NEWS A fireside chat with Ben Ikin

Ben Ikin grabs the mike:

“I’ve got the skill-set for this role ... I’m not nervous."

“Gus (who said the Broncos are broken) is right, there is something not working at the Broncos. I will run the day-to-day operations of the football department. I will work with the head coach and the other department leads to make sure the football program is humming. Everything that relates to football, I’m expected to oversee and manage."

“It’s not a case of ... do this or else. I will look at what sits inside the program, who runs what, and give our staff what they need to be great at what they do. It’s leading and managing the football department to a position where everyone is very clear on their role at the Broncos. The clearer they are, and the more support they’ve got, the better they will be at their jobs, which will ultimately have a positive impact on the playing group.”

ScreenBEN IKIN opt

Have I got a deal for you

“I took this job because I felt I was ready and willing to do the CEO’s job last year. I worked hard to get my pitch right, which required a deep analysis of the club so I could identify where and how I could make a difference. To miss out, the competitor in me was really dirty. Because I had played for the Broncos and I have a passion for the club, being part of the solution really appealed to me."

“After the grand final last year, Donuts and myself both had to spend time in COVID quarantine and we ended up at the same hotel in northern NSW. Dave beat me to the job and I really wanted to dislike him, but the more I got to know him, the more I realised the Broncos had landed themselves a very good CEO. Dave and I are very much aligned with how we see the game and the important components that form a successful NRL football department.”

“I thought the roster was bent out of shape, it lacked balance. I felt the roster didn’t have enough game awareness to get the best out of the young guys who were super talented but just learning how to play. There will be a component of my role that is involved with roster management, absolutely. That’s one of the most important parts of the footy department, so I will have input in that, as will many other people. We have to build a balance of capability in our roster ... strike, endurance, youth, leadership, game awareness, enforcers, grinders. Positional depth is important, but it’s not everything."

“The spine is hugely important. They are the brains of a football side. We all know how big an impact a best-in-code playmaker can have on the result week to week. And look at the impact fullbacks are having on the game at the moment. It’s vitally important we get our spine right.”

“I haven’t seen a whole lot of Kevvie the coach, but I’ve had him as a captain and I know what his leadership qualities are. Kevvie takes on so much because he cares. He’s carried a huge physical and emotional burden into his first year at the Broncos and it can wear you down. I am keen to work with Kevvie. This is the bloke who led me to my first and only premiership."

“I don’t think it’s fair to judge ‘Kevvie’ based on what he has had to deal with this season. He inherited a wooden spoon team and has had multiple distractions along the way. I can assure you his football knowledge runs deep and given the right support, he can be a quality coach."

“If communication is an issue in the football department, then it will be part of my job to address it. I’m not Kevvie’s boss. But if I can come in and get the environment around him performing at a high level, then Kevvie will get some clear air to focus on what he is great at, which is leading, coaching and building a winning team.”

“Wayne Bennett was an integral part in making the Broncos the great club that it i “There is no doubt that when the time is right, the club and Wayne will find a way to reconnect because he is the foundation coach. I don’t know what that looks like, that’s not my role, but he has been such a huge part of this club’s history, I believe a relationship will exist in some form into the future.”

“Is it too much to ask for Brisbane to be a finals contender next year? No it’s not. Every team loses their aura when you are losing often, but as quick as you lose it, you can get it back. If you get the right things right, you can be back playing finals and contending very quickly."

“In a high-performance environment, the one thing you need is certainty. If people feel clear about their roles and certain about what they are expected to be doing, they are much more likely to give you their best. But if that isn’t happening, you won’t get close to 100 per cent."

“From the outside it would appear that the theme of the Broncos over the last 18 months has been one of churn and confusion. When I walked into my first training session at the Broncos way back in 1999, everyone was focused and competing, but at the same time having so much fun. Winning becomes contagious, it gets in the walls, and the things you need to do to win become easier because things are more enjoyable."

“It will be magnificent to have the Broncos logo back on my chest. It’s a great club, it’s struggling at the moment, but I’m looking forward to being part of a group of people who work really hard to get the Broncos back where they belong. I have no doubt that success and fun is what Kevvie is trying to bring back to the Broncos ... I’ll do everything I can to help him achieve that.”

McHunt
 
Ross Lyon said last week (in relation to the Carlton AFL team) there are only three reasons why a professional sporting team is not performing well;

1 Capacity; the players aren't up to it, which isn't the coaches fault but the list management;
2 Will; the players have the capacity but for whatever reason won't perform to the level they can, this sits on the coach; and
3 Confusion; the players have the capacity, and the will, but the instructions are incoherent. Again, this sits on the coach.

BI has just signed on to fix (1) above. He obviously has a lot to do. The spine especially needs to be improved, even with Reynolds coming. With a good hooker and fullback, though, a lot of other spots are at least servicable (which is why Walsh is a tragedy, and that sits squarely with KW).

KW better get a move on because whilst everyone can see the problems with (1), it's not clear that (2) and (3), which are clearly and solely his responsibility, are any better. Players talk; if they take a set against him and don't want to play under him, it will make fixing (1) so much harder. As someone else noted, Reynolds spoke openly about Fitzgibbon being an attraction when he thought about the Sharks but he wwas silent on KW.

The great coaches see average players leave and then perform at a lower level. Happens a lot with players that leave Bellamy and Bennett (Justin Poore went from being a NSW SOO player to playing reserve greade at Parra within 2 years). So far, NO player has improved under Kevvie. There will be a lot leaving; if they start playing better next year, and the Broncos don't improve, this will be a really big issue by mid next year.
 
Also something I just remembered Ikin saying on 360 in regards to our selections "why is Coates still being selected when he isn't going to be there next year". Hopefully Ikin will be able to influence decisions like this, if Kev is being swayed by the media because he doesn't want to look malicious he needs to stop it now, he needs to be ruthless and calculating like all the other top coaches.
 
Also something I just remembered Ikin saying on 360 in regards to our selections "why is Coates still being selected when he isn't going to be there next year". Hopefully Ikin will be able to influence decisions like this, if Kev is being swayed by the media because he doesn't want to look malicious he needs to stop it now, he needs to be ruthless and calculating like all the other top coaches.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Coates at Melbourne by August 1...if this season keeps going that is.
 
I wouldn't be surprised to see Coates at Melbourne by August 1...if this season keeps going that is.
Why wouldn’t it? Worst case they’ll just move the lot to Qld
 
If you're a Melbourne fan, you were probably expecting to see a little more than what Xavier showed out there tonight, especially in defense
 
If you're a Melbourne fan, you were probably expecting to see a little more than what Xavier showed out there tonight, especially in defense

If you are a Storm supporter you are happy because you see the talent and the defensive deficiencies you know you can fix once he’s in a good coaching system. It’s almost criminal how badly coached our kids are.
 
If you are a Storm supporter you are happy because you see the talent and the defensive deficiencies you know you can fix once he’s in a good coaching system. It’s almost criminal how badly coached our kids are.
yep, as soon as Coates gets dipped in Bellamy's magic saliva and sprinkled in Storm fairy dust, it's all over for everyone.
 
If you are a Storm supporter you are happy because you see the talent and the defensive deficiencies you know you can fix once he’s in a good coaching system. It’s almost criminal how badly coached our kids are.
I've had enough of this with these players tbh. They are shit bcos they are shit, the coaches aren't putting the boots on for them. Deficiences might get fixed or hidden in a winning team but this whole blame culture is bs.
A Broncos junior gets the best facilities, to stay near home with family, big crowds, the largest support staff. We've went through 2 completly opposite types of coaches with them now, some of them with Bennett too. Walter's and seibold were/are shit but with their styles appearing to be the opposite you'd think one of them would have got the players motivated to perform and improve. They might click with one type of coach but we've tried every avenue with them, the players are the only problem left. Ofcourse good coaches help but they've run out of excuses. Coates will come firing out of the gates with the storm but I think these problems will be ongoing with him, it's whether the good outweighs the bad and whether a winning team hides it enough for bellamy or whoever mov i ng forward. Also, bellamy has 2 years left in him, what happens then? He blames the next coach? Haha
 
Ross Lyon said last week (in relation to the Carlton AFL team) there are only three reasons why a professional sporting team is not performing well;

1 Capacity; the players aren't up to it, which isn't the coaches fault but the list management;
2 Will; the players have the capacity but for whatever reason won't perform to the level they can, this sits on the coach; and
3 Confusion; the players have the capacity, and the will, but the instructions are incoherent. Again, this sits on the coach.

BI has just signed on to fix (1) above. He obviously has a lot to do. The spine especially needs to be improved, even with Reynolds coming. With a good hooker and fullback, though, a lot of other spots are at least servicable (which is why Walsh is a tragedy, and that sits squarely with KW).

KW better get a move on because whilst everyone can see the problems with (1), it's not clear that (2) and (3), which are clearly and solely his responsibility, are any better. Players talk; if they take a set against him and don't want to play under him, it will make fixing (1) so much harder. As someone else noted, Reynolds spoke openly about Fitzgibbon being an attraction when he thought about the Sharks but he wwas silent on KW.

The great coaches see average players leave and then perform at a lower level. Happens a lot with players that leave Bellamy and Bennett (Justin Poore went from being a NSW SOO player to playing reserve greade at Parra within 2 years). So far, NO player has improved under Kevvie. There will be a lot leaving; if they start playing better next year, and the Broncos don't improve, this will be a really big issue by mid next year.
Good post, and yes....im a Blues supporter.... :sook:
 
I've had enough of this with these players tbh. They are shit bcos they are shit, the coaches aren't putting the boots on for them. Deficiences might get fixed or hidden in a winning team but this whole blame culture is bs.
A Broncos junior gets the best facilities, to stay near home with family, big crowds, the largest support staff. We've went through 2 completly opposite types of coaches with them now, some of them with Bennett too. Walter's and seibold were/are shit but with their styles appearing to be the opposite you'd think one of them would have got the players motivated to perform and improve. They might click with one type of coach but we've tried every avenue with them, the players are the only problem left. Ofcourse good coaches help but they've run out of excuses. Coates will come firing out of the gates with the storm but I think these problems will be ongoing with him, it's whether the good outweighs the bad and whether a winning team hides it enough for bellamy or whoever mov i ng forward. Also, bellamy has 2 years left in him, what happens then? He blames the next coach? Haha

Yeah not really the point I was making at all to be honest. I have no doubt the players suck and as much to blame as anyone but in this case, Coates seems to have a really good attitude but he has been developing under two really poor coaches and I very much include Kevvie in that. I hope Kevvie comes good as there were signs earlier in the year before he self-imploded by exploding the side. Other than that, look at it this way, if you had a choice of two years coaching by Bellamy or two years by Kevvie or Kevvie/someone else, which would you choose in your most important formative years?
 
If you've still got the shakes coming down from the season, you could always listen to Ben Ikin and David Mead natter on:


"My mum -Allen, my dad - Carmel"!? Methinks the bespectacled one may suffer from dyslexia. Either that or the sexuality/gender roles in the Ikin houshold are pretty peculiar.
 
Is David Mead the male Suri?
 
This is an excellent listen, seriously. Our kids are going to benefit a LOT from Ikin, he just talks reality and is extremely relatable.
 

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