So it’s done. The Canberra Raiders have admitted that they have made a mistake, and instead of righting a wrong, they look set to make the same mistake again.
Word has come down that the new coach “must be experienced” with a first grade NRL rap sheet.
Why?
The three best young coaches in the NRL are Geoff Toovey and Michael McGuire, both rookies last year, and Trent Robinson, who is likely to be named coach of the year in his debut as a head NRL coach.
The Raiders Board have a long history of getting it wrong with coaches and members should consider voting in a new board that is not aligned with a “jobs for the boys” faction, or be influenced by the media.
The Raiders could have had the games two best modern day coaches in Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy, but they did not want them.
Bennett shared the coaching duties with Don Furner in 1987, but allowed him to go to Brisbane the next year and signed Tim Sheens, who went on to win three Premierships. Bennett went on to win seven Premierships, but it is hard to knock the Sheens appointment even if Bennett is considered a superior coach.
Since Sheens left Canberra in 1996, the coaches have been Mal Meninga, Matt Elliot, Neil Henry and Dave Furner – all unsuccessful; actually that is too kind, try abysmal.
Very rarely do you get the opportunity to buy the best at a bargain basement price.
The Raiders can be forgiven for letting John Ribot gazump them by snatching Wayne Bennett for the Broncos, but when Bennett’s assistant, Craig Bellamy applied for the vacant head coaching job in 2002 he was over looked for Matt Elliot and Ribot said thank you again and grabbed him for the Storm and is now rated the game’s best coach.
If we look at history, other clubs should look closely at the coaches that the Raiders don’t want and it appears they are not prepared to back their judgement on a rookie.
By saying that they need an experienced coach automatically opens the door for more “jobs for the boys”, as opposed to hiring the best coach to take the Raiders forward.
The Board, who already have a long history of poor decisions, have delegated a subcommittee to select a new head coach.
The subcommittee is made up of Raiders CEO Don Furner, who hired his brother David in 2009 and after the Raiders finished 13th, seventh and 15th he actually extended his contract.
Don Furner was also the club’s inaugural coach and the best he did in five seasons was sixth.
Living legend Mal Meninga is also been flown in for his two Bob’s worth and like Don, was also a failed Raiders coach but he is very much part of the inner sanctum and two of the names on the Board’s short list are close mates of Mal’s, Ricky Stuart and Neil Henry.
Henry is also a previously failed Raiders coach (14th and sixth) before going to the Cowboys where he has recently been sacked for a justified poor performance with a star studded list.
Ricky Stuart is a magician the way he keeps getting highly paid jobs after leaving his clubs in ruin. Since taking Cronulla to the finals in 2008, Stuart has won only 15 of 64 matches in almost three full seasons of NRL coaching for a 23 percent success rate.
Seriously guys, this is the Raiders subcommittee short list.
The other members of the Raiders’ subcommittee are business owner, David Thom and Dr. Allan Hawke AC, Chancellor of the Australian National University.
If the media reports are correct and the Raiders Board are serious about hiring a well-documented previously failed coach yet again, then the members should replace the Board immediately.
You have to feel for young coaches like Andrew Duneman, Andrew McFadden, Justin Morgan and Brett Kimmorley who may well be the next Craig Bellamy,
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
AJL While ever they have a Chairman and Board who are 'unsackable" and can continue to make key strategic errors, the club will never go forward. The coach becomes almost irrelevant as the "jobs for the boys" mentally makes it untenable to work and promising kids will continue to get into trouble and then be lost to the clubs or the game. I definitely would go for a young coach who I think could be a Bellamy and stay away from the older brigade where the game may have passed them like Mal, Tim and Ricky. I have always been impressed by Noddy Kimmorley and Nathan Brown and would much give them a chance than to a guy who has decimated his last 3 clubs.
AJL
Guest
BTW, you've said who the Raiders should not hire. Who are the candidates that the Raiders should be talking to?
Sham
Guest
Fair points coaching is a complex task - the best coaches such as Bellamy are very smart. in the NFL some of the older coaches can be slow to adapt. Someone like Bellamy on the other hand is always learning including from other sports. I actually think that some of the poorer coaches lack critical thinking skills and stick with old ideas. The game evolves.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
sham I dont judge coaches on win/loss% but often it is an easy way to explain. I can tell within minutes if a team is well coached by their attitude, the speed of their play the ball, their line speed in defence, their defence structure, their 5th tackle options and basically picking the best 17 in the right positions and not hanging on to dead wood etc. It is a combination of things. What i dont get is that it is not that difficult but clearly many clubs struggle to make the right judgement. You should discount Nath Brown as he went straight into coaching 1st grade from playing and he had not honed his com skills. he is a brilliant young coach who i think will do well when he comes back. I am happy to give Mick potter another crack as he had no hope with his list and injuries. I gave Steve Price a lot of slack as I have had good reports about him but sadly he has lost me. I took on board his recruitment guys have let him down but other things let me down.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Mantis Well said
Mantis
Roar Guru
He did build a team from scratch. Smith, Slater, Inglis, Folau, Cronk etc... were no names when they started at the Storm. I know they were obviously talented, but that doesnt necessarily equate to being a gun side. It takes coaching. Also look at the forward pack hes had basically his whole time in charge. He makes average players into good players, case in point Adam Blair. A lot of the Storm pack would struggle to get a start at most top 8 clubs, but they do the job and more week in week out.
Mantis
Roar Guru
Im a cows fan, and Henry seems like a good guy, but he has done badly with the Cowboys. With the team they have on paper, they should be contesting for the premiership. Its our basic errors and fundamentals that have cost us this year, which might seem like a player problem, but they are professionals footballers with all the skill in the world. It has to be a coaching issue. This years Cowboys team is similar to the Raiders side Henry had when they finished 6th. They ended up getting on a roll and won all (or nearly all, correct me if im wrong) of their last 6 or 7 games to make the finals. This isnt the sign of a good team or coach, this is a team with potential getting on a roll on the back of momentum. If he were a good coach, he would have them playing consistently throughout the year. All the best to Neil Henry in the future, but I look forward to the Cows with a new coach in 2014.
Mantis
Roar Guru
Kevin Walters is favourite for the cows and I think he'll end up coaching there. Also Rick Stone, who coached Newcastle for a bit and is assistant to Bennett now is also in with a shot. He comes with a big recommendation from Bennett too.
The eye
Guest
What Belly has done with Jason Ryles is the prime example,a penalty waiting to happen at his former clubs is now the most careful prop in the competition.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Nick Thats crap. All of the big 3 came to the Storm for under 100k and had no reputation at all. He is a master at taking a cast off or journey man and turning him into a good first grader. Look at his team this week: Waga, rejcetd from the Roosters, Will Chambers came as a junior, Blair a Panther reject, O'Neill a junior, Finch a journeyman aged 32,Norrie playing bush footy, Hoffman a junior, Hinchcliffe a Raiders bench player, Ryles sacked from Roosters. In a nutshell he either improves players or turns them into better players than what they were when they arrived. You can think what you like, but I have never seen a better coach and I rarely bet against his teams because they do everything right and dont make dumb errors.
sham
Guest
Last night I was reading some fairly good research in the book Game Plan: A Radical Approach to Decision Making in the National Football League that suggests that in the NFL young coaches do well relative to older coaches. The issue seems to be decision making brain power. This is based on some actual analysis that attempts to control for other factors. I am yet to see any careful analysis for the NRL so I have an open mind. But if we are going to mention examples of young coaches a few more coaches have to be considered. Nathan Brown, Steve Price, Mick Potter. All relatively young and none of them were very successful in the NRL. Also Dave Furner was relatively young when he took over. While I think that young coaches can be great you are taking a punt. Trent Robinson did do well at Catalans. But many of the candidates for the Raiders have no first grade record even in the Super League. If we look at the Brumbies lets contrast Jake White with Andy Friend. The young guy did not do so well. I would like to see someone do a good study in Australia on this issue. Without real data we are all just individuals with opinions but to be honest I suspect that the Raiders board are scared of taking a punt and failing again. Also we have to go beyond judgeing things on win loss records as it is clubs are sacking coaches in an irratiional manner just ike they do in the NFL (see the book I mention in the first para). Each year around half the coaches will have a poor win/loss ratio. Does this mean these coaches are all bad? I don't think so.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Ian Strategically they are very important. They fill the gap between Campbelltown and Melbourne which happens to be a big AFL and Union territory. It is one of the richest areas for producing some outstanding juniors. You are correct about the 7 and 9s but it matters little if they are not coached correctly, especially in defence. They seem to be excellent at producing juniors and recruiting but then drop off the final bit.
Ian
Guest
I think you overrate the Raiders roster. Until they sort out a decent halfback and hooker, they're going nowhere. Then there's the small matters of defence, particularly in the backs, and the speed of the team in general. More often than not, I see them playing in slow motion compared to the good teams, both in attack and defence. I've long thought that the club and many players think just being in the NRL (and well paid to play) is the bees knees, the pinnacle of their aspirations, and that actually winning something is a bonus if it happens. I have also thought for a while that Canberra would be lucky to get a team in the NRL if it didn't have one and the competition was being expanded. I don't think strategically or commercially Canberra is very important to the NRL.
Nick
Roar Guru
Slater, Smith and Cronk were unknowns sure, but not moderately talented either. Any coach, at any club would have unlocked the potential in those three. Ditto Inglis, ditto Folau. Bellamy by not coaching another club, or even the same club with a complete clean out of players, means that his legacy will and should always be asterisked.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Robert The problem with the Raiders is the culture that has been built in. You dont see this behavior at the Storm because they have a culture that has been built in from day one. It starts at the top. Robert, I can tell you a million great players you cannot coach. I have never seen a better tactical kicker and organiser than Ricky but as a coach he has no idea and everything he touches goes backwards. I wish you luck if you get him, but I would not give him an assistance job.
Robert
Guest
I am a dedicated raiders fan and strongly believe that raiders are a top 4 team with the player roster they have. I was conferdent at start of season that we would be in the top 5 teams at end of round 26. I am more disapointed in the players then anyone else this team needs to concentrate on playing good football rather then worring about going out dinking. Footballers are paid good money to play football and club rules are club rules us fans want to win a comp and we believe this team can do it. some of the blame nees to be put onto players not just the coach all players need to give 110% at all times on and of the field. We need people that want to win not just collect the pay cheque. To spite what others think i believe that Ricki Steward is the man for the job. He won us comps as a player and will win us comps as a coach as long as the team believes they can. Ricki will keep his team in line,fit and ready to play this is whats important to win comps. Players already know how to play good football just need to jell as a team watch each others backs work as one and have the mentality that no one gets past the line of defence give 110% points will come. keep you heads up Raiders i believe we can win our time is coming. Anyone on the board or on the field that don't believe we can win can get we are not here to just make up the numbers don't forget canberra is our capital and it needs to be strong. Dissapionted Raiders fan but dedicated
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
dwayne Its not what you know its who you know........yep, it must be frustrating if you are a Raiders fan as they dont seem to have a voice.
dwayno75
Guest
It hurts me knowing that the real problem at the raiders is the out of date board members and not much will change even with our new coach, whoever it may be. I hope I'm wrong!!
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
AJL That would explain some of these lunatic decisions. Maybe the QLC can do something. I dont care how sweet he is, if they keep losing and attracting small crowds they will burn millions and someone has to cough up at some stage. The bleeding must stop. Thanks AJL
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Nick he is under contract and will not be leaving the Storm and then he will retire. let me say that Slater, Smith and Cronk were unknowns when they arrived and he turned them into the players they are now. he has never got and purchased a high profile star player and his defence and player attitude it the best ever. You are correct with Origin, but Origin, in my view, is more about keeping a bunch of guys happy while they play 3 games, which big Mal is very good at. Mal was a poor NRL coach. Bellamy was too loyal as an Origin coach and played guys he is close to like Anth Quinn etc. He should never have been a selector. Sadly he did win his first origin match in Sydney and I bet 700k on Qland on behalf of a friend, the the Maroons won the next 2 and the series. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr