Sack Griffin/New Coach Discussion

[KnToad]

I believe the difference between the two is that Cleary is receiving a lot of assistance from a master mind by the name of Gus Gould who is something of a master of rebuilding sides or taking them to the next level.

Very true... If Gus was overseeing the Broncos I wonder who would be playing in the #6??

 

[Big Pete]

Well, Milford is our key signing, but I'm sure Gus would be on the phones looking at the ESL, NSW Cup or Queensland Cup and would bring in somebody who's actually going to get a go and isn't just injury cover.

Would have done it sooner than Round 10 too.

Then again, my idea is that Gus is this all knowing demi-god of Rugby League who likes to throw hankerchiefs over things and has nightmares over high tackles and obstructions.

 

[Broncoman]

I've always liked Soward as a player and would take him in the halves over Hoffman at any time. Put Soward in a team with a good structure and good coaching and he can deliver on it.

I rate Cleary as a coach as he got the best out of the Warriors and got them to a grand final and is achieving some respectable results and is attracting some big profile players to Penrith. The Panthers are a club on the rise and It wouldn't surprise me if they contested for the title sometime in the future.

 

[KnToad]

I hear ya, man. I just don't see how Cleary is that much better of a Coach than Griffin is. They've built a reasonably good side, but their structures are no better than ours and they seriously lack leadership out on the field, despite having Soward and Wallace in their team.

I'm certainly not defending Griffin, but I don't see how Cleary is better in terms of on field structure.

Well he did very well in the coach's graveyard that is the Warriors and obviously did enough for the astute mind of Gus Gould to decide he was what they needed at the Panthers. Gus and Ivan go wayyy back and Gus has always rated Ivan as a coach with a big future. Given what he has managed at the Warriors (without Gus waving the wand) and at the Panthers I can only imagine what he might be able to do at a club with a roster like ours and the resources he would have at his disposal.

Don't get me wrong - this was not meant to be an "I Love Ivan Cleary dialogue" It was more a lament about how poor our coach is at being dislodged from his sheer bloodymindedness when it is obvious that something is not working and is not going to work.

I was late to the get rid of Hook party as I thought the guy was the way to go initially but the way he handled the situation last year with Corey Norman when he persisted with him way too long and now this seasons situation with Hoffman (not to mention a couple of other things like interchange and poor form for a couple) has got me screaming from the driveway on most Friday nights that I almost WANT my team to lose if it will accelerate the demise of his tenure as our coach so we can move on.

As a whole I can stand it when coaches always get shafted when a bunch of overpaid, underperforming primadonnas don't show up for work but watching this every week when it seems to all the world that a couple of simple positional re-arrangements might be all we need to make some good progress a persisting with it is driving me to drink (more)

 

[Ari Gold]

Anyone see the Warriors game today? I thought at times the Warriors were awful, particularly in attack. Making errors in their own half etc. Reason I mention it is that with Elliott in charge I reckon they'd have lost by 40 today, but under McFadden they seem to be doing a lot better. Makes me wonder how quickly we'd see similar changes if Griffin were to go.

 

[badyon]

With the Hunter Sports Group non-payments, does that mean Bennett (and Boyd) can now move immediately, without any legal consequence? Does anyone know for sure? Bennett as head of coaching and team performance, Boyd at 6, 5, or 4 - any takers?

 

[theshed]

Of course id love Bennett back in some form. Though we'd better get used to the one out football we all hate if he does come.

The thought of Boyd returning makes me shutter. A new club might go him good though. There must be something up a Newcastle for a players form to drop do badly.

 

[badyon]

Fair week's work, for a fair week's pay? Also, hard to be great behind an aging pack and no Mullen for most of the year. +better in the 3/4s (Gidley to fullback) etc. + better without houston and scott hogging the ball out wide etc

Back to topic - for those who say you need a clean out before Bennett comes back, so therefore won't happen soon etc - I say - get your brooms ready boys...

 

[Brett]

Bennett could do the cleaning out, IMO. He loves this club. You see it when he speaks at press conferences after Knights vs Broncos games, he still has love and passion for the Broncos.

Boyd - Don't really see a place for him. We have a Fullback in Barba, Copley and Hodges *should* be our Centres, Vidot and Hoffman the Wingers. Boyd is not a 5/8 and we have a Halfback in Hunt. I don't see where he fits, TBH.

 

[Foordy]

I'm happy to have Bennett back as long as it is not as head coach ... something similar to Gould at the Panthers or Anderson at the Eels

 

[mitch222]

Of course id love Bennett back in some form. Though we'd better get used to the one out football we all hate if he does come.

The thought of Boyd returning makes me shutter. A new club might go him good though. There must be something up a Newcastle for a players form to drop do badly.

Not getting paid over 200k of your salary would piss anyone off. If my employer owed me that kind of money, I sure as hell wouldn't be giving two ***** about my job at the moment

 

[Russell Coight]

Bennett could do the cleaning out, IMO. He loves this club. You see it when he speaks at press conferences after Knights vs Broncos games, he still has love and passion for the Broncos.

Boyd - Don't really see a place for him. We have a Fullback in Barba, Copley and Hodges *should* be our Centres, Vidot and Hoffman the Wingers. Boyd is not a 5/8 and we have a Halfback in Hunt. I don't see where he fits, TBH.

I'd rather **** Hoffman off and put boyd on the wing

 

[Foordy]

I'd rather **** Hoffman off and put boyd on the wing

Boyd considers himself a full back he's another one of those players that considers himself to good for the wing

 

[Cult]

I'd be pretty happy with this for the rest of the year
1 Darius Boyd
2 Daniel Vidot
3 Dale Copley
4 Justin Hodges
5 Josh Hoffman
6 Ben Barba
7 Ben Hunt

Then next year we will probably lose Hoffman so Boyd to the wing and Milford or Barba to fullback. I think Boyd will do what Bennett tells him to do.

 

[Foordy]

we won't get Boyd mid-season anyway

 

[Alec]

Unless Boyd plays on the wing, he's massively overrated. And he's too expensive for the wing.

 

[Super Freak]

I'm happy to have Bennett back as long as it is not as head coach ... something similar to Gould at the Panthers or Anderson at the Eels

What if he came back as a head coach to mentor a new guy? Like Walters or Lockyer? You would still have a problem with that?

He comes back, mentors them for a couple of years and steps down as head coach..

 

[Foordy]

What if he came back as a head coach to mentor a new guy? Like Walters or Lockyer? You would still have a problem with that?

He comes back, mentors them for a couple of years and steps down as head coach..

yes, because he can just as easily mentor from a director of coaching type role. it would be a backwards step for us to have WB back as head coach. and then in 3 years time when he finally retires from coaching the new coach would have the pressure of following in Bennetts foot steps again ... much less pressure to follow in Hooks