Eels Appoint Brad Arthur as Head Coach

[El Diablo]

Okay, okay, forget the 2 out of six. Concentrate on the six. Only six games as head coach at NRL level. Not much experience. Get it? The two out of six is just an added extra; but you've all convinced me that doesn't really matter (inadequate roster, too small a sample size, etc). But I would have chosen someone with more experience, that's all. And I'm not very inspired by Brad Arthur. That okay with you guys?

how would a coach ever get a start under that criteria :crazy:

 

[The EELiminator]

Okay, okay, forget the 2 out of six. Concentrate on the six. Only six games as head coach at NRL level. Not much experience. Get it? The two out of six is just an added extra; but you've all convinced me that doesn't really matter (inadequate roster, too small a sample size, etc). But I would have chosen someone with more experience, that's all. And I'm not very inspired by Brad Arthur. That okay with you guys?

i think the opposite if jt has so much great coaching experience how come the only job he could get was as assistant to a rookie coach at easts?

he was sitting on the shelf for YEARS too how many first grade coaching jobs came up between when he left souths and when he started at the roosters? and how many times did his name come up during selections not that often

 

[Gary Gutful]

Okay, okay, forget the 2 out of six. Concentrate on the six. Only six games as head coach at NRL level. Not much experience. Get it? The two out of six is just an added extra; but you've all convinced me that doesn't really matter (inadequate roster, too small a sample size, etc). But I would have chosen someone with more experience, that's all. And I'm not very inspired by Brad Arthur. That okay with you guys?

It's OK with me mate. Suggesting that you would have liked us to pick an experienced coach over someone without experience is a perfectly reasonable opinion to have.

 

[Gary Gutful]

how would a coach ever get a start under that criteria :crazy:

In fairness mate he is only talking about this appointment. He never said it should apply for all appointments :crazy:

 

[lingard]

As usual we pre judge everyone, to their detriment

I would have to go back on the Rorters blog and see if they felt the same aboiut Trent R, however players that have played under and for Brad A seem to think he can do the job, why the deathride?

I , for one, really look forward to 2014 as I have a fair bit of contact with BA , and am very confident we will have a good year. About time we got behind the club instead on thinking doom and gloom.

I think you will find he understood the problems during his earlier spell, but as a loyal asst could not undermine the boss, you will see a different group of players come next year

It's not a death ride. I'm just not inspired by him. But how about I say that he's the best young coach going around and I think he's going to turn out to be a champion and I'm just so glad that we signed him and I've got nothing but positive feelings about the future? We all happy now?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It means that they don't exhibit any of the skills required to be a coach. These could be - knowledge of the rules of rugby league, not enough passion, too much passion, a lack of calmness under pressure, poor use of the available squad, poor use of interchanges and poor game plans to name a few.

Right, but how would us slobs in the stands know a coach's position on any of these? Video grabs of tantrums in the coach's box, or surliness and blame shifting during a presser show us nothing that couldn't have been manufactured (by the coach) for a variety of ends.

Fans can make informed considerations of a coaches ability to demonstrate these attributes through - watching interviews with the coach, seeing how they react in post match press conferences, observing the game plan the players take on to the field, judging the squad that gets picked each week and observing how players speak in relation to their coach to name a few.

I'd say they only think they can.

Even watching what happens on the field doesn't tell us a team's game plan. There are too many moving parts to decide what is good (or otherwise) planning and what is good (or otherwise) execution.

The only reliable measures, from the perspective of anyone outside the inner sanctum (i.e. coaches and players) are a coach's win-loss record over an extended period, and his employment status.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Even though the roosters won the premiership that year there are some people that didn't put a lot of it down to the coach at the time.

You reckon other factors might decide a coach's results?

 

[lingard]

how would a coach ever get a start under that criteria :crazy:

Obviously I'm just talking about our present circumstances at the Eels. I think we needed a more experienced coach. But it's okay, I've been convinced. Not allowed to like Anderson and not allowed to have any slight misgivings about Arthur.
To (mis)quote the last sentence of '1984' by George Orwell: "A gin-soaked tear rolled down his cheek; he loved Brad Arthur".

 

[Poupou Escobar]

The way you talk, it sounds like just about anyone could coach an NRL side, if it just depends on the players at their disposal.

And the way you talk, the coach is the be-all and end-all of a team's results.

Wayne Bennett said the captain is more important to a team than the coach. Now he might not have meant it, and even if he did he might have been wrong. But the point is there are a lot of factors that go into determining whether a team (and therefore a coach) wins or loses. In the age of the salary cap it's not that easy to quickly change many of those factors even if the coach wanted to.

 

[El Diablo]

In fairness mate he is only talking about this appointment. He never said it should apply for all appointments :crazy:

why does it matter for only this appointment?

can't see why we must have an ex first grade coach with plenty of experiene

the last one of those we had was a dud

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It's more the fact that he's only coached six first grade games. I would have liked someone with more NRL experience (as head coach).

I originally wanted Henry but at one stage I wanted a rookie like Arthur or Dunemann.

The problem with experienced coaches is that the vast majority have baggage, which means their reputation is shot. Credibility (i.e. reputation) is everything in coaching, which is why so many clubs prefer rookies these days - outside of Bennett, Hasler and Bellamy, every other experienced coach is a shot duck (in the opinion of the players) before he even starts.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Obviously I'm just talking about our present circumstances at the Eels. I think we needed a more experienced coach. But it's okay, I've been convinced. Not allowed to like Anderson and not allowed to have any slight misgivings about Arthur.
To (mis)quote the last sentence of '1984' by George Orwell: "A gin-soaked tear rolled down his cheek; he loved Brad Arthur".

I'm pretty sure we got Arthur (instead of Taylor) because Arthur was prepared to work alongside a GM. Anderson will do a lot of what we have become used to considering the job of an NRL head coach. I'm sure he got the job at least partly because of his extensive experience.

It's really a brilliant move by the club.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Right, but how would us slobs in the stands know a coach's position on any of these? Video grabs of tantrums in the coach's box, or surliness and blame shifting during a presser show us nothing that couldn't have been manufactured (by the coach) for a variety of ends.

Of course the coach might be "going off on one" for a reason other than them not being calm under pressure. Take Bennett for example, he will often say some controversial things but it is generally to take the pressure off his players. He is a smart coach and a lot of fans can see this. Yes there are slobs in the stands but don't make generalisations and assume that there aren't some fans who don't see this and use it to form an impression of whether someone can coach.

I also mentioned the use of a squad and interchanges which can also provide an indicator as to whether a coach is on top of things.

I'd say they only think they can.

I'd say that this would be true of some but there would be quite a few that actually can. Not every rugby league fan is a complete deadshit.

Even watching what happens on the field doesn't tell us a team's game plan. There are too many moving parts to decide what is good (or otherwise) planning and what is good (or otherwise) execution.

Watching the game often gives us an indication of a team's game plan. Some hardcore nutter fans that watch 8 games a week would have a good sense of what is a game plan and what is down to good or bad execution. Again, though these things can be observed and if intelligently analysed can be factored in to determine someone's opinion of a coach.

The only reliable measures, from the perspective of anyone outside the inner sanctum (i.e. coaches and players) are a coach's win-loss record over an extended period, and his employment status.

These are more reliable but the other measures that I have outlined are not things that have to be completely ignored because we are all slobs.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Actually I was only talking specifically about you, Gary.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Arthur can coach - Arthur got a start in NRL because he was an extremely good coach in Qld at cairns. If he couldn't coach the storm would not have picked him up. He could never rely on his reputation as a player to an nrl start, he had to rely in his coaching ability.

 

[Gary Gutful]

why does it matter for only this appointment?

can't see why we must have an ex first grade coach with plenty of experiene

the last one of those we had was a dud

So was the last one that didn't have any experience!

We are a shit club who has gotten two wooden spoons in the last two years. We are about as low as you can get.

I don't share the view but I can see the logic behind someone suggesting that a club at the bottom could do with some experienced coaching staff to help them out. The same logic likely applies less at a club with a good culture, strong leaders and a history of excellent performances.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Actually I was only talking specifically about you, Gary.

:lol:

 

[Gary Gutful]

You reckon other factors might decide a coach's results?

Yep - I have always been happy to agree with that point when you have made it.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Okay, okay, forget the 2 out of six. Concentrate on the six. Only six games as head coach at NRL level. Not much experience. Get it? The two out of six is just an added extra; but you've all convinced me that doesn't really matter (inadequate roster, too small a sample size, etc). But I would have chosen someone with more experience, that's all. And I'm not very inspired by Brad Arthur. That okay with you guys?

Yep, that's fair enough.

 

[IFR33K]

So who's everyones choice for coaching staff.

I personally would like to see Steve folkes as defensive coach.

Assuming brad won't return the favour to SK, and bring him down as assistant. That would be hilarious.