VOTE Kev’s midseason mark

[Tristan1990]

I gave him a 5
We have the same amount of wins as we did last year with a much tougher draw
He has signed Adam Reynolds which is a massive boost to us next year and locked down a few younger players (sure we lost Coates and Walsh which hurt)
A lot of people seem to forget we are finally starting to move a lot of over paid players on and as a result of this the squad we are running out every week is significantly under the cap. The next part is very crucial for Kev in who he signs for next year to help bolster the squad

yeah i think the real test will be next year for kevvy with a roster that he has assembled.... until then its a pass mark for me to

 

[Financeguy]

4 out of 10 for me.

Kevvie inherited arguably the worst squad in the NRL with no quality ins and the loss of Fifita. I had low expectations for this season and currently they have been met.

Some + points are the recruitment of Reynolds, i have no doubt Seibs/White would have screwed that up, dropping Milf which was deserved, keeping TPJ in line after a rough 2020 for, he really could have gone off the rails, and general change in perception about the 'culture' of the place. Whilst the results have been mostly crap, the team seems a lot more unified than the Seibold years.

Negatives are still plenty, making Glenn captain when he really shouldnt be in the 17, has made unnecessary changes to the team at times, persisting with Coates after he signed with Melbourne and his performances have been no better than players he has dropped, mixed messaging for guys like Oates and Mead. I think he is also 1 quality signing for 2022 away from a pass mark in recruiting.

I still think if Walters was coach last year we wouldn't have lost Fifita, i know he got an offer too good to refuse but he had agreed to stay with us before the Titans offered just 100k more than their previous offer and i think Walters personality would have made it a smoother experience for Fifita to stay, for that reason even a wooden spoon this year would get me to have Walters ahead of Seibs.

 

[Organix]

I disagree about Coates, I was calling for him to be considered for dropping before he even signed for Storm. He has had some really poor performances. I also don’t think origin should impact our team list, especially when they lose by the greatest margin in their history.

I’d argue that Mead, an experienced head who has done nothing to deserve being dropped, has re-signed with us for next year, who quietly shows up and does his job whenever called upon being dropped for a flashy inconsistent 20 year old who has jumped ship sets a far worse example if anything.

As coach I'm not sure whether I'd pick Coates either. You might need to be training them to see their potential. At this point in the season, Walters has tried nearly everyone with Staggs, Piakura and maybe a couple of other combos and position shifts yet to come. The priority should be to win enough games to differentiate himself from the last atrocity. He needs to do that. The spoon again is not acceptable.

Coates is a prime example of a player who has not progressed under his watch. Just by his age and growing experience he should've improved the little complaints, like being out of position and spilling the odd high ball. The potential is there, more than any other winger in the competition (arguably, and certainly in the Storm's mind, who are good judges). He's big, quick and can leap like Cazaly, yet every complaint we had about him under Seibold's questionable tutelage has only galvanized under Walters. But he was a raw rookie then. That no longer stands.

Coates, himself, has openly rejected Walters coaching and turned to Bellamy to further his career. Next to undervaluing Walsh, that's Walter's biggest fail mark yet. Admittedly, the guy's judgement is no benchmark but it's one to put on the unfavourable side of the register.

Would I select Coates at this point in the season? I would if I thought he was the best chance of scoring tries and I thought I was making progress with his defence. But I would not drop him out of bitterness for leaving, nor would I drop him to learn in the ISC. I would want to milk the last drops out of him before he leaves. I would use him for what he's worth to me, not caring if it's good for his long term progression. Were he staying, my decision might be different.

Fair and valid. I simply think his hand was forced by origin selection. I personally wanted him out for Mead too. But, as I said, it's not an easy call to make in his position.

Taking someone out of a struggling Broncos team, who has been called up despite all that is IMO a bad signal to the squad about success.

 

[Jason Simmons]

Fair and valid. I simply think his hand was forced by origin selection. I personally wanted him out for Mead too. But, as I said, it's not an easy call to make in his position.

Taking someone out of a struggling Broncos team, who has been called up despite all that is IMO a bad signal to the squad about success.

On the other hand though, we’ve all seen his form has actually been terrible. Runs soft, doesn’t defend, can’t catch is what he has turned into this year.

He can certainly turn it around and maybe that’s why he signed at the Storm but on form and effort alone, there is little doubt in my mind Mead deserves to be in this team ahead of Coates.

 

[Kooly87]

I feel like earlier in the year we had more set plays but since we’ve had to include gamble in the halves his limited play making ability has hampered that.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Like, how many set plays are we supposed to have prepared for during preseason that would have included Gamble and Karmichael Hunt?

Pretty hard to have effective and well executed set players when you basically never have set Playmakers.

 

[Organix]

On the other hand though, we’ve all seen his form has actually been terrible. Runs soft, doesn’t defend, can’t catch is what he has turned into this year.

He can certainly turn it around and maybe that’s why he signed at the Storm but on form and effort alone, there is little doubt in my mind Mead deserves to be in this team ahead of Coates.

agreed. I am glad we lost him. But actually dropping him is a different matter under the circumstances.

 

[Kaz]

I gave him 2/10, because I was being kind.

Loved him as a player, but never wanted an ex player as coach.

IMO: He brings nothing to the table.

I think we are going backwards.

 

[HarryAllan7]

I give him a WouldPreferFlanagan / 10

 

[Alec]

2 for now, because I've had enough of this team being shit. I'm still going to give him until midway through next year, same as Seibold, and if the team still looks this awful, he's gotta go.

 

[Jason Simmons]

agreed. I am glad we lost him. But actually dropping him is a different matter under the circumstances.

I don’t think so. We have 2 wingers in the squad who unarguably are playing much better than him.

I’m not suggesting dropping him because he has gone to Melbourne, just that he is playing horribly…

 

[LittleDavey]

Totally agree, Coates should not be in the side on form, regardless of anything else. Oates and Mead are playing better, heck I'd even try Isaako there before Coates. Neither his head nor heart are in it at the moment, and it shows. He's been very very poor.

If I had to take a guess I'd say perhaps the impending move to Melbourne and all that goes with that, is having an effect on him mentally.

 

[Kooly87]

Totally agree, Coates should not be in the side on form, regardless of anything else. Oates and Mead are playing better, heck I'd even try Isaako there before Coates. Neither his head nor heart are in it at the moment, and it shows. He's been very very poor.

If I had to take a guess I'd say perhaps the impending move to Melbourne and all that goes with that, is having an effect on him mentally.

If the relationship with Melbourne wasn't so dire it would honestly be in both clubs best interests to try and nut out a player swap for the balance of this year.

 

[Culhwch]

I went with a mark of four. Despite some pre-season hyperbole, I honestly didn't have high expectations for this season, but I thought we'd be looking better by this point than we are.

There were some good signs early - good showings against Parra in the first round and Penrith, being the better team against the Cowboys and just getting pipped due to a lack of experience, unexpected wins against the Titans and Roosters. I thought that Roosters win in particular was a turning point, but it ended up almost being the opposite. After such an awful early draw, I'd hoped the improvement would really show once we started to line up against the poorer teams like the Dragons and Canberra, but the last two weeks have been really disheartening.

I do think there are a few more wins left in us, and I'm keen to see how Staggs is used when he is back. Team selection, bench use, and defence are still huge concerns though.

 

[lynx000]

Can someone do an intervention with @Santa, he is either well into the Xmas rum supply or he is into Nashy's Xmas present.

 

[YOUWISH]

If the relationship with Melbourne wasn't so dire it would honestly be in both clubs best interests to try and nut out a player swap for the balance of this year.

Totally agree Coates should have been allowed to swap to Melbourne with Lee, but I do not see how getting rid of Coates is going to answer the Broncos prayers.

 

[Kooly87]

Totally agree Coates should have been allowed to swap to Melbourne with Lee, but I do not see how getting rid of Coates is going to answer the Broncos prayers.

It obviously won't change a great deal for us, but it's looking increasingly clear Xavier's heart isn't really in it anymore and if both parties are going in different directions then they should have found a way to move him to Melbourne and get Brenko Lee here early.

All parties would benefit and no one would lose.

 

[Sproj]

Totally agree Coates should have been allowed to swap to Melbourne with Lee, but I do not see how getting rid of Coates is going to answer the Broncos prayers.

Gives us a decent centre and his progression can start.

 

[Kooly87]

Gives us a decent centre and his progression can start.

Justin Olam might be nice. One PNG lad for another.