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Jersey Flegg Coach Willie Talau

G

getsmarty

Immortal
Messages
33,485
Talau named Jersey Flegg coach
Author
Dragons.com.au dragons.com.au
Timestamp
Tue 29 Jan 2019, 03:26 PM

St George Illawarra have named Willie Talau as the Dragons' Jersey Flegg coach for the upcoming 2019 season.

Talau played 277 first grade games across his distinguished 13-season NRL and English Super League career with the Bulldogs, St Helens and Salford.

The dual New Zealand and Samoan international has worked his way through the coaching ranks of the Bulldogs' junior representative for the past four years, which culminated in their SG Ball team qualifying for the grand final in 2018.

Since agreeing to be head coach of the Dragons' Under-20s side – a decision he described as a "no brainer – Talau has ensured his young squad that those who work hard will reap the rewards.

"Rugby league has been my life for a long time. Over the past four years, I've transitioned into coaching. That's another challenge all together but it's been exciting," Talau said.

"My career is full of good experiences that I can draw upon as coach, especially with these young fellas. I've been where they want to go with their careers, and I know where they're at right now.

"When we first started our pre-season it was a clean slate with most of the players untried at the Jersey Flegg level, so I've already made sure to lay down core values.

"One of them was that I reward hard work and that comes through competing every day. It doesn't matter how old are you are, if you're good enough you'll play."

With the Under-20s first trial less than a month away, Talau is excited to see the squad build past another arduous trial.

"This time of year we have been working really hard. The players are being challenged on a daily basis," Talau said. "It comes with the territory this time of year. We have to work hard and build a foundation for the rest of the season."


https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2019/01/29/talau-named-jersey-flegg-coach/
 
Dragonslayer

Dragonslayer

First Grade
Messages
7,697
I like this appointment. Firstly, he's from outside our system, so hopefully injecting some new ideas and methods.
Collins was a good coach but maybe a little too soft and more focused on the development rather than the win. The fact that I finished eighth in a field of 12 said a lot for that. There are and were some very talented players in that Squad but I don't think they reached the aggressive potential that they should have and that's maybe the reason why he was let go.
Willie seems to have more of an aggressive approach and one where hard work will pay off not just the name. I hope that we see a young boys reaching Greater Heights this year
 
George Dragon

George Dragon

Juniors
Messages
1,985
Dragonslayer said:
I like this appointment. Firstly, he's from outside our system, so hopefully injecting some new ideas and methods.
Collins was a good coach but maybe a little too soft and more focused on the development rather than the win. The fact that I finished eighth in a field of 12 said a lot for that. There are and were some very talented players in that Squad but I don't think they reached the aggressive potential that they should have and that's maybe the reason why he was let go.
Willie seems to have more of an aggressive approach and one where hard work will pay off not just the name. I hope that we see a young boys reaching Greater Heights this year
Click to expand...
Spot on
Maybe his boys will end up at the Dragons too.
 
W

watatank

Coach
Messages
14,006
Dragonslayer said:
I like this appointment. Firstly, he's from outside our system, so hopefully injecting some new ideas and methods.
Collins was a good coach but maybe a little too soft and more focused on the development rather than the win. The fact that I finished eighth in a field of 12 said a lot for that. There are and were some very talented players in that Squad but I don't think they reached the aggressive potential that they should have and that's maybe the reason why he was let go.
Willie seems to have more of an aggressive approach and one where hard work will pay off not just the name. I hope that we see a young boys reaching Greater Heights this year
Click to expand...

What do you mean by development rather than the win? Isn't the U20s level about development?
 
Dragonslayer

Dragonslayer

First Grade
Messages
7,697
watatank said:
What do you mean by development rather than the win? Isn't the U20s level about development?
Click to expand...

Oc xourse, but if you watched some oc their games, thete was little fanes planning, defense was horrid to say the least, and every young lad and his dog got a start, very little time to form combinations and plan attacking moves.
If is also evident by who was promoted to the ISP squad this year, only a few by the looks of it.
By my reckoning Wayne would be a great HG Ball or Harold M coach, but with JF, who are featured on TV as well, need to show more than developing skills, they need to show they gave the mental toughness to win games and play to a plan, not just catch and pass.
 
W

watatank

Coach
Messages
14,006
Dragonslayer said:
Oc xourse, but if you watched some oc their games, thete was little fanes planning, defense was horrid to say the least, and every young lad and his dog got a start, very little time to form combinations and plan attacking moves.
If is also evident by who was promoted to the ISP squad this year, only a few by the looks of it.
By my reckoning Wayne would be a great HG Ball or Harold M coach, but with JF, who are featured on TV as well, need to show more than developing skills, they need to show they gave the mental toughness to win games and play to a plan, not just catch and pass.
Click to expand...

Obviously you have seen a lot more U20s than myself but wouldn't a lot of that have to do with their best players bypassing the U20s?

Last year Lomax, Ford, Robson, Lovodua, Sailor, Marsters, Sauni-Esau were all eligible for U20s and played ISP or NRL. Hard to develop strong squads when the best players aren't available or moving between grades.

This year Sauni-Esau, Lomax and Marsters are still eligible for U20s and only one of them will probably play U20s. Blacker and Saab will also be eligible (who haven't been there before). How involved will they be with the U20s? Time will tell.
 
blacksafake

blacksafake

First Grade
Messages
8,991
Hope his attitude rubs off on the kids.
Was a very good player who ran superb lines in attack. Maybe L Plate can use him to show some how to run those lines?
 
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