Rumours and Stuff

[Gronk]

Good culture they have over at Cronulla

My little birds told me that they have issues down there.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

No information, no source, no tips…but reckon he will be an eel soon

for some reason this has BA project written all over it.

I’d be surprised if he ends up at any strong club.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

But he's stale, tactically poor, insipid, unidimensional, and way past his use-by date - not to mention that his tactics in year 11, are the same as they were in year 1.

This is not true at all, not by my observation or comparing rosters or even looking at the team stats (offloads, decoys, supports, possession rates, etc).

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So Gould has come out and defended BA. If it's not BA's job about Pathways then who is actually responsible at Parramatta? Serious Q.

There might not be anyone specifically responsible for it. Those responsibilities could be distributed among a number of people. It would be a great place to have a dedicated merkin but the money has to come from somewhere. Then the size and quality of the staff doing that work is also determined by money.

This isn’t 1997 where very few clubs spent much in this area and it was run by head coaches like Gould and Brian Smith. These days it is well known to be an advantage outside the cap, and spending is dominated by the best resourced clubs committing to funding their pathways (junior recruitment) programs year after year.

 

[Eelementary]

This is not true at all, not by my observation or comparing rosters or even looking at the team stats (offloads, decoys, supports, possession rates, etc).

I believe it to be true.

I don't believe he instructs his team to take advantage of our opponents' weaknesses.

Look at how the Tigers dismantled our left-hand side defence.

I don't believe that Arthur is a tactically-adept coach.

We've managed to compete with Penrith, and Melbourne, which is a credit to him, to be fair.

But our structure of play is very disorganised - throw the ball to Sivo, and pray, or keep throwing offloads until a gap opens, and pray.

It's not as though he says, "We're playing Newcastle this week, and Ponga is at fullback - keep placing bombs hos way, and absolutely smash him when he catches it, and he will go into his shell," or, "We are playing the Dogs - throw as much traffic at Mahoney, and Kilau, as you can."

I mean, maybe he does, but if he does, the players certainly don't listen - which would indicate that he does not command their respect, imo.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Gould opinions (especially external to the Bulldogs) never come without agenda.

Sure but when the Dogs brought him in to rebuild the club he didn’t go out and sign Bennett did he? He started by ramping up junior recruitment/retention.

 

[JokerEel]

Sure but when the Dogs brought him in to rebuild the club he didn’t go out and sign Bennett did he? He started by ramping up junior recruitment/retention.

He signed Barrett and then Ciraldo didn't he?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I am dissatisfied with the past 11 years ultimately but even more so I’m more disappointed with the past 40 years and even more so I’m disappointed with the past year and bit.

So I see the past year and a bit as no more relevant than any other year and a bit. The alternative is to succumb to recency bias. I’m sure nearly every coach has overseen a 48% win rate in a given sample of 31 games. A win rate like that will undoubtedly include some floggings.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

11 years previous (03-13) we made 1 gf, 2 other prelims, a minor premiership , 4 semi finals appearances and 2 spoons.

11 years since(14-24)we have 1 gf, no other prelims, no minor premierships, 5 semi finals appearances and 1 spoon , possibly another one this year at the rate we are going.

They are about the same.

I’d say a wooden spoon, determined over 24 games, is less influenced by luck/randomness than a given finals win.

 

[Noise]

I’d say a wooden spoon, determined over 24 games, is less influenced by luck/randomness than a given finals win.

What about a minor premiership?

 

[Hindmarshisgod2]

So I see the past year and a bit as no more relevant than any other year and a bit. The alternative is to succumb to recency bias. I’m sure nearly every coach has overseen a 48% win rate in a given sample of 31 games. A win rate like that will undoubtedly include some floggings.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It was meant more in an overall sense.

A few years ago, Munster was playing with a broken hand - before he went off, I think we sent one forward his way.

That's the sort of thing I'm talking about.

Exploit your opposition's weak points.

BA is not great at this.

That was round one last year. Munster was on the field for 72 minutes and still attempted nearly thirty tackles. We definitely got at him. It just wasn’t enough.

 

[King-Gutho94]

I believe it to be true.

I don't believe he instructs his team to take advantage of our opponents' weaknesses.

Look at how the Tigers dismantled our left-hand side defence.

I don't believe that Arthur is a tactically-adept coach.

We've managed to compete with Penrith, and Melbourne, which is a credit to him, to be fair.

But our structure of play is very disorganised - throw the ball to Sivo, and pray, or keep throwing offloads until a gap opens, and pray.

It's not as though he says, "We're playing Newcastle this week, and Ponga is at fullback - keep placing bombs hos way, and absolutely smash him when he catches it, and he will go into his shell," or, "We are playing the Dogs - throw as much traffic at Mahoney, and Kilau, as you can."

I mean, maybe he does, but if he does, the players certainly don't listen - which would indicate that he does not command their respect, imo.

I reckon if you could combine Brian Smith tactically nous and put in BA's man management you would have a great coach.

Unfortunately we have lost 20 years with them both not being able to combine both together.

Where one was a tactically very astute in Smith but was too busy wanting to play mind games all the time with the players and would only accept yes men like Cayless.

Then you have BA the opposite has the respect of the players but tactically out of his depth we look tactically like a bush/pub side that lacks attention to detail most of the time.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I mean, maybe he does, but if he does, the players certainly don't listen - which would indicate that he does not command their respect, imo.

Or they’re just not good at reading the play and executing. This would explain why we have a game plan that suits what we have instead of what we wish we had.

“There are no solutions. There are only trade offs.”

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He signed Barrett and then Ciraldo didn't he?

Yep, a couple of nobodies. Assistant coaches.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

What about a minor premiership?

As relevant as the two wooden spoons. Brian Smith is a genius, as we know. Nobody could get a team to overachieve better than he could. That’s why our only two minor premierships since ‘86 were under his coaching. And unlike in 1986 I’d argue we didn’t have the best squad in ‘01 or ‘05.

 

[King-Gutho94]

As relevant as the two wooden spoons. Brian Smith is a genius, as we know. Nobody could get a team to overachieve better than he could. That’s why our only two minor premierships since ‘86 were under his coaching. And unlike in 1986 I’d argue we didn’t have the best squad in ‘01 or ‘05.

Who had the best squad in 2005.

It certainly wasn't the Wests Tigers.

They just got lucky 2 sides who are perennial chokers shat the bed on prelim weekend.

And Melbourne were 12 months away from dominating.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Who had the best squad in 2005

I reckon the Dragons for sure. They were stacked with talent after the merger, and had five players picked in Origin that year. We had two.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

What was your point?? Deflecting for the coach by the looks??? Hardly an apple to apple debate 2012 was Cleary’s first year at a basket case of a club. This is Bea’s 11th season, how is that even close to being comparable.

Yep, play the man again. Join the pile-on.

The point was that Cleary had plenty of experience by (6 years) 2012, and his team turned in several absolute shockers (without losing their half-back). This happens to the best (and worst) coaches.

 

[gaffer]

ethan sanders to get a run finally