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Sack Adam O'Brien

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pantherpuddy

Juniors
Messages
156
I've lived in the Hunter Valley all my life (40 plus years).
Never been a knights supporter but due to local media coverage you always knew what was happening with the knights.
I was amazed that Adam O'Brien now leaves the club due to him taking the initiative by approaching management and not the other way around. I can't believe he lasted 6 years as head coach.
The only time I remember the club really playing well in that time was a couple of years ago when Ponga was in career best form and you made the finals after a long winning run.
O'Brien always sounded out of his depth when talking to the media. Always saying we learnt some valuable lessons out there today. He just didn't ever sound like an intelligent coach, more like a concreter who was coaching the local footy team on the weekend.
6 years is a long time for an Nrl coach these days and there didn't seem to be any major improvement while he was there.
Was he a cheap option for the club, popular amongst the fans or do you genuinely think he did a good job ?
 
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HarVeeGee

Juniors
Messages
858
pantherpuddy said:
I was amazed that Adam O'Brien now leaves the club due to him taking the initiative by approaching management and not the other way around. I can't believe he lasted 6 years as head coach.
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I reckon this is actually bullshit. They literally tried to do the same thing with Browny when in reality they'd approached AOB about the job well before Browny actually "quit". Same thing with Hannay and AOB (Hannay knocked us back).

For some reason Phil Gardner is really worried about bad PR from sacking coaches I guess. Always wants to paint it as a mutual thing or the coach making a noble decision for the betterment of the club. AOB was just more rehearsed and convincing with his answers than Browny was (and also it lets him basically use the exit interview to advertise himself for a new job).
 
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perverse

perverse

Referee
Messages
27,533
HarVeeGee said:
For some reason Phil Gardner is really worried about bad PR from sacking coaches I guess. Always wants to paint it as a mutual thing or the coach making a noble decision for the betterment of the club.
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It is to feign competence. It's not that confusing imo. If we were actually competent and successful there wouldn't be a need to sugarcoat it. Corporate insecurity.

Having said that, you're also just making stuff up in your head with little to no evidence. AOB says he fell on his sword, and given that he walked away from some money to leave early by reports, I don't see any particular reason to doubt it. I sure wouldn't give some money back if I was getting sacked, I'd take my pound of flesh.
 
perverse

perverse

Referee
Messages
27,533
pantherpuddy said:
I've lived in the Hunter Valley all my life (40 plus years).
Never been a knights supporter but due to local media coverage you always knew what was happening with the knights.
I was amazed that Adam O'Brien now leaves the club due to him taking the initiative by approaching management and not the other way around. I can't believe he lasted 6 years as head coach.
The only time I remember the club really playing well in that time was a couple of years ago when Ponga was in career best form and you made the finals after a long winning run.
O'Brien always sounded out of his depth when talking to the media. Always saying we learnt some valuable lessons out there today. He just didn't ever sound like an intelligent coach, more like a concreter who was coaching the local footy team on the weekend.
6 years is a long time for an Nrl coach these days and there didn't seem to be any major improvement while he was there.
Was he a cheap option for the club, popular amongst the fans or do you genuinely think he did a good job ?
Click to expand...
He did a very bland job, and I've been puzzled by his job security for 4 years. The club was particularly stupid by how all-in they went on him on the back of 2 1/2 months of form in 2023. Ridiculous management tbh.
 
A

Alex28

Coach
Messages
12,354
This popped up late yesterday. Granted - it is one side of the story, it’s an aggrieved player that didn’t have a great year and left the club mid-contract, however the way he describes his communication with both the club and coach is very disappointing.

The club HAS to be better than this.

 
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Alex28

Coach
Messages
12,354
Don’t get me wrong - it’s not just AOB. If his claims are right, where is Parr in all of this? Why aren’t they telling players who are dropped why and what they need to do? Where are end of year individual discussions?

Where is the professionalism?
 
aqua_duck

aqua_duck

Coach
Messages
18,807
Alex28 said:
Don’t get me wrong - it’s not just AOB. If his claims are right, where is Parr in all of this? Why aren’t they telling players who are dropped why and what they need to do? Where are end of year individual discussions?

Where is the professionalism?
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No excuse for not having an end of year review, Parr needs to address that, the in season stuff is just terrible and would explain why we’ve struggled so much in nsw cup the last few years despite having some decent sides on paper.
If half of what Jenkins claims is accurate then it’s no surprise what so many fringe/unwanted players have left here and improved drastically elsewhere. I remember when Kiraz was interviewed he sort of eluded to a lack of communication and being shunned abit which prompted him to ask for a release from a top 30 deal to take up a train and trial at the dogs.
 
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jonno_knights

Juniors
Messages
2,350
Not completely unusual in today's workplaces. It just screams either management who are either snowed under with stress and dont make the time to make personal connections with their employees, or are afraid of conflict and difficult conversations. Especially if a player is out the door.

You'd think after 4 or 5 years in the HC role AOB would have had that figured out, but sounds like it wasn't. If anyone watched the NFL hard knocks, there are a lot of positive interactions when players are cut, even though it is shattering for the individuals they do appreciate the common courtesy of a chat, even if it is just to reinforce there still might be a place on the league for them if they continue to work.

Its that man management side of things which separates the good coaches from the average ones. Hard working players will respond to criticism if they respect the coach.
 
perverse

perverse

Referee
Messages
27,533
slotmachine said:
I really don't understand why everyone thinks Parr is gods gift to rugby league.
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Media and wishful thinking imo.

Jenkins doesn't even sound that bitter and didn't slander the club at all in that. Just honest about how we treated him - very poorly. Goes to show just how in over his head AOB was honestly, absolutely pathetic treatment from a head coach. Man management is such a massive part of being a head coach, one of the primary roles, and that report from Jenkins is a big fat F-.

Our admin wears a good chunk of this as well of course. They presided over this and endorsed AOB time and time again despite his clear inability to even communicate with his squad appropriately.
 
R

ryan.a87

Juniors
Messages
1,102
I would read too much into the Jenkins interview

call me biased

but I see that as he was signed to replace Dom, but when coaches saw how he went in pre season, they saw he was average and chose Tuala over him

sure he looks good at panthers, but seems to be a case of him needing to be in a good system
 
Yosh

Yosh

Coach
Messages
12,768
So... Is Holbrook in a position to change this? Or is the rot too deep? 2025 season isn't even finished and I'm not looking forward to 2026...
 
Mr_Knightside

Mr_Knightside

Bench
Messages
2,792
Yosh said:
So... Is Holbrook in a position to change this? Or is the rot too deep? 2025 season isn't even finished and I'm not looking forward to 2026...
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There are plenty of things that Holbrook can change. Being a clear communicator and being very clear about his expectations of the players is a start.
 
perverse

perverse

Referee
Messages
27,533
ryan.a87 said:
I would read too much into the Jenkins interview

call me biased

but I see that as he was signed to replace Dom, but when coaches saw how he went in pre season, they saw he was average and chose Tuala over him

sure he looks good at panthers, but seems to be a case of him needing to be in a good system
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So maybe tell him that? It's not really that the coach didn't want to play him, it's how he was managed that's the issue.
 
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