When have we ever had a coach the good clubs wanted? We lost Ricky Stuart to f**ken Canberra ffs! No chance the Roosters or Storm would poach a head coach from Parra. Here's our list of coaches since Gibson:
Year | Coach | Career after Parra |
1984-1989 | Monie | 26 wins (Warriors) |
1990-1993 | Cronin | None |
1994-1996 | Hidlitch | None |
1997-2006 | Smith | 66 wins (Knights/Roosters) |
2006 | Taylor | 51 wins (Bunnies/Tigers) |
2007-2008 | Hagan | None |
2009-2010 | Anderson | None |
2011-2012 | Kearney | 33 wins (Warriors) |
2012, 2014-2021 | Arthur | - |
2013 | Stuart | 98 wins (Raiders) |
There was a little bit of demand for Smith and Taylor but they didn't have long careers after leaving us. Stuart has done the best, winning almost as many games as Arthur, but he is at a mid-tier club, which is Parramatta's tier. To claim we're any higher than that isn't supported by the calibre of coaches we've had since our last premiership. A few of them won premierships, but that says more about the relative importance of the head coach to a team's success than it does about the coaching ability of Monie, Hagan or Stuart. I believe Brad Arthur is as good as them, by which I mean he is solid, but non-elite. To call him a bush coach is incredibly disrespectful.
Because I don't understand the game and you find it amusing that I think I do? That's very hurtful.