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Have any players improved under MacGregor?

Messages
2,503
I new the intent but thought the answer was obvious so decided to be a bit naughty
Kind of figured that. But look, it was intended to be a legitimate question. There have been many threads criticising Benji/Widdop/JDB/Rein etc. There have been many threads criticising Mary - never drops anyone/never promotes juniors/poor use of interchange etc etc. But I hadn't seen anything specifically looking at player development and to me its the most damning statement you can make about a coach, that no-one (or hardly anyone) has improved under his coaching. I'm pleased and yet disappointed that most people agree.
 

Sigurd

Juniors
Messages
433
Kind of figured that. But look, it was intended to be a legitimate question. There have been many threads criticising Benji/Widdop/JDB/Rein etc. There have been many threads criticising Mary - never drops anyone/never promotes juniors/poor use of interchange etc etc. But I hadn't seen anything specifically looking at player development and to me its the most damning statement you can make about a coach, that no-one (or hardly anyone) has improved under his coaching. I'm pleased and yet disappointed that most people agree.

Hard to say because before McGregor was supercoach Price. Marshall was always past his best. Widdop never showed he was better than average at Melbourne, Rein probably could have been good. Could have had some playmaking ability trained into him. Dugan's ball playing could have gotten better as opposed to seemingly gotten worse. JDB and Friz would almost certainly be better if they hadn't been coached most of their careers by a pair of idiots. Nightingale is in the same boat as Marshall. Brett Morris was let go one year too early but he was atrocious tonight. That made me feel a lot better.
 

Old Timer

Coach
Messages
17,977
Kind of figured that. But look, it was intended to be a legitimate question. There have been many threads criticising Benji/Widdop/JDB/Rein etc. There have been many threads criticising Mary - never drops anyone/never promotes juniors/poor use of interchange etc etc. But I hadn't seen anything specifically looking at player development and to me its the most damning statement you can make about a coach, that no-one (or hardly anyone) has improved under his coaching. I'm pleased and yet disappointed that most people agree.
A couple of scenarios here I think.

1. Some of our players are probably at the absolute limit of their ability and the only thing Mary could teach them is composure,the right way and when to execute things and we know that has been a dismal failure.

2. Players on the rise need to have certain fundamental elements in their development i.e. learning skills, learning good structures in attack and defence and actually have some fun.

Well we have no one capable of teaching anyone anything, we have no good structures and none of our players look like they are having any fun other than the overwhelming sense of relief when we do score a try.

It was interesting to see what Benji said after he was dropped in that he
would spend some time with Hutch.

How is it that that, has not been happening as party of normal development especially when Benji was out injured?

These are sad indictments of our coaching and the reasons why no one gets better.
 

Sheridan Stand

Juniors
Messages
427
A couple of scenarios here I think.

1. Some of our players are probably at the absolute limit of their ability and the only thing Mary could teach them is composure,the right way and when to execute things and we know that has been a dismal failure.

2. Players on the rise need to have certain fundamental elements in their development i.e. learning skills, learning good structures in attack and defence and actually have some fun.

Well we have no one capable of teaching anyone anything, we have no good structures and none of our players look like they are having any fun other than the overwhelming sense of relief when we do score a try.

It was interesting to see what Benji said after he was dropped in that he
would spend some time with Hutch.

How is it that that, has not been happening as party of normal development especially when Benji was out injured?

These are sad indictments of our coaching and the reasons why no one gets better.

Doust has improved under McGregor as an incompetent leader who delivers dumb press statements to try and stop fans from building for the change that is needed. I think Doust and McGregor believe each other's B&::&hit.

Imagine their meeting: "Hi Peter I'm going to blame kicks and NRL Schedule for today's 48 point loss". "Great idea Paul and tomorrow I will send out a press release blaming global warming and the US economy for our recruitment failures". "Okay next agenda item, Paul you want a crownie"?
 

foyzey

Juniors
Messages
2
Jake Marketo has gone from a Queensland Cup level player to an NRL regular under McGregor. Quite a transformation!
Marketo is too small and doesn't possess the skill set required for nrl. He has heart but in reality he should be plying his trade in the carlton league.
 

Saint_JimmyG

First Grade
Messages
5,067
Is this a rhetorical question?

The answer is an emphatic "NO"!

Euan Aitken seemed to initially go from "leaps and bounds", but has significantly plateaued as the season's progressed.
 
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