Coach Following

[Ari Gold]

Somewhat of a follow up to the previous thing about what makes a Supercoach, but not really.

Anyway, it seems to me that there is more and more instances of players following coaches these days. Boyd follows Bennett like a bad smell, and WB obviously has others that love to follow him, such as Costigan, Cuthbertson, Beau Scott and seemingly Alex McKinnon (and potentially Cameron King as well). Similarly, there seems to be a growing consensus that Manly players are going to follow Hasler.

Personally, I'm finding it kind of annoying, and I bet Manly and the Dragons do too. It's a great compliment to the coaches, but at the same time, it feels a lot like rebadging a group of players under a different team name, which is really what I dislike about it.

FTR, I know this will never stop. Why on earth would the Bulldogs say no, we don't want Kieran Foran. Or the Knights saying no to Boyd. The realities of NRL will mean this will basically always happen, but I just think it's kind of a shame that in 3-4 years time half the Dragons or Manly winning teams will still be together, only they'll be so as the Knights and Bulldogs. Anyway, I just wanted to get on my soapbox and whinge about something that wasn't representative football.

 

[Coxy]

Agree. Frankly I think it says the players themselves are weak men.

 

[Kaz]

The more they follow their favourite coaches, the more it eats into that teams salary cap & then we will have a chance to sign someone.

Instead of being used & players saying the Broncos are after them.

 

[Kaz]

Boyd treats WB like the Dad he never had.

At least WB hasn't contacted other clubs, saying such & such would be great at your club, like he did with a few former Bronco players.

 

[Mister Wright]

I don't really have a problem with it if the player continues to develop. Some players who suck playing for great coaches end up being stars at clubs with not so established coaches. The opposite can occur as well where an ordinary player can become a star under a great coach. Personally I think Boyd has developed plenty under Bennett, and his move to the Dragons was good for his career. However, it was probably time for him to test himself somewhere other than where Bennett was going, he doesn't seem to be the same player he was at the Dragons, but then Bennett doesn't have as good a roster at the Knights.

 

[Broncoman]

I heard the reason why Boyd follows Bennett around everywhere is because when Darius was young, his parents were never around and Bennett was his unofficial father as Darius spent most of his time with him. With Beau Scott on the bandwagon does anyone else expect fellow Dragons players to follow Beau up the F3 to Newcastle ?.

 

[OXY-351]

I heard the reason why Boyd follows Bennett around everywhere is because when Darius was young, his parents were never around and Bennett was his unofficial father as Darius spent most of his time with him.

I heard the same thing ..... about 3 posts up.

 

[Anonymous person]

So didnt wanna start a new thread just yet, and this one is Bennett related so ill put it here - what does everyone think about Bennett coming out and publicly saying that he will coach his players to take dives from now on?

personally I love it, purely because its making him look like the big baby he is.

Good to see the knights going so well towards their premiership that was all but guaranteed since they got Bennett lol.

 

[Jeba]

Most coaches say that after they get dudded by a diver. As an example Ricky Stuart said it after a game against Canberra in the early 00's. I think it's more a way of saying they're pissed off when someone takes a dive.

 

[ningnangnong]

This is what he actually said...

"One thing I'm pretty strong about in this game is you don't lay down when you get hit in the head," he said.

"But we've had three guys taken out in two weeks and we haven't got one penalty, so I'm going to encourage them to lay on the ground now and go to the video referee and they can make another decision.

"If they don't want to do something about it, I'll give them an option. It was (Joel) Edwards last week and (Alex) McKinnon and Darius tonight. (Jarrod) Mullen was taken out in the back play. So they've got a choice now."

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/...g-player-welfare/story-fn2mcuj6-1226354029381

Looks to me as if he's making a thinly veiled statement about the quality of refereeing.

 

[ningnangnong]

Staying down after copping one in the head is a bit different to taking a dive. Pissweak maybe, but in this day and age if you can win a penalty out of it, it seems logical to do so.

 

[Big Pete]

I hate the rule.

Video ref. is only supposed to intervene when it's a reportable offence, yet 9.9/10 they somehow are.

 

[dukey]

It's no different to Gallen's comments on this issue, or the wrestling tactics of the Storm. If the governing body won't take action to stop it happening, it would be remiss of the players and coaches to not use it to their advantage, regardless of how distasteful they might find it.

 

[Ari Gold]

This has nothing to do with Bennett. It's purely Gallop and the NRL's fault. It's a piss weak rule and has been for years, and the NRL are too incompetent to do anything about it.

 

[Anonymous person]

This has nothing to do with Bennett. It's purely Gallop and the NRL's fault. It's a piss weak rule and has been for years, and the NRL are too incompetent to do anything about it.

Well it does - he came out and said that he will tell his players to take a dive. That's low.

It is a terrible rule, but a coach shouldn't be taking advantage of it if he is against it.

 

[dukey]

Well it does - he came out and said that he will tell his players to take a dive. That's low.

It is a terrible rule, but a coach shouldn't be taking advantage of it if he is against it.

So... he should just be sitting back and letting other teams have the advantage by using it against him?

Parramatta's Denis Fitzgerald used to get up at every meeting of the NRL CEOs and introduce a motion that the conversion after a try be done away with. Obviously, he was against having a kick at goal after scoring; do you think it would've been prudent for him to issue orders to the team that they're to forfeit the attempt after every try and just take the four points?

 

[Anonymous person]

So... he should just be sitting back and letting other teams have the advantage by using it against him?

Parramatta's Denis Fitzgerald used to get up at every meeting of the NRL CEOs and introduce a motion that the conversion after a try be done away with. Obviously, he was against having a kick at goal after scoring; do you think it would've been prudent for him to issue orders to the team that they're to forfeit the attempt after every try and just take the four points?

No, but he shouldn't be publicly saying he will encourage diving. Tell his players to do it if he wants, but not in a press conference. It just makes him look like the sook he has shown to be many times.

 

[dukey]

No, but he shouldn't be publicly saying he will encourage diving. Tell his players to do it if he wants, but not in a press conference. It just makes him look like the sook he has shown to be many times.

You do realise that the only way the NRL are going to act against the practise is if it's put in the spotlight? They completely ignored grappling techniques until the newspapers started a campaign against them. When one of the highest profile coaches in the game comes out and says he's going to encourage such an unsavoury behaviour it's going to bring more attention from the media, and hopefully the NRL in turn.