3/4's a bit generous mate. 4/4 is more likely. Losses, I assume we are talking about.
I agree with the posts regards Jim Doyle. He gets a lot of sycophantic praise, but at the end of the day the whole club, top to bottom is judged on results. Jim seems to be quite resolute - McFadden is the man. But the more he stands by him, the more he is getting into a live by the sword, die by the sword scenario. Last year Jim said that it would be unacceptable for us to not make the top 6. Now I can give a little leeway with the injuries towards the end, but it was falling apart before Shaun got injured. We'd been belted by the Chooks, and were getting creamed by Manly when Shaun went down.
The real issue I have is that I just don't see any player development. Sam Lisone isn't developing. Albert Vete is ok but seems not to be developing now. Solomone Kata is developing. Tuimoala, for all the talk he is developing, he's a friggen half, not a winger. Games like last night where he was awful must dent his confidence. I don't see how sitting on the wing catching frostbite gives him any expertise in developing his halves game. Konrad Hurrell has basically gone from a wrecking ball who had problems with his defence to being an absolute powder puff. He needs to leave the club because if he stays here under Cappy he will be playing the equivalent of the second division NPC within 2 years such will be his decline in impact. Clubwise its the same. I know people say its too big a step up from NYC to first grade. But now the lads are going through NSW Cup generally, and they're just not excelling by and large. I know clubs would bend over backwards to have had SJ or Lolohea, but really SJ is not delivering on his potential. He's a middle of the road NRL half. Yet when he plays for the Kiwis he destroys blokes defensive reps. Another one who seems to have fallen off the face of the planet is David Fusitua. I know he's playing reggies, but I hear nothing of his performances.
I look at RTS, and see a bloke who frankly can't defend, but on attack is busting his chops for the team. He's doing well still, #1 in metres, I think 4 line break assists, 3 try assists. He's setting others up. But we have no structure to set HIM up. The Roosters put him into space repeatedly.
And the tactics, I don't get it. The analysis on Shaun going to 6 and Robson to 7 was to free Shaun up to run. He's playing as a classic #12 for a union team. He either gets it with no space, or if he does, he hands it along the line with little regard or engagement of the line. I can't believe they haven't addressed the fact that all season if he gets the ball and is about to go into contact, for some reason (I assume fear), he kicks it. The stats show Shaun is doing 80 odd percent of the kicking, not Robson. I noticed a few sets on Manly's line last night where Shaun received the ball only on tackle 5. Some of those sets RTS also didn't receive the ball. Listen to Shaun in the media, he seems preoccupied with defending himself and at times I would suggest he thinks he's doing a good job, when we know there is so much more. He plays so laterally. Its like at the moment he thinks the only times to run is when there is space on the outside or a try is a near certainty. Show some balls son, cut back towards tiring forwards behind the ruck and try on your footwork. If you don't make it through, a lot of the time you will get a quick ruck. It should also inspire the forwards to show some guts behind you.
Here is the largest criticism of McFadden. Last night, Trent Barrett came with one plan. Run up the middle, repeatedly, and try to get repeat sets. Get in the grind, and get good line speed. It frazzled the Warriors. They were so far off the pace and they had no clue how to counter act. It is like there is absolutely no plan B. Nothing changed. We didn't cut back against the grain to stop dominant tackles. No little tip on plays to create space. The #6 sat out on the edge waiting for space to be created, but then did nothing it seems to organise anything differently. It seems without Manu Vatuvei there to challenge the Manly pack, they knew they could walk all over us. Because they knew we had nothing else. For a team with the talents of Lolohea, SJ, RTS, Luke, guys who have the footwork to create damage, we did nothing to challenge the status quo. Surely a good coach has a plan to counter act it, and sends the message accordingly.
As much as Jim Doyle can smuggly smile at his off field achievements (and he's done well), the brand has taken a fair hit since 2011 because a succession of coaches (he's only been associated with one admittedly), are just not NRL grade coaches. G Toovey, I Cleary, good coaches are out there. Clearly's been there done that with the Warriors. But we blindly, naively go McFadden is the man. What's his winning percentage now - in the 30's? He's surely had long enough to say its a good enough sample of stats to suggest as much as he might be a good bloke, and he may even be quite clever and articulate, for whatever reason it is not working at the Warriors.
