Okay, I can take it no longer, I know it will never happen because of family connections, but David Furner has proved he is not capable of coaching our Raiders.
Sunday's match was terrible, it was one of the worst displays I have ever seen from the Green Machine. There have been seasons past where we have been ordinary, but nothing like this in the past 20 years. This season is shaping as a disaster.
Here are the reasons why he shold be gone:
Hooker
Why have we not manufactured an 80 minute hooker...? Starting in about 1998, when we had both Woolford and Priddis on our books we accommodated both, somehow more than a decade later the hangover remains. Trying to turn Alan Tongue into hooker has not worked, he shouldn't go near dummy half. He passing off the ground is so slow, it astounds me that he cannot pick it up and pass it quicker, if he can't work this out for himself and he's going to be picked there - can someone coach him in the various aspects he needs to learn?
Alan Tongue again
I love the guy, biggest heart in the comp and a useful (yet unconventional) backrower, but he is not a hooker or temporary half. Every time he slips into first receiver a sigh can be heard from every Raiders fan within earshot. He is not a half, keep him away from the halves.
Overlaps
We are awful at allowing overlaps, its almost like we try to create them. This was shocking last year and it has got worse this year, our backs creep so far infield and lose their men that as soon as the ball is spread wide we're in big trouble. The only saving grace has been the cover defence of little champion Dugan, that kid deserves a medal for the punishment the other 12 players pile on him.
Fitness/lazyness/Size of our fowards
I believe a combination of the above is killing us each week. As the game rolls on, our forwards start disappearing. After retrieving a kick it has become common for us to be three or four tackles into the set before one forward hit up, terrible. Our size must be a factor, this problem has been manufactured over time, but I think we're plainly not fit enough, in the professional age - how does this happen? And I suspect that Prince Furner doesn't kick their butts enough for being lazy, but that's purely my speculation.
Players understanding
Nothing frustrates me more than players not knowing basic tactics, how is it possible that a punter like myself can have a better grip on some things than a professional who earns a six figure wage and the coaching staff?
Here is an example - whenever we kick downfield, our backs will chase through and tackle whoever has the ball, then more often than not we will hold him down!!?? The good sides will let them get up and play the ball quickly when hardly any players are back in support yet. But we will slow play down to their advantage, let take a hit up then do it again, it is ridiculous and how our coaching staff from the top down have not picked up on this is criminal.
David Furner inherited a healthy side, sure he could have done without the Carney saga, but regardless the team has gone nowhere but backward on his watch.
Have a look at the list, guys like; Campo, Harrison, Dugan, Learoyd-Lars, Miller, Shillington and Vidot (would have included Monaghan if he wasn't out) are class. They are top players and should be forming a great spine for the team. Sure we don't have the big names, but we've got much better players than a lot of other sides.
I am worried about hearing Furner say something along the lines of 'three year plan' or some rubbish about 'development season', that is him buying time, justifying his position and nothing else.
If this were any other industry, Furner would be walked to his desk to clear belongings then escorted out of the building.
I would dearly love to be proved wrong, but I reckon it's only going to get worse and as well as further suffering we'll also lose guys like Dugan.
We are fast turning into one of the jokes of the league. If he won't walk with dignity, sack David Furner.
Sunday's match was terrible, it was one of the worst displays I have ever seen from the Green Machine. There have been seasons past where we have been ordinary, but nothing like this in the past 20 years. This season is shaping as a disaster.
Here are the reasons why he shold be gone:
Hooker
Why have we not manufactured an 80 minute hooker...? Starting in about 1998, when we had both Woolford and Priddis on our books we accommodated both, somehow more than a decade later the hangover remains. Trying to turn Alan Tongue into hooker has not worked, he shouldn't go near dummy half. He passing off the ground is so slow, it astounds me that he cannot pick it up and pass it quicker, if he can't work this out for himself and he's going to be picked there - can someone coach him in the various aspects he needs to learn?
Alan Tongue again
I love the guy, biggest heart in the comp and a useful (yet unconventional) backrower, but he is not a hooker or temporary half. Every time he slips into first receiver a sigh can be heard from every Raiders fan within earshot. He is not a half, keep him away from the halves.
Overlaps
We are awful at allowing overlaps, its almost like we try to create them. This was shocking last year and it has got worse this year, our backs creep so far infield and lose their men that as soon as the ball is spread wide we're in big trouble. The only saving grace has been the cover defence of little champion Dugan, that kid deserves a medal for the punishment the other 12 players pile on him.
Fitness/lazyness/Size of our fowards
I believe a combination of the above is killing us each week. As the game rolls on, our forwards start disappearing. After retrieving a kick it has become common for us to be three or four tackles into the set before one forward hit up, terrible. Our size must be a factor, this problem has been manufactured over time, but I think we're plainly not fit enough, in the professional age - how does this happen? And I suspect that Prince Furner doesn't kick their butts enough for being lazy, but that's purely my speculation.
Players understanding
Nothing frustrates me more than players not knowing basic tactics, how is it possible that a punter like myself can have a better grip on some things than a professional who earns a six figure wage and the coaching staff?
Here is an example - whenever we kick downfield, our backs will chase through and tackle whoever has the ball, then more often than not we will hold him down!!?? The good sides will let them get up and play the ball quickly when hardly any players are back in support yet. But we will slow play down to their advantage, let take a hit up then do it again, it is ridiculous and how our coaching staff from the top down have not picked up on this is criminal.
David Furner inherited a healthy side, sure he could have done without the Carney saga, but regardless the team has gone nowhere but backward on his watch.
Have a look at the list, guys like; Campo, Harrison, Dugan, Learoyd-Lars, Miller, Shillington and Vidot (would have included Monaghan if he wasn't out) are class. They are top players and should be forming a great spine for the team. Sure we don't have the big names, but we've got much better players than a lot of other sides.
I am worried about hearing Furner say something along the lines of 'three year plan' or some rubbish about 'development season', that is him buying time, justifying his position and nothing else.
If this were any other industry, Furner would be walked to his desk to clear belongings then escorted out of the building.
I would dearly love to be proved wrong, but I reckon it's only going to get worse and as well as further suffering we'll also lose guys like Dugan.
We are fast turning into one of the jokes of the league. If he won't walk with dignity, sack David Furner.
