Sack Adam O'Brien

[slotmachine]

Because you can't play up-tempo when you are gassed, and we are gassed from about 20 minutes in because we have a terrible kicking game and we make too many mistakes.

If there was one quality to look for in a half for our side if we're going to play this way, it's someone who can boot the piss out of the ball. Fogarty did such a good job at that when the Raiders beat us in round 1, constantly getting them out of trouble.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

We've had some average coaches but AOB is the worst for mine. The guy employs outdated tactics that contradict the capabilities of the roster. He makes weak excuses. He is uninspiring to hear talk. Sounds like a slack-jawed yokel. I was fuming when the club re-signed the guy.

Brian Smith would have loved this roster. In fact, most of out past coaches would have. AOB has had more talent than most coaches at the Knights. He's an complete impostor.

 

[Loose Cannon]

O’Brien would shorten Burton’s kicking game by 20 metres in 2 dimensions.

 

[aqua_duck]

Toohey saying that the conservative game plan has been “tailored” for the playing squad. WTF? We have arguably the best attacking player in the game on our roster, and the same roster were 1st in the league for tries scored last year and the “tailored” game plan is this conservative crap?

I think that’s a nice way of saying that he’s unable to get the squad up to task so he’s chosen to dumb it down as much as possible

 

[aqua_duck]

Toohey saying that the conservative game plan has been “tailored” for the playing squad. WTF? We have arguably the best attacking player in the game on our roster, and the same roster were 1st in the league for tries scored last year and the “tailored” game plan is this conservative crap?

For what it’s worth we’ve gone from 1st in tries scored last year to 17th this year

 

[Woody90]

For what it’s worth we’ve gone from 1st in tries scored last year to 17th this year

Yep, which is why it’s definitely at least in part tactics related. Obviously we’ve had some injuries, roster changes and halfback has broken down which have all contributed, but not enough to take us from first to last in one season. The opposition know we won’t try anything.

 

[Woody90]

I wonder if the players (particularly the non-Ponga ones) feel insulted when AOB makes constant remarks publicly that they need to play ugly without KP, like they’re not good enough to try anything else. He needs to go back and watch some of our games at the start of last season without him, we were playing some excellent expansive footy.

At the moment I think we all know that his job isn’t under any real pressure - that could definitely change though if the players, and in particular KP start to become disgruntled. Must be really rough for KP, Gags and Best to go off to SOO camp then come back to an environment where nobody is allowed to try anything.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

The thing is we have a roster that can do some real damage. KPP is criminally under-utilised, our centres get next to no early ball and our whole forward pack is presumably instructed not to offload or pass the ball which is just infuriating. I actually hope we finish 17th in tries scored so it’s something that MUST be addressed in the post season review.

 

[aqua_duck]

The thing is we have a roster that can do some real damage. KPP is criminally under-utilised, our centres get next to no early ball and our whole forward pack is presumably instructed not to offload or pass the ball which is just infuriating. I actually hope we finish 17th in tries scored so it’s something that MUST be addressed in the post season review.

Yep, we’re ranked 16th in offloads and just to expand on KPP, it’s not just him, Frizz is also not seeing as much ball, he’s averaged over 100m per game over the past 5 years, this year he’s averaging less than 90m.
I think the grinding, conservative approach is part of AOB’s DNA, let’s not pretend we’ve ever really been a scintillating attacking team under his tenure prior to last year. I think it’s been one of his goals from the start to instil that mentality into the side and last year’s change of approach was necessitated by the fact he was probably one loss away from unemployment but now with new contract in tow he’s gone back to his underlying philosophy.
For me what’s even more frustrating as a fan is I genuinely have no idea how AOB plans to change our fortunes, at least with other struggling teams there seems to be a clear push for youth and recruitment, for us that can’t be said, the only player we’ve signed for next year is a reserve grade centre, we’ve not debuted anyone this year, the majority of our team are in their mid-late 20s so you’re not really banking on any exponential improvement either.
It’s a sad state of affairs when the only thing you can hope for is that the new recruitment manager guts the place

 

[Nuke]

Yep, we’re ranked 16th in offloads and just to expand on KPP, it’s not just him, Frizz is also not seeing as much ball, he’s averaged over 100m per game over the past 5 years, this year he’s averaging less than 90m.
I think the grinding, conservative approach is part of AOB’s DNA, let’s not pretend we’ve ever really been a scintillating attacking team under his tenure prior to last year. I think it’s been one of his goals from the start to instil that mentality into the side and last year’s change of approach was necessitated by the fact he was probably one loss away from unemployment but now with new contract in tow he’s gone back to his underlying philosophy.
For me what’s even more frustrating as a fan is I genuinely have no idea how AOB plans to change our fortunes, at least with other struggling teams there seems to be a clear push for youth and recruitment, for us that can’t be said, the only player we’ve signed for next year is a reserve grade centre, we’ve not debuted anyone this year, the majority of our team are in their mid-late 20s so you’re not really banking on any exponential improvement either.
It’s a sad state of affairs when the only thing you can hope for is that the new recruitment manager guts the place

I agree with pretty much all of what you've posted, however I will point out that a few players have made their debut this season: KPP, Pryce, Armstrong, Sharpe.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

There’s usually plenty of player movement during the off-season. I’m expecting O’Sullivan will be on the look out for a hooker with a bit of leg speed and maybe a young half or two. There’s gotta be a couple of guys who’s path is blocked by more established players at other clubs.

 

[aqua_duck]

I agree with pretty much all of what you've posted, however I will point out that a few players have made their debut this season: KPP, Pryce, Armstrong, Sharpe.

Sorry I forgot about Sharpe, I won’t count KPP and Pryce as they played a tonne of ESL and in KPP’s case international football, Armstrong is gone is won’t figure into the future.

 

[aqua_duck]

There’s usually plenty of player movement during the off-season. I’m expecting O’Sullivan will be on the look out for a hooker with a bit of leg speed and maybe a young half or two. There’s gotta be a couple of guys who’s path is blocked by more established players at other clubs.

Yeh for sure, as I mentioned earlier Jeral Skelton is one such player. The dolphins have a few guys like Tesi Niu and Valynce Te Whare who O’Sullivan would’ve had plenty to do with. Another option would be Semi Valemei who’s stuck behind a few at the cowboys, there’s a young halfback at the titans named Tom Weaver who is stuck behind Foran, Campbell and possibly Brimson and Boyd too.
I really hope O’Sullivan brings in some talent from Q cup, there’s two guys I think would add something in Tuki Simpkins (prop) and Taniela Otukolo (hooker), both were guys who debuted in NRL as teenagers then kind of didn’t quite kick on but have been good in Q cup and are only 21 and 22 respectively. Interestingly Simpkins was on a train and trial deal with the the Dolphins this year and Otukolo played for the Dolphins in Q cup last year so O’Sullivan would’ve recruited both of them before.

 

[Yosh]

What's the point? AOB is gonna ruin them anyway.

 

[Nuke]

What's the point? AOB is gonna ruin them anyway.

It's sad that I 100% agree with this statement.

 

[Knight Tales]

The club has done AOB no favours. He was out the door this time last year. The players somehow found something because they backed him.
His moving players on will be seen as a betrayal by the group. And TBH I can see the player’s view. They would be thinking if he had been sacked things could be very different. New coach. New ideas. A different style of play. We could be going a lot better. They keep their jobs here.
It is a classic Knights move. Let emotion enter contract negotiations and back ourselves into a corner where we create more pain down the road.

 

[Woody90]

The club has done AOB no favours. He was out the door this time last year. The players somehow found something because they backed him.
His moving players on will be seen as a betrayal by the group. And TBH I can see the player’s view. They would be thinking if he had been sacked things could be very different. New coach. New ideas. A different style of play. We could be going a lot better. They keep their jobs here.
It is a classic Knights move. Let emotion enter contract negotiations and back ourselves into a corner where we create more pain down the road.

I don’t think AOB has much to do with the blokes being tapped on the shoulder. Seems like it’s higher up.

 

[Nuke]

Not suggesting for a moment that this is what's happened, but I'd be pretty pissed off if I was a player that was being asked to leave due to not performing up to a certain standard, and I was only doing the gameplan that the coach was giving me.

Being sacked for following the coaches orders.

Again, I'm not suggesting this is what has happened.

 

[Alex28]

The club has done AOB no favours. He was out the door this time last year. The players somehow found something because they backed him.
His moving players on will be seen as a betrayal by the group. And TBH I can see the player’s view. They would be thinking if he had been sacked things could be very different. New coach. New ideas. A different style of play. We could be going a lot better. They keep their jobs here.
It is a classic Knights move. Let emotion enter contract negotiations and back ourselves into a corner where we create more pain down the road.

His moving players on?

That’s coming from above him. He looks as frustrated as the players look.

It’s an unhappy workforce frustrated by the execs making decisions they don’t like.

 

[Knight Tales]

I don’t think AOB has much to do with the blokes being tapped on the shoulder. Seems like it’s higher up.

That cannot sit well with the group of
players then. Might explain the drop off
In our play. Seems like the agency of the team and coach has been removed to a degree.