It’s not rocket science that coaches are an integral part of a player’s development and that many coaches have made a player’s career through his ability to see ‘something special’, such as Wayne Bennett and Darren Lockyer.
But what about the players who go on the scrap heap or are not fortunate enough to work with such a coach? There are so many and inevitably once you start a footy conversation about past players, the question gets asked, “What happened to him? He had so much potential”, or “He’s so good in some games and terrible in others, if only he played for the Storm.”
Right now I’m sure a lot of you are thinking of a player who fits the bill as someone who started with so much but ended with so little or is currently playing but you think he would offer so much more under a better coach or among a better team.
We’ve seen how some players have benefited from strong coaches recently, like Soward under Bennett or Finch under Craig Bellamy. These two play have played for clubs with unsettled coaches’ boxes, resulting in poor team performances and therefore their games suffered.
I’m not saying these two could or would have been greats under other coaches, but it makes me wonder how other players might have fared given the same opportunity.
Norrie, Lowe and Ryles are other examples who, it’s no surprise, have turned their games around under Bellamy.
So I’m not so much writing this article to argue about who’s a good coach or who should go to what club, rather, I’d like to hear players you would have liked to see under a better coach or in a successful team.
I’d like to throw a few past and present names in the hat myself – who I’d like, or would have liked, to have seen in this situation.
First I’ll start with a few from Penrith, a side which has struggled in the past few seasons but which has some talented players like Coote and Walsh. Penrith fans might argue that these guys are already good players but I’d say they could be so much better under a solid coach, in a solid club structure.
Coote has shown he is versatile by playing five-eighth at the back end of 2012 and Walsh’s kicking game a few years ago was second to none for try assists. Coote for me could be in the vein of the great Lockyer. I’m not suggesting he could be as good but I see a real talented football mind in him that only a lucky few have.
The unsettled club environment, along with injury, haven’t helped and I hope that gets sorted and we see his best at Penrith.
Other current players I’d mention are Pettyborne – once touted as the next Asotasi; Tagatese – the power, strength and speed but lacking direction; Shawn Johnson – the ‘next Benji’ has been bogged down by the Warriors rabble; Ben Roberts – so good on his day but they are so rare; Sau – one of the most damaging runners in the game may have left it late to move to the Storm.
I’ll move on to a past player now and, although I’m only 30, there were so many to pick. As a Souths fan I had a lot of hope for Owen Craigie – such a strong and elusive player at his fittest but his form (and weight) was all over the shop.
Souths are a club which have been through a lot of ups and downs as well as coaches good and bad, so it’s no secret a lot of talent got wasted and Craigie was a prime example.
As I said, I’m interested in hearing the players you would like, or would have liked, to see under another coach or in another team. Players which would be, or could have been, so much more.
The greats that never were.
The Dribbler
Guest
Wow Albert Kelly he's gotta be top of the list. He's been talked about for years. I'd say his debut games at fullback for the Sharks were also a big confidence wrecker. From memory he was thrown into the position and made a fool of for 5 games by the "Great" Ricky Stuart (God help u Parramatta). He was terrorised by Souths with bombs galore. It can be a few games like that which crush a young players future. No doubt he has himself to blame but it wouldnt have helped.
The Dribbler
Guest
yeah forgot about that mate. You can tell he lacks a bit of ticker and maybe he was flicked because of it. So often its the blokes with great football physiques who dont know how to use it i.e- Mason. Actually he's probably another who could have used a a Bellamy as his coach. you can see the benefits of playing under Bennet. Maybe we could call them Bennet-fits?..........
Spook
Guest
Jarrod Mullen of the knights just has no talent they are wasting there time with him its a joke just get rid of him Bennett.
Biggermatt
Guest
Brett White threw the pass mate..remember it like yesterday, and god love big Ben cross but he wasn't noted for his offloading!
stormtrooper
Guest
A bit harsh on bellamy there, Craig bellamy and Des hasler are the best two coaches in the nrl today. Melbourne's big three owe a lot of their success to Bellamy. In saying that i think culture is a massive part of how teams perform, and melbourne has one of the most successful cultures in the nrl. I dont think melbourne has produced to many bad apples so far and the storm culture brings out the best in most people
peeeko
Roar Guru
they seem to be handling Tod carney ok
JayBob
Guest
Also, forgot to mention his record with SOO. Ricky Stuart, although not winning the series yet, has done a much better job in his short stint.
JayBob
Guest
"If only he played with Smith, Slater & Cronk" would have been a better title. I totally agree that a coach has a massive influence over a side, but I don't think Bellamy is as good as people make him out to be. He has only won 1 legitimate title while not cheating; for the majority of his career he has coached a team that was worth far more than the opposition. Since then he has had a well established 'spine' with 3 of them rated in most peoples top 5 players in the world. When he goes to another club and replicates the results I will have respect for him; until then it is hard to give him any credit at all.
Ronald M
Guest
Yes...and NO. It was his own doing but I believe that different leadership, different culture, different structure would have made all the difference to this kid. Cronulla are notorious for having few rules around players away from the club. They also lack an inspirational coach who the kid could have looked upto and who would have kep't him on the straight and narrow. He did do it to himself but Cronulla had a duty of care and they failed him.
peeeko
Roar Guru
i wouldnt blame cronulla, it was his own doing
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
I would have loved to see Tricky Trindall in a decent team. By the time he got to the Bulldogs his best days were behind him, but I still enjoyed watching him play.
Luke M
Guest
As a Penrith fan i immediately thought of Jennings over Walsh and Coote. I know Jenko has played at the highest level, but playing for the Storm, with set plays designed to give him time and space, geez he could score 50 tries a year. Penrith just seem to loop him a pass, usually at the wrong time and hope for the best. Penrith will get a good few hit ups, bend the line back, and instead of giving Jenko early ball, will take another hit up or throw an inside pass back to the middle of the field. He is not being used properly at my club, unfortunately. The guy could be an absolute superstar.
rl
Guest
ditto for Albert Kelly, what a waste of talent. Will be interesting to see how version 2.0 of Thomas Leuluai goes under Matt Elliott.
Pillock
Roar Rookie
Another part of the puzzle with gifted players and coaches is a bit of a "meeting of minds". Some players really buy into the coach big time and as a result get some great results. Other better players might not buy in to the same extent but still acheive. It;s a bit of horses for courses. While Bellamy is an outstanding coach he is known as Bellyache for good reason as he rarely seems happy. Would a player like Jonathan Thurston thrive under his coaching, maybe not. That is not an indictment on either Thurston or Bellamy it is just that a large part of the coach-player relationship comes down to personalities and that is something that cannot be forced.
Hoy
Roar Guru
I used to love watching Owen Craigie playing for Newcastle.
Scott
Guest
Although many would consider them good players already a obvious one for me would be Marshall and hayne. If Marshall was trained with structure like Cronk had been but then when the opportunity opens use some of them freakish skills he has. We all know what I'm talking about. Them kicks and passes and runs that just make us go wow. What just happened. The same could be said of hayne. But instead they seem like they pretty much try make something out of nothing every play. Then when it doesn't work out they throw there hands in the air and give up. If they played with a structured team and coach the majority of the time then took the opportunities when they came up the semis series of the last few years would be a different story
Jimbo
Guest
In the salary cap era, as well as the stars of every team, it is pretty obvious that to be successful, a team will need to make the most of its journeyman type players, as well as unearthing a few talented youngsters and take advantage of that whilst they are still under cheap rookie contracts. It is no coincidence that both Manly and Melbourne are good at this; both had some stars, but what was more important is that neither really had weaknesses across the park, players who had been average elsewhere were turned into respectable first graders under the tutelage of Hasler and Bellamy.
Morfs
Guest
Watching them play this year under Dessie, I wondered at times just how good Kasiano, Pritchard & (admittedly, not under Hasler this year) Tony Williams would be under Bellamy. They all have potential, and the two bruisers for the Doggies really showed it this year. Now, imagine them under Bellamy: playing a bit more of a straight-up style, and with less emphasis on offloads, but with extra training in learning when the best time to use it is. Think of GI's second try in the 2007 grand final; that was courtesy of a fantastic round the corner offload by Ben Cross (or was it Brett White?). Now, imagine these lads doing it, but with more subtlety & nuance than we've seen this year, and with Slater, Chambers, Waqa, O'Neil, Widdop, or even Cronk & Smith running off it. I do not doubt that it would be amazing. I can't see it happening, but would love David Stagg to end up down south. He's certainly the type of forward that Bellamy likes to work with, and the mutual benefit would be immense. *** One thing to keep in mind, though, is that Bellamy doesn't tolerate slackers, and anyone who joins the club needs to buy in to the philosphy, and prove they can handle the hard work. I remember reading in previous years how Bellamy will get new recruits (including some youngerst moving up to first grade) without a proven work ethic in his eyes to work a week or so with a construction company run by a friend of his. They spend the whole day doing hard manual labour before heading to training that night. I'm not sure if this still happens, but I suspect it, or something similar, does, and I think that is just one of the elemants that leads to Storm being such a successful side under Bellamy. It would be interesting to see Jarryd Hayne go through this.
james
Guest
I agree with you on Shaun Johnson. He was a star at Toyota Cup level & was impressive in his debut year, but the Warriors arent the best & hes struggling in an average team. Id love to see him at the dogs under Dessie as I think hed be an absolute star.
Ronald M
Guest
When Albert Kelly was a young kid, he turned down a chance to play for the Storm under Bellamy. The kid had (has) massive potential. He turned down the Storm and chose Cronulla instead. Why a talented young kid who could pretty much go anywhere chooses Cronulla I will never know but he did. Cronulla destroyed him in a few short years. They did not bring out his potential and the party atmosphere of Northies, booze, beach and babes led this young kid astray. I often think about what this young kid's career might have been like if he had opted for the structures and discipline of a Bellamy led Storm. Would he have turned into another Inglis or better ? Playing for Australia now with a premiership ring on his finger ? We will never know. The kid is now peddling his wares from one club to another and from one crisis to another. A sad sight for sure.