Where to From Here? Let's Plan for 2021...er...2025

[McHunt]

Clickbait headline, story goes nowhere, but it's open to read (delete cookies, if not):

Smith could easily end his career at the broken Broncos – but he shouldn't

Anyone who thinks they know what the Storm captain is doing next season is guessing, but some question if joining the Broncos is the right move.

www.smh.com.au

 

[mrslong]

The silence out of the club is deafening. A part of me likes to hope they have their man for next season (Bellamy) but is under strict instructions to keep it confidential so as not to disrupt the Storms season......a girl can dream

 

[Kooly87]

You can have a trillion dollars but if you're expectation for your football team is they pay for it- doesn't matter does it.

A lot for a coach is million- which both clubs have for a coach.

Well if News Ltd's value is irrelevant in this discussion about what the Broncos can spend then how are the value of Melbourne's owners any more relevant in what the Storm spend, given it was you that bought them up originally?

As the hands down wealthiest club in the game it really is inexcusable that we haven't managed on several occasions now to go out and recruit the absolute best Coach in the business. It's an indictment on the range of people who have run this club for a number of years now.

I can't believe I have to explain this on here, but anybody who know's the story about us recruiting Wayne Bennett all the way back in 1987 would know full well how critical the founders of the club believed having the absolute best Coach in the business was to our success and the extraordinary lengths that Paul Morgan in particular went to in order to make Wayne Bennett 1.0 happen.

If the recent generations of club management had shown similar levels of passion and commitment to getting the very best Coaches available we'd very likely already have been getting Coached by Craig Bellamy for a long time now. To accept anything else from our management is honestly just making excuses for them, which does very much fit the current Broncos culture apparently.

 

[1910]

Well if News Ltd's value is irrelevant in this discussion about what the Broncos can spend then how are the value of Melbourne's owners any more relevant in what the Storm spend, given it was you that bought them up originally?

As the hands down wealthiest club in the game it really is inexcusable that we haven't managed on several occasions now to go out and recruit the absolute best Coach in the business. It's an indictment on the range of people who have run this club for a number of years now.

I can't believe I have to explain this on here, but anybody who know's the story about us recruiting Wayne Bennett all the way back in 1987 would know full well how critical the founders of the club believed having the absolute best Coach in the business was to our success and the extraordinary lengths that Paul Morgan in particular went to in order to make Wayne Bennett 1.0 happen.

If the recent generations of club management had shown similar levels of passion and commitment to getting the very best Coaches available we'd very likely already have been getting Coached by Craig Bellamy for a long time now.

It's irrelevant because you can't use it, News' money doesn't matter. Broncos have as much money to buy a coach as the Storm do at the moment. The highest level is a million which is more than enough for an elite coach.

The owners signed Bob McCarthy first they wanted him to be coach. They didn't think Bennett was the best.

 

[Kooly87]

It's irrelevant because you can't use it, News' money doesn't matter. Broncos have as much money to buy a coach as the Storm do at the moment. The highest level is a million which is more than enough for an elite coach.

The owners signed Bob McCarthy first they wanted him to be coach. They didn't think Bennett was the best.

Again, I appreciate how football club budgets work and I didn't bring the owner's external value to the table in this discussion, that was you...

Jerry Ryan, Tripp and Bart Campbell are hardly looking in the ashtray for change.

And again, it doesn't matter if they decided Bennett or McCarthy in the end, the point is they were committed to getting the very best man possible and went to considerable efforts to achieve it, including putting their money where their mouth was, which is something we've now been unable or unwilling to commit to achieving for a very long time now, which funnily enough has coincided with our longest Premiership drought ever.

 

[1910]

Again, I appreciate how football club budgets work and I didn't bring the owner's external value to the table in this discussion, that was you...

You are aware of who News Ltd are aren't you?

Even conservatively taking just their base share value that would still place them at more than 10 times the value of the Storm owners.

I fully appreciate that, but relative to News Ltd? We turn over 50+ million dollars a year. Do Melbourne turn over even half of that?

There is literally no possible financial reason for us to not have been the top bidder.

Not sure you do understand, you clearly thought News/Rupert would just drive the money truck up and dump it on his front lawn.

It's just not going to happen. They made it perfectly clear after SL that we are not funding this you do it.

 

[Kooly87]

Not sure you do understand, you clearly thought News/Rupert would just drive the money truck up and dump it on his front lawn.

It's just not going to happen. They made it perfectly clear after SL that we are not funding this you do it.

How can I make this clearer for you? I said the CLUB should have driven the dump trucks to Bellamy's house because relative to Melbourne's budget we simply dwarf them.

The first time the owners wealth was bought into this discussion in any way was by yourself, which I'll again highlight for you:

Jerry Ryan, Tripp and Bart Campbell are hardly looking in the ashtray for change.

I wasn't interested in News Ltd's budget and never mentioned them even once until you'd bought Jerry Ryan and Co into the discussion, which I completely agree was nonsensical at the time (and I assume you only bothered with so you could remind everyone you know who owns the Storm) because it isn't relevant to what Melbourne spend any more than News Ltd's wealth is to what we spend.

 

[1910]

How can I make this clearer for you? I said the CLUB should have driven the dump trucks to Bellamy's house because relative to Melbourne's budget we simply dwarf them.

The first time the owners wealth was bought into this discussion in any way was by yourself, which I'll again highlight for you:



I wasn't interested in News Ltd's budget until you'd bought Jerry Ryan and Co into the discussion, which I completely agree was nonsensical at the time (and I assume you only bothered with so you could remind everyone you know who owns the Storm) because it isn't relevant to what Melbourne spend any more than News Ltd's wealth is to what we spend.

The Storm owners are relevant because they are here, hands on and much more likely to fund something than Rupert- who really couldn't care less.

If Storm said to their owners we need some money to fund Bellamy they're coming to the party before Rupert would act on the same request- they put their other companies up like Brick Lane and Jayco as a sponsors- much like Politis.

Rupert does nothing for Brisbane.

That's why in a discussion about why didn't the Broncos just outbid the Storm it's a relevant point.

 

[Kooly87]

The Storm owners are relevant because they are here, hands on and much more likely to fund something than Rupert- who really couldn't care less.

If Storm said to their owners we need some money to fund Bellamy they're coming to the party before Rupert would act on the same request- they put their other companies up like Brick Lane and Jayco as a sponsors- much like Politis.

Rupert does nothing for Brisbane.

That's why in a discussion about why didn't the Broncos just outbid the Storm it's a relevant point.

It shouldn't ever come down to the owners needing to kick in a few bucks because we operate profitably year on year with a budget in excess of 50 million dollars annually (2020 aside) while the Storm, like basically every other club, aren't even remotely in the same ballpark financially.

We absolutely SHOULD have the highest paid and best Coach in the game because we operate the biggest budget by light years. Failing to use that budget correctly to recruit the absolute very best person in what is almost certainly the single most critical role in the entire club is simply inexcusable and without doubt just utterly dire management. If Melbourne could afford Bellamy and the success he brings without going balls up financially, then simple maths tells you we could have absorbed it like a blip on the radar.

Craig Bellamy is still in Melbourne because when the whips we're cracking they were run by better people who were more effective at getting the job done and getting their man, despite our ridiculous financial advantage over them.That fact is simply inexcusable and an indictment on the people running the Broncos.

 

[Lockysillegitimatechild]

The Storm owners are relevant because they are here, hands on and much more likely to fund something than Rupert- who really couldn't care less.

If Storm said to their owners we need some money to fund Bellamy they're coming to the party before Rupert would act on the same request- they put their other companies up like Brick Lane and Jayco as a sponsors- much like Politis.

Rupert does nothing for Brisbane.

That's why in a discussion about why didn't the Broncos just outbid the Storm it's a relevant point.

But I think that you have actually highlighted what SHOULD happen. Murdoch has stated that he would not get involved with any decisions you say? I could have sworn news limited has a ~60% ownership of the Brisbane Broncos. A company that is worth millions and if current scenarios continue it will not only lose those millions and haemmhorage millions instead. The bad news cycle of the Broncos will sell them papers and in turn increase revenue as long as Broncos have the fans. They won't if this continues, further exacerbating the financial losses news limited, and in turn the Murdoch's, will suffer if the club continues to perform poorly.
That family, especially Rupert, understand and speak one language, MONEY. To say they won't get involved when a club is losing them millions of dollars a year (which, as I have highlighted, will eventually happen) because of a promise they made 25 years ago is, well, it's be incredibly stupid business and that's not what the Murdoch's do...
Eventually they will have to step in if this continues. If it continues they won't even be able to sell their share of the club for a decent amount if they wanted to bail off of a sinking ship.

 

[1910]

But I think that you have actually highlighted what SHOULD happen. Murdoch has stated that he would not get involved with any decisions you say? I could have sworn news limited has a ~60% ownership of the Brisbane Broncos. A company that is worth millions and if current scenarios continue it will not only lose those millions and haemmhorage millions instead. The bad news cycle of the Broncos will sell them papers and in turn increase revenue as long as Broncos have the fans. They won't if this continues, further exacerbating the financial losses news limited, and in turn the Murdoch's, will suffer if the club continues to perform poorly.
That family, especially Rupert, understand and speak one language, MONEY. To say they won't get involved when a club is losing them millions of dollars a year (which, as I have highlighted, will eventually happen) because of a promise they made 25 years ago is, well, it's be incredibly stupid business and that's not what the Murdoch's do...
Eventually they will have to step in if this continues. If it continues they won't even be able to sell their share of the club for a decent amount if they wanted to bail off of a sinking ship.

Neil Monaghan is on the board and is Rup's right hand man- he's making the decisions for News regarding the Broncos so I don't think Rup is going to be uninformed if he wanted out or change he could have acted that through Neil Monaghan by now. News clearly isn't too upset with what the Broncos and Neil Monaghan have been doing the last 18 months.

Broncos have always been Lachlan's play thing I don't think old Rup cares too much at all. But it was always made very clear to the Broncos you need to stand on your feet and pay for things yourself it's not me funding you.

Lachlan has got involved at different times, Bennett rang him in 2014 to say give me my job back but financially they don't get involved.

 

[Allo]

I don’t think Rupert will really care, because besides money, he likes influence and the power of controlling it.

And he’ll run companies at losses to power others to maintain it. He does it with the Australian, and probably most of the other publications they own.

 

[Foordy]

@kooly87 you're simply forgetting that Bellamy never had any intention of joining us, no matter how much money we offered. He doesn't want to risk his legacy by coaching a team without Cam Smith. (if the reports are correct that we offered more money, it shows it doesn't matter how much we offered)

we would have been better off going after Trent Robinson

 

[Kooly87]

@kooly87 you're simply forgetting that Bellamy never had any intention of joining us, no matter how much money we offered. He doesn't want to risk his legacy by coaching a team without Cam Smith. (if the reports are correct that we offered more money, it shows it doesn't matter how much we offered)

we would have been better off going after Trent Robinson

It really is stunning that you're able to read his thoughts so clearly. Highly impressive stuff.

You're absolutely right about Robinson though we damn sure should have gone after the guy was probably second best at the time (although to be fair I think the hindsight of two Premierships since the time we that we were looking for a Coach has boosted his stocks considerably).

Literally anything would have been better than standing there with our dicks in our hands after we'd already told Wayne Bennett to jog on before actually securing a competent replacement. Talk about complete incompetence.

Again, literally anything would have been better than the shambolic interview process for three unproven and mediocre candidates we did have that some of our interviewing staff didn't even bother to turn up for.

 

[Renegade]

It really is stunning that you're able to read his thoughts so clearly. Highly impressive stuff.

You're absolutely right about Robinson though we damn sure should have gone after the guy was probably second best at the time (although to be fair I think the hindsight of two Premierships has boosted his stocks considerably since the time when we were looking for a Coach).

Literally anything would have been better than standing there with our dicks in our hands after we'd already told Wayne Bennett to jog on before actually securing a competent replacement.

Again, literally anything would have been better than the shambolic interview process for three unproven and mediocre candidates we did have that some of our interviewing staff didn't even bother to turn up for.

the thing I find interesting is that he would've wanted Robinson, yet Robinsons only experience prior to the Roosters was coaching Catalans - the same yardstick he's using to discount Walters.

 

[Foordy]

It really is stunning that you're able to read his thoughts so clearly. Highly impressive stuff.

I'm not reading his thoughts ... he reportedly took less money to stay at the Storm. says it all really

 

[Kooly87]

I'm not reading his thoughts ... he reportedly took less money to stay at the Storm. says it all really

Right. It's just that what you said was he "wouldn't come for any sum of money" and also that he "doesn't want to risk tarnishing his reputation by Coaching without Cam Smith" which certainly sounded like you had a direct link to what goes on inside his brain. If you apparently don't then I'm really not sure how you could possibly know these things as fact unless he told you himself?

 

[lynx000]

I hope it ultimately comes out in the end what happened in the relationship between Morris, White and Bennett and the club.

It shits me to tears that the one time we had someone come up with what appears to be a sensible succession plan, that is, WB for an extra year and then hand over to JD, that it was simply dismissed out of hand (apparently). I hope that there was some cogent and compelling explanation as to why the club rejected that proposition and it was not based on some ego conflict and dick measuring exercise between Morris and White on one side and Bennett on the other.