FO Adam Blair

[Shaun Hewitt]

Could this be the first FO thread before the person has even played/been involved in a NRL game for our club.

Sorry, but you're attitude after the loss absolutely stunk.

Kidwell, you're the same.

Johnson too.

Over it. Over the whole lot.

 

[JJ]

You're not alone - never wanted the prick, now convinced

 

[Iafeta]

He knew no shame with that interview. He showed no care in the game. Couple of times early he gets it at first receiver and shovels it along, once to no one, he simply refuses to tuck it under the arm.

I keep hearing he's one of the toughest trainers going around. But he's extremely lazy on field.

 

[Rich102]

I feel this about Watson too and starting to feel it about Doyle.
About time the club got some people who know what they are doing.
Doyle pinning all his hopes on Foran last year was just crazy.

 

[ozbash]

FO Ozbash..

I'm over it.... Goin fishing.

 

[Diesel]

Great thread title, hard to argue against it unless you’re one of those f**ktards mentioned about. I’ll throw NZRL CEO Hayton into that group too

 

[Mr Angry]

Well that escalated quickly.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Gold thread

 

[playdaball]

I tried to be positive about the Blair signing but after his WC and semi final form, I have to say he's CRAP! He was good around 2008.

 

[JJ]

He knew no shame with that interview. He showed no care in the game. Couple of times early he gets it at first receiver and shovels it along, once to no one, he simply refuses to tuck it under the arm.

I keep hearing he's one of the toughest trainers going around. But he's extremely lazy on field.

People seem to have forgotten how great he was at the Tigers. Melbourne didn't miss a beat when he left, Brisbane's lack will be better without him

 

[Warriorsoul]

I still think Doyle is the best man to run the Warriors BUSINESS but he needs a strong football management team.

On the upside, imagine if Kidwell had been successful in his tilt at Warriors coach? Shudder

 

[Warriorsoul]

People seem to have forgotten how great he was at the Tigers. Melbourne didn't miss a beat when he left, Brisbane's lack will be better without him

Another journeyman who looked good at the Storm because he got given a strict single role by a coach who knew his players limitations. Most players who leave the storm aren't as good elsewhere same to a lesser extent Broncos

 

[JJ]

I still think Doyle is the best man to run the Warriors BUSINESS but he needs a strong football management team.

On the upside, imagine if Kidwell had been successful in his tilt at Warriors coach? Shudder

On point 1 - he doesn't, so we're in trouble

On point 2 - not sure there'd be much difference to be honest - we'd have had a shit season and all and sundry would be telling us how there was such great work going on behind the scenes and things are in place to make us better... to me the Kiwis and the Warriors mirror each other at the moment, basket cases from top to bottom

I liked Doyle, but the Foran thing, and the telling us we're improving because on average we're losing by less really both showed poor judgement and should worry us all... some not necessarily his fault as he has meddling from above, and incompetence below... still, nothing has improved for a long time - and anyone arguing is has obviously has rose coloured glasses

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Oh well, least we know what we're getting.

Adam Blair is a vice president. He can operate with strong leaders around him and in that environment even resembles one. But when he's asked to be the President, to be a leader who inspires others, he's rubbish.

Classic case in point, when we played the Broncos this year at origin time. Blair was captain, and absolutely stunk in that game. Think he made 50m. He's not capable of being that person. He sucked at it with Wests and likely will suck at it with us. At the Storm and Broncos he looked good via those around him.

Sorry but this tournament and those god f**king awful interviews, which were a slap in the face for all us as fans, shows what Adam Blair is about in a non elite environment. He's got a soft underbelly

 

[Beavers Headgear]

From the Moles Facebook page

New Zealand skipper Adam Blair has been copping it big time from the Kiwi media for his seemingly laid-back attitude post-match following the shock loss to Fiji in the World Cup.

I had a bit of a dig at Blair myself on Twitter for his statement that the defeat was "not a negative for us."

No sooner had I posted the comment that Blair's wife Jess fired back, claiming I had a "vendetta" against her husband.

While her remarks were strong, they were put politely and respectfully and we followed that up with some private messages to each other.

I won't go into the exact discussion, but Jess did say that, despite his outwardly indifferent expression, Blair was hurting deep down and his "not a negative" comment was more a reflection of his upbeat, optimistic nature.

The chat was a timely reminder to me that these players that we sometimes love to hate have wives and mothers - and I pulled down my criticism on Twitter with a better understanding of what makes Blair tick.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

I'm fine with Blair in isolation, the problem we are going to have is we didn't get the players required to compensate for the things he doesn't provide so we're still going to be trying to ice skate uphill unless we have a near perfect injury run or a couple of our young forwards have a breakout season.

 

[JJ]

Bottom line is he's an horrendously overrated player - when not surrounded by quality he's been mud over and over - I really don't get why anyone thinks he's anything other than a slightly below average NRL forward that's been fortunate to play in a couple of good teams that have made him look better than he is

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Blair was never a captain in the NRL. Like Kidwell, Blair was a first-timer to his new role in the kiwis. I don't think Blair was the right man to lead the team, not because of his media interviews but because he didn't really lead on the field. Who else was Kidwell suppose to pick though? The only thing Blair had was experience with his 44 tests. Kidwell, being a forward, probably wanted someone to lead from the front.

Blair in hindsight shouldnt have even been picked for our last 2 games, he didnt lead from the front, he said a few wrong things and I just saw nothing captain-like from him. Probably should've made RTS captain because Mannering don't want it and dropped Blair for Fonua-Blake. Like I said, I dont blame Blair for being made captain, he tried his best and he just wasn't the man for the job.

 

[Iafeta]

I'm fine with Blair in isolation, the problem we are going to have is we didn't get the players required to compensate for the things he doesn't provide so we're still going to be trying to ice skate uphill unless we have a near perfect injury run or a couple of our young forwards have a breakout season.

This is it. He had blokes like Josh Maguire and Corey Parker who were only too happy to roll their sleeves up and get dirty and stay in the grind. We have Mannering but even then he's not a grinding prop forward type is he. Gavet is more impact, Lisone thinks he's Cliff Lyons in Glenn Lazarus' body, Vete is good for 3 games a year.... boy this could be savage.

His performance v Fiji was so so so bad.

 

[Iafeta]

From the Moles Facebook page

New Zealand skipper Adam Blair has been copping it big time from the Kiwi media for his seemingly laid-back attitude post-match following the shock loss to Fiji in the World Cup.

I had a bit of a dig at Blair myself on Twitter for his statement that the defeat was "not a negative for us."

No sooner had I posted the comment that Blair's wife Jess fired back, claiming I had a "vendetta" against her husband.

While her remarks were strong, they were put politely and respectfully and we followed that up with some private messages to each other.

I won't go into the exact discussion, but Jess did say that, despite his outwardly indifferent expression, Blair was hurting deep down and his "not a negative" comment was more a reflection of his upbeat, optimistic nature.

The chat was a timely reminder to me that these players that we sometimes love to hate have wives and mothers - and I pulled down my criticism on Twitter with a better understanding of what makes Blair tick.

In a way, I can cop Shauns post match comments. I think Kidwell had them brainwashed that they were in the trenches and to be fearful because no one likes you, blokes like Taumalolo have left you etc. I never doubt Shaun's passion. It's probably the first time I've had a WTF reaction to a comment from him. And I don't doubt constantly being a loser must be mentally draining, and perhaps become s self fulfilling prophecy if you aren't mentored well. The tone of his interview was also one of being gutted, frustrated and hurt.

With Adam, he was so blasé. I think he needs to stop being the late hit tough guy and just get back to running the football again. Blair when he was good, playing for Melbourne, was a goodish ball carrier.