Adam O'Brien replacement?

jamesgould said:
I’m sure a lot of our problems as a club stem from the Brian Smith, Rick Stone, Wayne Bennett, Rick Stone, Nathan Brown merry go round. All within a ten year period.
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I have real fond memories of some of the attacking footy during Smith’s days. We had some weapons in the backline. Mad dog, Vuna, Aku, Sau, Jimmy Mac….

Maybe it was also the fact I was in my 20’s and life was terrifically simple and fun. And very horny.
 
The Artist Formerly Known as Aku'd said:
I have real fond memories of some of the attacking footy during Smith’s days. We had some weapons in the backline. Mad dog, Vuna, Aku, Sau, Jimmy Mac….

Maybe it was also the fact I was in my 20’s and life was terrifically simple and fun. And very horny.
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Wild attack, pretty much no defense. The old, can we out score you game plan.

though I do remember Mullen putting a big old back rower on his back 3 times in succession. I think it was Dave Taylor? Such a size mismatch, but Mullen had watched smackdown that morning.
 
He had some interesting recruitment philosophy Brian. He is the first coach I know who recruited height just because, and he liked a strong core of Polynesian players because they don't play origin.
 
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jamesgould said:
Are you thinking of Michael Hagan?
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To be honest ive felt like that with the club from the end of the warren ryan era all the way up until recently.
You made me actually go back and check the brian smith era haha.. 2007 averaged over 29 points a game. The following 2 seasons we improved to just over 20 points a game.
Every year of hagans tenure we were between 20 and 27 points against per game. Clearly defense was optional for a good decade there.
 
EASBay17 said:
To be honest ive felt like that with the club from the end of the warren ryan era all the way up until recently.
You made me actually go back and check the brian smith era haha.. 2007 averaged over 29 points a game. The following 2 seasons we improved to just over 20 points a game.
Every year of hagans tenure we were between 20 and 27 points against per game. Clearly defense was optional for a good decade there.
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We conceded 486 points in 2008 regular season, which was our lowest for a season since 1998 when we conceded 381 (1999 was also 484, pretty much identical).

And then we only better that points against twice up until 2020 ... 2011 and 2013 were 442 and 422.

2009 he wasn't here for the entire season, but we conceded 491. So my memory is Smith was one of the few coaches in the first two decades of the 2000s that managed to keep our defence respectable. But yeah, a bad 20 years for the club as a whole lol. I think we hold the record for most points conceded in a premiership winning year with 639 in 2001?
 
I guess my issue with AOB is his inability to get the best out of his players on a weekly basis. He appears to not really know how to use players to utilize their strengths. Not many players seem to improve under his guidance and coaching. Players we let go seemingly have no trouble cementing a first grade spot at other clubs and they appear to grow in confidence and ability under a better coach
 
sherpa said:
I guess my issue with AOB is his inability to get the best out of his players on a weekly basis. He appears to not really know how to use players to utilize their strengths. Not many players seem to improve under his guidance and coaching. Players we let go seemingly have no trouble cementing a first grade spot at other clubs and they appear to grow in confidence and ability under a better coach
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Name these players
 
Ponga found his attacking sweet spot last year, injuries are a problem for him.

Marzhew had a career best season last year, hasn't quite rediscovered it this year.

Best has developed in to one of the best centres in the game. His defence has gone to a whole new level.

Gags in the best form of his career as a knight in the last two seasons. Game has developed even as a veteran.

Tuala has been doing a decent job this year in his yardage game, previously the most maligned parr of his game.

Young developed from a green reserve grader in to a world class winger while he was here.

Tyson Gamble had his best season ever last year.

Jackson Hastings leg break appears to have robbed him of his best asset and he may never play his best footy because of it. Brailey may be similar.

Dylan Lucas has developed in to a quality second rower here and continues on an upwards trajectory.

Leo Thompson developing year on year in to an elite front rower.

Phoenix Crossland is now without a doubt a first grader who has come on in leaps and bounds in the last two years.

Brodie Jones having a career best season.

Elliot and Friz always close to our best.

I think that points to a lot of guys who have developed their games.

I think our defensive structure has improved overall the last couple of years and holds up most weeks, especially in the tackling department, we have had issues defending kicks this year. I have noted we have started to adapt much better to how games are being reffed then we did earlier in the season.

Two years ago everyone was asking for week to week effort. I think we get that. Even last night, I didn't see a lack of effort. I saw a team having a real dig, lacking their best two attacking players and the ball just not bouncing their way or sticking when something had been created. Marz going out, lucas and Hastings dropping the ball I'm try scoring moments, the bounce the fox got, the kick from Curran pulling up inside the dead ball line.

I think we have come a long way as a club and are just coming off the back of a well coached, unlikely four game winning streak. I'm not about to throw the baby out with the bath water
 
Owey said:
Ponga found his attacking sweet spot last year, injuries are a problem for him.

Marzhew had a career best season last year, hasn't quite rediscovered it this year.

Best has developed in to one of the best centres in the game. His defence has gone to a whole new level.

Gags in the best form of his career as a knight in the last two seasons. Game has developed even as a veteran.

Tuala has been doing a decent job this year in his yardage game, previously the most maligned parr of his game.

Young developed from a green reserve grader in to a world class winger while he was here.

Tyson Gamble had his best season ever last year.

Jackson Hastings leg break appears to have robbed him of his best asset and he may never play his best footy because of it. Brailey may be similar.

Dylan Lucas has developed in to a quality second rower here and continues on an upwards trajectory.

Leo Thompson developing year on year in to an elite front rower.

Phoenix Crossland is now without a doubt a first grader who has come on in leaps and bounds in the last two years.

Brodie Jones having a career best season.

Elliot and Friz always close to our best.

I think that points to a lot of guys who have developed their games.

I think our defensive structure has improved overall the last couple of years and holds up most weeks, especially in the tackling department, we have had issues defending kicks this year. I have noted we have started to adapt much better to how games are being reffed then we did earlier in the season.

Two years ago everyone was asking for week to week effort. I think we get that. Even last night, I didn't see a lack of effort. I saw a team having a real dig, lacking their best two attacking players and the ball just not bouncing their way or sticking when something had been created. Marz going out, lucas and Hastings dropping the ball I'm try scoring moments, the bounce the fox got, the kick from Curran pulling up inside the dead ball line.

I think we have come a long way as a club and are just coming off the back of a well coached, unlikely four game winning streak. I'm not about to throw the baby out with the bath water
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Agreed, well said.
But don’t talk sense in this thread, no one wants it.
 
I think we have plenty of good players they’re just not in the key positions. Our spine (excluding Ponga) don’t link up well at all, they’re slow uncreative and they don’t get anything out of the players around them.

Hastings did a good job last year of utilising the left edge players but that’s all completely gone out the window for some reason. Cogger may as well not be there, he does nothing. Unfortunately Brailey’s body is letting him down and he can’t execute things he wants to well.

They really need to upgrade at least one of them asap. Can’t believe they’ve had KP there for 6 plus years now and failed to put a decent spine around him.
 
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