yy_cheng
Coach
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http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/n...attas-six-symbol/story-fni3fh9o-1226694779274
THE great ones always want the ball in their hand when the game is on the line. It was something Michael Jordan became famous for, and it's an attitude that has gone around the world.
Jarryd Hayne called me last Wednesday night to tell me he wanted to play five-eighth.
I was reluctant given how important the fullback is in the modern game, and how much we have missed his kick returns setting up our six.
Jarryd was concerned we were without Willie Tonga and Semi Radrada on our left edge and we were lacking depth. He explained to me why he thought it would work.
"Our halves aren't square and they're not in position," he said.
I said: "And you playing five-eighth will fix that?"
"I will," he said.
We haven't had a fullback for 10 weeks, we need someone to set up our six."
"I'll fix that," he said. "I'll have the wingers get back."
"And you'll help Jake Mullaney?"
"I will."
"What about our execution when he gets the ball on a sweep?"
"I'll make sure he gets the ball in better position."
"You've got the job."
Jarryd is so good that I trust his knowledge implicitly. And anybody who saw the game knows he delivered. It shows how much one good player can do for a team.
It's why I'm sitting here today knowing we played well below our best, we did everything to help Wests Tigers win, yet we won the game and I feel great. Try to figure that.
I don't know Mick Potter but I can sympathise with him. When you are running a football team you need good people around you, and you find out who they are only when times get tough. All these half-truths are leaking through the media and Potter is under siege. I hope he has good people around him.
What I would like to know is, why isn't the board taking some responsibility? Many issues being raised now have either nothing to do with the coach, no matter who it is, or were there before Potter arrived.
Yet he is being portrayed as the person responsible. All this was in the backdrop to Friday night's game, with pressure on both clubs.
The moment we got beaten last week the players walked off with their heads down, on the back of a 40-point thumping and yet with an expectation that we would beat the Tigers.
Instead of ramping it up, I went the other way. Last Monday we went for a surf, had some lunch and a few beers.
It relaxed them. And it got them away from the result and thinking about only their performance. Jarryd's influence on the players around him was significant. He lifted them. Having said that, he didn't do it on his own.
Afterwards I sat in the press conference and all the questions were directed at Jarryd and the positional switch and his injury. I interrupted and pointed to the guy sitting on the other side of me, Tim Mannah.
He was ill during the week, couldn't train for two days and lost 4kg, yet he put in a performance like he has for more than 100 games in a row now.
That's the kind of player he is. Mullaney played a strong game. Matt Keating put in what I thought was his best game of the season.
They came at us through the middle third and tried to work him hard in defence, yet he handled it all and still came up with his most metres in offence of the season.
That takes energy, which means attitude.
Reni Maitua continued his good performances.
It was a credit to all of them.
THE great ones always want the ball in their hand when the game is on the line. It was something Michael Jordan became famous for, and it's an attitude that has gone around the world.
Jarryd Hayne called me last Wednesday night to tell me he wanted to play five-eighth.
I was reluctant given how important the fullback is in the modern game, and how much we have missed his kick returns setting up our six.
Jarryd was concerned we were without Willie Tonga and Semi Radrada on our left edge and we were lacking depth. He explained to me why he thought it would work.
"Our halves aren't square and they're not in position," he said.
I said: "And you playing five-eighth will fix that?"
"I will," he said.
We haven't had a fullback for 10 weeks, we need someone to set up our six."
"I'll fix that," he said. "I'll have the wingers get back."
"And you'll help Jake Mullaney?"
"I will."
"What about our execution when he gets the ball on a sweep?"
"I'll make sure he gets the ball in better position."
"You've got the job."
Jarryd is so good that I trust his knowledge implicitly. And anybody who saw the game knows he delivered. It shows how much one good player can do for a team.
It's why I'm sitting here today knowing we played well below our best, we did everything to help Wests Tigers win, yet we won the game and I feel great. Try to figure that.
I don't know Mick Potter but I can sympathise with him. When you are running a football team you need good people around you, and you find out who they are only when times get tough. All these half-truths are leaking through the media and Potter is under siege. I hope he has good people around him.
What I would like to know is, why isn't the board taking some responsibility? Many issues being raised now have either nothing to do with the coach, no matter who it is, or were there before Potter arrived.
Yet he is being portrayed as the person responsible. All this was in the backdrop to Friday night's game, with pressure on both clubs.
The moment we got beaten last week the players walked off with their heads down, on the back of a 40-point thumping and yet with an expectation that we would beat the Tigers.
Instead of ramping it up, I went the other way. Last Monday we went for a surf, had some lunch and a few beers.
It relaxed them. And it got them away from the result and thinking about only their performance. Jarryd's influence on the players around him was significant. He lifted them. Having said that, he didn't do it on his own.
Afterwards I sat in the press conference and all the questions were directed at Jarryd and the positional switch and his injury. I interrupted and pointed to the guy sitting on the other side of me, Tim Mannah.
He was ill during the week, couldn't train for two days and lost 4kg, yet he put in a performance like he has for more than 100 games in a row now.
That's the kind of player he is. Mullaney played a strong game. Matt Keating put in what I thought was his best game of the season.
They came at us through the middle third and tried to work him hard in defence, yet he handled it all and still came up with his most metres in offence of the season.
That takes energy, which means attitude.
Reni Maitua continued his good performances.
It was a credit to all of them.
