The Importance of a Top Line Coach

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Just watching the way Manly played today against a table topping Souths side, I have nothing but admiration for the way Des has pulled them together and got them firing.
Even taking into account that Reynolds had an off day with the boot, it was still a gutsy effort.
Ostensibly the same playing group as last year but with a hard nosed, professional coach in charge, they have grown another leg.
Those who wrote Des off and pointed to his dire coaching style at Canterbury are probably scratching their heads now.
The style of footy that Manly are playing is anything but dire and conservative.
That is the ingredient that we are missing and have done so for the last 5 years.

 

[Forster Dragon]

Spot on assessment.Wewill go nowhere with Mary in charge and have a roster capable of anything with a decent coaching team.
What about young Garrick,could not get a crack with us But once again with good coaching and management he is going gangbusters.
We have the juniors but not the support around them to ensure they fulfill their potential.

 

[Alec’s-saints]

We will finish higher than manly this year.

 

[blacksafake]

Just watching the way Manly played today against a table topping Souths side, I have nothing but admiration for the way Des has pulled them together and got them firing.
Even taking into account that Reynolds had an off day with the boot, it was still a gutsy effort.
Ostensibly the same playing group as last year but with a hard nosed, professional coach in charge, they have grown another leg.
Those who wrote Des off and pointed to his dire coaching style at Canterbury are probably scratching their heads now.
The style of footy that Manly are playing is anything but dire and conservative.
That is the ingredient that we are missing and have done so for the last 5 years.

It’s funny you should say this Dennis as I said to my wife & daughter watching the game that you’ve got to give it to Des with the way he’s turned that squad around. Losing Turbo wouldn’t have helped matters too.
There’s no way L plate would have them being so competitive.

 

[blacksafake]

We will finish higher than manly this year.

And so we should if you compare our squad to theirs.

 

[Alec’s-saints]

And so we should if you compare our squad to theirs.

Irrelevant thread.

 

[BennyV]

I hate Mary being our coach as much as anyone. But the lack of ability in coaches boxes across the league is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, hamper to the overall playing talent that Rugbg League has. Considering that the NRL is the top Rugby League competition in the world, there is a genuine lack of real coaching ability. And it stems from short-sighted, incestuous clubs like ours (along with Raiders, Warriors, and a handful of others) employing coaches based on irrelevant attributes like ‘passion’ and shit like that, rather than strategic analysis, people management and actual ability to teach, coach and develop players to become top line rugby league players. We invest so much in players, yet so little in coach development. And it’s the core of many things wrong with the product of rugby league.

 

[Warabrook saint]

I hate Mary being our coach as much as anyone. But the lack of ability in coaches boxes across the league is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, hamper to the overall playing talent that Rugbg League has. Considering that the NRL is the top Rugby League competition in the world, there is a genuine lack of real coaching ability. And it stems from short-sighted, incestuous clubs like ours (along with Raiders, Warriors, and a handful of others) employing coaches based on irrelevant attributes like ‘passion’ and shit like that, rather than strategic analysis, people management and actual ability to teach, coach and develop players to become top line rugby league players. We invest so much in players, yet so little in coach development. And it’s the core of many things wrong with the product of rugby league.

I reckon there's no one can look as bad as when we're bad .Bulldogs Kogarah 38 nil .Not to mention Lance

 

[Dragonslayer]

Yes, Manly played well today, but the Rabbits were terrible really.

My judgement on whether Manly are the real deal, will be seeing how they handle life without Turbo Tom at the back, it's no co-incidence they won both games he played in, and lost those he didn't.

Reassess after round 18 would be more appropriate.

Must remember at the same stage last year, we were on top of the ladder, Warriors 2nd followed by Penrith and Wests with Manly 5th. We all know Manly ended up 15th.

It's a long season, and things will change no doubt, so its too early for predictions of "top-line" coaches. There are only a few who can be crowned this title and we know who thy are already (ours is definitely not one of them).

 

[SnowDragon]

Manly did well in a game, so what the hell has that got to do with the dragons thread!

Any excuse for Mary bashing! And no insight at all!

It’s not that I am sticking up for him here, it’s that the repetitive BS about Mary takes up 80% of the forum and has gotten really tired to my eyes...

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

We will finish higher than manly this year.

Even if that comes true, it's not the point of this thread.

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

It’s funny you should say this Dennis as I said to my wife & daughter watching the game that you’ve got to give it to Des with the way he’s turned that squad around. Losing Turbo wouldn’t have helped matters too.
There’s no way L plate would have them being so competitive.

Great minds think a like!!
What about Fonua Blake?
What would we be like with that monster in our pack now?
I reckon he is one of the best front rowers in the comp now.

 

[possm]

There is no doubt in my mind that the SGI NRL team would perform much better under a top line coach.

 

[Warabrook saint]

Manly did well in a game, so what the hell has that got to do with the dragons thread!

Any excuse for Mary bashing! And no insight at all!

It’s not that I am sticking up for him here, it’s that the repetitive BS about Mary takes up 80% of the forum and has gotten really tired to my eyes...

Too much snow ayh

 

[Warabrook saint]

Great minds think a like!!
What about Fonua Blake?
What would we be like with that monster in our pack now?
I reckon he is one of the best front rowers in the comp now.

One thing I can’t say against the management for

 

[LINESPEED]

Spot on assessment.Wewill go nowhere with Mary in charge and have a roster capable of anything with a decent coaching team.
What about young Garrick,could not get a crack with us But once again with good coaching and management he is going gangbusters.
We have the juniors but not the support around them to ensure they fulfill their potential.

Yep - Zac must be feeling absolutely dudded ATM by an imposter justifying the picking of favourites

Killing Zac’s confidence in the process

And Zac was streets ahead of Reuben in the talent stakes FFS

 

[LINESPEED]

There is no doubt in my mind that the SGI NRL team would perform much better under a top line coach.

I’d go further Possm - and say we’d’ve won 2 titles with a drover’s dog in charge.

SOO pack!

Easily

 

[Old Timer]

I’d go further Possm - and say we’d’ve won 2 titles with a drover’s dog in charge.

SOO pack!

Easily

It would have taken a fair bit more than a drover's dog to have won a couple of titles during the period in question.
The notion we have a SOO pack is a very long bow indeed, we have had TF around rep football for some time but JDB, TS have only just arrived on the scene and yet to be constants at that level.
We have a good pack but it is a long way from SOO quality and the pack is not just about what runs onto the paddock at the start of the game it is also about the bench.

 

[Crush]

Spot on assessment.Wewill go nowhere with Mary in charge and have a roster capable of anything with a decent coaching team.
What about young Garrick,could not get a crack with us But once again with good coaching and management he is going gangbusters.
We have the juniors but not the support around them to ensure they fulfill their potential.

I think if Garrick does go on to be a top winger so be it, this does happen from time to time.
Statistically this is going to happen, there will be players that perform better at other clubs under different coaches.
But there are plenty of NRL Dragons that have gone on to play for other clubs that have not gone on to improve and play their best football. Heaps of them played their best footy at Dragons under dragons coaching staff. And plenty of fringe players that leave and never amount to anything.
Just because Garrick is playing good footy doesn't mean the whole Dragons coaching staff cannot get the best out of their players.

 

[jeffdragon]

What about rounds 1 and two .
Manly was rubbish.
.Des didn't win anything at the dogs.
Isn't he the common denominator why Manly and the Dogs have salary cap issues at his time at both clubs,back ending contracts.