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Rumours (signings, sackings & other NRL stuff)

Tigerm

Coach
Messages
13,037
I wonder how Mal will go coaching Perth. They'll have some decent coin to throw around. May attract some Australian rep players.
Watch for the managers to strut their stuff.
Like a lot of great players, he didn't have a great career at coaching NRL.
I would imagine developing players is hard yaka, and not every one is suited to it, we've been trying to do here, for ever and still not a lot of fruit off the vine.
He should have stayed with Australia.
 
Messages
1,155
Like a lot of great players, he didn't have a great career at coaching NRL.
I would imagine developing players is hard yaka, and not every one is suited to it, we've been trying to do here, for ever and still not a lot of fruit off the vine.
He should have stayed with Australia.
Yeah I think he's going to struggle big time with it. He had a very poor record last time. This time he'll have a lot more resources at his disposal.

When he was coaching QLD to great success the assistants came up with the game plans and ran the training. Mal was more of figurehead (from all reports) who was dealing with all elite players who were highly motivated

Even if he runs Perth the same way, not all the players he has will be elite or highly motivated. That's where I think he'll struggle, as well as the week to week grind over 27 weeks, which he struggled with last time.
 

Nutz

First Grade
Messages
6,868
When he was coaching QLD to great success the assistants came up with the game plans and ran the training. Mal was more of figurehead (from all reports) who was dealing with all elite players who were highly motivated

I'm told this is the case with most if not all cases DOM.
Coaches as you've pointed out like Mal is more of a mentor and figurehead.
I know Mal, and he actually knows an incredible amount of rugby league ins and outs but coaching wise he leans more on being able to give players confidence.
I think with Perth, as long as he has great assistants, would do ok.
On a side note, it's the trainers who still have a huge input. They run at the back and they can see and hear which players are struggling and where the team is in trouble or picking up on opposition's weaknesses. They're wired up to the coaches box, often in the ear of the assistant who is savy in running a game.
 

gordsy

Juniors
Messages
2,161
Mal was awful at Canberra. It's easy to look clever when you have Smith, Thurston, Cronk, Lockeyer, Inglis, Slater etc combined with the stupid merkins Involved with coaching and selecting NSW teams of that era. Perth need a big name coach. Someone like Bennet or Bellamy would be ideal to grow the game. New teams need success and Mal's record at Canberra is one of bed shitting as opposed to succeess.
 

Nutz

First Grade
Messages
6,868
KPP is getting closer to sign with theTigers.
He has been bog average at the Knights this year so the jury is out for me.
Price tag is what also concerns me.
We have to improve our roster so it's being proactive I guess
AISelect_20250605_204750_X.jpg
 
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Nutz

First Grade
Messages
6,868
KPP is getting closer to sign the big fella.
He has been bog average at the Knights this year so the jury is out for me.
Price tag is what also concerns me.
We have to improve our roster so it's being proactive I guess
View attachment 102762
As soon as I posted this, KPP burst onto a break to set up a great try . Typical :)
It's like him saying .. I'll show you what I can do.
 

WA Tiger

First Grade
Messages
5,260
Mal was awful at Canberra. It's easy to look clever when you have Smith, Thurston, Cronk, Lockeyer, Inglis, Slater etc combined with the stupid merkins Involved with coaching and selecting NSW teams of that era. Perth need a big name coach. Someone like Bennet or Bellamy would be ideal to grow the game. New teams need success and Mal's record at Canberra is one of bed shitting as opposed to succeess.
Yip Id forgotten about that..Brad Arthur is prob a better bet, esp with a team starting from scratch and with lessons learnt in the nrl trenches..But with Mals charmed run with origin and Australia, I suppose being indigenous, he’s polished on foxtel. It’s like a good brand more than anything else, why he will get the gig.. .. I keep thinking about his venture into politics .. he got half way through his first speech, stopped and said I’ve stuffed up sorry, basically “I can’t do this” and walked out
 
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