Can we really say he was, though? Sure, hindsight is 20/20... but we took a punt on a coach that - to the best of my knowledge - had never been a head coach at any level before.
Well, the highest credentialed assistant and young coaches. Did a big apprenticeship at Melbourne and spent a year at the Roosters and always had glowing reviews.
So no, no actual head coaching position with proof of results but if there was someone to take a punt on he was the man at the time.
It's like saying if Fitzgibbon goes to shit at the Sharks over the next few years someone saying 'I told you so' when the reality is there would have been many wanting him to take the reigns of their club.
So yeah, it's easy to say I told you so with AOB now, but at the time we could have signed someone else and had the same results and be like I knew we should have went AOB.