2025 pre season thread

Still think the 4 finals participation ribbons for one (1) total win isn't the trump card some make it out to be. He's clearly shown he can get the team to a certain baseline of being consistently one of the better mediocre also-ran teams and maybe would have a better reputation if he had a better roster at hand, but I'm not sure how many coaches would be going their 6th season with the same track record.

It should be an attractive position whenever it finally opens up though, the job security being offered is clearly very generous. Helps that half the fanbase is so beaten down that they think just not finishing at the bottom of the table is something to celebrate, as well.
 
mullenmagic said:
Still think the 4 finals participation ribbons for one (1) total win isn't the trump card some make it out to be. He's clearly shown he can get the team to a certain baseline of being consistently one of the better mediocre also-ran teams and maybe would have a better reputation if he had a better roster at hand, but I'm not sure how many coaches would be going their 6th season with the same track record.

It should be an attractive position whenever it finally opens up though, the job security being offered is clearly very generous. Helps that half the fanbase is so beaten down that they think just not finishing at the bottom of the table is something to celebrate, as well.
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Brother you need a good spine and not the worst halves in the comp to be contenders. They are the focal point of a team. No one is celebrating not finishing at the bottom of the table. I just wanted to give AOB some credit as he usually is disregarded or bagged.
 
I gave him credit as well, and noted better players would possibly change how he’s viewed. Just noting that most coaches don’t get this much of a runway to create a competitive team.

I don’t know how to view the fans that point to being also-rans in the finals most years as proof that what he’s doing is working as anything other than celebrating it. Not the fans fault but there was a literal clause in his contract that triggered another season for simply not finishing in the bottom 4. That’s not only celebrating it but rewarding it.
 
The whole "AOB would be at Centrelink" chat is so damn laughable. Crazy how you a make finals 4/5 years as a head coach and still have so much noise. It's a joke that the club even entertains the chat, and if he were to be sacked. He'd be an assistant at a club within minutes, his assistant coaching record speaks for itself:

Storm
2014 = elimination final & 6th
2015 = preliminary final & 4th
2016 = runner up & 1st
2017 = premiership win & 1st
2018 = runner up & 2nd
Roosters
2019 = premiership win & 2nd

A rough current or sacked 2024 NRL head coaches and their finals runs since 2020:
Ivan Cleary, Craig Bellamy, Trent Robinson - 5/5
Adam O'Brien - 4/5
Brad Arthur, Ricky Stuart - 3/5
Craig Fitzgibbon - 3/3
Todd Peyton - 2/4
Kevin Walters - 1/4
Des Hasler (manly) - 1/3
Wayne Bennett (dolphins), Wayne Bennett (rabbits), Andrew Webster, Anthony Seibold, Cameron Ciraldo - 1/2
Jason Demetriou - 0/2
Benji Marshall, Shane Flanagan, Des Hasler (titans) - 0/1
 
Junior said:
The whole "AOB would be at Centrelink" chat is so damn laughable. Crazy how you a make finals 4/5 years as a head coach and still have so much noise. It's a joke that the club even entertains the chat, and if he were to be sacked. He'd be an assistant at a club within minutes, his assistant coaching record speaks for itself:

Storm
2014 = elimination final & 6th
2015 = preliminary final & 4th
2016 = runner up & 1st
2017 = premiership win & 1st
2018 = runner up & 2nd
Roosters
2019 = premiership win & 2nd

A rough current or sacked 2024 NRL head coaches and their finals runs since 2020:
Ivan Cleary, Craig Bellamy, Trent Robinson - 5/5
Adam O'Brien - 4/5
Brad Arthur, Ricky Stuart - 3/5
Craig Fitzgibbon - 3/3
Todd Peyton - 2/4
Kevin Walters - 1/4
Des Hasler (manly) - 1/3
Wayne Bennett (dolphins), Wayne Bennett (rabbits), Andrew Webster, Anthony Seibold, Cameron Ciraldo - 1/2
Jason Demetriou - 0/2
Benji Marshall, Shane Flanagan, Des Hasler (titans) - 0/1
Click to expand...

Proof stats can be used to support any viewpoint.
 
Junior said:
The whole "AOB would be at Centrelink" chat is so damn laughable. Crazy how you a make finals 4/5 years as a head coach and still have so much noise. It's a joke that the club even entertains the chat, and if he were to be sacked. He'd be an assistant at a club within minutes, his assistant coaching record speaks for itself:

Storm
2014 = elimination final & 6th
2015 = preliminary final & 4th
2016 = runner up & 1st
2017 = premiership win & 1st
2018 = runner up & 2nd
Roosters
2019 = premiership win & 2nd

A rough current or sacked 2024 NRL head coaches and their finals runs since 2020:
Ivan Cleary, Craig Bellamy, Trent Robinson - 5/5
Adam O'Brien - 4/5
Brad Arthur, Ricky Stuart - 3/5
Craig Fitzgibbon - 3/3
Todd Peyton - 2/4
Kevin Walters - 1/4
Des Hasler (manly) - 1/3
Wayne Bennett (dolphins), Wayne Bennett (rabbits), Andrew Webster, Anthony Seibold, Cameron Ciraldo - 1/2
Jason Demetriou - 0/2
Benji Marshall, Shane Flanagan, Des Hasler (titans) - 0/1
Click to expand...
Excellent stats when viewed that way, and I agree he has done a good job. But he does need to get some more finals wins on the board.
 
Look at the criticism the sharks get for having a poor finals record. We should have the same. I’m happy to stick with AOB. He is evolving as a coach.

If the halves situation sorts itself out and who ever is in there steps up we have the ingredients for a top 8 to 4 side.

I think we can even cover injures better next year also. Say Ponga gets injured we have Sharpe to slot straight in.
 
Some of those coaches with less finals participation ribbons from 2020-2024:

Brad Arthur - 2 top 4 finishes, 3 finals wins, 1 GF appearance (fired)
Ricky Stuart - 3 finals wins (top 4 finish, 2 finals wins and GF appearance in 2019)
Craig Fitzgibbon - 2 top 4 finishes, 1 finals win
Todd Payten - 1 top 4 finish, 2 finals wins
Kevin Walters - 1 top 4 finish, 2 finals wins, 1 GF appearance (fired)
Des Hasler (Manly) - 1 top 4 finish, 1 finals win
Wayne Bennett (Rabbitohs) - 1 top 4 finish, 4 finals wins, 1 GF appearance
Andrew Webster - 1 top 4 finish, 1 finals win
 
frankLauda said:
Look at the criticism the sharks get for having a poor finals record. We should have the same. I’m happy to stick with AOB. He is evolving as a coach.

If the halves situation sorts itself out and who ever is in there steps up we have the ingredients for a top 8 to 4 side.

I think we can even cover injures better next year also. Say Ponga gets injured we have Sharpe to slot straight in.
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But the main criticism about the sharks and their final record last few years was they were making top 4, beating teams consistently by 40 through year then folded like wet paper bag at finals time.

Ours isn’t so much our finals win records, we need to find that consistency to win 15-18 games in regular season to get to that level of being top 4 side.

Each finals we have had to get on a roll at end of year, when we need to be consistent all year and take that and build into finals

Will we get that, who knows. lot’s determined by Ponga obviously and having halves settled
 
The finals record guff ignores the fact we have had very easy draws most of his coaching tenure here. And most seasons we only just scrape in to finals and are out first week.

Only one year have we looked decent at the end of the year and that took a long winning streak to get us there.

Our seasons are marred by poor starts every year, and through the year we show no consistency, and seemingly no desire to overcome the opposition. Our intensity in games is generally lacking.

All this, is despite the easy draws we have enjoyed.

OB maybe developing as a coach, good for him, meanwhile we are flushing away the career of one of the best skilled players to have ever played the game.

Our forward pack though stacked with rep talent does not perform week in week out and whilst the Safs hold a lot of the blame, OB has let them bludge their way through seasons.

Think about the fundamentals of RL and what it takes to compete at the top, what part of our game can you say we do very well?

But hey, I'm pumped for another season with our training wheels coach and another very easy draws so we can just make the 8, be out first week and we can all celebrate what a good job he is doing.
 
Kurriboy said:
The finals record guff ignores the fact we have had very easy draws most of his coaching tenure here. And most seasons we only just scrape in to finals and are out first week.

Only one year have we looked decent at the end of the year and that took a long winning streak to get us there.

Our seasons are marred by poor starts every year, and through the year we show no consistency, and seemingly no desire to overcome the opposition. Our intensity in games is generally lacking.

All this, is despite the easy draws we have enjoyed.

OB maybe developing as a coach, good for him, meanwhile we are flushing away the career of one of the best skilled players to have ever played the game.

Our forward pack though stacked with rep talent does not perform week in week out and whilst the Safs hold a lot of the blame, OB has let them bludge their way through seasons.

Think about the fundamentals of RL and what it takes to compete at the top, what part of our game can you say we do very well?

But hey, I'm pumped for another season with our training wheels coach and another very easy draws so we can just make the 8, be out first week and we can all celebrate what a good job he is doing.
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You must be fun at parties
 
Elliott is in the school visit photos but still not in any of the training photos.
We should have the full squad training next week, with maybe Elliott doing rehab.
It will be interesting to see which of the young guys is back after Christmas.
 
Kurriboy said:
The finals record guff ignores the fact we have had very easy draws most of his coaching tenure here. And most seasons we only just scrape in to finals and are out first week.

Only one year have we looked decent at the end of the year and that took a long winning streak to get us there.

Our seasons are marred by poor starts every year, and through the year we show no consistency, and seemingly no desire to overcome the opposition. Our intensity in games is generally lacking.

All this, is despite the easy draws we have enjoyed.

OB maybe developing as a coach, good for him, meanwhile we are flushing away the career of one of the best skilled players to have ever played the game.

Our forward pack though stacked with rep talent does not perform week in week out and whilst the Safs hold a lot of the blame, OB has let them bludge their way through seasons.

Think about the fundamentals of RL and what it takes to compete at the top, what part of our game can you say we do very well?

But hey, I'm pumped for another season with our training wheels coach and another very easy draws so we can just make the 8, be out first week and we can all celebrate what a good job he is doing.
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I think this is all on point.

What would be useful is knowing the clubs objectives for OB. Because without knowing it seems that he’s still around because scraping into the 8 is the benchmark. The less ambitious the club is the less ambitious the coach and squad will be. Hence the slow starts. It’s almost like they know they can make it up over the year, scrape into the 8, go out first week…….we delivered what was expected. Been massive cultural issues with the Knights for years and lack of standards are clear (hence some of the mediocre performances being rewarded for years).

Personally I think anything other than a win or two once in the finals is no different to finishing 9th down. Finishing 8th and playing one more game shouldn’t be the measuring stick of success. At what point do the club and fans think we should strive for more….?

Hopefully there’s some magic that clicks this year with some youth coming in and a couple of decent recruits (and please an injury free year for KP).
 
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We should go sign Bennett or Bellamy to coach us, that will take us to the next level. Oh and get some halves that don’t fall in the bottom 3 in the comp.
 
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