Hook’s Days Numbered?

[Gareth67]

If Holt comes back can he coach ?

Well I am not too sure about that Illusion , according to the media he was either digested by a very large white-pointer shark or he was picked-up by a Russian submarine - either way the poor sod would be in no condition to coach a rugby league team .

 

[BBTB]

In an interview not that long ago, when he was asked, Hook basically said that he does not have the team he wants. It's common knowledge that there are some legacy players he still wants to move on and has filled a number of positions with very short contracts which would tend to make you think he hasn't finished recruiting.

I agree with the press conferences, get some starch into them and show some passion. I am not so upset if he acknowledges the other team played well but dont sugar coat SGI playing badly. Also, when we have been done over by the refs or copped unreasonable sin bins speak up, dont just turn the other cheek.

Hooks just doing what he is told. Bargain basement players, juniors you don't have to pay much. And a cheapassed Coach.

 

[Inisai Toga]

The thing is though, criticising players and getting stuck into them might also have an adverse effect on them. But I'm all for it when they are not all putting in. Hook needs to try it some time and start barking out instructions like Sergeant Ricky.

Doesn’t seem to be working though DD…

 

[Dragon David]

Doesn’t seem to be working though DD…

It must be a policy of the Dragons for coaches to not be too harsh and criticise the players and the officials blowing the whistle in post game interviews from way back. Just take things on the chin and let sleeping dogs lie. Most of our coaches get more cross with the people doing the interviewing than about the players and the refs with some of the useless questions they ask.

 

[justadragon]

Doesn’t seem to be working though DD…

works for bellamy....

 

[Inisai Toga]

works for bellamy....

I know, the bloke who sits in the box with him looks petrified!

 

[Crush]

Let’s say for arguments sake that the current spine of Mbye, Bird, Hunt, McCulloch is serviceable, average, solid. Whats the actual long term goal of that spine? The ceiling is so low, they are never going to compete with teams in the finals.
Look at the fullbacks running around at the top of the ladder, Paps, Latrell, Tedy, Gutho….
How do we compete with Mbye?

Id rather come 14th with Sloan at fullback learning, developing, making mistakes than finishing 10th with Mbye then next year being back to square one.

 

[Dragon David]

Let’s say for arguments sake that the current spine of Mbye, Bird, Hunt, McCulloch is serviceable, average, solid. Whats the actual long term goal of that spine? The ceiling is so low, they are never going to compete with teams in the finals.
Look at the fullbacks running around at the top of the ladder, Paps, Latrell, Tedy, Gutho….
How do we compete with Mbye?

Id rather come 14th with Sloan at fullback learning, developing, making mistakes than finishing 10th with Mbye then next year being back to square one.

Surely Hook didn't lure Mbye to the Dragons to play fullback? Surely, if Sloan needs more time they would have had a back up in mind who would be the fullback - not Mbye. I don't dislike Mbye. He is the bench player and relief for injuries, not taking over from someone else because they need to give him more time to grow into a "man" and develop and for how long - another year?. I'm thinking that Ramsey would have been the fullback if he was fit?

Souths lost Mitchell and they can replace him wth Taaffe or Alex Johnson. Turbo is injured and they can put in Garrick. It goes on and we put in Mbye. We must have another specialist fullback in our squad!

 

[Crush]

Surely Hook didn't lure Mbye to the Dragons to play fullback? Surely, if Sloan needs more time they would have had a back up in mind who would be the fullback - not Mbye. I don't dislike Mbye. He is the bench player and relief for injuries, not taking over from someone else because they need to give him more time to grow into a "man" and develop and for how long - another year?. I'm thinking that Ramsey would have been the fullback if he was fit?

Souths lost Mitchell and they can replace him wth Taaffe or Alex Johnson. Turbo is injured and they can put in Garrick. It goes on and we put in Mbye. We must have another specialist fullback in our squad!

I reckon Hook recruited Mbye to play fullback, 100%.
Also, I was told way back in January that Bird would play 6.
Here we are, Mbye, Bird, Hunt, McCulloch.
The kids will get the odd game but that’s Hooks spine, the one he wanted, the one he’s got.

 

[Mojo]

Kristian Woolf? Just tossing up a name for the sake of the discussion. Seems like a guy who could make his mark as an NRL Head Coach.

 

[justadragon]

Hey guys. I've got news for you. We don't know Jack Sh.t as to what is going to happen to Mr Hook. We can speculate for all of this year, win. lose or draw and end up from 9th to 16th and all we know at this stage of the competition is that Mr Hook has signed for 2023 irrespective of the outcome of how we end up in 2022.

The Dragons don't like to pay out someone that they have made a commitment to. Even with the problems we had with Mr Mary, they waited towards the end of 2020 to let him know that his further services were not required.

I'm going to speculate that it will be in late 2023 that Mr Hook will be told about where he can go with his coaching manuals.

agree totally and nor have we heard from our ceo

 

[I'm Hornby]

I love watching Ricky Stuart fume in a press conference, love it when they lose.
However after watching Hook in pressers of late I am starting to respect the way Ricky talks.
His team blew a 12 point lead and he was scathing. He criticised his players and said individuals weren’t putting in. Didn’t praise the cowboys, didn’t talk about any positives, in the end just stood up and walked out.

So by your logic here you'd be okay with your boss berating you and your colleagues performance in public?

Rugby league players are human beings too, there are ways to deliver feedback and crying foul to journalists isn't the way to do it. On the reverse you don't see players going to the media criticising the coach's ability either do you?

If you like this in press conferences maybe go back and watch Dean Young's pressers from his time as caretaker coach.

 

[I'm Hornby]

I reckon Hook recruited Mbye to play fullback, 100%.
Also, I was told way back in January that Bird would play 6.
Here we are, Mbye, Bird, Hunt, McCulloch.
The kids will get the odd game but that’s Hooks spine, the one he wanted, the one he’s got.

"I reckon"
"I was told"

Can we keep the Inuendo to a minimum mate?

 

[FlameThrower]

If I recall correctly, last time the coaching job was advertised we only had 3 applicants, Hook, Deano and David Furner. Hook was the pick of them. If we advertise again, we won't get anyone better. We might even get McGregor or Price back. No one of quality wants to come to our club. The responsibility for this rests with the Board. They need to work out how to turn perceptions around and to operate the club as a professional organization. Otherwise it will be many more years of crud.

The Club is stuck in the 60’s , League’s Club stuck in 80’s and we are stuck in the middle.

 

[Rod Coil]

Working out OK for Sharks

Personally 5 games is way to short to conclude on his coaching ability for me.

 

[FlameThrower]

If dragons do move on hook I believe they will look in the UK for replacement either Christian Wolfe or Shaun Wane.. I think they will go outside the square next time around.. as will re recruitment

After an extensive international and national sweep of candidates, the Dragons are pleased to announce that Joe Bloggs the former assistant coach of the Dapto Canaries, as our new coach…

 

[justadragon]

So by your logic here you'd be okay with your boss berating you and your colleagues performance in public?

Rugby league players are human beings too, there are ways to deliver feedback and crying foul to journalists isn't the way to do it. On the reverse you don't see players going to the media criticising the coach's ability either do you?

If you like this in press conferences maybe go back and watch Dean Young's pressers from his time as caretaker coach.

i'd like to point out that under griffin or youngs coaching the teams performance was and is still abysmal, and need i say embarrassing, having a coach berate your performance during a press conference is ok by me because his ability as a coach is also being questioned in the same conference. because the dragons are a public entity they are also open to public scrutiny and criticism from members supporters and any member of the public , as long as its not personal, derogatory or brings their family into it.

 

[justadragon]

I agree 50%, Mojo - I would rather do 50 laps of Scum Park, naked but for a pair of white adidas footy boots stuffed with broken glass, in a hailstorm, than have Smith anywhere near the coaching job at the Dragons. The Alex McKinnon tackle, and his subsequent reaction to it, would be reason enough - regardless of all the other reasons not to want him in the coaching role ie lack of experience, being a total tool.
But big No to Ciraldo - no to any more first-timers or rookie coaches. Either we find a way to clone Harry Bath or we throw everything but the kitchen sink at Bellamy to get him in.

bellamy was my first choice but apparently he is contracted to melbourne

 

[twinkletoes]

The Dragons seem to be the only club that are too scared to include younger players in first grade. Dylan Brown is 21 and been playing 3 seasons in first grade. Taylan May is 20. Sam Walker 19 in second year. Reece Walsh 19 second year. jasonn Saab 21 in second season. Will Penisini 19...the list goes on and on. This attitude of having to protect young players by keeping them in lower grades eventually leads to those young players being offered first grade positions at other clubs and leaving. This is particularly the case when the players replacing them in first grade are tired, old plodders who are generally rejects from other clubs. The pathways and coaching in our lower grades are so poor that we are actually stunting their development and motivation by playing them there. The great coaches have never been afraid to throw young players into the mix when required. Sloan is a better fullback than Mybye..even now. Amone a better five eight than Bird. Supporters were very excited at the start of the season with the prospect of Sloan, Amone and Budd playing together in first grade, even though we knew there would be bumps along the road. We are now disillusioned with dads army blocking the pathways of these exciting young players...

 

[Dragon David]

The Dragons seem to be the only club that are too scared to include younger players in first grade. Dylan Brown is 21 and been playing 3 seasons in first grade. Taylan May is 20. Sam Walker 19 in second year. Reece Walsh 19 second year. jasonn Saab 21 in second season. Will Penisini 19...the list goes on and on. This attitude of having to protect young players by keeping them in lower grades eventually leads to those young players being offered first grade positions at other clubs and leaving. This is particularly the case when the players replacing them in first grade are tired, old plodders who are generally rejects from other clubs. The pathways and coaching in our lower grades are so poor that we are actually stunting their development and motivation by playing them there. The great coaches have never been afraid to throw young players into the mix when required. Sloan is a better fullback than Mybye..even now. Amone a better five eight than Bird. Supporters were very excited at the start of the season with the prospect of Sloan, Amone and Budd playing together in first grade, even though we knew there would be bumps along the road. We are now disillusioned with dads army blocking the pathways of these exciting young players...

The question is, where do we go from here? I think that Hook has got to take the shackles off the young ones and let them play in first grade not only for their experience but to learn and become more adept in their combinations. This way, we will all be able to see if they are the real deal and can cut it for the years to come. Just let them do their thing but at the same time, fine tune them to be better - if they can do this that is. Maybe our coaches can't do anything with them and that could be where the problems lie.

Penrith have brought up their young ones really well because their coaching staff have the ability to coach and the confidence that their players have attained shows in the results. A well drilled team with several great players in the right positions.