2020 Pre Season and Trial Games

Billy, I hope you are right as that is exactly what we expect from the Nines for the young bloods to shine , we won't be the only ones unveiling talent but there is till a long way to go to prove their worth as NRL players.

From memory Connor was unleashed at one of these by the Roosters and is still trying to find a spot.

I seem to recall Watson was man of the series as well.

Like Twenty20 in cricket you don't need to be an NRL-standard player to be a success in the 9's.

Speed, footwork and a good passing game are the main pre-requisites
 
Latest photos look like the reserve grade squad on an outing.
I suppose they were doing drills with only the starting team.
The only forwards were Brodie Jones and Matt Croker, so they might have been rotating two full packs with the firstgraders.
Best and Crossland were with the reserve graders - probably because they aren't training.
In the photos were Hoy, Searle, Sasagi, Tuala, Jones, Croker, Huth, Randall, Soper-Lawlor, Roberts-Davis.

Not there - Toa, Momoisea, JSaf, Saulo, King, Moga, Lino,
 
Latest photos look like the reserve grade squad on an outing.
I suppose they were doing drills with only the starting team.
The only forwards were Brodie Jones and Matt Croker, so they might have been rotating two full packs with the firstgraders.
Best and Crossland were with the reserve graders - probably because they aren't training.
In the photos were Hoy, Searle, Sasagi, Tuala, Jones, Croker, Huth, Randall, Soper-Lawlor, Roberts-Davis.

Not there - Toa, Momoisea, JSaf, Saulo, King, Moga, Lino,

Josh King is a bit of the forgotten man, I thought he made some steady progress last year?
 
Josh King is a bit of the forgotten man, I thought he made some steady progress last year?
Be interesting to see if his role changes a lot with a new coach.
In the last few seasons he has averaged about 120 metres and 25 tackles a game in reserve grade and 50 metres a game and about 22 tackles a game in firstgrade, which was clearly because the coach wanted him to play that role.
O'Brien might have a different plan for him.
 
https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/...bsite&utm_medium=home&utm_campaign=latestnews

Article about Mann playing 5/8.
O'Brien points out his sternum last year contributed to a perception of his defensive problems (he came back about a month early from a fractured sternum, and every opposition coach knew to throw big players at him all game).
O'Brien also says he has simplified the role for Mann.

That brings up the same old question as last year - who does the playmaking if Pearce gets injured?
 
I like how Obrien says he has told each player exactly what he wants from them and has simplified their role.

"But that's the same for everyone. It's about making sure everyone clearly understands what their role is and what's expected of them."

The opposite to what Brown did.

I hope Obrien can coach as good as he talks.
 
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https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/...bsite&utm_medium=home&utm_campaign=latestnews

Article about Mann playing 5/8.
O'Brien points out his sternum last year contributed to a perception of his defensive problems (he came back about a month early from a fractured sternum, and every opposition coach knew to throw big players at him all game).
O'Brien also says he has simplified the role for Mann.

That brings up the same old question as last year - who does the playmaking if Pearce gets injured?
Same conundrum as most teams have not many teams that have two organisers Manlys probably the best example if DCE goes down.
 
Article also says crossland hasn't trained in 6 weeks and Lino is just starting to run with the team.

It's a great opportunity for Baydon Searle and Simi Sasagi to get some solid time in opposing Pearce and Mann in drills I suppose.
Both those guys have very little experience but have both shown they have big potential.
It won't surprize me if this pre season is the making of both of them and they go from strength to strength this year.
 
I like how Obrien says he has told each player exactly what he wants from them and has simplified their role.

"But that's the same for everyone. It's about making sure everyone clearly understands what their role is and what's expected of them."

The opposite to what Brown did.

I hope Obrien can coach as good as he talks.
I agree.
The quotes in that article, added to quotes in the other article in the post before it about how O'brien thinks Bellamy is successful by explaining and simplifying the role of players, gives a real insight to how he plans to coach.
He seems very committed to keeping the same side on the park as often as he can.
He wants the players to understand their role, and for their role to be simple and well within their capabilities.
He isn't a fan of "utility" players, and wants them doing just one thing, and doing it right.

It's a very similar approach to Rick Stone, and Rick Stone coached sides always seemed to improve over the season as guys got used to playing the roles he set them week after week. The difference being that O'Brien seems to have worked them a lot harder in the off season and O'Brien has a full salary cap to play with, which Rick never had. At this point it also feels like O'Brien has got more respect from the playing group than Rick ever got.
 
He seems very committed to keeping the same side on the park as often as he can.
He wants the players to understand their role, and for their role to be simple and well within their capabilities.
He isn't a fan of "utility" players, and wants them doing just one thing, and doing it right.

Regardless of a like or dislike for utility players, most clubs earmark the 14 jersey for this type of player.
For the squad we have currently we're a much more balanced team with Watson on the bench.
 
It's a very similar approach to Rick Stone, and Rick Stone coached sides always seemed to improve over the season as guys got used to playing the roles he set them week after week. At this point it also feels like O'Brien has got more respect from the playing group than Rick ever got.

What? Rick got figured out half way into the season by opposing coaches and failed to adjust, and kept picking the same players that weren't doing the job/underperforming and as well as what you said Bennett's boys not putting in or giving him any respect as well didn't help. But it was more the former then the latter.
 
What? Rick got figured out half way into the season by opposing coaches and failed to adjust, and kept picking the same players that weren't doing the job/underperforming and as well as what you said Bennett's boys not putting in or giving him any respect as well didn't help. But it was more the former then the latter.
I could see how you would think that if the only year you ever watched him was his last.
Every team he coached before that in firstgrade and reserve grade improved over the season.
 
I could see how you would think that if the only year you ever watched him was his last.
Every team he coached before that in firstgrade and reserve grade improved over the season.
Plus I know that he was a part of the mediocrity, but if he wasn’t pushed aside for Bennett in 2012, we wouldn’t have been in the huge mess the last couple of years.
 
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