Rd5 2024: 615pm Eels v Raiders GAME DAY THREAD @ GIO Stadium April 7th

[hindy111]

This is how I see it.
BA has done an ok job but he also has had a decent squad for the last 8 yrs. Lets not deny this.
We just have to try something new. High chance we find someone worse but possible we get someone better. Regardless the new coach will need 3yrs because we are in a rebuild

 

[King-Gutho94]

This is how I see it.
BA has done an ok job but he also has had a decent squad for the last 8 yrs. Lets not deny this.
We just have to try something new. High chance we find someone worse but possible we get someone better. Regardless the new coach will need 3yrs because we are in a rebuild

We only have 7 players contracted for 2026.

Next year is perfect for a new coach to come with the majority of players coming off contract to decide who he wants to keep and who to let go.

If we wait to 2026 to change the coach most of the players off in 2025 will have been extended by then to 2027-2028 and beyond and the new coach inherits a roster we committed 12 months too early with BA he may not like.

Time to pull the trigger is once we become out of contention this year.

 

[Eelogical]

We only have 7 players contracted for 2026.

Next year is perfect for a new coach to come with the majority of players coming off contract to decide who he wants to keep and who to let go.

If we wait to 2026 to change the coach most of the players off in 2025 will have been extended by then to 2027-2028 and beyond and the new coach inherits a roster we committed 12 months too early with BA he may not like.

Time to pull the trigger is once we become out of contention this year.

Those in the armoury should already be choosing their weapon of choice.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Can I ask you a simple question. How long would you keep the coach? Do you just roll with him forever? I'm being genuine with this question.

I’m saying a change of coaches will do nothing. We could have another shit year and improve in 2025 whether we sack Brad Arthur or not. We could be going just as bad under a different coach right now without Moses. I don’t think a new coach will be the silver bullet anyone thinks it will. Even if at do sack Brad Arthur and have a good year it will be as if we’d sacked him in 2016 or 2018 and improved the next year anyway.

We need to beat the salary cap to compete with the top clubs. I think our only chance is to continue the spending on junior development that first saw fruit last year. Those kids are not yet ready for first grade (or even reserve grade by the looks of things) but they will be. If we keep spending like we have been, we will benefit from the production line and the NRL salary cap will be kinder to us.

Whinging about coaches is for amateurs. Penrith don’t seem to care. It was recently posted that Brad Arthur’s team has conceded 40+ points 21 times in 12 seasons. That’s the exact same number of times Cleary’s teams conceded 40+ in his first 12 seasons. I don’t see how that makes Arthur this horrific reserve grade level coach who is incapable of winning a premiership. If Cleary can do it anyone can.

This is not to say that we need to keep Brad Arthur. I don’t think it really matters. Holbrook is a ‘failure’ and I’m sure he would do just as well as Arthur’s. Any decent coach can win the comp with the right squad. Assembling that squad isn’t his job though. It requires the club’s entire resources.

So I don’t see why you think I want Arthur here forever. When I point out the flawed logic in merkins assuming he is the problem (and sacking him the solution) it doesn’t mean I’m defending him. It means I’m attacking you dopes for thinking anyone would do a better job. Where’s your proof?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Your getting gang banged by idiots.

 

[the phantom menace]

.

Three paras of TL|DR arguing not to change the coach, then...

This is not to say that we need to keep Brad Arthur.

f**k you talk (type) a lot of bollocks on here

I don’t think it really matters.

Like most of your posts...

 

[Soto]

Ok almost 24 hours after the game and no emotion about it now I believe coach must go. The display yday was unacceptable particularly after saying we went for a soft win against the Tigers. There was no line speed, attention to detail, want, desire, effort and cohesion.
It simply looked like the country footy ad with players getting a call up to play because the bus had broken down.
These guys get paid (most do) a bucket load to go out and do what they love....that yday in summary was an abomination

 

[Wally21]

I’m saying a change of coaches will do nothing. We could have another shit year and improve in 2025 whether we sack Brad Arthur or not. We could be going just as bad under a different coach right now without Moses. I don’t think a new coach will be the silver bullet anyone thinks it will. Even if at do sack Brad Arthur and have a good year it will be as if we’d sacked him in 2016 or 2018 and improved the next year anyway.

We need to beat the salary cap to compete with the top clubs. I think our only chance is to continue the spending on junior development that first saw fruit last year. Those kids are not yet ready for first grade (or even reserve grade by the looks of things) but they will be. If we keep spending like we have been, we will benefit from the production line and the NRL salary cap will be kinder to us.

Whinging about coaches is for amateurs. Penrith don’t seem to care. It was recently posted that Brad Arthur’s team has conceded 40+ points 21 times in 12 seasons. That’s the exact same number of times Cleary’s teams conceded 40+ in his first 12 seasons. I don’t see how that makes Arthur this horrific reserve grade level coach who is incapable of winning a premiership. If Cleary can do it anyone can.

This is not to say that we need to keep Brad Arthur. I don’t think it really matters. Holbrook is a ‘failure’ and I’m sure he would do just as well as Arthur’s. Any decent coach can win the comp with the right squad. Assembling that squad isn’t his job though. It requires the club’s entire resources.

So I don’t see why you think I want Arthur here forever. When I point out the flawed logic in merkins assuming he is the problem (and sacking him the solution) it doesn’t mean I’m defending him. It means I’m attacking you dopes for thinking anyone would do a better job. Where’s your proof?

How long do you keep the current coach then?

 

[ElectricEelMan]

This is how I see it.
BA has done an ok job but he also has had a decent squad for the last 8 yrs. Lets not deny this.
We just have to try something new. High chance we find someone worse but possible we get someone better. Regardless the new coach will need 3yrs because we are in a rebuild

This is way I look at it:
1. Brad Arthur will NEVER win a premiership as head coach
2. Our next head coach may or may not win a premiership, may or may not be worse than Arthur but ...
3. The odds are still better than the zero percent chance we have with Arthur

 

[TheParraboy]

I’m saying a change of coaches will do nothing.

 

[King-Gutho94]

It was recently posted that Brad Arthur’s team has conceded 40+ points 21 times in 12 seasons. That’s the exact same number of times Cleary’s teams conceded 40+ in his first 12 seasons.

Cleary was at 3 different clubs in those 12 years yo speak about though.

He also had to take over 2 clubs at the bottom in Penrith in 2012 & Wests in 2017.

And was forced to rebuild them from the ground up starting from scratch on 3 different occasions.

BA has had 11 years straight at one club.

There will always be risk when punting a coach you may be worse off. We made that mistake in 2010 punting DA for a dope in Kearney.

But we look a team that is stale and need a fresh circuit-breaker and voice. You can change up your assistants every couple of years but sometimes the whole setup just needs a fresh new outlook.

BA has done solid job he should be proud it was pure misery in 2013 after 3 straight years of being hapless where we won 17 games across 3 years and B2B spoons when he arrived. It felt like every win was so hard to get every win was celebrated with gusto.

He took us to a GF and for 6 years were regular finalists bar one disaster of a season in 2018.

Not everyone gets a fairytale unfortunately BA has just fallen short in 2022 and unlucky with a few other things in other seasons.

 

[Zoso]

Long time stalker, first time poster…
I’m devoid of emotion after last night, maybe because I had no expectations.
I don’t want my first post to be a pile on about sacking the coach but it’s obvious we are stale, defensively weak, easily exposed, and collectively lack grit, mongrel, and consistency. And none of that is new.

Teams have worked us out and the coach(es) doesn’t seem to have worked out we’ve been worked out.

I’m gonna split the difference between all you merkins and Pou and say that if success and failure is a 50/50 split between talent and coaching, Brad is just as lacking as our squad.

Left field suggestion…if Bennett is a real option or target, get him to bring Sam Burgess with him.
He might harden our merkins up.

 

[Soto]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein.

 

[Soto]

Long time stalker, first time poster…
I’m devoid of emotion after last night, maybe because I had no expectations.
I don’t want my first post to be a pile on about sacking the coach but it’s obvious we are stale, defensively weak, easily exposed, and collectively lack grit, mongrel, and consistency. And none of that is new.

Teams have worked us out and the coach(es) doesn’t seem to have worked out we’ve been worked out.

I’m gonna split the difference between all you merkins and Pou and say that if success and failure is a 50/50 split between talent and coaching, Brad is just as lacking as our squad.

Left field suggestion…if Bennett is a real option or target, get him to bring Sam Burgess with him.
He might harden our merkins up.

Nice post mate but Soufs would be the destination for Sammy Boi...he wouldn't be coming to the Eels..

 

[Zoso]

Nice post mate but Soufs would be the destination for Sammy Boi...he wouldn't be coming to the Eels..

Yeah granted, that’s the likely move.

 

[Hindmarshisgod2]

I’m saying a change of coaches will do nothing. We could have another shit year and improve in 2025 whether we sack Brad Arthur or not. We could be going just as bad under a different coach right now without Moses. I don’t think a new coach will be the silver bullet anyone thinks it will. Even if at do sack Brad Arthur and have a good year it will be as if we’d sacked him in 2016 or 2018 and improved the next year anyway.

We need to beat the salary cap to compete with the top clubs. I think our only chance is to continue the spending on junior development that first saw fruit last year. Those kids are not yet ready for first grade (or even reserve grade by the looks of things) but they will be. If we keep spending like we have been, we will benefit from the production line and the NRL salary cap will be kinder to us.

Whinging about coaches is for amateurs. Penrith don’t seem to care. It was recently posted that Brad Arthur’s team has conceded 40+ points 21 times in 12 seasons. That’s the exact same number of times Cleary’s teams conceded 40+ in his first 12 seasons. I don’t see how that makes Arthur this horrific reserve grade level coach who is incapable of winning a premiership. If Cleary can do it anyone can.

This is not to say that we need to keep Brad Arthur. I don’t think it really matters. Holbrook is a ‘failure’ and I’m sure he would do just as well as Arthur’s. Any decent coach can win the comp with the right squad. Assembling that squad isn’t his job though. It requires the club’s entire resources.

So I don’t see why you think I want Arthur here forever. When I point out the flawed logic in merkins assuming he is the problem (and sacking him the solution) it doesn’t mean I’m defending him. It means I’m attacking you dopes for thinking anyone would do a better job. Where’s your proof?

Yes you make valid points, but when is it time for change?????

 

[hineyrulz]

How long do you keep the current coach then?

If Pou had his way Kearney would still be here, they don't really matter anyway.

 

[King-Gutho94]

If Pou had his way Kearney would still be here, they don't really matter anyway.

BA is battling to get to 55% win rate.

Kearney would still be stumbling along trying to get to 35% win rate 15 years in.

 

[hindy111]

I’m saying a change of coaches will do nothing. We could have another shit year and improve in 2025 whether we sack Brad Arthur or not. We could be going just as bad under a different coach right now without Moses. I don’t think a new coach will be the silver bullet anyone thinks it will. Even if at do sack Brad Arthur and have a good year it will be as if we’d sacked him in 2016 or 2018 and improved the next year anyway.

We need to beat the salary cap to compete with the top clubs. I think our only chance is to continue the spending on junior development that first saw fruit last year. Those kids are not yet ready for first grade (or even reserve grade by the looks of things) but they will be. If we keep spending like we have been, we will benefit from the production line and the NRL salary cap will be kinder to us.

Whinging about coaches is for amateurs. Penrith don’t seem to care. It was recently posted that Brad Arthur’s team has conceded 40+ points 21 times in 12 seasons. That’s the exact same number of times Cleary’s teams conceded 40+ in his first 12 seasons. I don’t see how that makes Arthur this horrific reserve grade level coach who is incapable of winning a premiership. If Cleary can do it anyone can.

This is not to say that we need to keep Brad Arthur. I don’t think it really matters. Holbrook is a ‘failure’ and I’m sure he would do just as well as Arthur’s. Any decent coach can win the comp with the right squad. Assembling that squad isn’t his job though. It requires the club’s entire resources.

So I don’t see why you think I want Arthur here forever. When I point out the flawed logic in merkins assuming he is the problem (and sacking him the solution) it doesn’t mean I’m defending him. It means I’m attacking you dopes for thinking anyone would do a better job. Where’s your proof?

Do you remember when B.Smith was coach and we become stale and JT took over. We went on a wild run and made the 8.
Same team. Just a new coach and one not as good either.

 

[84 Baby]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein.

But we have been getting different results?