2025 Pre-season discussion. Alas poor Kevvie.

[McHunt]

The masthead you trust is reporting all players have been summoned to an urgent Saturday morning meeting telling them the club is pursuing Madge as the next coach. Players who are overseas on holiday, such as Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam, joined in on Zoom.

 

[heartly87]

I strongly agree with it. I was deeply unimpressed at the time - and haven't been impressed since - by Kevvie's grooming of halves. We looked a rabble until Reyno arrived, already the finished product. And Mam has looked natural talent since his first trial, and doesn't seem to have progressed into anything more than impulsive.

Seibold chucked Dearden to the wolves young, but he was up to it for the most part. Kevvie broke him somehow. I don't know how. It took him quite a while at the Cowboys to regain his confidence.

You might remember Macca and his wife billetted best mates Dearden and Coates, treated them like family. Macca got shipped out, Dearden was pissed around, not extended, and ended up signing with the Cowboys. Coates got the shits, did a massive flip after declaring he wanted to be a "Bronco for life" and left to the Storm.

I was thinking about this yesterday. Kevs first year was similar to this. Messaging all over the place, wobbly press interaction, death riding Hass (Carrigan), terrible bench rotation and player selection. The ship steadied once Ikin came in, recruitment and retention improved but Kev didn't get the credit and the rest is history.

Dearden looked like a guy who didn't know what the coach wanted and pulled the plug before his career was completely ruined.

I strongly believe Kevs ousting of Ikin ended his coaching career. I personally have no evidence but believe it was about nepotism issues in the coaching team and on field plus Ikin getting media attention that caused the rift. But whatever the cause Kev was left to his own devices and just like 21 he took on too much responsibility and lost focus. His best years as coach at the Broncos had involvement from Ikin, our best years of recruitment had Ikin around and the same goes for player behaviour and attitude.

 

[McHunt]

Dearden looked like a guy who didn't know what the coach wanted and pulled the plug before his career was completely ruined.

My concern started when the combined brainpower of the best halves combination in NRL history couldn't patch together a cohesive spine out of some reasonably talented options. We were a mess until Reynolds arrived to right the ship.

At the time Kevvie (and Alfie) got the benefit of the doubt and the scorn was directed towards Dearden, Croft, Milford, Boyd, Isaako, Kelly, Paix, etc. In retrospect, it was a warning of what was to come.