This is a serious side.

[Old Timer]

Warriors, Souths and Penrith are all in the top 4. The games that we played them and lost were all at their home grounds, they played the best game of the year that they had played, probably the best games that they had played in many years.

And the point you are trying to make is?

1. We play badly in away games?
2. They can lift against us but we can’t lift against them?
3. We struggle against top 4 teams?
4. The odds were against us playing them?

I really doubt that their games against us were necessarily their best this year let alone in many years.
Moreover I think people like to find ways to diffuse our bad performances and tactics.

 

[BennyV]

Agree with most of that and the tradie analogy is a good one. Ricky Stuart is an example of a shit tradie who happened to strike gold with the best set of tools money could buy that year.

So in light of your analogy, how do you think Mary has gone this year now that Millward has finally given him a fair set of tools?

Some could argue that Mary is striking gold with a great set of tools. He got a consultant in to assemble the toolkit for him and past seasons show that if he doesnt do the job right, hell gladly blame the tools, the consultant and the apprentices to avoid taking any blame himself. But looking at the 2018 job in isolation, he is doing fine. (But of course, as with any tradie, you dont just hire them based on 1 decent job when they've f**ked up several others).

Keep in mind he's been able to use his first choice set of tools all year with no required maintenance and no breakdown (a luxury not afforded to most tradies) and his backup set is fresh out of the box, not yet calibrated and he isnt quite sure how to use them on the job. Meanwhile, other tradies are getting used to their full set of tools and their work is becoming more efficient as a result.

...this analogy works on many more levels than I initially thought!!!

 

[slippery5]

Some could argue that Mary is striking gold with a great set of tools. He got a consultant in to assemble the toolkit for him and past seasons show that if he doesnt do the job right, hell gladly blame the tools, the consultant and the apprentices to avoid taking any blame himself. But looking at the 2018 job in isolation, he is doing fine. (But of course, as with any tradie, you dont just hire them based on 1 decent job when they've f**ked up several others).

Keep in mind he's been able to use his first choice set of tools all year with no required maintenance and no breakdown (a luxury not afforded to most tradies) and his backup set is fresh out of the box, not yet calibrated and he isnt quite sure how to use them on the job. Meanwhile, other tradies are getting used to their full set of tools and their work is becoming more efficient as a result.

...this analogy works on many more levels than I initially thought!!!

Preventative maintenance is a must to insure you don't have break downs in your peak times.

 

[ALSGI]

Some could argue that Mary is striking gold with a great set of tools. He got a consultant in to assemble the toolkit for him and past seasons show that if he doesnt do the job right, hell gladly blame the tools, the consultant and the apprentices to avoid taking any blame himself. But looking at the 2018 job in isolation, he is doing fine. (But of course, as with any tradie, you dont just hire them based on 1 decent job when they've f**ked up several others).

Keep in mind he's been able to use his first choice set of tools all year with no required maintenance and no breakdown (a luxury not afforded to most tradies) and his backup set is fresh out of the box, not yet calibrated and he isnt quite sure how to use them on the job. Meanwhile, other tradies are getting used to their full set of tools and their work is becoming more efficient as a result.

...this analogy works on many more levels than I initially thought!!!

Good analogy.
My old man was a tradie, Master Painter and Decorator nearly 50 years working for some very rich and famous. He refused to use anything but enamel on anything, including walls and ceilings (which suited the wealthy anyway). I used to work with him occassionally in my younger days for $$ and he just wouldn’t hear a bar of this crap stuff called solarguard, weathershield or any of the water based crap.
Until one day his clients insisted and hey presto. He admitted it wasn’t bad after all but still refused to use it by choice.
Mary, also a painter has given Aitken, Field, Dufty, Lawrie, Milne, Host, Sele, Luc (anyone I’ve missed ?) a go. Lomax is on the cusp.
So he’s not as stuborn as some make out.

 

[ouryears]

So if you played footy, did you ever blame your coach for your poor performances? Or did you ever blame your coach because your team lost the game?

So what you are saying is Steve Price would be just as successful at Storm as Bellamy?

The coach makes no difference?

Frank, get off the booze.

 

[ouryears]

Warriors, Souths and Penrith are all in the top 4. The games that we played them and lost were all at their home grounds, they played the best game of the year that they had played, probably the best games that they had played in many years.

You play as good as your opposition allows you to.

We played shit in those games, injured players playing and poor game plans.

That's the reason we lost, not because those teams suddenly played like world beaters.

 

[Dragonslayer]

ATM this is a revolving door arguement.
There are factors which a coach (in any sport) can influence and those he/she cannot.
When we talk of McGregor there are factors that he is responsible for such as game planning, motivation, game time management, selections etc most of which he struggles with. We've all seen him use plan A only, no back-up. Consistantly play busted players, not just this year. Bench management is poor.
And dont be conned by our ladder position its been more good fortune than good coaching.
On the flip side, McGregor cannot see into the minds of his players nor does he run out onto the ground and play the game with them. Sometimes it takes a small psychological upset to change a players effort on the day. Maybe a blye with the Mrs the night before, maybe a sick child etc all can effect the way a player plays that day.
McGregor cannot control that. This is where players need to step up and take ownership of themselves.
The coach is only as good as his cattle, whilst true in some regards, it also rings true if the cattle want to be good.