Knightsrebuild - time to do something.

[perverse]

We will not be a good team until Houston is gone

I don't think it would overly shock me if he was captain next year.

 

[Frederick]

If he's named captain then I'm not renewing my membership. Simple as that

 

[Joker's Wild]

We will not be a good team until Houston is gone

Obvs some need to move on but even with him in the team they have showed they can get the job done.

Every team has plodders. Good teams just minimise their plod and maximise their limited abilities

 

[ryana87]

If he's named captain then I'm not renewing my membership. Simple as that

Well, he does sit in on press conferences when gidley is injured

 

[Nuffy]

Here is my thoughts

Our stated aim is to deliver meaningful change to the Newcastle Knights NRL team.

We believe that the club should as a minimum;
• Have a competitive team that makes the 8 every year.
• Ensure we comply with the founding ethos of the club – be the player others want to play with and sign players with plenty of tomorrows.
• Have the best juniors and junior team structures, irrespective of their origins.
• Consider active engagement with the Central Coast as the next evolution of the NRL team.

Success should be what we are judged on, making up the numbers isn’t a measure of success. The NRL is performance based and we aren’t performing and haven’t really for a decade.

We don’t accept that there are any limitations on the club, we should aim to be the best franchise in the NRL and then work towards being the best sporting franchise in Australia.

Some of the most passionate Novocastrians and greatest Knights weren’t born or raised in the Hunter, never limit our options to “Newcastle only”, the best possible should always be the primary criteria.

We’ve had a decade of mediocrity and the greatest coach of the modern era couldn’t turn the club around, there is something fundamentally wrong with the club so it’s time for a complete change in direction and to overhaul, change or eliminate much of what we have been doing for the past decade because it’s not working.

Its time for new blood, new ideas and new intent within the club.

Its time for a complete change.

We call on the board to proactively address this problem, engage with stakeholders both in and outside of the club and give the fans and the region a team that we can be proud of.

Much was said about the board and clubs intent after the Tinkler reign, we have seen very little improvement and 2015 goes from bad to worse. It is hard to see what the strategy is for 2016 with a weakened roster and same structure in place.

Does the board genuinely believe the club is in good shape?

It is foolish to believe that fans and season ticket holders will continue to patronise the club if they are subjected to years more of substandard performances.

A successful team is the only way crowds, sponsors and supporters will come back.

To do nothing now will ultimately condemn the Knights to a slow and inevitable demise.

 

[Rod]

First off, I totally agree with the general idea of what you guys are saying, and I think we can all agree that the mediocrity has gone on long enough and something has to change.

However I think demanding that we make the eight every year is one of those specific things that is kind of shallow and doesn't really address the underlying problems. The thing is, everyone wants to be successful and their team to make the top eight but the reality of the situation is that there are 16 teams and therefore every year 8 teams are going to miss out.

Furthermore, we could be sneaking into the eight (and have done so every second year for the last 6 seasons) without solving these root problems that we know exist.

Sorry if that sounds like a pedantic criticism but as was alluded to earlier in the thread with the sackstone/sackgidley stuff, I just think it's more beneficial to stick to ideas that address root problems rather than make specific demands for sackings or success. And to be fair to you Nuffy your post above is largely on the mark in that respect.

Personally I think one of the clubs main goals should be to strive for a balance between respecting the history and legacy of the club while at the same time existing as a modern entity and moving with the times as the game evolves. It might sound easier said than done but it's far from impossible:

- Acknowledge the importance of a strong junior system and support it throughly
- At the same time don't become so insular that we fail to recognise that there are quality players outside the region (and always have been) for our club. Tony Butterfield, Ben Kennedy, Beau Scott, Dane Gagai, many others I can't think of off the top of my head, anyone can become a valued Newcastle Knight if they play hard and with the values the club expects, no matter where they originally come from.
- Be a professional club from the ground up. No one gets a job just because they're from Newcastle. Everyone earns their position and performs that position to the expected professional standard.

It doesn't have to be one way or the other, the old way against the new.

 

[Nuffy]

Rod, I get where you are coming from but a statement like making the top eight every year, builds intent and expectations within the club, the players and new recruits.

Right now we accept being in the NRL is an achievement and there seems to be no intent to push beyond that and be the best franchise within the NRL.

Until we aim high, we won't succeed.

 

[Burwood]

I've always considered myself an optimist- probably too optimistic sometimes. Every season I think that at least next season things will improve- a new coach is coming in, we have recruited players x, y and z, dramas like Wicks, Packer, Tinkler and McKinnon won't be a distraction for players, our key players will return from injury etc. This year is the first time that I can remember where I haven't got something to look forward to.

A couple of ideas on comments made in the thread already:

I'd be absolutely amazed if it wasn't already the intent that the club wished to make the top 8 each year. But without the structures and personnel in place to make it happen, it just becomes a very hollow statement. Every recruit or resigning that we make talks about liking the direction that the club is heading, but that is all it ever amounts to- talk.

I get the feeling that the board have to be the ones to drive change from above. They are a bunch of very successful and intelligent people- people smart enough to realise that being a local isn't enough to get you a position as CEO/on the coaching staff if you aren't the most qualified person available. They need to look into Midley and work out if he is the most qualified person to be running the club. If he isn't, then he needs to be moved on and bring in someone who can do the job without feeling like they are obligated to do things a certain way because "that's what we do in Newcastle". And only after that person is found should we be looking at a new coach.

Stone is a problem, but he is a problem caused by those in charge of the club. The club goes through a cycle every 3-5 years and nothing changes. First we hire a local coach who understands the players and the town (Hagan, Stone x2) and then when they run the team into the ground we bring in a tough outsider to make the changes needed (Smith, Bennett). That coach becomes frustrated at either the playing group or lack of support from the board/CEO and then gets replaced by another local coach. Rinse and repeat.

It is crazy that we even need to talk about getting players from outside of Newcastle into the club. We should be in a position where we have so many quality juniors (juniors ready to make the step up to NRL level, not just dominate in the junior system and then never fulfill their potential) coming out of our arse that we don't even need to look outside of the club except for a couple of astute signings. To plug the gaps. How did we ever get to the situation where we need to look for 2-3 key signings in our spine just to be competitive, let alone a serious contender??

 

[The Showstopper]

Board should tell Gidley and Hagan what their parameters are unless they are met a big please explain is on the way. I am happy to give Haged and Gids a second go but they must sack Stone or otherwise move players on and bring in ones who will make us competitive. Bennett did it. Smith did it. But no that is not the Newcastle way. Cough Cough. A town stuck in last century both culturally and economically . Waiting for Coal prices to go up. Highly unlikely especially with the green energy push.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Board should tell Gidley and Hagan what their parameters are unless they are met a big please explain is on the way. I am happy to give Haged and Gids a second go but they must sack Stone or otherwise move players on and bring in ones who will make us competitive. Bennett did it. Smith did it. But no that is not the Newcastle way. Cough Cough. A town stuck in last century both culturally and economically . Waiting for Coal prices to go up. Highly unlikely especially with the green energy push.

I reckon it would do a whole lot more good to ditch Hagan, replace him with someone remotely competent and keep RStone around to be the public face of everything...

Stone is probably still loved by most of the fanbase and , given a few good wins, he'll probably have the rest of us back onside soon as well (we RL fans dont seem to have long memories). He represents the "local boy" image that everyone has been howling for over the last few years, yet he doesnt necessarily need to be in control of the team to maintain this position.

(Honestly, i reckon this is where the Head Coach position is heading everywhere; the public face and voice that cops the weekly highs and lows, but not the brains that guides the multi-year development)

 

[Burwood]

(Honestly, i reckon this is where the Head Coach position is heading everywhere; the public face and voice that cops the weekly highs and lows, but not the brains that guides the multi-year development)

That basically sounds like Meninga being the QLD coach. Ironically, Hagan is one of the guys behind the scenes as the assistant coach credited for developing the game plans etc. :crazy:

 

[macavity]

Stone has all the charisma of a rock.

 

[TooheysNew]

Stone has all the charisma of a rock.

Hardly.

 

[Jobdog]

Rick Stone’s loyalty to Newcastle should be returned by Knights supporters

By Barry Toohey

HIGH profile Newcastle board member John Quayle claims embattled Knights coach Rick Stone has been extremely loyal to Newcastle and disgruntled supporters should now be returning the favour.

After an unbeaten opening month of the premiership, Stone has come under increasing pressure after a disastrous slide down the premiership ladder that has left the Knights in 14th spot with just one win from their past nine games.

But while he understands the frustration of fans, Quayle says Stone remains an integral part of the rebuilding process of the club, declaring his two year coaching contract is not under any threat.

“The entire football department has been locked in for two years and that is not going to change,” Quayle said.

“It hasn’t even been spoken about.

“Every fan wants a successful football team and I can understand that. That is what we are attempting to build here but after what this club has been through, it is going to take time and the priority right now is making sure we get the restructure and the foundations right.

“Yes, we’d all love a better performance on the field but at the moment, it is not happening for us for a variety of reasons.

“But Newcastle wanted its club back and they wanted Rick Stone as their coach. He has been very loyal to Newcastle over the years so Newcastle should be very loyal to Rick.

“He got the team to the finals the last time he was in charge before he was terminated and is a big part of the overall plan to get the club back on its feet and back as a premiership force again.

“That hasn’t changed.”

Quayle admitted the club, whose finances are being underwritten by the NRL for the next three years, would not be a major player on the recruitment front because of the emphasis on developing their own junior talent.

“In the last three years (under former owner Nathan Tinkler), we lost $15 million trying to win a premiership,” he said.

“We don’t have the money now. We are now about developing young players and keeping them here long term.

“Our research told us Newcastle doesn’t want us going out and bringing players in from everywhere. They want us to develop our own from our own backyard. That takes time.

“Our fans need to recognise that and look at the long term benefits of the strategies that are being put in place.”

LINK

Oh dear god. The place really is broken.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

That basically sounds like Meninga being the QLD coach. Ironically, Hagan is one of the guys behind the scenes as the assistant coach credited for developing the game plans etc. :crazy:

EXACTLY!!!

He get the credit or takes the blame, he can be moved on easily and his is the name that will live on in history.
Meanwhile, the rest live in total obscurity but at least have job security and only need to answer to the people close enough to know if theyre really doing a good job.

As for the "Hags being the mastermind of the QLD dynasty", yep thats always stumped me.....

 

[Jobdog]

"We don't have the money now".

Are they fair dinkum? They're losing Beau Scott, Kurt Gidley, Joey Leilua and a few others, but they don't have the money? What's it being spent on?

 

[macavity]

Hardly.

You must have seen something we haven't then. He certainly comes across in pressers and public speaking engagements (and speaking casually) as very lacking in charisma.

Not saying charisma has anything to with technical coaching ability, but it does have something to do with recruitment and motivation.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Research shows that we don't want outside players. Righto then...

I wonder who the subjects of this 'research' are, I'll take a guess and say the nannas, the gidleys, rick stone and Michael hagan.

I f**king hate this club.

Add another name to the pile of people we don't want. #derailquale

 

[Nuffy]

You must have seen something we haven't then. He certainly comes across in pressers and public speaking engagements (and speaking casually) as very lacking in charisma.

Not saying charisma has anything to with technical coaching ability, but it does have something to do with recruitment and motivation.

And not able to think on his feet, he always has notes at the after match presser, which he refers to, notice he looks down at them a lot.

Media training runs at about 2000 grand a day, invest in some.

 

[Nuffy]

LINK

Oh dear god. The place really is broken.

This article more than anything shows that the club is finished as a force, we'll make up the numbers or fade away and be replaced by a new CC / Hunter team.

Does Quayle actually know that we haven't produced a decent crop of juniors for a decade and thats why we are in this situation?

We are done...................