Sack Adam O'Brien

[Woody90]

Honestly, from what I saw on the weekend - it's just a matter of time and how much punishment the club wants to put the fans through before admitting they've f**ked up for 5 years - and REALLY f**ked up with his current extension in 2023. He's got no answers and never has. He needs to go back to what he's good at and be an assistant coach.

The problem with the players is mental - it's all in their heads. They don't want to lose, so the effort is still there in defence (at least in patches... but it's waning now as belief dies down and reality sets in). However, things get too hard very quickly now and the attitudes stink. You can tell shit is rotton off the field on body language alone. Kalyns heart isn't in it right now. Injury or not, we know what a motivated Ponga looks like and this is not it.

A change has to be made. It's beyond diabolical and we shouldn't have to wait until our fate is sealed this year to do it. If we make a change now and even just install a caretaker coach from within to see out there year - I promise you we will see a lift on the field too. I'm done with the "hurr durr we need an able replacement ready". No, we really don't. You just pay him out and he doesn't show up to work tomorrow, it's simple. McDermott, Green, whoever the f**k can baby the toddlers until we find his actual replacement. I'm f**kin done with this idiot. Done.

I totally agree. I wouldn’t go as far as saying we’ve f**ked up the last 5 years though. We’ve gone from being a consistent wooden spoon team to a side that’s finished in the finals for 4/5 years. That’s definitely some growth. He’s 100% not the coach to get us further than the bottom of the 8 with an early exit though and it’s infuriating that the powers that be thought he was enough to extend him.

 

[Yosh]

I come into this thread everyday hoping to see news of his firing. Wonder what's really going on behind the scenes. The likes of Parr and POS have been around long enough to know their reputations are on the line here as well. Hopefully we make the change sooner rather than later.

 

[Woody90]

I come into this thread everyday hoping to see news of his firing. Wonder what's really going on behind the scenes. The likes of Parr and POS have been around long enough to know their reputations are on the line here as well. Hopefully we make the change sooner rather than later.

The decision at the end of the day comes down to Wests and whether they’re willing to take the financial hit. Either way though they’re going to get a financial hit, pay out the money now or lose it slowly on loss of memberships, etc.

 

[ryan.a87]

Fans just need to stop showing up to games

while they are still selling season tickets and game day tickets, there is no business reason to make a change before the contract is up. The ROI on the payout isn’t viable

 

[perverse]

Fans just need to stop showing up to games

while they are still selling season tickets and game day tickets, there is no business reason to make a change before the contract is up. The ROI on the payout isn’t viable

And they should, yep. I wouldn't (and don't) pay to see this mess unfold.

 

[Yosh]

Fans just need to stop showing up to games

while they are still selling season tickets and game day tickets, there is no business reason to make a change before the contract is up. The ROI on the payout isn’t viable

That's the crazy part. Our fans are simply the best. Real fans. We turn up full house even after three wooden spoons! Wish they would riot more.

 

[Haffa]

The first few pages of this thread are interesting reading. Crazy how it's the same old f**king story. Can we please move past this pretender already? He's wasted half a decade of my football watching life.

He was able to hide behind the it’s not his team excuse. He’s now moved past even needed an excuse to there is no one better available. Which is a tremendous show of support.

 

[Reflector]

That's the crazy part. Our fans are simply the best. Real fans. We turn up full house even after three wooden spoons! Wish they would riot more.

And this is half the problem. There will always be a hardcore of at least 15k who will turn up regardless.

What should be focused on more is the attitude of the Hunter public outside of the rusted-on. How many people born and raised in the region (especially the youngsters) follow RL but support another team because the Knights are “uncool” to support.

 

[mozza91]

So zero unforced changes from him for this weekend. Really making the players accountable.

At least Elliot is starting so we’ll have someone who’s capable of playing 1st receiver in lieu of you know, an actual halfback.

I’ll keep it quiet on the Elliott’s compliments though. Don’t want captain ROI and his award winning personality coming after me.

 

[Alex28]

You say the club has f**ked up hiring and extending him, yet he has the third best win/loss record of any coach we have had, and the best record of a coach without Andrew Johns in the team. He has an 80% success record of making the finals…

You look at that, and his resume reads pretty well. You can understand why the board re-signed him.

At the end of the day, it comes down to who can we appoint that is going to make the club stronger. I’m yet to hear of a better, realistic appointment.

 

[slotmachine]

You can understand why the board re-signed him.

Not when they were only bidding against themselves.

 

[Woody90]

You say the club has f**ked up hiring and extending him, yet he has the third best win/loss record of any coach we have had, and the best record of a coach without Andrew Johns in the team. He has an 80% success record of making the finals…

You look at that, and his resume reads pretty well. You can understand why the board re-signed him.

At the end of the day, it comes down to who can we appoint that is going to make the club stronger. I’m yet to hear of a better, realistic appointment.

At the time we offered him the extension AOB’s record warranted probably keeping his job the following year. It definitely didn’t warrant a multi-year extension when there was no competition. I’m not sure if Wests were delusional that he was the right coach or Moses really pulled one over on us. Either way terribly managed. The 12th play finish clause was nuts.

 

[Alex28]

Not when they were only bidding against themselves.

If we lost him to another team, who do we get?

Jason Ryles is evidence that the next young thing isn’t necessarily the thing.

 

[Knight Tales]

It’s all very tiring.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Jason Ryles is evidence that the next young thing isn’t necessarily the thing.

Ciraldo, Webster and Fitzgibbon are evidence that maybe they are

 

[slotmachine]

If we lost him to another team, who do we get?

a) he already had a deal for 2024 so they could have waited to see if the ten game streak was real (it wasn't) and b) no one was trying to sign him away from the Knights anyway.

 

[ryan.a87]

Ciraldo, Webster and Fitzgibbon are evidence that maybe they are

I raise you AOB

he was the next big thing assistant coach when we got him

 

[Alex28]

Ciraldo, Webster and Fitzgibbon are evidence that maybe they are

Ciraldo has done a great job with a team bought and not developed.

Fitzgibbon hasn’t done that much better than us to be honest with a much better team.

Webster… took him a while but has them humming.

 

[HarVeeGee]

Fitzgibbon has a win % of 63%, the third highest of any current active coach. I'd say that's a fair bit better than the Knights. I mean I'd take it!

 

[slotmachine]

And finished top 4 twice. He's definitely over achieving with the sharks squad.