Do you think the Parramatta Eels would be traveling any better this season if their head coach was Wayne Bennett or Craig Bellamy?
Disappointed fans are calling for head coach Stephen Kearney’s removal after a winless start in 2012 and only achieving a 21.43 percent winning record since Round 1, 2011.
The Roar’s Luke D’Anello submitted an article in April, 2010 called, “The challenge of coaching without the cattle”, which underlined how two promising young AFL coaches, Damian Hardwick and Dean Bailey, will struggle “without the cattle”, or a poor and immature list of players.
Bailey has since been sacked but Richmond offered Hardwick a two-year extension after he had started his first season 0-9.
Results are relative, and the simple facts are that the Eels were expected to finish with the wooden spoon based on our professional ratings, but enthusiastic fans expected more. They certainly have been unlucky, losing their best player, Jarryd Hayne, when in a winning position against grand finalists, the New Zealand Warriors, in Round 2.
Kearney is also the current New Zealand coach and if he leaves the latest board meeting intact, you would expect he would resign as national coach to focus on the Eels. But the likable Kiwi can only do so much.
The Eels have a dysfunctional board that have a track record of making poor appointments. Bennett and Bellamy have always had the good fortune to coach under astute administrators who were able to lay a foundation for them to weave their magic.
Kearney inherited a mess, but he is in his second year at the club now and fans rightly had an expectation of at least some promise.
Kearney would have known that priority one was to find some halfs, so they went about looking for a Brett Kenny and a Peter Stirling. They came up with Bulldog discard Ben Roberts and forked out $550,000 for the Rabbitoh’s Chis Sandow.
A respected recruitment manager valued Sandow at $220,000, which is endorsed by this author, but arguably the Eels biggest concern is their stereotype forwards, who with the exception of Reni Matua, refuse to pass the ball. The backline is no better; filled with poor defenders, especially the right side that is cluttered with holes.
So who really is to blame?
The members vote in the board, and they appoint the chief executive, who is responsible for the coach and the coaching staff, including the all-important recruitment group.
If a club pays “overs” for a player like they have with Sandow and young William Hopoate (who is yet to play for the Eels due to religious duties), and they get it wrong, then their entire salary cap forces them to not be able to be competitive with other players.
Hayne will make a huge difference when he comes back from injury, but he is only one player from a list of 25, maybe it is the list who do not run out and play where the real problem is.
sledgeross
Guest
SMith never won teh man of steel....... But Adrian Vowles did!
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Renegade Very good question about DCE & Cooper. let me explain why and I say this as a massive fan of Cronk. I rate them both very close on organisation and communication, tactical kicking, long kicking and defence. They are both outstanding. DCE is more natural and could go pass Thurston where Cooper never will. DCE is much more dangerous in offence: Already this season he has made 18 tackle breaks compared to Cronks 6 In 2011 Line Breaks DCE 9 CC 7 2011 Tackle Breaks DCE 111 CC 37 Hope that explains it.
JVGO
Guest
Robson has been absolutely rock solid at the Sharks (2 games). Plus he is on less than 100k I'd imagine. A mate of his told he'd worked p/t most of his career. Good on him. But De Gois at hooker, Graham at lock plus Carney has provided enough creativity...so far. Cronulla also has Junior K's captain Chad Townsend in reserves who is undoubtedly the longer term option so he probably feels he needs to perform.
Renegade
Guest
Scott, In regards to the first point....i should have been more specific but i was in hysterics :) What i meant was how on earth did you come up with DCE is worth 200k more than Cronk. Cronk is worth $600k no doubt....DCE about 350-400 which i believe is what Manly have re-signed him for if not less. Second point - i'll get the tat gun out but i don't think i'll need it!!
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Johnno Sadly the Eels recruitment believed them, so did Ricky Stuart after that.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Renegade, What Mateo has against him is he is a poor defender and throws a lot a bad passes, two things you dont do in Origin. Mateo is an ex international and in career best form, and is sweet with the coach. Get the tat gun out!
Johnno
Guest
Na Tim Smith is a star he had all the hype and talant well that is what some sections of the media said and a lot of hype about him. Wasn't Tim Smith carving it up in the English super league, i thought he got the man of steel award in the english super league when he was at Wigan or st Helens or bradford he was at one of those clubs from memory.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Johnno You a geering up, right? Tim Smith makes Sandow look like Andrew Johns.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
sledge Its relative who they play alongside. At the Sharks Robbo has the good fortune to have a world beater at 6. All he has to do is talk and give him direction which he does well and Carney has the talent to be dangerous. At parra he didnt have a Carney. Robbo is no world beater and normally should not play at 7 in first grade but he suits to Sharks set up.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Planko Balin is a wonderful club player and he did very well when he replaced Cam Smith at origin level, but in answer to your question I cant go any better than a very good club player. All teams need 1.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Renegade Cronk signed this morn for 600k.
Gaz
Guest
Before Bennett and playing for the Raiders Weyman was a thug who was continully baited by his opposition and reacted accoringly spending long periods on the sidelines suspended. Soward was released by the Roosters mid season and the premiership he won was Jersy Flegg. Planko It's not rocket science to see Bennett turned their respective careers around and game them confidence. Yes, the coach can make a difference, I beleive Anthony Griffin also has some ability, Keraney i9s under the microscope no doubt.
Johnno
Guest
What about bring Parra's greatest protege since Sterling , Tim Smith back. Tim Smith is a precocious young talent, who needs time nurturing sensitivity and compassion. He would be a great asset Tim Smith this precocious young talent. Many said he was the chosen one, too fill the immortal type half back that Peter sterling was, and he was the man to lift Sterling's shadow, as the chosen one. So Eels should really get Tim Smith back, this precocious young talent
PLANKO
Guest
Yes they would be better off not spending 20% of their cap on an average player.... Robson is the kind of player i believe clubs are crazy not to sign. At least with Robson he is always having a go. I reckon some of the bigger wealthier clubs if there was no salary cap and they were smart would have offered him a reasonable contract to play second grade on off chance their CRONK, DCE , or first grade starter got injured ?
sledgeross
Guest
Scott, I agree that Sandow is nowhere worth the money he is on. Are you saying that Parra would have been better off with Robson, who has certainly made a difference with teh SHarks.
PLANKO
Guest
Scott you have mentioned that you are a michael monaghan fan. He would complement Sandow quite well. Take pressure off his kicking game. Lead the team around the park better from dummy half. Step in when Sandow tucks up on his blankey for a part of every game. Talks it up on the field and defends like demon in the middle. The only problem is they have 1.2 million gone of their salary on Hayne and Sandow. A player that Manly will struggle to hold that Parramatta or anyone other should look at is Balin. Thoughts
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Gareth Roberts and Sandow have never been good in this area and all teams know it. You can add the entire Parra backline for that matter. If everyone knew this then why recruit them? Good question ah.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Sledge Sandow got 550k a season from parra, full stop. In anybodys language that is totall ridiculous. I agree with you that there are heaps of 7s who are equally poor, but they dont get 550k. I think the guy has excellent individual talent, but that is NOT what a 7 is suppose to do. Cronk, Thurston and Cherry-Evans have the team skills that Sandow misses.. I will say again what he lacks as a top class 7. 1. He is a poor talker and communicator 2. He has a poor tactical kicking game and often has a brain snap and kicks on tackle 2 or 3 when nothing is on. 3. He is a poor passer of the ball, expecially left to right and often is a chance to give up an intercept 4. He cannot organise his forwards or his outside men. Inglis hardly got the ball last year. 5. He has been the stand out worst tackler in the NRL for the last 3 years topping the list by a margin 6. His attitude is poor and went walkabout prior to a key game last year. Sledge, I am not a recruiter but I do consult to people who do. The things you pointed out about Sandow are not why you should pay 550k a year for. My 6 points are.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Parrafan Parra actually had TREX and they let him go to Manly which underlines their incompetence.
Gareth
Guest
Sandow does a lot of good things in attack, but defensively he has a much more pronounced effect. The blokes in the middle have to spread a bit wider to cover his lack of size and technique, and the blokes on the outside are often left outnumbered when he rushes out of the line. Without solid defensive backs like Ben Smith and Joel Reddy, the young blokes are really struggling. But it's not just Sandow. Ben Roberts has been pretty fragile in defense and both the Panthers and Cowboys have just sent a lot of traffic down the fringes to great effect.