Has Bluey lost the team?

[hitman82]

After his "penny has dropped" article, in which Bluey talks about having reached an understanding with his players, they come out and deliver the worst effort of the season to date.

-season on the line
-apparently with a new found understanding with the coach
-at home
-against a Sharks side we should at LEAST compete with

We had EVERYTHING to play for.

How did they manage such a limp effort?

I didn't see glaring game plan or structural issues - well no more than usual for this season.

I saw players not filling the roles they are expected to, both defensively and offensively. There were numerous "uhhh where the f**k was so-and-so" moments when we simply didn't have a runner or a play maker etc where they should have been.

I saw a number of dark glances and verbal arguments between our players, even early in the match, indicating grumpiness and / or frustration within the team.

Friend and Martel looking like they wanted to murder each other, Johnson and Martel arguing, Elijah Taylor apparently crying on the bench...

Was that some kind of "player revolt" against whatever Bluey has said to them / rules he has put in place? I hate to suggest it, but we barely looked like we were trying at times. And even if we were, we seemed massively distracted.

Anyone heard rumours of discontent?

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Yeah, Taylor genuinely looked like he was crying. I know he's been average this year but at least he puts in.

This side has all the hallmarks of one that doesn't respect their coach. And isn't hearing the right things out of him.

Bluey is going to find it very, very hard to keep the dressing room, if he hasn't already lost it. Harsh this early but it looks a reality.

As I said in another thread, there's been countless examples in the past of players not putting in when they know their lack of effort will be camouflaged by a focus on the perceived lack of coaching ability. The Eels are a shining example this year - lose however many straight under Kearney, the assistant coach (who has been around all year) takes over and they suddenly find life.

I can't see anything other than this happening. I don't think this is a knee-jerk, either. We'll get worse, Bluey's honeymoon period will be over and he'll be in the gun.

From the GF, we've fallen to 13th. If the Eels win tonight, we're two wins ahead of bottom. We've been in the eight for a sum total of four rounds this year.

Unfortunately by the time Bluey figures out how to run an NRL side, he won't have one. Maybe.

 

[Juju]

Joe D comments a week or so back had me really really concerned.

Bluey's rhetoric each week does nothing for me and with each soundbite of his I lose a lot of respect for him.
I think it's pretty obvious the team aren't playing for him

 

[Rich102]

Two major concerns for me:
1. The team is playing worse than at the beginning of the season.
2. The body language, and off-field reports, suggest the team & coach are miles apart.

This needs to be rectified immediately if the team are not to rip the club apart, taking years to re-build.

We need action from the CEO. What is wrong and what action is being taken to rectify it. If they want the fans support they owe the same fans an explination.

This won't solve itself. It didn't for Danial Anderson either.

 

[vvvrulz]

Dare I suggest that Inu's departure could have been the turning point? The players clearly weren't too chuffed that he was gone.

 

[Rich102]

Dare I suggest that Inu's departure could have been the turning point? The players clearly weren't too chuffed that he was gone.

Or more importantly how he was treated. Other players who were playing far worse were still getting picked ahead of him. Has a big effect on a team.

 

[JoeD]

Has Bluey lost the team?

i think its pretty obvious yes. The bigger question is, does he have the humility, mana and skill to get them back. Even when we were having bad patches under Cleary the team seemed tight and played for eachother, or at least seemed to hurt when they didn't. None of the players seemed particularly cut up at the post match yesterday.

 

[Meth]

Anyone heard rumours of discontent?

yes

 

[Penrose Warrior]

With the greatest of respect, there's always discontent in losing sides. Nothing too surprising there.

I wouldn't isolate the Inu transfer as the point the discontent came in. We haven't been winning matches or been solid in the eight for the whole year.

 

[hitman82]

With the greatest of respect, there's always discontent in losing sides. Nothing too surprising there.

I wouldn't isolate the Inu transfer as the point the discontent came in. We haven't been winning matches or been solid in the eight for the whole year.

Oh absolutely. In a team which gets flogged by 20-30 every weekend, you expect a lot of blame-casting and back-stabbing between players, and disrespect for the coaching staff etc. But we aren't that team... we are a team who have been PAINFULLY close to beating nearly every team we have played. To suddenly implode like we did yesterday really screams behind-the-scenes issues.

 

[Aragorn]

I think the Eels have transferred their "Voodoo" on to us... good chance we end up losing all four games now.... oh the despair.....

 

[Juju]

I think the Eels have transferred their "Voodoo" on to us... good chance we end up losing all four games now.... oh the despair.....

* Gulp... we lose the next four in a row that means a 8 in a row slump...

OUCH

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Oh absolutely. In a team which gets flogged by 20-30 every weekend, you expect a lot of blame-casting and back-stabbing between players, and disrespect for the coaching staff etc. But we aren't that team... we are a team who have been PAINFULLY close to beating nearly every team we have played. To suddenly implode like we did yesterday really screams behind-the-scenes issues.

You usually can tell a side who play for their coach and are hearing a message they believe in, so I agree.

Take the Knights. They really struggled for a while, but they've found an extra gear of late. That's Bennett. We started averagely, got to the point where our season was on the line and haven't found the composure nor the desire to fight it out. That's Elmer.

 

[Juju]

That's Elmer.

Elmer Mud

 

[Juju]

yes

Spill the beans Meth. Whats the story?

 

[vvvrulz]

There were numerous "uhhh where the f**k was so-and-so" moments when we simply didn't have a runner or a play maker etc where they should have been.

I saw a number of dark glances and verbal arguments between our players, even early in the match, indicating grumpiness and / or frustration within the team.

Friend and Martel looking like they wanted to murder each other, Johnson and Martel arguing, Elijah Taylor apparently crying on the bench...

These are lost school boys with no plan or direction. They need looking after and babysitting, and Bluey isn't doing it, neither is Mannering, Martel or Manu.

 

[what ever]

who's MARTEL???

Don't worry Bluey's got Thomas coming next year!

 

[Fast Eddie]

McClennan lost the team when he selected Ben Henry/Ropati over Inu in round 1. And when he opened his mouth to speak.

 

[vvvrulz]

McClennan lost the team when he selected Ben Henry/Ropati over Inu in round 1. And when he opened his mouth to speak.

This was just the beginning though, we were coming right when we started benching Matulino/Martel/Packer, as a result we dropped 4-5 games we should have won. Instead of turning an average season around we slumped into this horrible place.

Mutulino looked genuinely pissed off that he was just a spectator during the dying minutes of the Manly farce.

 

[Aragorn]

Bluey has lost more than just his hair - he's lost his marbles, oh, and his penny has dropped somewhere...