Mary Replacement Emerges

[BennyV]

Not the worst option, but far from the best and if we do sign, should be on a 1 year contract only as a stop gap while we are paying McGregor.

Those saying that he should be there because 'he can coach attack' need to consider what the team has against what it needs. In reality, the pieces are there (minus a halfback and maybe 1 more prop) to make the Top 8 with ease. What will let us down is attitude - the players need a big shift away from what we've been doing for the last 5 years. Nearly all of our players have spent a large portion of their first grade caters under moron coaches, they've let basics skills on footy go un-developed and they just don't know how to be successful. Sure, JD MIGHT do a serviceable job but is a big step up from reggies to NRL with a lot of added attention, pressure and external factors to deal with.

We need someone with ability, and preferably experience, in breaking down and re-invigorating the guys we already have before going to market to make a bunch of signings. Someone who can fit this group of men together in accordance with their strengths and get them working together. It's why we should have taken Neil Henry on. It's why I'm not a big fan of signing Toovey, who took over a team already on top. And is why Cleary would be a great fit.

The team has fallen so far that is about more than just getting them to play footy. If we want them to build, they need a huge mental shift.

 

[twinkletoes]

Please no more rookie coaches and more wasted years. Coaching NSW cup is a hell of a lot different to coaching NRL. The style of football is entirely different...The Cutters have been good on attack but there have been many matches where their defence has been abysmal...this would be a disaster in NRL. If we are going to get a new coach then get the BEST available who has first grade experience...that is what this group of players need. I for one don't want to take the risk of trying another rookie with no first grade experience, not after trying that approach for the last 5 years.

 

[Sigurd]

1. Brain Smith
2. Ivan Cleary
3. Tony Smith
4. Toovey
5. BennyV
6. Demetriou
7. McGregor stays
8. Supercoach Price
9. Old Timer

 

[wayne57]

I hope they are not going to go down this road again.
First they hire Price, assistant coach to Bennett.
That was fair enough, a gamble that did not work and should have been terminated after year 1.

The board than hires Mary as caretaker coach to start with, that should have been it but the incompetent bunch of cronies instead of hiring a coach with a proven track record to be able to succeed in the NRL, they hire Price's assistant in Mary on a 3 year contract.

Right there shows you how stupid the board is, nowhere in any business would any organisation even contemplate such a ridiculous situation.

Doust was quoted as saying that we still have two teams in the lower grades playing in the finals, and to wait until they are finished before any changes if any are going to be made or something like that.

With that in mind. and we are talking about our useless board here, who knows they could be some truth in fact they are considering JD as our first grade coach.

I want Mary gone but hiring another assistant coach is ludicrous, have they not learnt yet if you keep doing the same thing over and over it will not change the outcome, you will only end up with the same results

 

[The Doc]

I can see where both BennyV and Twinkletoes are coming from.
But a 1 year contract to JD if no other experienced coaches are affordable for 2017 isnt a bad bet.
2 positives If he fails, 1: he cant possibly do any worse then mary, and 2: we will be free from mary!!!
If he doesnt fail, and pulls off a "arthur" or "flannigan" then bingo.
If no one else is affordable to us and promoting JD in place of mary is the way to go to get rid of mary then it has my vote.
The positives far outweigh the negatives on this.
Remember, im only basing this on the premise that we cant afford any other coach.

 

[1st & 10]

Another rookie coach ????? If this occurs , they have truly shown their IQ in no higher than a pair of old twisted Dunlop volleys

 

[The Doc]

1. Brain Smith
2. Ivan Cleary
3. Tony Smith
4. Toovey
5. BennyV
6. Demetriou
7. McGregor stays
8. Supercoach Price
9. Old Timer

3,999,999. Sigurd

 

[Carlton]

I can see where both BennyV and Twinkletoes are coming from.
But a 1 year contract to JD if no other experienced coaches are affordable for 2017 isnt a bad bet.
2 positives If he fails, 1: he cant possibly do any worse then mary, and 2: we will be free from mary!!!
If he doesnt fail, and pulls off a "arthur" or "flannigan" then bingo.
If no one else is affordable to us and promoting JD in place of mary is the way to go to get rid of mary then it has my vote.
The positives far outweigh the negatives on this.
Remember, im only basing this on the premise that we cant afford any other coach.

If JD is given the job for a year to see how he goes, one big upside is the team can start building now. JD knows the players, should have an idea what goes on at the club and where the weaknesses are.

Bring in any coach from outside now and we are going to miss a lot of time that's needed to undo Mary's influence. By this am also referring to the negative impact on recruiting we are experiencing at the moment.

I know JD is a rookie head first grade coach, but he is not a rookie by a long shot and also has a successful record behind him. If JD is appointed for a year the club should look at who is available (including JD) and when the right coach is available sign them up. I would rather we didn't just jump at a coach because we want Mary out and take whatever's available right at this point in time.

 

[St Georgio]

JD Record as a Rookie Coach.

Years Team Gms W D L W%
2011–12 Keighley Cougars 33 20 0 13 61%
2013–14 Northern Pride 51 40 0 11 78%
Total 84 60 0 24 71%

Demetriou's contract with Wakefield expired at the end of 2010, and he was told that it would not be renewed. He initially joined the York City Knights for 2011, but a subsequent offer as player/coach for Keighley Cougars arose, and was accepted. In his first season in charge, Keighley gained promotion to the Kingstone Press Championship.

Northern Pride[edit]
Demetriou returned to Australia in 2013, becoming the head coach for the Northern Pride in the Queensland Cup. During his two seasons at the Pride, the club won back-to-back minor premierships, the 2014 Queensland Cup Grand Final and the inaugural NRL State Championship game. In 2014, he coached the Queensland Residents side, who defeated the NSW Cup rep side 24–16.

North Queensland Cowboys[edit]
In October 2014, Demetriou joined the North Queensland Cowboys as an assistant coach.[3] On 4 October 2015, Demetriou was a member of the Cowboys' coaching staff in the side's 17–16 Grand Final victory over the Brisbane Broncos.

St George Illawarra Dragons[edit]
In January 2016, Demetriou joined the St George Illawarra Dragons as an assistant coach and as head coach to their NSW Cup feeder team, the Illawarra Cutters.[4]

Not bad Rookie profile, we all know how the cutters are travelling, maybe worth a punt if we don't have the funds to buy an Ivan Cleary,a Smithy Bro, or Hasler!
2 year contract only for JD not 3 yr contract like Mary and Price!

 

[dragonssamy61]

1. Brain Smith
2. Ivan Cleary
3. Tony Smith
4. Toovey
5. BennyV
6. Demetriou
7. McGregor stays
8. Supercoach Price
9. Old Timer

No bad but old timer ahead of price and McGregor lol

 

[giboz71]

What is clear is that successful teams have to have the right chemistry between coaches and players.

We had players (including highly paid spine players) that had basic, fundamental flaws in their game. And what was made clear was that there was no one within the coaching staff that had the capability to resolve these flaws.

We need to work out what kind of squad we have. Are we already skilled in the appropriate areas necessitating a need for more of a man manger (like Bennett), or are we a team that needs further development skills wise, necessitating the need for more of a teacher and tactician (like Taylor or Elliot).

Need to understand what type of squad we're aiming to have in the next 2-3 years before we work out what type of coach will be best fit. Newcastle clearly have their vision confirmed by appointing Brown. They are going for youth.

Do we even know what type of squad we're aiming for?

 

[Coffs dragon]

If they do go with Demetriou due to limited Finances that's a risk worth taking as they cannot afford the alternative of keeping dud Mary.
Demetriou needs an experienced right hand man as his assistant and not the Illawarra L plate coaching duo of Hornby and Young. Some wiser brains trust like say Matty Elliot or David Furner with NRL or ESL experience.
Maybe Matt Head can be promoted up to NSW cup Cutters coach with Hornby and Young demoted back to NYC or bye bye.

 

[Red V for life]

2018 Dragons fans. That's the focus already for the club. A revamp of the playing list with a new coach who has had input into said revamp is what's likely to happen.

The best i think we can hope for in 2017 (and what needs to happen) is to be Mary-less and JD to take the reigns.

I won't mind this IF there is a plan/strategy or whatever in place for 2018 with signings announced (playing/coaching) early to mid next season. If not, I'll be a bit p.o'd.

Strap in for some more short term pain, but hopefully less painful than 2016.

 

[St Georgio]

2018 Dragons fans. That's the focus already for the club. A revamp of the playing list with a new coach who has had input into said revamp is what's likely to happen.

The best i think we can hope for in 2017 (and what needs to happen) is to be Mary-less and JD to take the reigns.

I won't mind this IF there is a plan/strategy or whatever in place for 2018 with signings announced (playing/coaching) early to mid next season. If not, I'll be a bit p.o'd.

Strap in for some more short term pain, but hopefully less painful than 2016.

What do you mean.. for more short term pain, i can recall a post saying the same in 2012..now we are 2016..I don't want to be reading the same in 2019..I want us to make the semi's in 2017 and becoming a true heavyweight in 2018,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26----------->3017.

 

[Eatons Hill Dragon]

We need an experienced Coach for the next few years, simple.

Over the past 30 years every time we have an experienced Coach we have had good times, Roy Masters 1983-86 plenty of finals and one G/F, Brian Smith 92-93 G/Finals, 96 & 99 David Waite, Wayne Bennett 2010.

Sh!t even Ted Glossip in 88 got us a Panasonic Cup win.

The other options during those years were Craig Young, Andrew Farrer, Nathan Brown, Steve Price and McGregor - enough said.

 

[mobels]

http://www.triplem.com.au/sydney/sp...dio-ivan-cleary-going-to-st-george-illawarra/

Cleary to Dragons if he wants as reported by Triple M.

 

[Coffs dragon]

http://www.triplem.com.au/sydney/sp...dio-ivan-cleary-going-to-st-george-illawarra/

Cleary to Dragons if he wants as reported by Triple M.

He'll probably knock us back like other players have and sign with the Warriors.

 

[Red V for life]

What do you mean.. for more short term pain, i can recall a post saying the same in 2012..now we are 2016..I don't want to be reading the same in 2019..I want us to make the semi's in 2017 and becoming a true heavyweight in 2018,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26----------->3017.

It's likely not going to be a popular opinion, but I see 2019 as the season we are considered a heavyweight again at the earliest provided the club makes the right decisions in terms of roster and coaching. Rome just wasn't built in a day.

I'm not overly happy about that as I want to the Dragons to win the comp every year but it is a result of the pi$$ poor decisions made post Bennett in respect of coaches and roster. We're coming from further back than we should be. No way should we be where we are now. 2010 feels like 30+ years ago.

If Mary goes, I see a bump up in performance in 2017. If we land and retain talent we want to, I can see 2018 as a year where we announce we're on our way back and 2019 as the year we've arrived.

Of course, if we take out the comp next year, I will more than happily eat my words.

 

[possm]

I wouldn't mind seeing Clrary as head coach with JD and Brennan as his assistants

 

[Old Timer]

You can't make good coaches come if they don't want to.
The only way to attract them is to show the club has a future (namely good juniors) and a cap that allows for the coach to get perhaps 2-3 quality players from his wish list.
The only way the cap will ever allow you to do that is to have a competent management team that understands exactly what is required and stop all the stupid "depth" signings and be harsh in the treatment of the under achievers and offload them.
Same as hanging onto our favourites for 1 year too long that has to stop.
If you show the coaches you are truly serious about wanting to win and not just achieve by making the playoffs then we can attract good coaches and good players.
I don't believe we are yet in that position but in the meantime we cannot allow McGregor to stay.
So in the absence of signing a quality NRL coach in the next month we should declare our hand early give the job to JD and get on with it.