No what happened what Brett Finch quit four rounds into the season, so DA had to promote an experienced Robson to halfback and then thus a proven 5'8th Mateo back to pivot, then Hayne into the centres. He then mixed it up a few weeks later and moved Hayne to fullback in a game against the Cowboys and he absolutely carved the Cowboys up single handedly he kept his spot there.
I think think DA's use of training Hayne in the off season in 5'8th and giving him a few runs there increased his fitness levels, and his ball playing skills that it led to his brilliant run of form to our GF in '09 and how his kicking game and passing game is so improved even now.[/QUOTE]
Exactly, DA is a brilliant coach up against a players culture, almost set in concrete, that resisted his ways. Something had to give. That stunning victory against all the odds Dragons in the 09 final is another sign of DA's brilliant tactics. Players can turn coaches into combatants because of their fixed ways and its not until many years later that some finally come to realise just how good a coach they had back then, a coach they never got to really appreciate was actually working for them & their long-term best interests. Jarryd Hayne & DA is such an example. I wonder if the penny has dropped for Jarryd yet? Jarryd could easily be the next Wally Lewis IF he gets his head switched on. I guess DA saw this in Jarryd and acted accordingly. Stubborn Jarryd resisted. Then there is Mateo, Inu, Grothe Jnr, etc. What did DA do that had so many players lift during the later part of 09, players like Lowrey, Kingston, Galuvao, Robson, Mortimer, Inu, Mateo, Hayne, etc....???? If DA had a board to support him unconditionally we would be very close to winning a GF this year or next, even last year, and we all know what happened behind the scenes back then. As far as I am concerned the 2009 GF is DA, he was so close to beating a team of cheats supported by the corrupt News Limited-NRL and their dodgy refs. And he did this against all odds in his first year.
