Let's Make It Happen

[Rolla]

Who would come to the Knights if we are the sort of club who sacks coaches without giving them a chance?

So far i'm not Stone's biggest fan, but he should have the rest of the season to show us he can develop his own style IMO.

It isn't easy taking over from Smith. Smith has a very set role for each player, and i think Stone has a more 'holistic' approach - if that makes sense.

A lot of players are still adjusting, but I thought i could see some definate teamwork in a very different style to Smith's happening in the last game.

I liked seeing the play where there were a lot of bodies in motion, a switch then a second phase play that the commentators likened to an early 90's canberra play. the execution wasnt quite there but it looked dangerous and was very deliberate. Shows that we are trying things to pose more of a threat close to the line.... promising.

 

[Johns Magic]

Way too early for this thread. And even if we do go badly all year it wouldn't necessarily justify your argument.

 

[The_Joey_Show]

Agree with the majority... way way way way way too early to sharpen the guillotine.

 

[perverse]

Way too early for this thread. And even if we do go badly all year it wouldn't necessarily justify your argument.

i think this is incredibly poignant. there are simply too many variables at the moment to know that our performances are stones fault. when we have a squad that is right up to the salary cap and there are no drug dealing allegations ripping through the club we will know a bit more about what stone can offer.

my initial impression of stone is that he may not be up to this level... but as i've said in the past his pedigree and reputation in lower levels of coaching are exemplary. either way, it's just way too early to have a meaningful conversaiton on the topic.

 

[Alex28]

Fair enough. We'll see how we go on the field this year and how our recruitment goes for 2011 and see if we are lamenting missing Maguire and Potter as coach or not...

For the record whilst I'm not convinced on Stone and I made it pretty clear here that picking him over Kearney or Maguire last year was a dumb decision (pretty handy to have an ex-Storm coach now with the players coming up that they will have to cull), it would be a hard decision to get rid of a guy after a dozen or so games in charge.

 

[knights girl]

I don't think stone is satan...i just don't think he is up to a 1st grade standard coach....his coaching and coaching staff leaves alot to be desired......

 

[perverse]

Fair enough. We'll see how we go on the field this year and how our recruitment goes for 2011 and see if we are lamenting missing Maguire and Potter as coach or not...

For the record whilst I'm not convinced on Stone and I made it pretty clear here that picking him over Kearney or Maguire last year was a dumb decision (pretty handy to have an ex-Storm coach now with the players coming up that they will have to cull), it would be a hard decision to get rid of a guy after a dozen or so games in charge.

the difference being, of course, that if kearney or maguire were coach at the moment and in the same position you'd probably be trying to cut them some slack instead of trying to pick his replacement already, purely based off... well... purely based off nothing really. if you don't agree with me and you think your integrity is solid and you would be deathriding them too, then you really need to wake up to yourself... because 2 months does not a poor coach make.

i think theres probably only 2 or 3 coaches in the game that could be doing much better with what we currently have - and what we currently have is a squad massively down on confidence and morale, and an incomplete squad at that. yes, smith was able to do more with them last year, but smith didn't have the drama of the players previous coach abandoning them (someone they believed in, someone they trusted)... and he didn't have the drug scandel either.

i'd like to point out at this time that, due to melbournes indiscretions, we are only 2 points outside the top 8 at the moment. in spite of our horrible first 8 rounds, there's no genuine reason we can't still turn it around and be competitive this year. once again, the premiership is off the table this year, but i still see hope for a decent year.

hope is not to be confused with expectation, though.

 

[macavity]

I don't think stone is satan...i just don't think he is up to a 1st grade standard coach....his coaching and coaching staff leaves alot to be desired......

great - how about you put that in your sig, and not actually post it from now on, because I don't think I have seen you post anything aside from a Stone bash.

 

[Serc]

We're also 2 points away from equal 6th for the record!

 

[Rusty]

Yes please!

 

[otori]

Matt Hilder's haircut is absolutely filthy. Unless he's got a role in an Australian remake of Taxi Driver, shave that fugly thing off.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

I don't think stone is satan...i just don't think he is up to a 1st grade standard coach....his coaching and coaching staff leaves alot to be desired......

Of course he isn't. That was hagan.

 

[Alex28]

if you don't agree with me and you think your integrity is solid and you would be deathriding them too, then you really need to wake up to yourself.

Pretty high opinion of yourself mate.

All I am doing is putting a hypothetical situation out there - we have the prospects of a very good, highly regarded coach coming on to the market, and we have a coach not getting the results, not having a great deal of success in recruiting and not improving our reputation. I put the idea out there that if the club detrermined that if Stone wasn't doing the job to the level expected maybe the club should consider making a move on someone like Potter.

I'm not deathriding Stone. I'm more concerned about how long it will take us to win another premiership. I can't see us doing it with Stone in charge, with the players we have now, with the lack of quality juniors coming through and the quality in recruiting that we are achieving. If we need to make a bold, hard move to take a step towards success, then so be it.

My opinion differs to yours, but I'm hardly telling you to wake up to yourself because of it. No need to be a tool because someone dares to disagree with you...

 

[Serc]

Dunno about the juniors, I think we made the finals in Mathews and Ball recently, and finally our NYC team is starting to come along too.

 

[perverse]

Pretty high opinion of yourself mate.

All I am doing is putting a hypothetical situation out there - we have the prospects of a very good, highly regarded coach coming on to the market, and we have a coach not getting the results, not having a great deal of success in recruiting and not improving our reputation. I put the idea out there that if the club detrermined that if Stone wasn't doing the job to the level expected maybe the club should consider making a move on someone like Potter.

I'm not deathriding Stone. I'm more concerned about how long it will take us to win another premiership. I can't see us doing it with Stone in charge, with the players we have now, with the lack of quality juniors coming through and the quality in recruiting that we are achieving. If we need to make a bold, hard move to take a step towards success, then so be it.

My opinion differs to yours, but I'm hardly telling you to wake up to yourself because of it. No need to be a tool because someone dares to disagree with you...

it's got nothing to do with my high opinion of myself, you would either be criticising those coaches in the same position as stone right now (which i strongly doubt, because as you said you were blowing their trumpet before stone was appointed), or you wouldn't be.

if you would be - then you need to wake up and realise that success wont happen at our club in the blink of an eye, regardless of coach.

if you wouldn't be - then you're a hypocrite. early season standards for some, but not for others.

so, without further misdirection, which is it? if Steve Kearney was our coach right now, and had a record of 3 - 5 to start this season given all the drama that has happened to the club in the past 6-12 months... would you or would you not be suggesting replacements for him?

furthermore, how many wins would stone have to have on the board at this stage of the season for him to get your tick of approval, given the turmoil our club has been in? lots of analysts would have considered avoiding the spoon (or 15th place.. for arguments sake) to be a job well done this year!

our problems on the park this year have been just as much, if not more the fault of the players than anyone else involved at our club. i'm not willing to write stone off until it's proven that his influence on the team is a negative one. at this stage we don't have anywhere near enough information, and it's debatable whether a disappointing year by the end of it would even confirm that he's a poor coach.

 

[perverse]

Dunno about the juniors, I think we made the finals in Mathews and Ball recently, and finally our NYC team is starting to come along too.

that we did, and that it is. i wouldn't say the NYC team is a team of world beaters, but it's come a long way since last year.

 

[Spot On]

Stone's got to be given at least a season you would think. What concerns me is that we don't seem to have anyone, I mean anyone, coming through with the ability to play first grade in any position. Now, is it that the coaching staff are reluctant to use or trial or blood anyone or are the NYC players just plain sh*t? Where are the next crop and how far away are they from seeing some game time and applying pressure to the top squad?

 

[Serc]

How many 19 or 18 year olds play firstgrade that aren't either great talents at a minimum (eg Mullen) or superstars (eg Inglis) ?

By the way I hear our NYC captain, Ethan Cook is getting close...thought I'd throw his name in there as there is so much Pete chat on here, someone else thats getting there should get a mention too!

 

[Alex28]

Well Peverse - you put me in my place. According to you I don't have the right to have any opinion on how Stone is going. I'm either a hypocrite or I need to wake up to myself.

It's funny...because I thought the whole point of being part of a forum is giving your opinion on topics.

Apparently the only opinion I am allowed to give is (after waking up to myself) that I agree with Perverse 100%.

Better?

 

[Alex28]

How many 19 or 18 year olds play firstgrade that aren't either great talents at a minimum (eg Mullen) or superstars (eg Inglis) ?

How old is the halfback that is playing for the Cowboys this weekend?

How many of our Juniors are capable of stepping up to first grade? How many Australian Schoolboys do we have?

(Not blaming Stone for this, just highlighting just how much of a sh*t sandwich he's been dished up and questioning is he the one to get us out of it)