then sacked McGregor after a miserable 2020, then brought in Anthony Griffin, who has presided over a miserable 2021.
It hasn’t just been a special year for the NRL’s joint ventures — it’s been a special decade: the Tigers haven’t played finals football since 2011, the Dragons have reached the playoffs twice.

The comparisons are compelling: two clubs featuring one partner that holds all the money (WIN Corp in the case of the Dragons, Wests Ashfield in the case of the Tigers); two dysfunctional boards with deep distrust between factions that don’t see themselves as a united entity; two rosters loaded with players whose hands should be shaking when collecting their pay packets; two football departments incapable of finding a solution, digging a deeper hole with every move they make.
Let’s start with the Dragons. Nudging back-rower Tariq Sims out the door is yet another baffling decision from a club making it up as it goes.

Wests Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe is leading a review into coach Michael Maguire.CREDIT:FAIRFAX
Sims has been told he can talk to other clubs. The messaging has been murky: is it because of salary cap problems or because, at 31, he’s too old? He’s been told both.
Griffin played down the significance of the move after the loss to Souths on Saturday night, claiming there had been nothing more than a “conversation”.

The reality is he’s been told he’s not wanted; another local junior treated like garbage by the club where he wants to retire. Sends a great message to the young stars coming through.
The bottom line is Sims wanted two more years on his deal, which expires at the end of next year, for less money than he’s on now.
Sure, he’s been inconsistent at times but name a player in that Dragons’ team who hasn’t. He played the house down for Brad Fittler’s NSW side in this year’s Origin series victory.
He also brings something you won’t find on the stats sheet. Like Sharks-bound former captain Cameron McInnes, Sims is a good player but a better club man. Now he’s been moved along to make room for … whom?
The Roosters are already eyeing him off as a great buy for the remainder of his career. Shouldn’t he be a great buy for the remainder of his career at the Dragons?

The developing Sims situation is another example of a club unsure of what it wants to be and the people it wants playing for them.
From the decision to move on McInnes, to entertaining the signing of Israel Folau, to the shabby treatment of Matt Dufty, to considering Jack de Belin as captain recently ahead of Sims, to carrying perennially suspended players like Josh McGuire on their books, to signing broken down players like George Burgess, to the coach wanting to re-sign Corey Norman before being overruled then belligerently sticking with him until the very last minute of his final match when he dropped the ball, it’s fair to say the Dragons haven’t really kicked on since sacking McGregor.

Tariq Sims was a State of Origin standout and is a great club man - yet the Dragons have pushed him out the door.CREDIT:GETTY
Doubtless, the Paul Vaughan barbecue will be used as an excuse for a season gone wrong, just as the de Belin situation was for the past three years. Another cop-out.
It’s says something about the strength of the club when 13 players ignored the instructions of the coach and head of football and did it anyway, breaching the law and the NRL’s biosecurity rules.

It says something about the strength of the club that captain Ben Hunt knew about it and said nothing. The argument is he shouldn’t be a snitch. The last time I looked this was a professional football team, not Year 7.
The blame, though, isn’t with Griffin. It’s the people who appointed him: a board divided by the blazer wearers from the St George side of the merger and the miserly appointees from WIN, who have allowed mediocrity to become the standard at a once-proud club.
Meanwhile, over at the Tigers, a searching week-long review is already underway. What will it uncover?! What a pity the Fox Sports cameras can’t be in the rooms for this juicy sequel to Tales From Tiger Town.
The review is being conducted by head of football Adam Hartigan and chief executive Justin Pascoe.
Hartigan came to the Tigers from the Roosters. He’s hardly set the world afire. Maguire has been blamed for the club’s inability to sign big-name players. Any players for that matter.

Loading
At what point does Hartigan wear some blame? Maybe it will come up in the review — that he’s running.
Pascoe has been dodging the blame for the Tigers’ on-field performance for months, which is interesting when he’s been chief executive for six years and was front and centre on game-day in the Fox Sports docu-series.
Maguire barely came out of the doco with his coaching reputation intact. He’s a coach who cares, but how many of them don’t? It was a worrying sign in the first episode when he became emotional in front of his group after a loss … in the second match of the season.
But the coach can’t wear the blame forever at the Tigers.

The line from both the board and management was consistent as the season went down the toilet: we’ve given the football department everything they need, they still haven’t performed, it’s on them, it’s not us, we’re the front office etc.
Now that’s a cop-out because, the last time anyone looked, the buck stops with the person at the top in any organisation.
Perhaps it’s time for the people who run the Tigers and Dragons to review themselves.
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How true about the Dragons the whole place stinks, the Roosters step in and buy Tariq just like the Morris Twins. f**k me I was told this shit with 2 boards was going to happen years ago, I didn’t believe it. Well I do now, never thought this would ever happen.

f**k I hate the 2 boards with their infighting creating this shit we all see now in the so-called footy club. We had it so good with Coach, and even before with David Waite and as St George stand alone club, it went downhill from there with the mediocrity. And WIN Corp with all that money and they do absolutely f**king nothing just creating a bigger divide. No one can say don’t see it, it is plain as day to see the shit that’s going on.

I just wonder would it have been the same if the Southcoast sport management company bought the Dragons. At least he supported the Dragons. Where’s the WIN Corp support?

 

[The Charlatan]

Key words in a long story :- “a divided Board”

Being a Wests fan I'm not au fait with the behind the scenes woes with the Saints. Is it just limited to the board?

Wests are wholly owned by Wests Ashfield, have been for a few years now, operate in the black and finally secured the CoE at Concord, but they are still an abortion on the field. Saints have still managed to stay sporadically competitive over the decade where the Tigers have routintely missed out, even with what I've seen many Saints fan label as dud coaches like Price and Mary. Tigers have not been without their own issues with coaches. Seems like your coaches have still been able to get the team to make the 8 at the least and the mess is relegated to the front office? Would that be correct?

 

[merahputih]

Being a Wests fan I'm not au fait with the behind the scenes woes with the Saints. Is it just limited to the board?

Wests are wholly owned by Wests Ashfield, have been for a few years now, operate in the black and finally secured the CoE at Concord, but they are still an abortion on the field. Saints have still managed to stay sporadically competitive over the decade where the Tigers have routinely missed out, even with what I've seen many Saints fan label as dud coaches like Price and Mary. Tigers have not been without their own issues with coaches. Seems like your coaches have still been able to get the team to make the 8 at the least and the mess is relegated to the front office? Would that be correct?

Thanks for dropping in Charlatan.The legendary Jack Gibson said back in the dark ages that "Winning starts in the front office" and it is still valid. (BTW he played for Western Suburbs). Among other things our board seem to be incapable of organizing third party agreements to attract elite recruits. We were never really competitive under Price who suffered from the "Bennett Kiss of Death" which afflicted anyone who took over from him. To be fair he had to deal with an exodus of players like Darius Boyd, Jeremy Smith, Neville Costigan, etc who followed Bennett to Newcastle and were never properly replaced. Mary got a bit of a bounce briefly but the rot soon set in there too. It's a shame for your lot, I remember the days of the "Fibro" Magpies coached by Roy Masters and their rivalry with the Manly "Silver-tails" - largely an urban myth, encouraged by Masters. Unfortunately, Griffin is not filling me with a lot of confidence with his recruitment choices and stubborn support of Corey Norman. Unless a miracle happens next year I doubt he will be extended.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

You can't just say that the JV structure is the problem. There are plenty of single entity clubs that are a joke as well. Knights won three wooden spoons in a row, Titans and Warriors have never done much good, Parramatta hasn't won a Grand Final since 1986, etc etc. The issue isn't the joint venture, it's a dysfunctional board. Whatever their focus is on, it's not performance on the field.

Exactly, it’s easy pickings to have a go at us but there are plenty of clubs that never looked like making the finals this season.

 

[fedzy]

I actually concur w this article...we are f**ked unit but I blame the Gordons 10000% they are cancer to this team/club/joint venture/bastard team or whatever we are ...they have no ambition...its a toy for them to keep local boys happy and employed...

More the point keeping son happy and employed as he is useless and good old dad will not lift a finger to achieve success. Always looking for a freebie. Look at when he wanted to buy his share he offered free advertisement to the NRL rather than cash. Look at the recruitment policy anyone who is offered at a discount is almost a certainty.

There is a reason why they are let go and it ain't because they are quality.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Another point buried in Webster's article also worries me. Yes, "BBQGATE" was hardly the crime of the century in itself, but what concerns me is club captain, Ben Hunt (who didn't attend) was reportedly aware of the planned party and elected to stay quiet about it, even though there were serious implications to do with Covid-19 restrictions and public safety, and Hook and football club management had reportedly vetoed it. At the very least it shows a lack of leadership qualities on his part and a lack of respect for the coach's authority as far as the the playing group as a whole. The old saying: "The standards you turn a blind eye to are the standards you accept" comes to mind. As Webster pointed out this is supposed to be a highly paid, professional sporting team not a bunch of school kids scared of ratting on their mates.

I wrote about Hunt not reporting this in another thread, think in the main NRL forum. Some folk replied "well what was he supposed to do?".

A strong leader should have demanded they curb it. And that leadership, if strong, should have been respected.

I like Ben Hunt - but he's not a natural leader and this was an example of exactly that. Steve Smith got hung drawn and quartered for "walking past" ball tampering strategies in the dressing room. Hunt was painted by some as a good leader for "declining to go".... FFS. To me - the crime might be different but its otherwise the same scenario.

That saying is 1000% correct. We lost a number of natural leaders from our club in the last few years, but we haven't replaced any of them. That's part of our problem on the field, and off it as far as I'm concerned. Actually - it's probably our biggest problem - it's from the very top to the very bottom.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Websters article below from todays SMH. He is spot on with some of it but what the f--k can be done when the Boards cant be voted out !!! Dont agree re Simms but the negative nellies on here will relish this and the positive Petes will think "well when you put it like that ! The real damage for me was done decades ago when the Leagues club passed through new charters and whilst the original setup was to be the money spinner for the football club , is now independent and can do what they want but still has a say & control on football matters ! As for WIN , f**k what do you say. We can whinge all we like but how do we change this ??





Is there a greater cop-out in rugby league than a club announcing it will launch an “exhausting review”? It’s the fluffy, corporate gibber-jabber management spits out when it’s run out of answers.
The Wests Tigers are about to conduct a review that will arrive at a result we already know: Michael Maguire ushered out the door and another poor soul given the NRL’s toughest job before he, too, is inevitably thrown on the scrapheap. Next!
The Dragons asked Phil Gould to conduct a review at the end of a miserable 2019, told him coach Paul McGregor couldn’t be sacked, then sacked McGregor after a miserable 2020, then brought in Anthony Griffin, who has presided over a miserable 2021.
It hasn’t just been a special year for the NRL’s joint ventures — it’s been a special decade: the Tigers haven’t played finals football since 2011, the Dragons have reached the playoffs twice.

The comparisons are compelling: two clubs featuring one partner that holds all the money (WIN Corp in the case of the Dragons, Wests Ashfield in the case of the Tigers); two dysfunctional boards with deep distrust between factions that don’t see themselves as a united entity; two rosters loaded with players whose hands should be shaking when collecting their pay packets; two football departments incapable of finding a solution, digging a deeper hole with every move they make.
Let’s start with the Dragons. Nudging back-rower Tariq Sims out the door is yet another baffling decision from a club making it up as it goes.

Wests Tigers chief executive Justin Pascoe is leading a review into coach Michael Maguire.CREDIT:FAIRFAX
Sims has been told he can talk to other clubs. The messaging has been murky: is it because of salary cap problems or because, at 31, he’s too old? He’s been told both.
Griffin played down the significance of the move after the loss to Souths on Saturday night, claiming there had been nothing more than a “conversation”.

The reality is he’s been told he’s not wanted; another local junior treated like garbage by the club where he wants to retire. Sends a great message to the young stars coming through.
The bottom line is Sims wanted two more years on his deal, which expires at the end of next year, for less money than he’s on now.
Sure, he’s been inconsistent at times but name a player in that Dragons’ team who hasn’t. He played the house down for Brad Fittler’s NSW side in this year’s Origin series victory.
He also brings something you won’t find on the stats sheet. Like Sharks-bound former captain Cameron McInnes, Sims is a good player but a better club man. Now he’s been moved along to make room for … whom?
The Roosters are already eyeing him off as a great buy for the remainder of his career. Shouldn’t he be a great buy for the remainder of his career at the Dragons?

The developing Sims situation is another example of a club unsure of what it wants to be and the people it wants playing for them.
From the decision to move on McInnes, to entertaining the signing of Israel Folau, to the shabby treatment of Matt Dufty, to considering Jack de Belin as captain recently ahead of Sims, to carrying perennially suspended players like Josh McGuire on their books, to signing broken down players like George Burgess, to the coach wanting to re-sign Corey Norman before being overruled then belligerently sticking with him until the very last minute of his final match when he dropped the ball, it’s fair to say the Dragons haven’t really kicked on since sacking McGregor.

Tariq Sims was a State of Origin standout and is a great club man - yet the Dragons have pushed him out the door.CREDIT:GETTY
Doubtless, the Paul Vaughan barbecue will be used as an excuse for a season gone wrong, just as the de Belin situation was for the past three years. Another cop-out.
It’s says something about the strength of the club when 13 players ignored the instructions of the coach and head of football and did it anyway, breaching the law and the NRL’s biosecurity rules.

It says something about the strength of the club that captain Ben Hunt knew about it and said nothing. The argument is he shouldn’t be a snitch. The last time I looked this was a professional football team, not Year 7.
The blame, though, isn’t with Griffin. It’s the people who appointed him: a board divided by the blazer wearers from the St George side of the merger and the miserly appointees from WIN, who have allowed mediocrity to become the standard at a once-proud club.
Meanwhile, over at the Tigers, a searching week-long review is already underway. What will it uncover?! What a pity the Fox Sports cameras can’t be in the rooms for this juicy sequel to Tales From Tiger Town.
The review is being conducted by head of football Adam Hartigan and chief executive Justin Pascoe.
Hartigan came to the Tigers from the Roosters. He’s hardly set the world afire. Maguire has been blamed for the club’s inability to sign big-name players. Any players for that matter.

Loading
At what point does Hartigan wear some blame? Maybe it will come up in the review — that he’s running.
Pascoe has been dodging the blame for the Tigers’ on-field performance for months, which is interesting when he’s been chief executive for six years and was front and centre on game-day in the Fox Sports docu-series.
Maguire barely came out of the doco with his coaching reputation intact. He’s a coach who cares, but how many of them don’t? It was a worrying sign in the first episode when he became emotional in front of his group after a loss … in the second match of the season.
But the coach can’t wear the blame forever at the Tigers.

The line from both the board and management was consistent as the season went down the toilet: we’ve given the football department everything they need, they still haven’t performed, it’s on them, it’s not us, we’re the front office etc.
Now that’s a cop-out because, the last time anyone looked, the buck stops with the person at the top in any organisation.
Perhaps it’s time for the people who run the Tigers and Dragons to review themselves.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.

I agree with everything in the article personally.

Reviews are wank unless they are done by a true leader, and executed in full.

"Review" is a buzzword. Actions speak louder than words.

Both clubs need leaders who know what success is and how to attain it, not people don't know and just talk about it.

 

[Maddragon99]

I think the treatment of Sims is telling, he’s a true clubman who loves the club & jersey who wants to stay. Compare that to the way the club treated Norman like an endangered species & Hook persisted with him until the final minute.

I think there’s a lot of truth to the Webster article

 

[Kylez3]

Well written article.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

I was thinking that the general thesis of the article was fine and worthwhile in giving voice to our overall fan concerns. But neither side came last.

So far as Sgi is concerned, I think you were travelling along ok up until bbqgate which seemed to knock the stuffing out of your progress. The players were darn silly, but officialdoms response didn’t help. It sealed your fate. At the time, the co vid crisis wasn’t as critical as it is now. I think Hook has made a good fist of de-maryfication. He’s had bad injuries to contend with as well.

Webster supports Madge and he’s right about our board and ceo. But Hartigan has signed our best players. Doohie, Laurie, Stephano, Lucy, Blore and we are only just clearing the salary cap mess. Hasting and Gildart are coming. The problems are mostly coming from elsewhere.

The issue with Madge is that only a small number of players have improved under his watch. We estimate 80% of the squad have stagnated or even got worse. There is not enough individual development and that is reflected on the paddock. If he stays, we basically want to resource him better assistants and so forth. Mary had that too i suppose ( he was cut up about it too!)

Also too, sometimes coaches and players just don’t mix, just a natural disjuncture. Neither to blame.

None of what I’ve said excuses the players. I think you guys have a bit of that view as well. There’s been a struggle.

If Madge is shafted, the deal is that he gets half his salary. A bit like Mbye!

This was a nice moment I was sucked into as well. The Amones and their family were friendly to us fans and appreciated the nice gestures we gave them. There was no bitter tribal stuff after the match, fans from each club got selfies with both of them!


I’m waiting for @Willow to rock up and explain the difference between a merger and joint venture. This will be his 20th year of trying to make this point! We all forget the next day despite his educational efforts!

 

[denis preston]

I think the treatment of Sims is telling, he’s a true clubman who loves the club & jersey who wants to stay. Compare that to the way the club treated Norman like an endangered species & Hook persisted with him until the final minute.

I think there’s a lot of truth to the Webster article

Yes there is particularly in relation to the dysfunctional board but disagree on Simms.The club is prepared to honour it's contract to him FFS. It's his 3rd club and i'd say the 700k a year is one of the reasons he loves the jersey. Most here who watch every game ( unlike the nuffs nuffs in the media ) not just SOO and have noticed his lack of involvement in the past couple of seasons. Making him captain didn't change a thing and not from trying. He is still a competitor but just on the downward spiral.
As for Norman i hope Webby gets Hook into a room alone and demands to know WTF was that all about ?

 

[The Charlatan]

Thanks for dropping in Charlatan.The legendary Jack Gibson said back in the dark ages that "Winning starts in the front office" and it is still valid. (BTW he played for Western Suburbs). Among other things our board seem to be incapable of organizing third party agreements to attract elite recruits. We were never really competitive under Price who suffered from the "Bennett Kiss of Death" which afflicted anyone who took over from him. To be fair he had to deal with an exodus of players like Darius Boyd, Jeremy Smith, Neville Costigan, etc who followed Bennett to Newcastle and were never properly replaced. Mary got a bit of a bounce briefly but the rot soon set in there too. It's a shame for your lot, I remember the days of the "Fibro" Magpies coached by Roy Masters and their rivalry with the Manly "Silver-tails" - largely an urban myth, encouraged by Masters. Unfortunately, Griffin is not filling me with a lot of confidence with his recruitment choices and stubborn support of Corey Norman. Unless a miracle happens next year I doubt he will be extended.

Sounds a lot like us. We have no pulling power with players. Apparently that is due to Madge. It is a shame it is not working out with him as we really needed an authoritarian to get in there and subdue the player power.

Pretty sad times for both clubs, shame too because their founding clubs all have a proud tradition in the game. I was born in Kogarah so I have a small soft spot for the Dragons. Here's hoping they both turn it around.

 

[Lovemedragons]

Yes there is particularly in relation to the dysfunctional board but disagree on Simms.The club is prepared to honour it's contract to him FFS. It's his 3rd club and i'd say the 700k a year is one of the reasons he loves the jersey. Most here who watch every game ( unlike the nuffs nuffs in the media ) not just SOO and have noticed his lack of involvement in the past couple of seasons. Making him captain didn't change a thing and not from trying. He is still a competitor but just on the downward spiral.
As for Norman i hope Webby gets Hook into a room alone and demands to know WTF was that all about ?

The article confirmed my suspicion that Griffin is a stubborn old relic who bastardized any chance we had from 12 weeks ago when he spat the dummy and bloody mindedly kept Norman in. I’d sack him just for that character flaw.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

The article confirmed my suspicion that Griffin is a stubborn old relic who bastardized any chance we had from 12 weeks ago when he spat the dummy and bloody mindedly kept Norman in. I’d sack him just for that character flaw.

Griffin was sacked from the panthers regarding his relationship with players (or lack thereof). Indeed at the time the Panthers were in the thick of the top 4…

Many saw it as daft from the outside but to sack a coach when the team is that high on the ladder, close to semi finals, can’t be taken lightly. Something must have been seriously wrong. And no, it wasn’t because of the Gould ego bollocks a lot of people proclaim.

That was my biggest concern when he was confirmed to coach the club. A faltering club needs strong leadership and the ability to command respect from the whole team. Yes he may have learned from the past. But saying that and doing it are two different things.

The bbq screamed lack of respect. 8 losses to end the year… geez. Now Sims…

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Griffin was sacked from the panthers regarding his relationship with players (or lack thereof). Indeed at the time the Panthers were in the thick of the top 4…

Many saw it as daft from the outside but to sack a coach when the team is that high on the ladder, close to semi finals, can’t be taken lightly. Something must have been seriously wrong. And no, it wasn’t because of the Gould ego bollocks a lot of people proclaim.

That was my biggest concern when he was confirmed to coach the club. A faltering club needs strong leadership and the ability to command respect from the whole team. Yes he may have learned from the past. But saying that and doing it are two different things.

The bbq screamed lack of respect. 8 losses to end the year… geez. Now Sims…

Coming 4th on the ladder is a fair crack isn’t it, el Hookster couldn’t be doing too badly with communicating with the players based on that fact.

My understanding is that Hook was sacked to make way for Ivan Cleary because I think they advised young Chin ( about the best player on earth) Ivan would soon be procured. It worked like a dream.

Bbq gate was not Hooks fault in any way.

The fallout was entirely mismanaged and he was as big a casualty as you blokes.

Pound for pound, he’s made tough but correct decisions and he’s a great coach.

We’d kill to get him at the Tigers. He’s not perfect, but geez, give him a break!

He’s been to hell and back this year lol. I bet he had no idea what he signed up for!

Neither do our coaches!!

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Just another respectful submission for old mate bbjf,

* when Ivan took over the Panthers for 2019, low and behold, his first season they struggled and came 10th

* under Hook the year before, they did pretty well and came 5th.

So this fact alone suggests that Hook is a competent coach with less player issues than Ivan had when he arrived.

And let’s not forget Lyin Ivan bringing Nado on in the gf last year at the last minute. It was at least 15-20 minutes too late.

And Ivan and young Chin ( with his ridiculous passing) refused to accept full responsibility. It made some Panther people upset, the lack of shame and humility it had a nasty, almost arrogant feel.

Hook can make excuses too, but they are more subdued.

When he signed on to sgi he said

“ I’m not promising anything, but I will do my best”

An honest statement full of wisdom, truth and integrity. Realistic expectations for year zero of de maryfication and in his own corner, I sincerely think he’s had a solid swing and I possess a quiet and measured admiration for him. How good was the first half of the season? All the bum sides grew strength from it. We did.

That hadnt been heard around sgi for many years and is still lacking at wt too who sell us hope by way of faith. Nothing tangible or based on evidence!

 

[Trifili13]

Anyone for merging the Dragon's and Tigpies to create a super merger? Wouldn't that Board be fun to sit on? Our catchment area would cover half of Sydney and the Illawarra and yet no one would still want to play for them.