Until his Cronulla side blew its chance to finish top four, I was tempted to write a column about how Shane Flanagan probably deserved to win the coach of the year award.
When the Sharks lost at home to Manly and finished sixth instead of fourth, it just didn’t seem right to go ahead with that.
Is Flanagan any less of a coach because the Sharks had plenty of chances of win only to go down narrowly? Probably not.
But if there is one job in sport by which you are judged not just primarily but overwhelmingly on results then it is coaching.
And with everything to play for, Cronulla couldn’t get the job done. The players have a lot to answer for, but as is usually the case there are too many of them to properly apportion blame to.
At the end of the day, fairly or unfairly, the buck stops with the coach.
The difference between the top and bottom halves of the final eight is monumental in terms of opportunity. The history of the NRL suggests that if you are to go on and win the competition you have got to start the finals series in the top half.
There, if you lose in Week 1 you get another chance in Week 2 and if you win you go straight through to Week 3. In the bottom half, it’s knockout football all the way.
So it really was a horrible result for the Sharks on Sunday.
Just when they were about to cap their recovery from 2014, when they played under the dark cloud of the ASADA drama and finished not just last, but a long last – six points behind the second-last team – they stumbled at the final hurdle.
It is still a fine recovery, but fourth place would have been so much better and it could so easily have been that. It should have been that. The fourth spot ended up going to Melbourne, who recovered brilliantly after a poor performance in losing at home to Newcastle in Round 24 to beat two of the top three teams – North Queensland at home and Brisbane away – in the last two rounds.
It is pretty safe to put a lot of that turnaround down to the Storm’s coach, Craig Bellamy. He drives a hard bargain with his players and that display against the Knights was very un-Storm-like. You can just imagine him dragging them back up to the level required.
What happened with Cronulla and Melbourne was good reason to suggest that while it is totally understandable that many player awards are based on performances in the 26 rounds of the regular season, the coach of the year award should be different.
It should be held back until after the grand final and awarded to the coach whose team wins it. That may not be as sexy as awarding it to a coach whose team rises from, say, 14th the previous year to third, but it makes more sense because while major improvement is to be admired surely the best coach is the same as the best team – the last one standing.
If Flanagan was able to get Cronulla to win it from here, then he would certainly deserve to be named coach of the year. No doubt. The same would go for the three coaches of the other teams in the bottom half of the top eight. It is such a big challenge to try to do it from there.
But I think the last coach standing will either be the best young one in the game, Trent Robinson, or the best old one, Wayne Bennett.
Robinson’s Sydney Roosters and Bennett’s Brisbane have each got a great opportunity to play at home in Week 1 and win straight through to Week 3.
I’ll be surprised if either team is playing in Week 2.
Birdy
Guest
Hard to disagree with that Bonza. I'd love to live long enough to see cronulla win the GF but it won't be this year if the coach doesn't realise he has a back line . Head lines for summer , Hayne's 49ers knock cricket off its pedastil . Ha ha
Freighter
Guest
It was pretty clear to me the cronulla forwards get too involved at inappropriate times... Their attack was pedestrian, and does not have to be - nor has it been for several months. I'm with Phil Gould- funny that a SuperCoach would know what he's talking about!
Casper
Guest
Losing mini wasn't any great loss, I thought he was holding out RTS based on service to the club last year. RTS has been the X factor they needed to improve this season. Have a gut feeling that the cows have the wood on the Broncs. JT usually steps up and they have more weapons in the arsenal. Hope I'm wrong.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Unfortunately he'll always have an * next to his name...
Bonza
Guest
Coach of the year is Jim Tomsula for backing his intincts with Jarryd Hayne. Sorry cricket, will be watching 49ers this summer. As for Flanno, some Valentine Holmes/Jack Bird last minute magic made him look good. Definitely not coach of the year after failing to pump up Sharks for yesterday. Same could be said for Gallen after another predictable game of hogging the ball while outside backs count clouds, plus failure to motivate team. Sigh. go 9ers.
Irritated by stupidity
Guest
They lost one of the Raiders game and also both Manly Games and one of the Titans games.
bear54
Can someone please explain why Ricky Stuart isn't part of this discussion? The Canberra Raiders lose more games at home than they win AND they win more games away than they lose. This takes serious coaching talent. His ability to teach a side to allow 23.7 points per game yet only score 24.07 points per game should not go unrewarded? How does Stuart achieve such finely tuned balance? It stems from loyally employing assistant staff like Dean Pay, Rickys personalised defense coach and I assume golf caddy. Where could Ricky possibly find another coach/ally/drinking partner who could turn Jarrod Croker into a human turnstile with headgear? No Opal card required on this path, just breeze through to the try line while Jarrod waves his arms as one would to a bus they just missed. Thanks to Ricky's careful planning the Canberra Raiders resemble their supporters like no other NRL club. Similar to a French Chef at McDonalds, Stuart offers up a slice of mediocrity only a bureaucrat could swallow..... and give the city they represent what else could be acceptable??? Now for a time this result was in serious jeopardy as his men played off script and into the top 8 but Stuart and his coaches didn't plan September holidays for nothing and through cautious mismanagement got the players out of finals contention with almost 3 rounds to play. Whew, close one Ricky!! But there is concern for the future as 2015 revelation Blake Austin goes under the knife and the club awaits the arrival of former-Titan Aiden Sezer. How they will both fit into Stuarts ambitions to avoid the finals again next year is anyone's guess? Raiders fans can rest assured the players still won't be held accountable, the referees will still be blamed and the great Canberra teams of the early 90's will shrink further and further into the pages of history. Well played Ricky Stuart, well played sir.
Joe
Roar Rookie
I would say that it was Bellamy who made those players. Lets not forget that a fair few of them were rejects from other club trials. All of them including Inglis have attributed a great part of the player they became to Craig Bellamy. Also it just isn't the superstars but the supporting cast...Brian Norrie plucked from park footy to play 120 games for the Storm including a grand final win. The likes of Adam Blair, Hoffman, Dallas Johnson, Steve Turner, Todd Lowrie, Hinchcliffe...players when at the Storm somehow be good enough to play rep footy, but turn average at other clubs. I don't think that it is a coincidence that some of these star players mentioned including Izzy Folau and who were coached under Bellamy all seem to have their heads screwed on right and all work very hard on and off the park to achieve their goals. Also considering that Melbourne Storm through the early 2000s would pretty much have been the last club on most young league players list meaning he doesn't get the cream of the crop like other NRL coaches but somehow Bellamy has managed to make every single final except for 2010 due to the Salary cap scandal since he took over in 2003. Best coach ever.
Samtwocan
Guest
Good to see someone talking common sense Scott , I'm biased but I think you've got it in a nutshell there.
jamesb
Guest
Thanks guys. I'm glad you got it.
Scottyvee1986
Roar Rookie
Yeah ken my bad lol. I deleted the comment i was mistaken with the years. Apologies.
Scottyvee1986
Roar Rookie
Yeah fair enough TB but all i am saying is that these players weren't exactly established first graders when Robinson came into the team. Maybe an oversight to say he built them to the players that they are today. But i think he had a massive influence on them, even some of them say it themselves, not always directly but by the culture he has built at the club.
Ken
Guest
'Maloney wasn’t at the warriors in 2009 when they played in the GF. He started with the warriors in 2010.' 2009 GF was Eels v Storm. Maloney joined the Warriors in 2010, and was their star playmaker when they made the GF in 2011.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Scotty - your conclusions are clearly wrong. Robinson didn't have any interaction with any of these players until 2012. He had nothing to do with identifying and recruiting them and nothing to do with their junior development. He's a very good coach and I don't want to argue his case down because he has the potential to be a great but you're being ridiculous to suggest that guys like RTS, Cordner, Guerra, etc are good players because of their involvement with Robinson. I'm sure he's had a positive influence on their careers and theyve learned from him but to suggest "robinson built them all up to the players they are today" is incredibly naive.
Ken
Guest
But the question on Bellamy isn't completely answered either is it? Melbourne went to the top when he took over but his career has intersected perfectly with a handful of ridiculous players like Smith, Slater, Cronk and, earlier, Inglis + a rubbery cheque book. We all suspect he is a great coach but he's always had a superstar spine to build a team around - he's never had to get the best of a weak team or rebuild a decimated one. Robinson so far is a bit the same, he probably is really good but he didn't truly have much to do with the team he inherited. Maloney, Jennings and SBW joined at the same time he did, to join the SOO halfback and a heap of other reps (and already annointed up and coming superstars like RTS).
Scottyvee1986
Roar Rookie
i think robinson will be good as i said it will be good to see how he goes next year without what i think are the two best players this year in Maloney and RTS.
Scottyvee1986
Roar Rookie
We signed a lot of these guys earlier than 20 and most of them played NYC for the roosters before making the first grade squad of reserve grade squad.
Scottyvee1986
Roar Rookie
Top 6 of their position? ok lets go through them... - Guerra: Made his Debut for the Roosters in 2010 and played 42 matches between 2010 and 2012. Did not play rep football until 2014. QLD SOO player now – Cordner: Made his debut in 2011 and played 29 matches up until 2012. Did not play rep footy until 2013. NSW SOO player now. – RTS: Made his debut in 2012 and played 6 games that year. Again did not play rep football until 2013. NZ player now – Topou: Made his debut in 2012 and played 3 matches. Did not play rep footy until 2013. NSW SOO player now. – Moa: Unwanted at the sharks and went to the super league where he was forgotten Debuted for the chooks in 2013. Played rep footy in 2008 onward for Tonga and then made the kiwi side in 2013. – Maloney and Jennings were already stars to be fair but maloney didn't play rep footy until 2013. – Liu: Made his debut in 2013 – Napa: Played 7 matches in 2013 same year he made his debut. Up and coming QLD SOO player – Takaieaho: Made his debut for the warriors round 26 in 2013. – Evans: Played 5 matches in 2013 after making his debut for the roosters. At the start of 2013 i'd hardly call these players top 6 of their positions. My point was robinson built them all up to the players they are today.
The Barry
Roar Guru
There's nothing wrong with signing players from other clubs - as Joe says it's part of the professional era. The roosters in particular have a very good excuse because they've been ripped off in the division of the junior league boundaries. But to try and turn every signing you ever make into a 'fringe' first grader and some amazing piece of talent identification is completely revising history. Jennings was an international and was on $600k a year when they signed him from the Panthers. Maloney played in a grand final team at the Warriors the year before he went to the Roosters. It's a bit pathetic when you sign someone at age 20 and say "we developed him"
Joe
Roar Rookie
Guerra was at the Storm and there was a big fuss when he went to the Chooks because he was earmarked as a long term replacement for Hoffman. Also they were peeved because they stuck by him when he was injured and as soon as a better contract came along off he went...guess that's the way of the professional era.