Smith verse Bennett,Folkes & Stuart

[Redback71]

Bennett, Folkes & Stuart r the top 3 coaches in the nrl at the moment if any of these 3 were coaching the Eels instead of Smith with the squad we had this year would the team be doing better than they r now?

or

r they just not skillful enough?

 

[Eels Dude]

I think if we had Stuart or Bennett as a coach we'd be doing slightly better. I don't rate Steve Folkes as high as those 2.

 

[Eelementary]

Definitely.

For starters, I doubt Stuart or Bennet would be stupid enough to persist with this moronic two locks stratagem. It just does not work.

We all know also that Stuart is big on discipline and attitude. In other words, wrong attitude = no game time.

And Bennett would choose our best starting 13 plus a great bench (as in Afamasaga and Hindmarsh as starting second rowers with Stapo at prop).

 

[Phillips]

Stuart is the one i would pick out of them

 

[Go Nulla]

I'd pick Langmack before Smith. :lol:

 

[ParraMatt]

I don't rate Stuart, I rate Bennett. Bennett would be a great coach for us.

 

[Suitman]

Frankly, any of those three would have us in the top four.

We have the herd.........no doubt about that.
We just don't have the shephard.

Suity

 

[The Godfather]

No excuses this year.

Don't try blaming injuries, because we were also very inconsistent at the start of the season when we had most of our players fit.

 

[Eels Dude]

Frankly, any of those three would have us in the top four.

We have the herd.........no doubt about that.
We just don't have the shephard.

Suity

You're kidding if ya think the side we have now is a top 4 side.

 

[Utey]

At the beginning of the year we did ok. We were in a pattern of L,W,W,L,W,W. We werent going to bad. Then the injuries killed us. IF Bulldogs had injuries they wouldve been in the same situation. IT comes down to luck, hwoever the way we are playing when we started to lose consitantantly was as poor as it can get. The problem is still our halves. The signing of Thorman gave Smith to muhc choice and variation, whilst if Thorman wasnt chosen we would have played a havles combo of Witt/Morris or Witt/Dykes. The 2 lock strategy was good when Dykes was our sole playmaker howver when Witt was given the duty there was simply to much pressure and he was unable to handle it.

 

[Eelementary]

Well what's the point of having a "halves COMBINATION" and a "5/8" if you're not going to use it?

The two lock stratagem - unless it's like Anasta or Hill (a lock with skill) - just is the dumbest idea I've ever heard.

Like I've said, if it's such a brilliant idea, how come NSW, QLD, AUS and the Broncos, Panthers, Roosters, Bulldogs, Dragons etc. ALL play a natural halves combination?

I'll tell you why. Because a good team has a good halves combo.

 

[The Colonel]

Realistically any coach who came in should have us in the top four if everyone is off the injured list. With the injury list as it is no one could get us in the top four - not even God himself. Bennett or Stuart however would have us in the bottom half of the eight rather than where we are now as they would use the players they have to the best advantage.

 

[strider]

If anyone believes the players we currently have on the park are top 4 material they are very much delluded....as I said in another post - that ever so popular word "mediority" springs to mind.....unfortunately thats what alot of our players in our top grade squad appear to be right now....they try hard and you can't ask for much more - there are other things affecting their individual performances too - but at the end of the day we are lacking talent right now.

Sure if we had Cayless, Lyon, Vaeiliki, Cannings, Dykes on the field the entire year and they got to be confident playing with eachother we should be top 4 material.....but that hasn't happened.

Don't try blaming injuries, because we were also very inconsistent at the start of the season when we had most of our players fit

We were doing OK at the start of the season....we have a crap first game - but then I think the consensus was a 2-1 record after a Bulldogs,Broncos,Knights start to the season was very satisfying.....I don't believe we set the world on fire at any stage this season, but Lyon leaving and then long term injuries to Cannings and Cayless knocked our pack around....other long injuries to guys like Dykes, Hopkins, Vaeiliki, Grothe have robbed us of our best team at any stage.

 

[strider]

Well what's the point of having a "halves COMBINATION" and a "5/8" if you're not going to use it?

The two lock stratagem - unless it's like Anasta or Hill (a lock with skill) - just is the dumbest idea I've ever heard.

Like I've said, if it's such a brilliant idea, how come NSW, QLD, AUS and the Broncos, Panthers, Roosters, Bulldogs, Dragons etc. ALL play a natural halves combination?

I'll tell you why. Because a good team has a good halves combo.

Do we have the quality of those teams to have a top 1/2 - 5/8 combo?

NSW - well they can pick anyone, they used Timmons in game 1 who is undoubtedly a bit skillful (more than Waggy), but is a lock.

Qld and Aust - again plenty of skilful players to use.

Broncos - Lockyer at 5/8....I'm afraid we don't have one of his standard. Their half has changed alot - Seymor, McGuire, Berrigan....just solid players.

Panthers - Gower and Campbell....Gower is better than anyone at Parra, Preston - he's very good too - I'd put him on par with Dykes.

Roosters - Fittler and Finch....one of the best and an emerging talent.

Bulldogs - Sherwin and Anasta are again high quality with rep experience.

Dragons - Had some injury woes and have had a patchy season...Barrett is as good as they come....Head is an emerging star.


All these teams have at least one rep quality half....we don't....Dykes can be very good but he hasn't - injuries and bad form have seen him not get to a level that maybe he could have.

I wish we could have 2 skilful halves too....but unfortunately we don't ...I don't believe Witt and Thorman are good enough yet.

The sad fact is that we have had more success this season playing Wagon in #6 (ie two locks) than when we have played 2 unpredictable halves together.

I agree we need to have a set combination, but I don't believe we've had that option this season anyway.

 

[scottyeel]

Well what's the point of having a "halves COMBINATION" and a "5/8" if you're not going to use it?

The two lock stratagem - unless it's like Anasta or Hill (a lock with skill) - just is the dumbest idea I've ever heard.

Like I've said, if it's such a brilliant idea, how come NSW, QLD, AUS and the Broncos, Panthers, Roosters, Bulldogs, Dragons etc. ALL play a natural halves combination?

I'll tell you why. Because a good team has a good halves combo.

Do we have the quality of those teams to have a top 1/2 - 5/8 combo?



I agree we need to have a set combination, but I don't believe we've had that option this season anyway.

The reason we dont have that option is because someone bought crap players and never tried to buy a decent half.

 

[Utey]

We have tried just not hard enough. Coming to PArra from a premiership threatening team isnt an easy task. Look at Orford from Melbourne to here. It woulda been a miracle if he had come.

 

[PJ Marshal]

If Smith Goes his likely replacement would be Daniel Anderson :?: :?

 

[Eelectrica]

If Smith goes, I would hope Fitzgerald goes through a thorough process and interview plenty of candidates, but he probably would take the easy option and pick the first person to walk in the door. :roll:

 

[Dog-E]

Frankly, any of those three would have us in the top four.

We have the herd.........no doubt about that.
We just don't have the shephard.

Suity

You're kidding if ya think the side we have now is a top 4 side.

Top 4?..No.

But top 8 - even GIVEN your inhury list - should just NOT be out of the question as it is...The pattern is repeating - great promise = failure, great promise = failure, great promise = failure, great promise = failure, etc etc ad nauseum!...Clubs are often FAR too quick to blame a coach for their shortcomins...this is quite honeslty the ONE instance where the absolute opposite applies!!...I cannot BELIEVE Smith is still in charge of your club!!! :shock:

It's as plain as the nose on Sterlo's face - How f*cking LONG before the that terminal MELON Denis Fitzgerald - sees that Smith HAS to go!!??...Well - as Fitzgerald himself is quite clearly several toxic waste dumps short of a Parramatta River - you could well be stuck with the useless @&*#$( for a while yet!!!

Even given all the problems we've had in recent years - we'll just take them on the chin thanks - whatever doesnt kill us, only makes us stronger - and at least I can still thank my lucky stars every day that the Parramatta administration team in their hopeless entirety - is not in charge of my club!!!