Adam O'Brien replacement?

[Sarge]

Yeah the problem is definitely if we lose these easier games then it’s difficult to see us rebounding and winning harder ones as the season progresses. A side like the Roosters can do that, they can afford a slow start.

So the soft start to the season is really a negative thing for AOB, particularly with a new spine to get used to each other.

I think if we are floundering after six weeks then a new couch could change things quite quickly though, because our roster (while lacking depth) isn’t terrible. Letting the leash off in attack and letting the players take charge a bit more might be one positive change. Possibly a more motivational and man manger coach might get an improvement too, I get the feeling AOB is very technical and a bit distant. Comments in that Hoy/Clifford interview seemed to suggest that, too.

Man manager would have a lot to do with it . If you believe in your boss , like where he is taking the business ,& think he is the best man for the job you will enjoy going to work more . I'm sure a fair percentage of our players don't enjoy our "game plan". Hoy & Clifford prob had to keep quiet while here. Klemmer & Barny

 

[BETTERTHANLEGO]

Hoy and Clifford should’ve stayed quiet tbh considering what they showed past round 2 lol

 

[Good Times]

Since when is a teams effort not blamed on the coach?

Is it not the job of the coach to get the best of of the team given the playing talent available?

If AOB getting best effort from this squad?

Is it AOB out on the field missing tackles and dropping balls? Coach is ultimately responsible, sure. But a team not putting in effort is not always solely on the coach.

 

[Sarge]

Yeah most on here thought we had a find when Clifford got here . Had a decent kick? Then reverted to the Pearce style that Obi loves

 

[Sarge]

Regardless I will be in the stand when the Dolphins come to town

 

[jamesgould]

Man manager would have a lot to do with it . If you believe in your boss , like where he is taking the business ,& think he is the best man for the job you will enjoy going to work more . I'm sure a fair percentage of our players don't enjoy our "game plan". Hoy & Clifford prob had to keep quiet while here. Klemmer & Barny

One thing that did stick out in that video to me was Hoy and Clifford both being really surprised and impressed by the coach asking how the players were going, how was the move, was their family ok, etc. Saying that it felt like he really cared about them as people, and that was a big difference. Makes me wonder just how things are under AOB, and if you don’t get that feeling from your boss, it will influence how much effort you put in.

 

[Sarge]

One thing that did stick out in that video to me was Hoy and Clifford both being really surprised and impressed by the coach asking how the players were going, how was the move, was their family ok, etc. Saying that it felt like he really cared about them as people, and that was a big difference. Makes me wonder just how things are under AOB, and if you don’t get that feeling from your boss, it will influence how much effort you put in.

Exactly it is human natue

 

[krustykraz]

Can anyone give any positives about AOB's coaching?

If not, theres no point persisting with him.

 

[Sarge]

Can anyone give any positives about AOB's coaching?

If not, theres no point persisting with him.

 

[Mclovin]

So what do you all say if we win the next 3 games? Still sack him?
What happens if we somehow made it to the finals this year? Do we still talk about sacking him?

 

[Sarge]

We will all eat humble pie, but I'm not turning the oven on

 

[jamesgould]

Can anyone give any positives about AOB's coaching?

If not, theres no point persisting with him.

Well he got us to the finals in his first two years here, we didn’t exactly look in contention to win the comp, but he did have us performing better than a lot of years previous.

If we look like we’re falling out of contention again early this year though, I definitely think it’s time to move on. Six weeks seems reasonable to me, maybe eight given the new spine.

 

[Owey]

Can anyone give any positives about AOB's coaching?

If not, theres no point persisting with him.

Wow, you may have just broken me. I'm happy to see how we go over the next month or two, but i have no answer for that question.

 

[Quinny]

Well he got us to the finals in his first two years here, we didn’t exactly look in contention to win the comp, but he did have us performing better than a lot of years previous.

If we look like we’re falling out of contention again early this year though, I definitely think it’s time to move on. Six weeks seems reasonable to me, maybe eight given the new spine.

As someone who has been a defended of AOB. I totally agree with this, if after six weeks we only have one or two wins to our name then a big call will need to be made.

All this though ultimately depends on if Wests want to open the check book to get the right coach in place to take the club forward. Teams will have to move fast to snatch either an older head like Flanagan or a young gun like Ryles.

A let field option would be play the season out and see how Canberra go because if they miss the 8, I could see Ricky being moved on and he would be a good coach for us imo.

 

[Quinny]

Can anyone give any positives about AOB's coaching?

If not, theres no point persisting with him.

First coach since Hagan to take us to back to back finals appearances. Hard to point to his methods without being in the bubble.

 

[sherpa]

For me the real issue is that players don't really seem to improve once they start playing in our first grade team. I thought Clifford showed a lot of potential when he turned up here, but he progressively lost confidence and his game suffered. I thought Leo Thompson looked great at the start of last year, but have not really seen him improve. Bradman Best is obviously a talented player but he appears to have stalled as well. I'm struggling to think of a player who has improved under our system, maybe Dom Young, but you would think that was going to happen anyway.

 

[Joshhh]

Is it AOB out on the field missing tackles and dropping balls? Coach is ultimately responsible, sure. But a team not putting in effort is not always solely on the coach.

Well then the question becomes why is the team not putting in effort, or not being able to compete at full intensity almost every game, resulting in dropped balls and missed tackles. Probably because they don't have ultimate faith in the game plan or the coach. It certainly didn't look like it last year.

They can show up to every game wanting to try their butts off, but if they don't truly believe in what they're doing, don't truly believe that if they just follow the game plan, they can win a comp, and they don't hang off AOB's every word as their leader, then it's going to result in negative things on the field and it's just going to get worse until he either gets removed, or there's a massive cultural shift headed up by a very strong leader within the group.

Guys like Bellamy, Wayne, Robinson have that aura that players will blindly follow. AOB doesn't have the reps on the board for that, and doesn't seem to have the personality to generate it either.

 

[Good Times]

Well then the question becomes why is the team not putting in effort, or not being able to compete at full intensity almost every game, resulting in dropped balls and missed tackles. Probably because they don't have ultimate faith in the game plan or the coach. It certainly didn't look like it last year.

They can show up to every game wanting to try their butts off, but if they don't truly believe in what they're doing, don't truly believe that if they just follow the game plan, they can win a comp, and they don't hang off AOB's every word as their leader, then it's going to result in negative things on the field and it's just going to get worse until he either gets removed, or there's a massive cultural shift headed up by a very strong leader within the group.

Guys like Bellamy, Wayne, Robinson have that aura that players will blindly follow. AOB doesn't have the reps on the board for that, and doesn't seem to have the personality to generate it either.

It's the bolded part that is a problem for mine. I don't think this happens consistently week to week in previous seasons. As I said, it's not the coach's issue alone.

 

[OnTilt]

It's the bolded part that is a problem for mine. I don't think this happens consistently week to week in previous seasons. As I said, it's not the coach's issue alone.

Yep, so we have tried something new this year and brought in some vocal, tough players I guess to try and change that. So let's see how that works out but if things don't improve or those players go backwards, I am not sure there's much other choice.. you sack the coach to try and get something different out of the playing group or things keep spiralling.

 

[Kurriboy]

Is it AOB out on the field missing tackles and dropping balls? Coach is ultimately responsible, sure. But a team not putting in effort is not always solely on the coach.

You can point the finger wherever you like I guess.

Ive never seen a players contract torn up for their knock on rate!

The teams performance comes back to the coach.

Maybe management hired the wrong type of coach for what this club needs, went with the hype around OB being the next big thing. They can shoulder that blame.

But the only question to be asked is under OB do you think the team has been overperforming, underperforming, or about right?

For mine, well under. Yeah we made back to back finals but may as well not have, we were clearly passengers with no chance.

Our style of football hasnt evolved at all. Our players are not performing to the best of their ability. Over the past few seasons we have gone backwards and this season we are tipped for the spoon.

I don't see how any of this is an argument to keep OB.