Football Operations Review

Hickmans is head of performance for the Firebirds and was helping Bennett at Souths at one stage this year.
 
To be fair it's a really important point we need to address. We looked like we collapsed after 20 minutes and had no energy and our injuries/rehab was clearly shit, it's not just bad luck. Look at the top 2 teams, look at their fitness, look at their injury record this year. It's not just luck, it's something we have to address if we want to compete at the business end. Firing the head of performance is a good start.
There's no doubt that strength and conditioning was a major factor to the poor season, but if the only casualty of the season is a clean out of the high performance team then I think it's a cop out.

To me it's like a PR move to start a narrative and create optics "hey look we're doing something to address the dumpster fire of a season".

From a financial perspective they just spent a ton paying out Seibold (expense to the football department)... clean out of the high performance team will be further expense to the football dept, but hey if they haven't been there very long then payouts may not be that high.

Their revenues have been hit hard this year and whilst the fans want action and accountability, the cost to actually do an entire clean out could be significant and potentially something they can't afford at the moment (could explain why Kevvie has allegedly been pulled up on making certain appointments).


I wonder what the review had to say about composition of the playing roster including distribution of contracts.

Does the review take a look at current contracts and how they compare to similar contracts elsewhere in the NRL (are we overpaying players/positions)?

Does it look at distribution of the cap between forwards, backs, spine, etc. and whether they've got that balance right?

Distribution of the cap across age groups and the total lack of leadership we currently have?

These aren't aspects of whether the player is providing value for money, it's simply an assessment of facts to assess the roster management and if it has attributed to the poor season.

If I'm looking at it from the outside I note that statements about the review include the leagues club... that could suggest the review is more like a performance review of the business as a whole with a focus on the off field side of things rather than specifically looking at the football department.

I would just be disappointed if the only fall guy out of the whole thing is the high performance team.
 
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So all the quotes are about strength and conditioning and the person they brought in has a strength and conditioning background.

Looks like the board found their excuse for picking up a spoon and rigged the review to oblige
Wonder how much of a pay rise was recommended for the board
 
There's no doubt that strength and conditioning was a major factor to the poor season, but if the only casualty of the season is a clean out of the high performance team then I think it's a cop out.

To me it's like a PR move to start a narrative and create optics "hey look we're doing something to address the dumpster fire of a season".

From a financial perspective they just spent a ton paying out Seibold (expense to the football department)... clean out of the high performance team will be further expense to the football dept, but hey if they haven't been there very long then payouts may not be that high.

Their revenues have been hit hard this year and whilst the fans want action and accountability, the cost to actually do an entire clean out could be significant and potentially something they can't afford at the moment (could explain why Kevvie has allegedly been pulled up on making certain appointments).


I wonder what the review had to say about composition of the playing roster including distribution of contracts.

Does the review take a look at current contracts and how they compare to similar contracts elsewhere in the NRL (are we overpaying players/positions)?

Does it look at distribution of the cap between forwards, backs, spine, etc. and whether they've got that balance right?

Distribution of the cap across age groups and the total lack of leadership we currently have?

These aren't aspects of whether the player is providing value for money, it's simply an assessment of facts to assess the roster management and if it has attributed to the poor season.

If I'm looking at it from the outside I note that statements about the review include the leagues club... that could suggest the review is more like a performance review of the business as a whole with a focus on the off field side of things rather than specifically looking at the football department.

I would just be disappointed if the only fall guy out of the whole thing is the high performance team.
Oh I agree, the thing is we don't really know what the review encompasses, but I bet the jermos do, and they'll drip feed it through different stories over the off season.
 
To be fair, the report could have said (insert department here) is a problem and they would be 100% correct.
 
There's no doubt that strength and conditioning was a major factor to the poor season, but if the only casualty of the season is a clean out of the high performance team then I think it's a cop out.

To me it's like a PR move to start a narrative and create optics "hey look we're doing something to address the dumpster fire of a season".

From a financial perspective they just spent a ton paying out Seibold (expense to the football department)... clean out of the high performance team will be further expense to the football dept, but hey if they haven't been there very long then payouts may not be that high.

Their revenues have been hit hard this year and whilst the fans want action and accountability, the cost to actually do an entire clean out could be significant and potentially something they can't afford at the moment (could explain why Kevvie has allegedly been pulled up on making certain appointments).


I wonder what the review had to say about composition of the playing roster including distribution of contracts.

Does the review take a look at current contracts and how they compare to similar contracts elsewhere in the NRL (are we overpaying players/positions)?

Does it look at distribution of the cap between forwards, backs, spine, etc. and whether they've got that balance right?

Distribution of the cap across age groups and the total lack of leadership we currently have?

These aren't aspects of whether the player is providing value for money, it's simply an assessment of facts to assess the roster management and if it has attributed to the poor season.

If I'm looking at it from the outside I note that statements about the review include the leagues club... that could suggest the review is more like a performance review of the business as a whole with a focus on the off field side of things rather than specifically looking at the football department.

I would just be disappointed if the only fall guy out of the whole thing is the high performance team.
Do you or anyone else remember what was the role Kev wanted filled but was knocked back on?
 
Do you or anyone else remember what was the role Kev wanted filled but was knocked back on?

Think it was pretty much based on the below exchanges

Giles did a “review”. A very short one! Told them the whole place was a shit show and needed to be turned upside down. The club didn’t like what they heard and sent him on his way....

Crazy.

wasn't he supposed to be overseeing our strength and conditioning program ... who will be in charge of that under Kevvie, instead

Yep, correct. But, as I said earlier, Kevvie has no control at present. That may change, hope it does sooner rather than later.

Kevvie wanted Steve Walters in a football manager role. Knocked on the head.
Kevvie wanted specific staff. Knocked on the head.

What’s going on is just mind boggling. As I said, I feel like Kevs best bet at the moment is to walk, or at least threaten it.
 
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Think it was pretty much based on the below exchanges
Thanks mate. “Football manger role” 🤔 the same role the club is rumoured to be chasing Bellamy for?

My mistake, I confused it with Coaching Director. Is football manager the position @1910 recently said was filled by our mate from Bali?
 
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Thanks mate. “Football manger role” 🤔 the same role the club is rumoured to be chasing Bellamy for?
I think it's more like Nolan's role... or probably a role within Nolan's team

1604822377812
 
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Boy what i wouldn't give to have an hour long chat with Alfie right now. He's literally been the fly on the wall we all wish we were. He's been the guy who's been in the middle of it all during the Wayne to Seibs transition, the Siebs era and the next transition.

Do you reckon he literally turns up every day and does his job and ignores everything else and couldn't give two shits about the politics. Or he's just saving up all of his dirt for an absolute belter of a book.

"I was a fly on the wall" The Alfie Langer memoir. Can you just imagine?😂😂
 
Boy what i wouldn't give to have an hour long chat with Alfie right now. He's literally been the fly on the wall we all wish we were. He's been the guy who's been in the middle of it all during the Wayne to Seibs transition, the Siebs era and the next transition.

Do you reckon he literally turns up every day and does his job and ignores everything else and couldn't give two shits about the politics. Or he's just saving up all of his dirt for an absolute belter of a book.

"I was a fly on the wall" The Alfie Langer memoir. Can you just imagine?😂😂

The literal fly since he is so small.
 
Boy what i wouldn't give to have an hour long chat with Alfie right now. He's literally been the fly on the wall we all wish we were. He's been the guy who's been in the middle of it all during the Wayne to Seibs transition, the Siebs era and the next transition.

Do you reckon he literally turns up every day and does his job and ignores everything else and couldn't give two shits about the politics. Or he's just saving up all of his dirt for an absolute belter of a book.

"I was a fly on the wall" The Alfie Langer memoir. Can you just imagine?😂😂

If you rearrange ‘a fly’ you get ‘alfy’
 
“New Head Coach Kevin Walters has been working with the Board and executive as we build towards the start of preseason in late November.

The report will also provide Kevin with an objective view of the past season including what worked well, but importantly what we need to improve on.”

When I think about it “what worked well” .... unfortunately, I’m flat out seeing anything that worked at all ..... let alone 'what worked well.'
 
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“New Head Coach Kevin Walters has been working with the Board and executive as we build towards the start of preseason in late November.

The report will also provide Kevin with an objective view of the past season including what worked well, but importantly what we need to improve on.”

When I think about it “what worked well” .... unfortunately, I’m flat out seeing anything that worked at all ..... let alone 'what worked well.'

Getting rid of Seibold worked well but not much else.
 

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