THE EX Kevin Walters

[LittleDavey]

I'm not saying it was the wrong tactic, I'm saying deliberately devaluing the minor premiership - which comes with its own award - isn't in the spirit of the game. It's a very Bellamy like tactic. Is this who we are now?

I disagree that it does, I guess. We could have won, we didn't, Penrith were better. Given that we had a significantly harder draw than them (IIRC, I do know we had the toughest, unsure where theirs ranked) I reckon finishing on the same points is fantastic. We could also have sealed it before this weekend had we won just one of those games which we lost when we perhaps shouldn't have (Canberra, Titans etc).

I don't see it as a Bellamy tactic, I see it as focusing on what's most important. And I'd actually expect the club to do that. When 5 different clubs rested key players this week, I really don't think it's as big a deal as you're making it out to be. Yeah it would have been nice to win it, and I was hoping we would. But I'm not losing sleep over it.

Perhaps if the NRL wants clubs to value it more, they can up the prizemoney and/or allow it to be split amongst the playing group however the club sees fit.

 

[McHunt]

I disagree that it does, I guess. We could have won, we didn't, Penrith were better. Given that we had a significantly harder draw than them (IIRC, I do know we had the toughest, unsure where theirs ranked) I reckon finishing on the same points is fantastic. We could also have sealed it before this weekend had we won just one of those games which we lost when we perhaps shouldn't have (Canberra, Titans etc).

I don't see it as a Bellamy tactic, I see it as focusing on what's most important. And I'd actually expect the club to do that. When 5 different clubs rested key players this week, I really don't think it's as big a deal as you're making it out to be. Yeah it would have been nice to win it, and I was hoping we would. But I'm not losing sleep over it.

Perhaps if the NRL wants clubs to value it more, they can up the prizemoney and/or allow it to be split amongst the playing group however the club sees fit.

I'm not disagreeing with you on the tactic, only that I'm not giving the coach who pulls this string COTY.

 

[Harry Sack]

Unpopular opinion alert.

I've been thinking about this, and I'm ruling Kevvie, Bellamy and Webster out of Coach of the Year based on them "resting" players for the final round. Regardless whether it was the right tactic in the pitch for the title (and I believe it was), it's shitty Rugby League, outside the spirit of the game, and an up-you to fans who paid to see the stars. This especially applies to Kevvie whose tactic openly devalued the JJ Giltanan Shield. If we fail to win the premiership, we could always have that gong. It's not nothing. But Kevvie's actions said it is.

Maybe if we'd won, we could give Kevvie a free pass, but tanking the minor premiership in the process is a fail. Plus we lost again to the Storm. Which felt like shit. While the NRL might not be able to do anything about this cynical tactic, it need not be rewarded with a coaching medal.

If we go on to lose against the Storm next round it's an even bigger fail for the club. I would say it wasn't worth it.

Instead, I'm giving it to Ivan Henjak, who opted not to "rest" players, including his son, and instead put his team in a position to retain the minor premiership in the event the Broncos lost to the Storm. It was a gamble that had no other pay-off other than a chance to win the minor premiership and for Panthers' fans to see a proper game. He did not need the extra two points. It was a gamble that paid off. Credit where it's due. This is the game we would prefer to play.

Sorry Kevvie, as much as you deserved to win COTY up until this game, you blew it. Let's just hope it pays off this weekend.

Yes and no. I agree with the tactic considering all the new concussion protocols, dumb suspensions we've seen etc but I think he went too hard. As I think @Super Freak was saying, we could cover a Capewell or Herbie for example if they got injured/suspended. The team didn't need to be as inexperienced as it was and a few more of the main squad being involved may have changed the result.

Also, Ivan admitted that he was planning to rest players leading into the last couple of rounds as well but injuries and suspensions prevented that. He needed to get some game time into the new combinations that would be required moving forward.

I'm definitely on the whole "week between the end of season and finals" train. Not sure how that looks, but it would eliminate this sort of thing to a large extent I think.

To your main point though, I don't think this devalues what Kevie and Webster have done throughout the year at all. They're still my Top dogs along with Ivan.

 

[McHunt]

Yes and no. I agree with the tactic considering all the new concussion protocols, dumb suspensions we've seen etc but I think he went too hard. As I think @Super Freak was saying, we could cover a Capewell or Herbie for example if they got injured/suspended. The team didn't need to be as inexperienced as it was and a few more of the main squad being involved may have changed the result.

Also, Ivan admitted that he was planning to rest players leading into the last couple of rounds as well but injuries and suspensions prevented that. He needed to get some game time into the new combinations that would be required moving forward.

I'm definitely on the whole "week between the end of season and finals" train. Not sure how that looks, but it would eliminate this sort of thing to a large extent I think.

I think it was a gamble and part of the risk was potentially tanking an amount of goodwill. He lost at least the last bit. Cleary still has the higher ground position, plus his team had the best attack and best defence, defending two premierships. Plus he won the minor premiership. To put it brutally, he was still the best coach in the comp this season. Kevvie can get oodles of credit for rejuvenating the Broncos, but Henjak put together the best team. Again.

 

[Harry Sack]

I think it was a gamble and part of the risk was potentially tanking an amount of goodwill. He lost at least the last bit. Henjak still has the higher ground position, plus his team had the best attack and best defence, defending two premierships. Plus he won the minor premiership. To put it brutally, he was still the best coach in the comp this season.

I'll bite, why are you calling him Henjak?

 

[McHunt]

I'll bite, why are you calling him Henjak?

LOL. Because i'm a dumb ****. Cleary, obviously.

NB: edited.

 

[Fozz]

I think it was a gamble and part of the risk was potentially tanking an amount of goodwill. He lost at least the last bit. Henjak still has the higher ground position, plus his team had the best attack and best defence, defending two premierships. Plus he won the minor premiership. To put it brutally, he was still the best coach in the comp this season. Kevvie can get oodles of credit for rejuvenating the Broncos, but Henjak put together the best team. Again.

Maybe we should've kept Henjak as coach, especially if we could've nabbed future immortal Nathan Henjak.

 

[Harry Sack]

LOL. Because i'm a dumb ****. Cleary, obviously.

So they've been wrong all this time. You aren't Badel...Andrew Abdo confirmed.

 

[McHunt]

Maybe we should've kept Henjak as coach, especially if we could've nabbed future immortal Nathan Henjak.

I'm putting it down to post Bennett PTSD.

 

[Fozz]

Panthers might have finished first but they still lost to the Tigers, that should disqualify Cleary from coach of the year.

 

[ChewThePhatt]

Panthers might have finished first but they still lost to the Tigers, that should disqualify Cleary from coach of the year.

 

[Foordy]

Yeah I can't get on board this train. What if it was Walsh or Reyno who went down instead of Willison?

Then he'd be calling for Kevvie to be sacked instead of just missing out on coach of the year

 

[Foordy]

So they've been wrong all this time. You aren't Badel...Andrew Abdo confirmed.

not so fast.

Badel did write an article having a dig at Kevvie for resting players ... in fact, Badel claimed that Kevvie's decision to rest players would cost Karmichael Hunt and Souths Logan their 2023 fairy tale

 

[lynx000]

I'm not disagreeing with you on the tactic, only that I'm not giving the coach who pulls this string COTY.

Cleary rested players last year. He isn't a paragon of coaching virtue.

 

[McHunt]

Cleary rested players last year. He isn't a paragon of coaching virtue.

He also didn't win Coach of the Year last year.

 

[McHunt]

not so fast.

Badel did write an article having a dig at Kevvie for resting players ... in fact, Badel claimed that Kevvie's decision to rest players would cost Karmichael Hunt and Souths Logan their 2023 fairy tale

Well he got that right. This Badel bloke you have a massive crush on seems to know his stuff.

 

[theshed]

LOL. Because i'm a dumb ****. Cleary, obviously.

NB: edited.

all Croatians look alike?

 

[Mr Fourex]

Those who've watched the Broncos from inception, when did you start to "rate" Kevvie as anything more than Alfie's straight man? If you're an old timer, you would've seen him replace Wally, which were shoes way too big for anyone to fill. And then he played in the Alfie's shadow, like a plus one who always turned up on Langers' arm.

For me, he was always a player I took for granted. I never considered replacing him with anyone else, but he wasn't the star attraction, and I didn't feel like he was being overlooked at a rep level. He was always plenty good enough, but more like someone you never had to worry about.

I didn't really see him as anything more than handy until after Alfie left, and maybe not even right away then either. I'm pretty sure I became a fan around the time he became captain, but I can't quite recall.

Anyway, I guess what I'm asking is along the lines of I think the legend of Kevvie grew after his retirement when people twigged to how many premierships he'd won. During his playing years, I think others - especially Bennett - got more of the credit. He was the ultimate quiet achiever.

Or did I miss something?

TBH......I like Kevie the coach a LOT more than I liked Kevie the player. Yes I know he has all the trophies......and his partnership with Alf was invaluable to our cause. Still, I always thought he has a numpty inside of him who's just screaming to get out. I'd certainly put him in the Andrew McCullough group of Broncos players I disliked.