General Discussion Thread

[The Realist]

The Bulldogs are now last. They discarded Keiran Foran, Morgan Harper and Reimus Smith. Guess what they all became regular starters for top 4 clubs add Nick Meaney 5 games this year from a possible 6. Their replacements Braiden Burns Brent Naden are they better than Harper and Smith no way. Thats part of their problem they cant keep the right players.

I wouldn't be crowing about Morgan Harper. Had an Excellent season last year then in the last few rounds and finals series he was horrible. Things have not turned around for him the season - he has been very very ordinary.

 

[murraymob]

Trent Barret is in danger of having the worst win loss percentage in the bulldogs history yes there history.
If the dogs lose next week against the rooster he will be the worst coach in the dogs history. Congratulations. MR BARRET

 

[Pomoz]

I have no ill will towards Trent Barrett, he is part of our storied history. I should note though, he failed to get our u20's to the finals and the coaches either side of him did, so make of that what you will. At the time it concerned me and then he went to Manly and that didn't go so well. Then he went to the Dogs and they aren't travelling so good either.

He was given the seal of approval by Gus, but I am not sure that Gus is good at judging ex players. He absolutely loves the players. You never hear him say a bad word about any player, ever. He passionately believes in giving them opportunities to be the best they can be and he lets that cloud his judgement. For example, no experienced executive would have given Corey Payne the CEO's job. It was patently clear he wasn't experienced enough for the job. So what about Trent?

Somebody on the forum put this video up, possibly as a cure for insomnia.
After watching this, I started to get a feeling about what the issue might be. I may be a league simpleton, only having risen to the dizzy heights of Emu Plains Reserve Grade, but I really struggled to listen to this video. I understand the words and the concepts, but he communicates in such a dreary style I found myself looking for a petrol can and matches so I could end it all. I lost the will to live.

I am prepared to concede that perhaps the tactical side is above my "your man, smash him" understanding of defence and therefore my boredom is simply down to my stupidity. Maybe you more experienced types found this video interesting and if that is so, please tell me.


I am sure Trent understands the games nuances more than enough to coach tactics, but coaching is more than that. How do you get inside a player's head to unlock their potential? How do you stop Victor Radley types decapitating attacking players, Eddie Blacker eating all the pies, and Munster types snorting coke? How do you get stoic JFH types to open up about personal problems (imagine looking into those cold eyes of his and asking, "is everything OK Fish?", the sweat beading on your forehead, praying he doesn't decide to cut you in half just to keep his hand in)?

Communication is everything. You have to be able to break complex ideas into simple messages. You have to be able to engage with players and get them to want to follow you. I watch this video, and I am searching for tall buildings to leap off. They have to be really tall, you don't want to jump and just maim yourself. He seems so intense and serious that it must be draining listening to him.

Or maybe I am overthinking it and it's quite simple. The Dog's roster sucks.

 

[BxTom]

I have no ill will towards Trent Barrett, he is part of our storied history. I should note though, he failed to get our u20's to the finals and the coaches either side of him did, so make of that what you will. At the time it concerned me and then he went to Manly and that didn't go so well. Then he went to the Dogs and they aren't travelling so good either.

He was given the seal of approval by Gus, but I am not sure that Gus is good at judging ex players. He absolutely loves the players. You never hear him say a bad word about any player, ever. He passionately believes in giving them opportunities to be the best they can be and he lets that cloud his judgement. For example, no experienced executive would have given Corey Payne the CEO's job. It was patently clear he wasn't experienced enough for the job. So what about Trent?

Somebody on the forum put this video up, possibly as a cure for insomnia.
After watching this, I started to get a feeling about what the issue might be. I may be a league simpleton, only having risen to the dizzy heights of Emu Plains Reserve Grade, but I really struggled to listen to this video. I understand the words and the concepts, but he communicates in such a dreary style I found myself looking for a petrol can and matches so I could end it all. I lost the will to live.

I am prepared to concede that perhaps the tactical side is above my "your man, smash him" understanding of defence and therefore my boredom is simply down to my stupidity. Maybe you more experienced types found this video interesting and if that is so, please tell me.


I am sure Trent understands the games nuances more than enough to coach tactics, but coaching is more than that. How do you get inside a player's head to unlock their potential? How do you stop Victor Radley types decapitating attacking players, Eddie Blacker eating all the pies, and Munster types snorting coke? How do you get stoic JFH types to open up about personal problems (imagine looking into those cold eyes of his and asking, "is everything OK Fish?", the sweat beading on your forehead, praying he doesn't decide to cut you in half just to keep his hand in)?

Communication is everything. You have to be able to break complex ideas into simple messages. You have to be able to engage with players and get them to want to follow you. I watch this video, and I am searching for tall buildings to leap off. They have to be really tall, you don't want to jump and just maim yourself. He seems so intense and serious that it must be draining listening to him.

Or maybe I am overthinking it and it's quite simple. The Dog's roster sucks.

I think Barrett's strength is man management. I remember Blade23 saying that Trent got on well with the players, even when he was disciplining them

 

[Pomoz]

I think Barrett's strength is man management. I remember Blade23 saying that Trent got on well with the players, even when he was disciplining them

Hmmm. Getting on well with people is a good skill to have but it doesn't make you a good coach. He certainly seems like a nice bloke too and some of the players he coached at Manly speak highly of him.

That said, being too nice can be a drawback as a leader. By "nice" I mean being amiable, easy to get along with and friendly with your staff. I think the hardest part of leadership is the opposite of nice, its knowing when to be tough and setting a standard you won't compromise on. I don't mean discipline. The easy stuff is telling somebody they broke a rule and their behaviour isn't acceptable. Black and white.

The hard part is when they just aren't giving you what the team needs. They maybe a good player and a nice person, but they gave away one too many penalties (hello Trent Merrin), they miss too many tackles, the reasons don't matter. People need the brutal, unvarnished truth communicated clearly and succinctly. Bennett was coaching Shane Webke in the dressing sheds at full time. He looks Webke in the eye and says "How do you think you played?". Webke , who knew he had a bad game, wrote in his book he was crushed. He didn't sleep that night and couldn't wait for the next game to make up for his poor performance. No Youtube video required. Truth inferred by a look and a single sentence.

A good leader will set a standard that stretches the players and for those who won't put the work in, out they go. For those who can't meet the standard because they aren't good enough, out they go. Bellamy got the name "Bellyache" because he constantly tells you to work harder, it's not good enough. "You won by 50, but why did you let in a try?". Players go to the Storm, lose weight, get faster, stronger more disciplined. He does that not by being nice, he does it by setting standards that are immutable. By all accounts, Bellamy is a great bloke he will do anything to support his players and help them. He is a nice man. But a hard man. A champion coach.

Maybe Barrett's real strength is tactics. He is a league propeller head. A great technician you keep in the backroom to devise the masterplan to beat the opponent. You see great technical people in business all the time, but they can't translate their technical excellence into leadership.

 

[BxTom]

Hmmm. Getting on well with people is a good skill to have but it doesn't make you a good coach. He certainly seems like a nice bloke too and some of the players he coached at Manly speak highly of him.

That said, being too nice can be a drawback as a leader. By "nice" I mean being amiable, easy to get along with and friendly with your staff. I think the hardest part of leadership is the opposite of nice, its knowing when to be tough and setting a standard you won't compromise on. I don't mean discipline. The easy stuff is telling somebody they broke a rule and their behaviour isn't acceptable. Black and white.

The hard part is when they just aren't giving you what the team needs. They maybe a good player and a nice person, but they gave away one too many penalties (hello Trent Merrin), they miss too many tackles, the reasons don't matter. People need the brutal, unvarnished truth communicated clearly and succinctly. Bennett was coaching Shane Webke in the dressing sheds at full time. He looks Webke in the eye and says "How do you think you played?". Webke , who knew he had a bad game, wrote in his book he was crushed. He didn't sleep that night and couldn't wait for the next game to make up for his poor performance. No Youtube video required. Truth inferred by a look and a single sentence.

A good leader will set a standard that stretches the players and for those who won't put the work in, out they go. For those who can't meet the standard because they aren't good enough, out they go. Bellamy got the name "Bellyache" because he constantly tells you to work harder, it's not good enough. "You won by 50, but why did you let in a try?". Players go to the Storm, lose weight, get faster, stronger more disciplined. He does that not by being nice, he does it by setting standards that are immutable. By all accounts, Bellamy is a great bloke he will do anything to support his players and help them. He is a nice man. But a hard man. A champion coach.

Maybe Barrett's real strength is tactics. He is a league propeller head. A great technician you keep in the backroom to devise the masterplan to beat the opponent. You see great technical people in business all the time, but they can't translate their technical excellence into leadership.

Blade said he could lift the spirits of players and discipline them just as well. Blade praised him for his man management, but didn't think a lot of his strategy/coaching skills iirc.

 

[WestyLife]

Sounds familiar

 

[Aliceinwonderland]

Sounds familiar

Fascinating. I wonder how long before Trent becomes 'TIRED' ?

Gould would be a far better administrator if he stopped meddling in the coaching side of things.

If you want to coach.....coach.....If you want to be a suit administer. But this continual picking around the edges, going over the coach is a disaster waiting to happen.

(yes I know the Gould fans will bite me for this, but in my eyes it's the truth. Phil stop meddling.)

 

[Pomoz]

Fascinating. I wonder how long before Trent becomes 'TIRED' ?

Gould would be a far better administrator if he stopped meddling in the coaching side of things.

If you want to coach.....coach.....If you want to be a suit administer. But this continual picking around the edges, going over the coach is a disaster waiting to happen.

(yes I know the Gould fans will bite me for this, but in my eyes it's the truth. Phil stop meddling.)

Yeah, if he keeps meddling like this they could end up coming last. Oh, wait a minute.............

 

[murraymob]

The problem for Gould is his coaching was great in 1990 but the game has changed let’s see how they go this weekend.But all the penrith boys there should be on the phone to Cleary begging to come back

 

[BossleyPanther]

The team was struggling before, so they signed a struggling coach. Anyone watch the series Ted Lasso lol

 

[Iamback]

Sounds familiar

And so it continues...

Does this give Barrett's 12% win record an * now?

 

[Iamback]

The problem for Gould is his coaching was great in 1990 but the game has changed let’s see how they go this weekend.But all the penrith boys there should be on the phone to Cleary begging to come back

I don't rate Barrett as a coach BUT the record stands at 4 wins from 32 games.

He needs to fix it and have total control as a head coach should have

 

[Fangs]

Gus would still be a very good coach. He just doesn't want the baggage that comes with being a head coach. He hasn't been interested in that side of it for 20 years now.

When things go right he can take the praise. When it goes horribly wrong he doesn't get the heat.

 

[Iamback]

Gus would still be a very good coach. He just doesn't want the baggage that comes with being a head coach. He hasn't been interested in that side of it for 20 years now.

When things go right he can take the praise. When it goes horribly wrong he doesn't get the heat.

The post loss pressers would be epic

 

[Aliceinwonderland]

Yeah, if he keeps meddling like this they could end up coming last. Oh, wait a minute.............

It was my older brother who mentioned this 'meddling' to me. I then started to take notice.

It will end in tears before bedtime. For Barrett.

 

[Aliceinwonderland]

Gus would still be a very good coach. He just doesn't want the baggage that comes with being a head coach. He hasn't been interested in that side of it for 20 years now.

When things go right he can take the praise. When it goes horribly wrong he doesn't get the heat.

I agree Fangs.

But in saying that, he seemingly can't help himself sticking his fingers in and playing around.

You know if it come crashing down, Barrett will take the wrap, not Gould.

 

[Iamback]

I can't wait for the Gus worshippers to come in and tell us all that this normal

 

[Aliceinwonderland]

I can't wait for the Gus worshippers to come in and tell us all that this normal

I really liked much of what Gould did here at Penrith.

In saying that I'm NOT blind to his faults. By pointing out these faults it's not being disrespectful either to Gus, and what he achieved at Penrith.

It's called being HONEST.

 

[Iamback]

I really liked much of what Gould did here at Penrith.

In saying that I'm NOT blind to his faults. By pointing out these faults it's not being disrespectful either to Gus, and what he achieved at Penrith.

It's called being HONEST.

I think we all can see the good he did.
A few are blinded by the faults...

interfering in the way the side was run is poor form