The Rumours Thread

[Dragon David]

Just off topic, but Gould being in the media has it's advantages. He has escaped the $20K fine the NRL hit him with a few months ago for saying that Rugby League is "stupid" over its officiating. If he wasn't in the media and said it with just wearing his Dogs Football Manager's hat it would have been a different story I bet.

‘Mr Untouchable’: Rival clubs ‘blowing up’ after Phil Gould prompts NRL backdown

‘Mr Untouchable’: Rival clubs ‘blowing up’ after Gus makes fine disappear

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[since77]

Just off topic, but Gould being in the media has it's advantages. He has escaped the $20K fine the NRL hit him with a few months ago for saying that Rugby League is "stupid" over its officiating. If he wasn't in the media and said it with just wearing his Dogs Football Manager's hat it would have been a different story I bet.

‘Mr Untouchable’: Rival clubs ‘blowing up’ after Phil Gould prompts NRL backdown

‘Mr Untouchable’: Rival clubs ‘blowing up’ after Gus makes fine disappear

www.foxsports.com.au

To be fair, and I don't agree with a lot of what Gould says but he was spot on with his comments. The comments were in relation to the Bunker and I think in large part the Api Korisau disallowed try a few months back. Someone needed to say it.
The rules and the way they are refereed both on field and by the bunker are a deadset lucky dip at the moment. They ARE idiots. Gould was 100% right. Glad he evaded the fine in this case as it would have made any kind of negative feedback harder to make.

 

[Dragon David]

To be fair, and I don't agree with a lot of what Gould says but he was spot on with his comments. The comments were in relation to the Bunker and I think in large part the Api Korisau disallowed try a few months back. Someone needed to say it.
The rules and the way they are refereed both on field and by the bunker are a deadset lucky dip at the moment. They ARE idiots. Gould was 100% right. Glad he evaded the fine in this case as it would have made any kind of negative feedback harder to make.

Agreed. I'm just wondering what the NRL will do about all the f ck ups? Probably nothing!

 

[RaginDannyDragon]

Just off topic, but Gould being in the media has it's advantages. He has escaped the $20K fine the NRL hit him with a few months ago for saying that Rugby League is "stupid" over its officiating. If he wasn't in the media and said it with just wearing his Dogs Football Manager's hat it would have been a different story I bet.

I really feel Gould's role in the media is a conflict of interest (and same can be said with Anasta as a player agent and host of NRL 360). Both have easy access to players through their media roles and can easily influence players and their decisions and can say they were only in discussions with them as part of that role.

And it may be paranoid but I still feel Gould has had some role to play in our misfortunes in recruitment and the Ryles debacle. It's clear he has a chip on his shoulder regarding us based on some of his ridiculous comments he's made about the club in the last 12 months.

 

[Dragon David]

I think the Storm has a very rigorous fitness regime and strong standards set for each individual player and are given key targets to suit the tough system they have in place down there. Even if they sign a marquee player, he is given a set target to achieve no matter what he knows or what his reputation is. A not so brilliant player, and they have quite a few in the squad, are given drills and KPI's to fulfil before they can be considered for first grade and they all know what they have to do.

That club has a blue print of how to play the game the Storm way and their system just allows the new players to adjust and play to that system. Bellamy would no doubt have had a hand in it and over time have fine tuned it. A player like Stefano for instance isn't brilliant but has the makings of a very good player under the Storm system. Look at Meaney. He was ok with initially the Knights and the Dogs but now under the Storm's/Bellamy's way, he plays so much better and of course young Tyran Wishart who looks the real goods.

I really envy what they have done (yes I know they have cheated the salary cap a few times and they did bring in some dicey tackling methods) but to be able to be in the top 8 and top 4 on a regular basis is unbelievable. That is why Bellamy keeps coaching that team, he knows he will have success even though it still would be hard work.

Just to re-iterate my thoughts on the Storm and Craig Bellamy and the success of the club.

The discards and bargain buys behind incredible Storm feat... and why Bellamy could be ‘best in Australia’

Discards behind incredible Storm feat... and proof ‘genius’ Bellamy is ‘best in Australia’

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Dragon David]

Just to re-iterate my thoughts on the Storm and Craig Bellamy and the success of the club.

The discards and bargain buys behind incredible Storm feat... and why Bellamy could be ‘best in Australia’

Discards behind incredible Storm feat... and proof ‘genius’ Bellamy is ‘best in Australia’

www.foxsports.com.au

Storm zero in on Tigers star as NAS’ agent makes huge reveal on prop’s future — Transfer Whispers

Storm zero in on Tigers star as NAS’ agent makes huge reveal on prop’s future — Transfer Whispers

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Desperate Dragon]

To be fair, and I don't agree with a lot of what Gould says but he was spot on with his comments. The comments were in relation to the Bunker and I think in large part the Api Korisau disallowed try a few months back. Someone needed to say it.
The rules and the way they are refereed both on field and by the bunker are a deadset lucky dip at the moment. They ARE idiots. Gould was 100% right. Glad he evaded the fine in this case as it would have made any kind of negative feedback harder to make.

Bottom line for me is that Gould is in a position of privilege in our game, he has clearly over stepped the mark, and now walked away without any consequences.
So many people want to bag the Bunker, but without it, there would be even more wrong decisions, especially when it comes to tries.
There is no problem with the technology, we just need to find the right people to use it.
Personally, I have heard Gould say "put me in charge of the referees, and I will fix everything up in a couple of weeks"
Really easy to say Gus, but I have got a heck of a lot of doubt that you would be the man to fix it.

 

[since77]

Bottom line for me is that Gould is in a position of privilege in our game, he has clearly over stepped the mark, and now walked away without any consequences.
So many people want to bag the Bunker, but without it, there would be even more wrong decisions, especially when it comes to tries.
There is no problem with the technology, we just need to find the right people to use it.
Personally, I have heard Gould say "put me in charge of the referees, and I will fix everything up in a couple of weeks"
Really easy to say Gus, but I have got a heck of a lot of doubt that you would be the man to fix it.

It doesn't matter if he's in a position of privilege. The NRL were basically saying no one can criticise us. And there is plenty to criticise at the moment. It was an outrageous attempt to limit free speech and it was right that the fine was quashed. And as I said, I'm no fan of Gould but he was 100% right on this occasion. It might have been different if the incident in question had involved his team but it didn't. He was commenting on a neutral incident as a media commentator and he was 100% right about it.

BTW the Bunker hasn't improved the game IMO - its just made it murkier in many cases. How many times do you see an incident in which the clown in the bunker sees a certain situation entirely differently from literally everybody else watching the same event? The Bunker is a lucky dip in many situations. With the money invested in it it should be nearly perfect, yet every week they fu$k up the simplest of decisions.

 

[Slippery Morris]

A player agent and GM of an NRL club should not be in media roles. Do you see any other sporting code that has this stuff going on? Absolutely not and for good reason. The NRL is the most poorly run sporting organisation. It is laughable. It's also the only sporting code where there are rule changes every year.

 

[FlickFlano]

Long history of coaches/managers now agents being in the media ... Brian Smith when he was coaching us commentated on ABC ... the likes of Ennis/Tallis have coaching roles at clubs and commentate similar Flano last year ...
Mal Meninga/Cooper Cronk ... Greg Alexander i think also had roles at club when commentating ...

Ben Ikin the one that stands out here.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Just to re-iterate my thoughts on the Storm and Craig Bellamy and the success of the club.

The discards and bargain buys behind incredible Storm feat... and why Bellamy could be ‘best in Australia’

Discards behind incredible Storm feat... and proof ‘genius’ Bellamy is ‘best in Australia’

www.foxsports.com.au

Well said DD. I have a love hate r'ship with the Storm for the same reasons that many others probably have. But the good things they do with choosing quality people in key positions and developing players they do better than anyone else- including Bennett and the marginal players he's developed. Unlike SGI, they seem to have RL dedicated people at all levels of the organisation (such as Ponissi) who are single minded and committed to the success of the team on and off the field. Having a siege mentality in an AFL stronghold probably helps as well

 

[SEAT 1A]

The NAS thing needs to go into the twilight zone.

It's gone from not being picked in first grade due to his standard of fitness. Then he was injured, now we see the tweet and MEL needing to make some crap up. His manger now saying he wants to stay and they will look at it in 26.

He would walk into most clubs, but it doesn't seem MEL are in any hurry shut the whole thing down after he's said he wants to stay.

 

[Dragon David]

Well said DD. I have a love hate r'ship with the Storm for the same reasons that many others probably have. But the good things they do with choosing quality people in key positions and developing players they do better than anyone else- including Bennett and the marginal players he's developed. Unlike SGI, they seem to have RL dedicated people at all levels of the organisation (such as Ponissi) who are single minded and committed to the success of the team on and off the field. Having a siege mentality in an AFL stronghold probably helps as well

Yes you are right redandwhite4evr. The Storm, which has been so dominant over the past two decades and being a one NRL club in Victoria has really been able to have this success due to its ability to have the best team from top to bottom running the club. I think that their Recruitment Manager, Paul "Bunny" Bunn is the actual Guru of Recruitment in the League. He just knows the type of player the Storm needs when hiring and firing or just letting go. Then of course they have the best in the business coach in Craig "Bellyache" Bellamy and they also have great Management headed up by Matt Tripp, Chairman and part owner of the Storm and creator of Sportsbet and BetEasy (I think the NRL has allowed a controversial proposal for Storm players to invest in an online betting agency owned by Matt Tripp).

When you have an organisation run with smart operators you will always have success.

Meanwhile, the Dragons ..........

 

[TheRev]

The NAS thing needs to go into the twilight zone.

It's gone from not being picked in first grade due to his standard of fitness. Then he was injured, now we see the tweet and MEL needing to make some crap up. His manger now saying he wants to stay and they will look at it in 26.

He would walk into most clubs, but it doesn't seem MEL are in any hurry shut the whole thing down after he's said he wants to stay.

Yeah I think there a bunch of games being played by all parties... not sure how realistic the rugby thing is.. I dont like seeing players leave the NRL though, it dilutes the talent and makes it harder for us to prise players loose.