SJ.

[Wheeled Warrior]

Honestly I’m not sure SJ is great coaching material, he was too much of an instinctive, naturally gifted player and that’s stuff you can’t coach. There’s an old adage in coaching, “mediocre athletes make great coaches”. It’s the guys who were naturally a bit plod and had to find ways to separate themselves from the rest to win by thinking that tend to make great coaches, not the super gifted athletes that it came naturally to.
I do think he’s got a great future in media if he wants one though.

If Shaun replaces someone like Blairy on Sky, I’d be fine with that. But I wouldn't want him to stick with commentating or his current podcast for too long. It's pretty bland and feels more like a show where his friends are just hyping him up.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

I’m definitely the weird one when it comes to stuff like this, but it’s crazy to me how often players make mistakes like this when narrating their own lives. Another example is that I’ve always been interested in the progress of SBW’s career from leaving NZ to playing first grade, so I read his book - and there’s no coherent or consistent narrative of when things happened, what year it was, how old he was etc.

With SJ I find it staggering he could make that mistake given he aged out of under-20s and was playing NSW Cup that year because he was too old. How could he possibly have forgotten that?

Agreed. He should've made first grade a lot earlier than he did, but I just watched Ivan on Once a Warrior and he said he wasn't ready. It must have been an attitude thing. In the end it looks to be the difference between him playing 300 games or not. He ends 32 games short of that mark.

I also read SBW's book. Unfortunately, it was very disappointing. For those of you who haven't read it, this is basically how it goes:

Growing up in Auckland
I'm a fair skinned samoan
The Dogs/Party days
The walkout
Alhamdulillah
All Blacks
All Blacks
All Blacks
I'm a half-caste Samoan
Inshallah
Roosters
Roosters
Roosters
Me, the light-skinned Samoan
All Blacks
All Blacks
All Blacks
Alhamdulillah
Inshallah I'm a fair-skinned samoan pasifika man

Barely a mention of playing for the Kiwis at all! I was thoroughly annoyed by that. He didn't say a single word about the 2013 World Cup, and how he controversially (although correctly) took Tohu's spot which was a huge talking point at the time. Only his brother mentioned that tournament in the part he wrote. And of course he had to go get Allan Duff to write it, who's a fiction author.

I did enjoy that story he told about a Wahs player snobbing him while riding the stationary bike though lol. Any idea who it is? I was thinking Vinnie Anderson maybe.

 

[JJ]

He’s hard to dislike, but the narcissistic streak, and the precious one are the reasons I’ve never warmed to him…. Always been about Shaun I reckon

 

[TheDMC]

The reddit simps did have a good point that we kinda forget though, that overall he’s been an absolute credit to the sport. Hes never had any off field trouble or scandals, dont think he’s ever been suspended, cant even recall him being cited. Literally the worst thing he’s done in a 14 year career is have a couple of minor sooks on social media. Plus he’s always fronted the media well, and probably been the most important kiwi player of the last decade in terms of raising the sport’s profile and attracting new fans.
he might have been inconsistent and frustrating to the warriors faithful on occasion but to the wider league community he’s been the face of Kiwi Rigby league for a decade and on the whole he’s shouldered that responsibility bloody well.

Great perspective. Let's celebrate his achievements. Don't think anyone on this Forum is under the illusion he is a demigod so who gives a toss too much what various numpties out there think, on either extreme spectrum.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Agreed. He should've made first grade a lot earlier than he did, but I just watched Ivan on Once a Warrior and he said he wasn't ready. It must have been an attitude thing. In the end it looks to be the difference between him playing 300 games or not. He ends 32 games short of that mark.

I also read SBW's book. Unfortunately, it was very disappointing. For those of you who haven't read it, this is basically how it goes:

Growing up in Auckland
I'm a fair skinned samoan
The Dogs/Party days
The walkout
Alhamdulillah
All Blacks
All Blacks
All Blacks
I'm a half-caste Samoan
Inshallah
Roosters
Roosters
Roosters
Me, the light-skinned Samoan
All Blacks
All Blacks
All Blacks
Alhamdulillah
Inshallah I'm a fair-skinned samoan pasifika man

Barely a mention of playing for the Kiwis at all! I was thoroughly annoyed by that. He didn't say a single word about the 2013 World Cup, and how he controversially (although correctly) took Tohu's spot which was a huge talking point at the time. Only his brother mentioned that tournament in the part he wrote. And of course he had to go get Allan Duff to write it, who's a fiction author.

I did enjoy that story he told about a Wahs player snobbing him while riding the stationary bike though lol. Any idea who it is? I was thinking Vinnie Anderson maybe.

Yeah the book absolutely stunk and the overriding impression you get from it, sadly, is he’s an idiot and an arsehole and it’s a shame (and dangerous) that he’s become so confident and forthright in his own opinions. It was sort of deflating and disturbing at the same time, wanting to read something interesting about his career and instead it’s the coming out story of a narcissistic religious fundamentalist.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

If Shaun replaces someone like Blairy on Sky, I’d be fine with that. But I wouldn't want him to stick with commentating or his current podcast for too long. It's pretty bland and feels more like a show where his friends are just hyping him up.

Yeah I’d much rather see him get a proper TV gig as a commentator or presenter, I think he’d go well.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I’m definitely the weird one when it comes to stuff like this, but it’s crazy to me how often players make mistakes like this when narrating their own lives. Another example is that I’ve always been interested in the progress of SBW’s career from leaving NZ to playing first grade, so I read his book - and there’s no coherent or consistent narrative of when things happened, what year it was, how old he was etc.

With SJ I find it staggering he could make that mistake given he aged out of under-20s and was playing NSW Cup that year because he was too old. How could he possibly have forgotten that?

I feel like he saw it as a better story if he was 19, so he ran with that number under the premise of being uncertain. This is a guy who remembers his highlights.

Honestly I’m not sure SJ is great coaching material, he was too much of an instinctive, naturally gifted player and that’s stuff you can’t coach. There’s an old adage in coaching, “mediocre athletes make great coaches”. It’s the guys who were naturally a bit plod and had to find ways to separate themselves from the rest to win by thinking that tend to make great coaches, not the super gifted athletes that it came naturally to.
I do think he’s got a great future in media if he wants one though.

Yeah it's a good point...I'm really not sure. He seems to speak really articulately about the role of a halve, how that looks and so on, and I think he is a pretty intelligent guy. I wouldn't at all rule him out of being a decent coach, although you are right with what you say. And he seems to love the sound of his own voice a bit much.

I think we can all agree the best thing for the world is that he replaces Adam Blair in his commentary role.