The Swamp

[El Diablo]

much poorer

you have not lived unless you saw Kusto play

he had two stints at Parra. just when we thought we'd never see him again ole supercoach Smithy plucks him out of Wests reserve grade and signs him up again

 

[BG]

 

[Dave Q]

Back to topic for a sec..

Smith will turn the knights into budding premiership favourites after a few rounds.

Lets hope the lunatics dont take over the asylum at Parramatta again.

JT is continuing his quest for excellence over at Souths.

He's introduced 1.5 hr scientifcially designed warm downs instead of the usual coldie with the fans behind the sheds. Some of the fans have been complaining!

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Hagan probably didnt have 100% control over who he could negotiate with, but still he wasnt able to atleast convince the club to go for some decent players.

Brian Smith has been able to get decent players over the years, and the club must have trusted what he thought that player could bring to the team.

Brian Smith got the players alright, at $300,000 +. How many players came to Parra at a reduced salary?

How many players did Brian sign at inflatterd figures? endless

How many players did he let go

How many players did he sign as replacements who were no where near at the same level?

Under Michael Hagan Newcastle when Andrew Johns played more then a dozen games made the finals, correct me if i'm wrong:

2001-Premiers
2002- Knocked out Joey does his back earlier on
2003- Knocked out, Joey injured
2004- Does knee mid season
2005- played half a year and since his return only loose 1-2 games
2006- made finals

Like any team, you take out the playmaker and the whole team takes a while to get over it, same happen with Newcastle.

Up untill 2005 Newcastle fans loved Hagan, it was only when they were crippled by injuries that they blamed the coach.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Back to topic for a sec..

Smith will turn the knights into budding premiership favourites after a few rounds.

Lets hope the lunatics dont take over the asylum at Parramatta again.

JT is continuing his quest for excellence over at Souths.

He's introduced 1.5 hr scientifcially designed warm downs instead of the usual coldie with the fans behind the sheds. Some of the fans have been complaining!

:lol: I'm guessing you haven't seen there backline.......

As for Taylor? not hard for a coach to take over and do reasonably well when you have a side like this

1. McKinnon
2. Grothe
3. Tahu
4. Smith
5. Burt
6. Morris
7. Smith
8. Fui
9. Riddell
10. Cayless
11 Hindy
12. Robinson
13. Wagon

14. PJ
15. Widders
16, Cordoba
17. Wagon

lol

 

[Eelementary]

I'm not the author, but I should clarify that it was posted to the Knights board as an "inside mail" update. As far as my decision to post the link here is concerned, considering the interest in the Eels/Knights coach swap, I thought it might stimulate some debate. Looks like I was right.




WTF are forums for? To agree wholeheartedly with everything? It shouldn't surprise anyone that it's Knights-biased; I clearly stated that it was from the Knights forum and provided the link. The post contains the (putative) opinions of Newcastle players and staff about Parra's new coach and the one he's replacing. Of course that's pertinent to the Eels board. Anyone who doesn't believe or disagrees with the info can either ignore it or state their case. That's the point of a forum.

I wasn't criticising you personally. I'm sorry if that's how it came across.

It's just that the actual author of the piece didn't to much of a comparison - it's all "Brian Smith is great, Hagan is rubbish". Not much of a comparison at all.

I meant no disrespect.

 

[Eelementary]

We already have our solution though, in Jarrod Mullen ;-)

I'm not too fussed about Mullen. He seems "meh" talent to me personally.

However, assuming that he is a great young player (which I'm sure you Knights fans who watch him more often than me can say with certainty that he is),...it means little.

Adam Dykes - in 2001, Dally M 5/8 Of The Year and playing brilliant football.

Adam Dykes - from 2002 onwards...:?

He may have guys like Mullen at his disposal, but it's how he instructs them to play that is the concern.

Few people can legitimately say that Adam Dykes, coming off a superb 2001 season, wasn't an astute signing - and few can legitimately say he lacks talent. But look at how he ended up.

 

[Suitman]

I'm not too fussed about Mullen. He seems "meh" talent to me personally.

However, assuming that he is a great young player (which I'm sure you Knights fans who watch him more often than me can say with certainty that he is),...it means little.

Adam Dykes - in 2001, Dally M 5/8 Of The Year and playing brilliant football.

Adam Dykes - from 2002 onwards...:?

He may have guys like Mullen at his disposal, but it's how he instructs them to play that is the concern.

Few people can legitimately say that Adam Dykes, coming off a superb 2001 season, wasn't an astute signing - and few can legitimately say he lacks talent. But look at how he ended up.

But there is an equal argument to say that it might NOT have all been Smiths doing.
Maybe Dykes was as much to blame?

Suity

 

[Eelementary]

Oh, look - I completely agree with you, Suity.

I have complete respect for what Brian did while he was coach of our great club.

All I'm saying is...Why is it that when he's Parramatta's Head Coach, opposition fans and the media blame everything on him, but the moment he goes elsewhere he's a supercoach with amazing skills in every department?

It's just silly.

I belive the Knights did a very smart thing in signing him. He's a great coach and even better person.

But over 10 years here at Parramatta, I think it's fair to say that - for whatever reason, whether it's him or whether the players didn't get along with him or whatever - he struggled to get a great halves combination.

I just don't see why that pattern is magically going to change just because he's at Newcastle now. :?

 

[Ron Jeremy]

I don't think Mullen is any better then Josh Lewis or Jamie Soward at present tbh. Done some great things in firsts, but imo was inconsistent to be labelled as the man to take over Johns. Still has alot to prove.

 

[BG]

I wasn't criticising you personally. I'm sorry if that's how it came across.

It did come across like that. But apology accepted for the miscommunication. No problem.

It's just that the actual author of the piece didn't to much of a comparison - it's all "Brian Smith is great, Hagan is rubbish". Not much of a comparison at all.

Well, it is just a report on what the players and staff are supposedly saying. Whether it's accurate or not is another matter. Information from a "reliable source" is still only hearsay.

 

[Utey]

I don't think Mullen is any better then Josh Lewis or Jamie Soward at present tbh. Done some great things in firsts, but imo was inconsistent to be labelled as the man to take over Johns. Still has alot to prove.

I think Mullen struggles when Johns isn't there. It'll be interesting to see how he goes this year seeing as Johns will less lthan likely play every game. BTW Lewis is a much more better player than the other two you just mentioned.

 

[Frederick]

I don't think Mullen is any better then Josh Lewis or Jamie Soward at present tbh. Done some great things in firsts, but imo was inconsistent to be labelled as the man to take over Johns. Still has alot to prove.

IMO he proved that when Joey was out suspended late last year. Mullen took over the halfback role, and did something no-other stand in could - won games without Joey. We won back-to-back games against the Cowboys and the Panthers - not top quality opposition, mind you, but in the past, without Joey, we would've got our arses handed to us by those teams.

And then there was his performance in the final against Manly

 

[Frederick]

I think Mullen struggles when Johns isn't there. It'll be interesting to see how he goes this year seeing as Johns will less lthan likely play every game. BTW Lewis is a much more better player than the other two you just mentioned.

Struggled? In 2005, yes, as it was his first year, and he was still a little bit green. Last year though, as I said above, when Joey was out suspended, Mullen really stepped up and took control of the team.

 

[Stagger eel]

Money shouldn't prove to be a big problem, what with our reaching an agreement with Western Suburbs Leagues Club up here for financial backing. The club also has a brand new state of the art training facility at Club Phoenix at Mayfield. And recently they flew Smithy and a few other coaching staff and players over to NZ to gather some info from the All Blacks, in return for us training Piri Weepu for a week. So don't you worry your pretty little head about our financial and resources situation - we're a far cry from the team that almost had to declare bankruptcy in 2005

Interesting article in the SMH you should probably know about champ ;-)


http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/top-knight-falls-on-his-sword-after-coup/2007/01/31/1169919408044.html

 

[caylo]

I don't think Mullen is any better then Josh Lewis or Jamie Soward at present tbh. Done some great things in firsts, but imo was inconsistent to be labelled as the man to take over Johns. Still has alot to prove.

Mullen is better than Soward, who prob has a better chance of fullback than in the halves. Lewis has some skill about him, but Mullen and Lewis have not proven that they can consistantly run the show, and 1 or 2 games isn't enough proof. Once teams focus and them/when teams target them, if they can deal with this, improve their game, you know you have somthing special.

 

[Frederick]

Interesting article in the SMH you should probably know about champ ;-)


http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/top-knight-falls-on-his-sword-after-coup/2007/01/31/1169919408044.html

Yeah, saw that this morning, and it gave me the sh*ts. It's our club CEO Ken Conway behind this...he's an absolute dickhead who:
1) Can't get along with sponsers
2) Can't get along with board members
3) Is the reason Mark Sargent left the club
4) Refuses to f**k off even though he knows nobody likes him

Those Newcastle Rugby League board members are (real) NRL appointed board members, so get there without a vote, and so shouldn't be there. Scariest thing about this is it could jeopardise our agreement with Wests.

Just as things were going along soooo nicely too

 

[Ron Jeremy]

With Brian Smith? nothing smooths nicely i hate to say.

 

[Pricey]

Smithy's a legend, but...

A plan after Joey?

If you know anything about Brian Smith, you would know that halves aren't exactly his specialty...

truer words have never been spoken. I am glad that you hit the nail on the head. BS was a halfback killer. He proved that year after year with every halfback he worked with, he could get one good year at best out of them all.

 

[boonboon]

If Brian Smith had Andrew Johns at Parra while he was there they would have won 4 premierships minimum Hagan is a hack and watch for a depleted Eels to struggle

Although in saying that every club lacks depth this year so injuries will decide who struggles and who doesent