Someone has to say it

[Suitman]

I wish everyone would stop harping on the Brian should be a scout/overseer/head coach/whatever you want to call it .... maybe he doesn't want to - maybe he wants to be the one calling the shots? - maybe he could go to another club and be the main man and do what he does best there??? ...

And maybe, in '07, he'll just enjoy a little time with his family.

Suity

 

[fish eel]

I wonder if anyone has ever asked smithy whether he would wanna stay on as a 'scout' or a coaching director???

 

[Stagger eel]

I love Brian, I think he's done a fantastic job for the club I don't think anyone denys that, however as much as i look forward to giving the comp a real shake this season I will also embrace and look forward to the changing of the guard in 07.

This club has looked after all it's coachs in the past and to the best of my knowledge no first grade coach has ever been sacked from this club not even John Peard in 1980 who only had a 1 years contract anyway but still had the cattle to make the semis but fell short.

Brian was not only on a healthy wicket financially, but was also given free reign to make decisions on player signings, retention and has set up a succesful structure but unfortunately as Delboy says he's failed to deliver at the last hurdle on several occasions, in this game and at any other club Brians tenure would of ended in 02 or 03 at best but to the clubs credit they've never bowed to the evil pressures of the media and replaced Brian earlier.

My concern if any is the repercussions which may result in the decision being made soon which we, as a club have not had to face in 10 years, it could be a bit of a rocky ride but the brave decision by the club to stick it's neck out and back itself by aiming to name the coach for 07 by the start of the season could, turn out to be the tonic needed to kickstart an exciting season without worrying about this crap later.

 

[Belly in Brisvegas]

Part of the reason Parra failed and this may or may not come down to Brian Smith is that the Cowboys shut down Tim Smith (admitigly they bashed him out of the game but still) and Parra couldn't handle it

In previous seasons shutting down Parra's halfback wasn't a problem the team could still get over the line for the win but by that stage in the season tricks that Widders and Timmy etc pulled at the start of the year were being read better and were therefore less effective.

and this is what worries me for 2006 Tim Smith cannot go into the season expecting the same results he'll be marked a lot heavier and will need to change things up more he doesn't really need any new tricks he just needs to pick his spots better.

The longer the season went the more Timmy's long passes got intercepted (or at least knocked down).

That is why it is essential that Timmy has someone like Sterlo or a Daley in his ear...maybe not in an offical capacity but as an informal consultant if you will. There's just something about JT that doesn't grab me...maybe it is the losing culture that Norths had....successful to a point but folds when it counts.

If Timmy is good enough he'll tweak his game to counter the attention he'll cop this year.

 

[fish eel]

There's just something about JT that doesn't grab me...maybe it is the losing culture that Norths had....successful to a point but folds when it counts.

Is that why he fits in so well here? :lol:

 

[Belly in Brisvegas]

Is that why he fits in so well here? :lol:

I wouldn't dare suggest the planets could be so much in line Fishy!!!!

 

[Utey]

2005 was a big big overachievement. I kept saying to myself that we wouldnt win anything. I think we will be a threat this season.

 

[eelaholic]

Yeah that's very true.

One of the main reasons I'm so much of a pro-running 5/8 is because of that - Timmy, for all his athletic abilities, has an only average running game.

If we could pair him up with a Benji-clone, I think we'd go better.

Benji has little to no kicking game, and is only really lethal if he can put a step on. Pair him up in the same game with timmy, and have timmy taken out of the game and all you are left with is a ball runner up against an "in your face defence" and no kicker to try and gain the metres past the defensive line. As good as our 5/8th and half back combo is, it still needs a lot of work, even if they were able to try out a few new things this year.

 

[Eelementary]

True.

But we have Burt, Smith, Riddell, Marsh...Benji and his running game would be very well-suited at Parramatta.

I think a running 5/8 is what we crave - a guy who could drift, find gaps and offload, much like Bert did 20 years ago.

 

[WA Eel]

Or more recently, a Michael Buettner type player running off Tim Smith whose a halfback in the JT mould.

 

[Eelementary]

Yeah, exactly.

If Morris developed a lethal running game, he'd be our perfect 5/8. Then all he'd need is maybe a more adventurous passing game, but that's it.

But because neither Morris nor Smith are particularly agile or swift on their feet, we rely too heavily on offloads, passes and kicks.

 

[newmanj]

Excellent Post Delboy. Has prompted much debate and some excellent points. I can smell the new season. Really looking forward to it. Have to agree we did overachieve last year. 2006 should be our year. Everything is in place. No excuses.

See you at the footy Delboy.