As predicted Round 9 results were a crazy lot. The varied preparations, dependent on what each club faced due to the representative weekend set us up for some remarkable score lines, some outstanding performances and some absolute shockers too.
It’s very difficult around rep time to achieve that quality in preparation. Some clubs get hit very hard around this time of year and others don’t. Rep selections cause disruption to individual and team cohesion, as well as time away from regular and routine training plans. Some clubs benefit from their opposition’s poor preparation or unfortunate situations created by on or off-field circumstances.
To read more Brian Smith, outside The Roar, check out his website SmithySpeaks.
Most people have never had to make a living by using the mind and body to its max. It’s hard then for those people to appreciate just how vital quality preparation is and how it determines optimal performance. Many individuals in footy also struggle to understand it as they have never prepared for optimal performance with consistent and continuous ideal preparation.
Yes, it’s true: some guys have never decided to get the absolute best out of themselves in all areas of their lives.
It must be tough for some clubs management, coaches, players and fans to accept a disruption when highly-paid individuals disregard the importance of personal preparation though self-indulgence and lack of personal discipline. Repeat offenders will surely become a major liability soon as clubs become more business-like in their governance.
The task of having a well prepared team is made more difficult through injury and suspensions. Minimising all of these factors is vital to putting the best team on the field consistently.
While the salary cap is designed to equalise talent it sometimes works in reverse as we all know. The loss of key players can hurt your club’s chances of success because you can’t go out and replace that loss unless there is a contingency plan in place.
It appears the Dragons kept some space in their salary cap and have decided to add Benji Marshall to their roster. Everyone has an opinion on how they think he will perform and so do I.
It’s hard to see it being a successful time if you look at his most recent time in NRL footy. But if his confession of distractions and poor preparation in his dying days at Wests are true, that may allow some room for improvement in this comeback.
The coaches and management and the Dragons must feel that Benji’s commitment to preparation is strong. Their decision to give him a shot (a contract and compensation to the Tigers) must at least have a chance of coming off.
I thought that Gareth Widdop and Sam Williams were bought to rectify the team’s problems of last season. Michael Witt was added to that for depth. My preview of the Dragons in 2014 suggested that they addressed that area fully but the most obvious frailty of previous seasons was not attended to. It still appears that way to me.
It seems to me a strange decision to spend a considerable sum on Marshall when it’s most unlikely that he can do much to alter team success when the biggest issue is lack of size and power in the forwards?
That’s the obvious part. The result looks disastrous.
What is not so clear is Coach Price’s response to this ‘strange addition’. Does he have a completely different plan for this version of the merged club for the second half of season 2014 and beyond? Has he decided that there is no likelihood of any significant change in forward personnel nor their ability to up the physical ante as he asked for prior to the demolition job the Bulldogs’ pack did on his own crew?
Is it time for a total change in the team’s attacking style? Should we expect Benji-style, with less reliance on forwards but lots more ball movement and lateral running? Has Benji still got the speed and stamina for that?
Could Coach Price be willing to change all his principles of attack to create a whole new system? I think not.
As one of my conspiracy theorist mates at my local suggested is Benji step one and Coach Sheens step two?
While across the ‘detch’ the Warriors ownership and management have decided they have seen enough of Andrew McFadden in the driver’s seat as head coach after that smashing victory over Canberra and the away win at Melbourne.
Almost everything I have heard of the performance of this rookie coach in his professional development through Raiders, Catalan Dragons and Warriors speaks of directness in dealing with players and knowing his footy. There is plenty of confidence he will do well with this opportunity in the Big League.
A concern for me would be that the decision was taken after a huge win over a team completely out of form at present. I wonder if those that made the decision would have taken the same one next Monday if the Warriors cop a thorough going over by the Bulldogs.
Owner Eric Watson’s tweet made me just a little less confident for Coach McFadden.
Very excited about Andrews appointment till 2017. Doing a great job with @NZWarriors Well deserved appointment which the boys are rapt about
— eric watson (@EricWatsonNZ) May 12, 2014
Chop
Roar Guru
One for each of the responses maybe?
Devout Saint
Guest
Hopefully we get Proctor and Tariq Simms for 2014 and then get Kassiano in 2015. A pack of 13 DeBelin, 12 Simms, 11 Proctor, 10 Merrin, 9 Rein, 8 Kassiano with Stockwell, Frizzell, Bird and Lolo on the bench in 2015 would look alright. Yeah I can dream. I do think our recruitment over the last 4 years has been pathetic. Craig Young and Doust must take full responsibility for our recruitment and roster. They should be the first 2 shown the door and then questions must be asked of the likes of club president Danny Robinson and Warren Lockwood too.
Muzz
Guest
Benji Marshall signing is bazaar - Regardless of how well he performs, it's not the critical part that is missing for the Dragons.They need good forwards and a balanced pack that can compete and lay a platform to enable their backline to perform. Dragons should of moved heaven and earth to sign players like Fifita, Moa, G Stewart, Proctor and even get creative and look beyond the NRL.Luke O'Donnell would be another player i would be thinking of and although retired the guy trains every day and is a machine.I wonder if the Dragons are having trouble attracting high enough TPAs to compete for these players.
JohnnoMcJohnno
Guest
Are you trying to get Brian to shout again?
Wamsii
Guest
Coach price does not seem to be the right person to utilize bench playmakers and the Dragons still make the same mistakes they've been doing for the past two seasons on the field 80 minutes a game. Only one man will not change a team, the team itself can change itself. So get the players into the right mentality as Bennet did before expecting results. Price should be shown the door!
The eye
Guest
Not much Price can do about recruiting props at round 10,but Widdop is desperate for help on the other side of the ruck and coach Pri ce has addressed this very,very well.Be surprised if Benji doesn't get a run this weekend and earns a few try assists..
Scott Pryde
Expert
Hopefully Steve Prices master plan for Benji will be to let him do best and that is to improvise. With Merrin being one of the best offloading forwards in the game, he could easily rake in 3 defenders then give an offload to Benji that will seem him in broken play and with the support of people like Dugan, Morris, Nightingale and Widdop it could really turn out to be one of the buys of the season. Sort of like Dugan was last year for the Dragons. What could also happen is Benji to spark Dugan back into form, with another improviser creating more broken field play for the dragons the Dugan/Marshall combo could be a very very dangerous one no doubt about it! However it doesn't change the fact the dragons need to upsize their forward pack. And I think the other point to take into account is whether Price is the right sort of man to be mentoring Benji back into Rugby League? I guess only time will tell whether this was a good move or not for the Dragons.
Glory Glory
Guest
To me, Brian, many professions show the same or more commitment. Failure ("requirement for success") for them is not losing a football game; it's loss of their life or someone else's. Training for them is just as arduous and has more disciplines. They don't get marquee million dollar salaries or 3rd party deals. Rugby league is a great game. Played it all my youth. Volunteer junior league administrator, jersey washer, season ticket holder, etc. But to say that most people don't use their minds and bodies to their limits like footballers do, is, with all due respect, not true. Society will easily get by without rugby league, but wouldn't without those other professions. I appreciate you responding.
brian smith
Guest
Cheers Scrubbit - my shout
brian smith
Guest
you make a great point Glory Glory and i certainly have a great deal of respect for all of those people in thos professions you itemised so well. And i am fully aware of the very fortunate life i have had in my professions as a coach, teacher, writer and broadcaster. Its even better as a professional grandfather! In fact i respect everyone in the work force who does it with commitment. However I can't see any of those professions, as vital and responsible for all of our daily lives being what they are, with the requirement for success is similar in any way to the specifics of a professional rugby league player.
Scrubbit
Guest
@ glory glory Accountants, janitors, bankers, hairdressers, shopkeepers, car salesmen, realtors. Just a few of the many jobs where people's lives aren't at risk every day. He didnt say nobody has ever made a living using their mind and body to their max he said most people haven't. I'd say he was fairly accurate in that observation.
Scrubbit
Guest
@ glory glory Accountants, janitors, bankers, hairdressers, shopkeepers, car salesmen, realtors. Just a few of the many jobs where people's lives aren't at risk every day. He didnt say nobody has ever made a living using their mind and body to their max he said most people haven't. I'd say he was fairly accurate in that observation.
Scrubbit
Guest
@ glory glory Accountants, janitors, bankers, hairdressers, shopkeepers, car salesmen, realtors. Just a few of the many jobs where people's lives aren't at risk every day. He didnt say nobody has ever made a living using their mind and body to their max he said most people haven't. I'd say he was fairly accurate in that observation.
Scrubbit
Guest
@ glory glory Accountants, janitors, bankers, hairdressers, shopkeepers, car salesmen, realtors. Just a few of the many jobs where people's lives aren't at risk every day. He didnt say nobody has ever made a living using their mind and body to their max he said most people haven't. I'd say he was fairly accurate in that observation.
Parrafan
Guest
Good read Brian. I personally hope Benji plays off the bench this weekend v Parra. The Hayne v Benji battles were always the highlight match of their respective rounds. The Benji/Sheens 1, 2 has been doing the rumour mills but, as with many things in league I'll believe it when I see it. This weekends clash should be a good one. The Dragons forwards have been underwhelming but so have some of Parras forwards in recent weeks. I've never known a forward pack to be so consistently inconsistent even within the same match as some of our boys were v sharks last Monday. Anyway can't wait to listen in as I sit with a rod over the side of the tinnie waiting for that bite this weekend.
Glory Glory
Guest
"Most people have never had to make a living by using their mind and body to its max", wrote Brian Smith. Really? When was the last time you had a real job, Brian? Police use their minds and bodies to the max, as do soldiers and firemen, to name just a few occupations, where lives are at risk. Factory workers operate dangerous machines all day. If they switch off for a moment they could lose a finger or a hand. Bus drivers, pilots, surgeons, nurses, all have people's lives in their hands. And they do it for 8 to 12 hour days, often starting at 5am when career football coaches (and those players who just got home from Kings Cross) are still in bed sound asleep. Talk about losing touch with the real world!
JezRu
Roar Pro
I don't think Benji is an 80min player anymore but he could add something coming off the bench. Could play multiple positions and his only real job then would be to exploit tired forwards. IMO he could have an impact similar to a Craig Wing.
The Koomz
Guest
We'll just have to wait and see how it pens out.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Unless Benji can provide some sort of talismanic quality I can't see him helping too much. Their forwards were brutally exposed by the Dogs - if other teams take that approach then Benji off the bench isn't going to help.