Re: Sack Griffin
I think it is less a case of sacking Hook than seriously questioning the competence of those who thought far far too little about dealing with the leadership and organizing void left by Lockyer's retirement.
I wanted to emphasise this and build on it. I think this is really the fundamental issue that is stuffing our club at the moment. For a club that has a supposed well earned reputation as a planner and always has a plan (according to a journo from the courier mail last week) we appear to have completely cocked up our succession planning not only in relation to Locky but in relation to Bennett moving on as well.
And I point the finger squarely at one B. Cullen for placing us in this situation. If you accept Bennett's view, he was being either gently or not so gently shoved out of the place by management. Given that he had been here for over twenty years, one would have thought that management would have started the process of ensuring that they had a replacement all lined up of equal or almost equal status. It appears that we just about had Bellamy but that was cocked up by Bruno. From there the wheels completely fell off, Bennett announces he is leaving, and we are left without a high profile and experienced coach. So what does management do, they appoint Ivan (in hindsight perhaps the worst thing that they could have done). We all know the postscript to that little story.
Now, Locky, from about 2008 onwards it should have been fairly obvious that time was running down on Locky's career and we needed to either quickly develop or buy in a marquee player at the club. This need was further compounded when Hunt and Folau pissed off to fumble ball. The player that we looked as though we had been grooming for the role was gone along with our other marquee player. Once again, it looked as though we might have done the right thing and secured Inglis, who would have been ideal given what he has done with Souths. Once again, if Inglis can be believed, the disquiet within the club caused by Ivan (see previous fantastic management decision making) and the fact that Ivan refused to even speak with him during the recruiting process, together with the persuasive powers of one Russell Crowe (and the $ and boats) and the influence of the weather caused him to fly south. Once again, there was no plan B in place once Plan A went.
The inevitable sacking of Ivan occurs, history repeats, there is no other plan in place, and Hook gets the gig by default. Locky retires, there is no marquee signing to replace him, no signing of a competent play maker to lead the side around. It must have been patently obvious that Wallace, despite his heart, his good defence, his ability to play through pain, was not suddenly overnight going to become a creative play making half that we needed. What did the club do to address this issue, sfa.
The claim that this club is well planned and well managed is a farce given the events of the last five years. In my view, that is why we are where we are.
The way forward, someone has to get into Hook's shell like and give him a realistic appraisal of where he is falling down in his role as a coach. This is going to sound counter-intuitive, but there has to be both more structure introduced into both defence and attack, but simultaneously, he has to allow the players to be creative and to take some risks. This also includes his obligations to try as best his can to improve the players he is given. He just does not seem to be doing this at the moment (see below)
Re the players, a serious conversation has to be had with several players (and the group as a whole) to address their attitude because quite simply sometimes they just do not turn up to play. The classic example of this was parramatta. I could tell by the body language as they ran out what we were about to get. Some one has to sit down with individual players and go through where they are falling down in their roles within the team. Eg McCullough - service is too slow, taking a step or two to pass instead of getting the ball away straight away, concentrating on percentage kicks. Maranta - someone teach him some basic finishing techniques, some positional play and how to use his size to his advantage. Norman - to grow a heart, not be so soft on his kick returns and to put his body on the line. I could go on, but you get the idea.
Re recruiting: to recruit a play making half as soon as a good one comes on the market, to either manufacture or buy a fullback that can not only run the second man play but also run the ball back with vigour, a ball playing prop with size, another bigger bodied forward and sometime within the next 1-2 years a good centre.
End of rant.
