The Newcastle Knights are a team showing no signs of wanting success after a pathetic 30-10 loss to the Manly Sea Eagles at Brookvale Oval on Sunday afternoon.
There may have been a few questionable decisions by the referees and in particular the video referees, but the Knights, in recording their fifth straight loss, did not want to put in the hard yards.
Furthermore they lacked the mental application and tactical awareness necessary of a professional sporting team that, on a pound-for-pound basis, should be achieving much more than they are currently.
The vast majority of the players within this proud club lack mental fortitude, a weakness that is bleeding throughout the entire ranks, and it all starts at the top with both the chief executive officer and the coach.
In last week’s Newcastle Herald, Knights CEO Matt Gidley demanded complete commitment from his entire club from the ground up.
“We want players here who are desperate to win comps, desperate to represent our town, and we want them to work as hard as they possibly can to achieve those things, and we don’t shy away from that,” Gidley said.
Well, none of this was shown in the inept display against the Sea Eagles, and by this evidence, the same message wasn’t delivered by coach Rick Stone to his players, not reiterating the reinforced memorandum of understanding that the whole club has agreed to base themselves on.
Stone is proving himself to be an average coach, and an average coach only. He has shown absolutely no guts, and very little street smarts with his approach to his side’s make-up. He has no idea of his first-choice 17-man line-up.
Stone is creating a team environment lacking the necessary competence to be successful in the National Rugby League, and it eating the confidence of his players alive.
It is time for Stone to start showing his true colours and the true colours of this two-time premiership winning club. He needs to start making tough decisions on the future of many players, as well as the future of the club ahead of next week’s game against the Wests Tigers at Hunter Stadium.
Great coaches make very tough decisions, and Stone could start on the road to joining that elite group by showing the guts to make some career and club-defining decisions.
Right now, considering the talent he has at his disposal, Rick Stone is the worst coach in the NRL.
Prove me wrong, or resign.
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