I suspect Hook does have a good football brain, however being a good head coach is about more than just football and where Hook was not the right coach for the Dragons was his inability to create a strong team culture where players want to do their best to help their mates and turn up for all 80 minutes. If a coach is not capable of developing that culture they need to relay heavily on their senior players and captain to set the standard.
I think even before Hook arrived we have had an issue with our senior players and captains not setting the standard. In hindsight looking at our last three long term captains Widdop, McInnes and Hunt, only McInnes really set the example.
It's not that Widdop and Hunt necessarily didn't perform on the field, but they were more focused on achieving their own individual KPIs and ensuring their own. It is a shame that Hook pursued the policy of recruiting older players for cheap bucks to keep Hunt happy.
If the club had been able to recruit a solid almost gun forward for big bucks to replace McInnes the leadership would not have been placed on Hunt who does not provide leadership or help create a culture that encourages looking after your mates. Hunt is too focused on making sure he gets the ball and that he gets touches every play.
As much as I have my doubts about Dean Young's ability to be a head coach, I do think he was a very hard working player who set standards on and off the field that helped young players to know what is expected and he turned up and played for his teams for all the minutes he played. I also had hoped that Matt Cooper would be appointed as an assistant coach as he worked damn hard off the field and didn't let his team mates carry his share of the load. Between the two of them they could have contributed to taking some of the load off Flanno who I think can address both football and culture but who is only human and needs his assistants to set the standard for training and doing your share of the hard work as he is going to be flat out working out new football strategies and plays.
Wow, a bit to unpack here, thanks.
From what and understand about your club:
McInnis was a once in a generation type of player. I was disappointed he left. He hasn’t been the same. I know he was injured, but this was a case where SGI was the right fit.
Dean had quite a few things going for him as player. He was a strike attacking forward. He’d seem done and ready to be tackled but then he would kick!
He had unusual talents for a forward. In theory, every forward should have some attacking options in the kitty like Dean.
And I suppose every back should be able to cart the ball up and take a few.
The roosters used Latrell like that and for a few times, we saw Edwards this year in the middle.
But Dean would be a good player to model a game on. I suppose it takes years to become a strike forward. I loved watching him at his peak.
Kiks is another, but we know he has too many holidays at the dogs.
I wonder what Albert is up to these days? His first year off away from footy since the 1960s.
Big change of life’s circumstances.
He had to go, sure, but I wonder how he’s coping?
