Sack Adam O'Brien

[senior]

What is this strawberry milkshake comment I keep hearing?

 

[Zoidberg]

That stat about the 4 starting spine players playing together 7% of the time is absolutely nuts. I’d actually be interested in seeing what percentage of the time we were playing with 3 starting spine players as opposed to 2 or even 1. I’d be willing to bet we’d be one of the worst in the comp as far as overall impact from injuries to key players over the last 5-6 years. Seems like one or two of our spine cop a season ender each year, seems kinda standard for us.

It has been a real issue for us for a long time. Not having a 1st choice set spine for any extended period of time, due to injuries (mostly) or poor form.
Can’t we get a bit of luck footy Gods.

 

[Old dog]

We've had some shit luck with our 3 best players all being out together at the same time but our injury toll pales in comparison to say the Rabbitohs who have 3 more wins than us, and there's probably other teams to use an example.

This was after Round 23
View attachment 105667

DEPTH

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

What is this strawberry milkshake comment I keep hearing?

It's in reference to a comment KP made back when Nathan Brown was sacked

 

[Apey]

DEPTH

Cop-out. Good coaches get the most out of their plodders.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

It's in reference to a comment KP made back when Nathan Brown was sacked

Yes, source for old mate:

NRL: Knights star Kalyn Ponga has spoken for the first time about his 'strawberry milkshake' comments, deemed insensitive after coach Nathan Brown's departure from the club.

amp.nine.com.au

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

I always held the view he could have done a lot more with a stronger roster.

But getting over that line in recruitment is very hard.

From a lowly wests tigers perspective, in the broad, you’ve been in the zone or just outside of it during his tenure. Looks very good from our perspective.

I recall him talking about the possibility of playing quality footy without actually winning. Getting the actual craft right. I found it interesting compared to the emotional drivel coaches often bang on about.

But exciting to go in a new direction.

I heard Joey blathering on about 6 years, but I don’t regard him as particularly knowledgeable. He’s got status from his achievements, but that was awhile ago.

No one can wait 6 years. Maybe Souths, but that’s it.

A bit glum to cite a 6 year turn around.

That’s longer than world war 2 went for!

 

[Rod]

Certainly time to move on. The comment where he had a crack at the fans for booing when they were perfectly entitled to was the beginning of the end. Did a good job making the finals 4/6 times although none of those 4 were top 4, and the only year we were really any realistic chance was 2023.

Such a strange tenure in the end because on the one hand they're clearly well coached and well-drilled on defence and decision-making, but then the strategy on attack was completely unacceptable for the way the game is played now. You can't be "solid" and rely on teams making errors or gifting you opportunities any more. The closest thing you'll get to gifted tries in the NRL is a bomb that could end up anywhere, and we refused to exploit even that part of the game by not kicking high enough or contesting kicks.

The better coaches are always adapting and exploiting different styles and rules changes, and apart from a total outlier in 2023 we never looked like a 'smart' team under AOB.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Yeah we’ve constantly looked like a very low IQ team under AOB’s coaching. Mostly good at following a very limited game plan but the whole strategy is reliant on that game plan working and the opposition being bad enough to play into our hands. Hence we very rarely beat any top 4 or even top 6 teams since AOB took charge. His game plan is good for beating undisciplined teams that typically occupy the mid-lower rungs of the ladder but usually comes unstuck against teams with elite rosters and more layered game plans.

 

[perverse]

I think Adam O'Brien's overall results were on the reasonable to good side up until the end of 2024 given the stuff he's contended with over the years - injuries to his marquee player(s) every year (I crunched the numbers at the start of this year and he had all four starting spine players available for roughly 7% of possible games, and that number would have gone down more this year), Mitchell Pearce dropping a bomb on the place the way he did, some terrible blunders by recruitment/head office. Let's not pretend it's all been smooth sailing but for him gumming up the works.

And also. It's not like he's been parachuted into the Brisbane or Easts job. Yes, at those clubs you probably can simply just "demand" success. You can just sign better players. This isn't the case in Newcastle.

Since Joey retired we'd made the finals 3 times total and he did it 4 times in 5 seasons. 2023 was the club's best season in terms of W/L/D record + ELO and all those nerd stats since 2002. 21 years. I think it's fair to say he hasn't been judged in a vacuum, but on the understanding that this is, aside from getting lucky with a golden generation of players in the 90's, not a very good footy club. More like the Tigers than even a club like Cronulla or Souths in all honesty.

He's done good stuff. Attitude and resilience in defence has been better under him than any other coach since Reilly. I do think it's a more professional club that demands higher standards than the one he arrived at.

Yes, some weird issues really creeped in last year but he got a stay of execution with the late season run. Then in 2025 same issues again but way worse, so yes, we hit the final straw, things absolutely need to change. I think it's fair and he's going at roughly the right time, give or take about 4-8 weeks.

I don't know about 6 years but yes I think anyone you bring in has to get a real chance. Closer to 2 years than 1, at least.

You're far too easily pleased, just like the club. He's been on the nose for a good 4 years by my count. It's been obvious for a long time that he was in above his head, as many of us have lamented the entire time. There was a 10 week period in 2023 where he looked like he could coach, the rest has been outdated rubbish.

Everyone credits him with getting us to the finals 4 times out of 6... as if Brown didn't build that roster and AOB didn't spend the past 6 years turning it into a dumpster fire. Kalyn has papered over a lot of cracks.

 

[Nuke]

Coincidence that the 4 leading candidates for the job (Green, Holbrook, Peters, Morris) all have history at the Knights?

 

[Nuke]

For the record, I'm disappointed that AOB couldn't being success to the Knights. I was really hoping he'd be the man to do it, especially after all those insufferable weekends over the years. I am, however, looking forward to seeing what a new coach can do with our team.

And I'm looking forward to seeing our kicks be more than 30m chip-bombs..!

 

[Yosh]

Not adding anything new but so happy he is gone. Don't hate the bloke, wish him well but he had to go!

 

[HarVeeGee]

We've had some shit luck with our 3 best players all being out together at the same time but our injury toll pales in comparison to say the Rabbitohs who have 3 more wins than us, and there's probably other teams to use an example.

This was after Round 23
View attachment 105667

I put zero stock in this sort if thing. All injuries aren’t equal. Leaving the Knights out of it: these tallies first of all come from whether or not injuries are reported, and some teams are more open than others on that front. The Roosters report every stubbed toe & also report players being dropped as injury frequently, for reasons clear to them I’m sure. Any club that had season ending injuries to fringe first graders in pre-season gets 24 “missed games” per player right there, but all games missed by players who weren’t going to play anyway…

No question Souths have had it way worse than everyone else though.

 

[Knight Tales]

Coincidence that the 4 leading candidates for the job (Green, Holbrook, Peters, Morris) all have history at the Knights?

I am ok with it cos three of those are proven quality operators. Green would do well so work under whoever gets the job for longer or else go to SL to ply his trade. Greeny is only 38. He is not quite ready for a full time HC role yet. Ryles, Hannay, Benji are all in their 40s and have had to wait many years for their shot.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

I am ok with it cos three of those are proven quality operators. Green would do well so work under whoever gets the job for longer or else go to SL to ply his trade. Greeny is only 38. He is not quite ready for a full time HC role yet. Ryles, Hannay, Benji are all in their 40s and have had to wait many years for their shot.

Please, please take Benji off of our hands. Well give Starford back as well to close the deal.

It’s still a complete mystery to me that shibbers may be playing in a grand final any day now.

 

[SamSepi0l]

What is this strawberry milkshake comment I keep hearing?

A joke that wasn't funny years ago and still isn't

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Daily Telegraph is reporting that a few ex Knights players (not naming names) are pushing for the club to not pursue with Green as head coach and go for McDermott instead

 

[Apey]

I put zero stock in this sort if thing. All injuries aren’t equal. Leaving the Knights out of it: these tallies first of all come from whether or not injuries are reported, and some teams are more open than others on that front. The Roosters report every stubbed toe & also report players being dropped as injury frequently, for reasons clear to them I’m sure. Any club that had season ending injuries to fringe first graders in pre-season gets 24 “missed games” per player right there, but all games missed by players who weren’t going to play anyway…

No question Souths have had it way worse than everyone else though.

My point was it's not really a good enough excuse for this year. We were garbage before the injuries. We probably looked best right after the injuries actually, like we thought oh no we have to try now.

Yes our depth sucks but AOB certainly did not get the best out of them like other coaches would and have done this year.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Just happy it's happening. Best of luck. He had that great run in 2023, no one can take that away from him. To be honest pretty good regular season record but couldn't win a finals game to save his life.

We beat the Raiders in 2023