Sack Adam O'Brien

[slotmachine]

I very much doubt a solid decision has been made on AOB just yet, at least as far as 2026 is concerned

Yeah I get the feeling the board members have differing opinions and they'll wait until the end of the season to work out an agreement.

 

[Zoidberg]

I wouldn’t mind seeing how O’brien goes next year. He seems to have gotten the defence and mindset of the players mostly right, just need to work on attack (obviously). With Brown and maybe a new hooker joining KP and Sharpe, he will have plenty of experience and options.
No more chances though, either we are pushing for a top 4 spot next year or he goes.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Yeah the whole thing with the “AOB must go” mindset that most of us have (including me) is that he has actually built a really good foundation of toughness & grit with the playing group.

The soulless footy when we’ve got the ball in hand is what frustrates most fans though and that’s the tradeoff at the moment. If we can keep the defence the same as it is and AOB/Green and whoever else is on the coaching staff can get the attack up to at least a mid-table standard then we’re looking at winning more than we lose next season imo.

The thing that is in AOB’s favour with keeping his job is that he can point to the fact that he’s been without several main attacking weapons for big chunks of the season and that Brown coming along next year will improve it for sure.

I don’t want to talk myself into thinking AOB should stay but I can see some logic behind it if that’s the decision the club makes.

 

[ryan.a87]

I’d like to give AOB the benefit of the doubt, the halves he has had to work with in the last couple of years have been nsw cup quality at best. Even Bellamy wouldnt be able to get much attacking flare out of them

wait to see what he does with Brown and Sharpe and then judge him

 

[Woosh]

Interesting comments.
If Adzy was still running the show, he would have had Hunt at fullback and playing that same old conservative style.
I thought the attacking shape against the Wahs was much better, it was threatening and had some thought behind it.

 

[Woody90]

Interesting comments.
If Adzy was still running the show, he would have had Hunt at fullback and playing that same old conservative style.
I thought the attacking shape against the Wahs was much better, it was threatening and had some thought behind it.

Well there goes any arguement that Green’s not allowed to have anything to do with the attack and he’s blameless. He apparently gets so much say that he’s involved in selection decisions.

 

[Woody90]

I wouldn’t mind seeing how O’brien goes next year. He seems to have gotten the defence and mindset of the players mostly right, just need to work on attack (obviously). With Brown and maybe a new hooker joining KP and Sharpe, he will have plenty of experience and options.
No more chances though, either we are pushing for a top 4 spot next year or he goes.

I feel like after 6 years we need a change. I don’t mind if we keep AOB (although my preference would be to move him on I think) but need to at least get in a new attack coach. Not saying they have to sack Green but just get some extra help in. They need some change.

 

[Yosh]

Well there goes any arguement that Green’s not allowed to have anything to do with the attack and he’s blameless. He apparently gets so much say that he’s involved in selection decisions.

We played AOB ball before Green was here. There was also a point halfway through the season we flipped our attack from super conservative to a more free flowing style. It looks to be Green was given more license to do what he wanted after AOB suffocating the team earlier this season.

If AOB is happy to let Green take full control and ownership of the attack, I'm happy for him to stay. The team is a mental giant compared to a decade ago and that really is due to AOB.

 

[Apey]

Interesting comments.
If Adzy was still running the show, he would have had Hunt at fullback and playing that same old conservative style.
I thought the attacking shape against the Wahs was much better, it was threatening and had some thought behind it.

Thanks for sharing Michelle!

 

[Woody90]

We played AOB ball before Green was here. There was also a point halfway through the season we flipped our attack from super conservative to a more free flowing style. It looks to be Green was given more license to do what he wanted after AOB suffocating the team earlier this season.

If AOB is happy to let Green take full control and ownership of the attack, I'm happy for him to stay. The team is a mental giant compared to a decade ago and that really is due to AOB.

Whatever we’ve been doing the last few seasons (minus the run in 2023) has made the original AOB ball look like the Harlem Globetrotters to be honest.

 

[Woosh]

Well there goes any arguement that Green’s not allowed to have anything to do with the attack and he’s blameless. He apparently gets so much say that he’s involved in selection decisions.

Come on… do you really think Green had much of a say until recently?

 

[Woody90]

Come on… do you really think Green had much of a say until recently?

Occam's razor. I think it’s way more likely he’s just struggling (and we all overrated him from the run in 2023), than the conspiracies going around that he’s not allowed to have any say in our attack (as the attack coach) when we’re struggling (but suddenly does if we have a decent game).

 

[Alex28]

Interesting comments.
If Adzy was still running the show, he would have had Hunt at fullback and playing that same old conservative style.
I thought the attacking shape against the Wahs was much better, it was threatening and had some thought behind it.

Hunt is playing right centre in preparation for next year. I reckon AOB is running the show. He doesn’t want Gags there next year either.

 

[Alex28]

We played AOB ball before Green was here. There was also a point halfway through the season we flipped our attack from super conservative to a more free flowing style. It looks to be Green was given more license to do what he wanted after AOB suffocating the team earlier this season.

If AOB is happy to let Green take full control and ownership of the attack, I'm happy for him to stay. The team is a mental giant compared to a decade ago and that really is due to AOB.

Yosh - that’s a wonderful story, however Blake Green has been coaching attack since 2022. This is his fourth season as an attacking coach with the club.

So, he’s been responsible for the attack for two-thirds of AOB’s time with the Knights.

Maybe, Blake Green is actually responsible for the conservative style of attack we have been playing? Do you think he would have been here all this time coaching a style of play he wasn’t happy to?

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

And now they start to walk it back - The real muppet show is the media. I'd be surprised if AOB was sacked, he's over achieved with the cattle he's had and I think he'll do well with a decent roster , and at long last having a decent spine to steer the ship.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/ada77dd51c8dde7a049227a5a1b8e0d9

Knights coach Adam O’Brien may survive into the 2026 season after incoming chief executive Peter Parr silencing reports surrounding his future.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Hunt is playing right centre in preparation for next year. I reckon AOB is running the show. He doesn’t want Gags there next year either.

I think you're half right. Hunt is playing centre in preparation for the chance that Gagai isn't there. I think if given the choice AOB would want Gags on the books for 2026

 

[Loose Cannon]

Hunt is playing right centre in preparation for next year. I reckon AOB is running the show. He doesn’t want Gags there next year either.

That’s my read on it too. Definite succession plan, even if Gags stays next year it’ll be Hunt’s future role.

 

[slotmachine]

There was also a point halfway through the season we flipped our attack from super conservative to a more free flowing style.

Half time in the Manly game.

Since then we've only had one really bad attacking game (against the chooks) which you can forgive with no Ponga, no Sharpe, no Best, no Dom, starting halves of Cogger/Hastings and starting props Croker/Jones.

Considering the absolute lack of fire power we've been very decent since then. And there's been points going begging through lack of execution rather than an uber conservative gameplan.

 

[HarVeeGee]

We have. If the attacking form since the Manly game - still not great, but acceptable in the circumstances - had been the case all season, I don't think the fanbase is baying for blood quite so much.

It wasn't just bad before that, it was historically bad. Putrid. They have quite clearly changed approach a lot starting with halftime in that Manly game and I feel like I'm being gaslit when it's suggested that's not the case. We're not inside the four walls of the club so we don't know what to point the finger at for that, all we have is suspicion, but I don't think pissing away more than half a season on something which Helen Keller could see just wasn't working, out of pure stubbornness, can be excused. I'm not going to forget it or excuse it because we've put in some decent performances since. I demand better from my club.

 

[Yosh]

Again, I don't have any evidence but I think it's AOB finally letting the players play and allowing Green's attacking structures over playing boring AOB ball.