Adam O'Brien replacement?

[HarVeeGee13]

I keep going back and forth between wanting him gone and thinking nobody else is going to do any better

I getcha. And I appreciate the stability argument. I also think though that having the wrong coach for too long can cause further long-term issues - I’m not blaming Browny for our problems under AOB but I think 4 years of Browny did set us back. Also think Hagan’s long-term impact was pretty negative.

I hope I’m wrong and AOB turns us around because I actually don’t think his job is in danger atm.

 

[OnTilt]

For my money there’s underlying issues with our structures with ball in hand which don’t just disappear when we’re at full strength. Maybe only Canterbury moves the ball slower than us and I reckon we score fewer tries than anyone bat Canterbury where there’s more than 3 passes in the scoring action. Even Wests can a set sweeping play of some kind which leads to points, if not at a high rate, at a rate which would help us out in attack so much lol.

But even the stuff we do which does work - eg Kalyn attacking short sides, Clifford running at opposing halves, bringing Best onto the ball after an offload etc - we just don’t seem to have a plan to bring that stuff into play, to work ourselves into a position on tackles 1 and 2 to run the play effectively on 3, and we never know when to pull the trigger.

I think it’s more than a personnel/injury issue at this stage, guys just don’t seem to know where to be, what lines to run, where their passes should go etc and it has only gotten worse year on year.

Yeah we won those games at the end of last year, but we mostly won ugly against some pretty bad to at best middling teams.

I firmly believe most teams have only a set number of “big” efforts in them per season, and if you’re burning those efforts to grind out narrow wins over meh opposition, you will run out of them before you have to play the real sides.

That's what I see as our problem, Obi wants to keep focusing on defence but there is only so much defending you can do when you are not being effective on the other side of the ball, our defence was good for the first 4 or 5 games but our attack was putrid and has been getting progressively worse for AOBs tenure.

The guys must get sick of just trying to defend their arses off for entire games with little to no relief because our forwards struggle to make meters outside of Klemmer and our halves kicking game is poor.

 

[JOJO82]

Since we can't defend for ****, how about letting the ball sing and play some exciting expansive footy or are they incapable of doing that also.

 

[Owey]

For my money there’s underlying issues with our structures with ball in hand which don’t just disappear when we’re at full strength. Maybe only Canterbury moves the ball slower than us and I reckon we score fewer tries than anyone bat Canterbury where there’s more than 3 passes in the scoring action. Even Wests can a set sweeping play of some kind which leads to points, if not at a high rate, at a rate which would help us out in attack so much lol.

But even the stuff we do which does work - eg Kalyn attacking short sides, Clifford running at opposing halves, bringing Best onto the ball after an offload etc - we just don’t seem to have a plan to bring that stuff into play, to work ourselves into a position on tackles 1 and 2 to run the play effectively on 3, and we never know when to pull the trigger.

I think it’s more than a personnel/injury issue at this stage, guys just don’t seem to know where to be, what lines to run, where their passes should go etc and it has only gotten worse year on year.

Yeah we won those games at the end of last year, but we mostly won ugly against some pretty bad to at best middling teams.

I firmly believe most teams have only a set number of “big” efforts in them per season, and if you’re burning those efforts to grind out narrow wins over meh opposition, you will run out of them before you have to play the real sides.

We need a spine together for about 20 games before we can even begin to comment on them though

 

[Belly7]

Waynesworld just bought up Arthur in the gameday post, pointing out that Parra stuck by him after winning a spoon and have had some level of success since.

Obi has taken us to two finals appearances in a row. Thats no mean feat at this joint. Yes, everyone at the club has been signed or resigned on his watch. But seriously, did he sign Randall and Clune to be our first choice hooker and half? Or did he sign off on them thinking, if I need to get three or four weeks in a row out of them, they are handy players? Our back up half who ended up being first choice has actually had more games on one leg then two. That's half his spine. His other half has gone through something off the field that has clearly left him rattled, and Ponga's form before his contract as settled was so sketchy.

This certainly hasn't been a year that has built on the last two. But what coach would have us firing with that disruption to his spine?

I have one issue with Obi's coaching at the moment, and that is the Safs have dialled it in all year and they haven't been dropped or shown significant improvement.

He kinda did have plans to have Clune as our Starting half considering he let Pearce go when he was literally the only Halfback in our system

 

[mullenmagic]

Being first week exits in the finals 2 years in a row isn’t enough of a reason to keep him. We were a mediocre and underperforming side that snuck in through a few games of individual brilliance from Ponga, and one from Pearce vs the Titans last season.

Two and a half years into the AOB era and we still have no semblance of an identity. Lost in both attack & defence, and fold the moment things get difficult. Bad injury toll, yes, but I don’t think anyone could argue that he’s getting the most out of the players available. Also somewhat self inflicted when you're signing nuffies like Musgrove, and going into a season with the likes of Clune & Randall in your first choice spine.

Unfortunately the CEO & GM are both equally questionable at best so I don’t have faith we’ll see meaningful change anytime soon.

 

[Trent]

That's what I see as our problem, Obi wants to keep focusing on defence but there is only so much defending you can do when you are not being effective on the other side of the ball, our defence was good for the first 4 or 5 games but our attack was putrid and has been getting progressively worse for AOBs tenure.

The guys must get sick of just trying to defend their arses off for entire games with little to no relief because our forwards struggle to make meters outside of Klemmer and our halves kicking game is poor.

Knights aren’t going to win by keeping anyone to less than 2 tries so maybe would be good if they worked on their attack.

 

[Kurriboy]

Since we can't defend for ****, how about letting the ball sing and play some exciting expansive footy or are they incapable of doing that also.

Problem is when we let the ball sing we sound like Yoko ono.

 

[HarVeeGee13]

We need a spine together for about 20 games before we can even begin to comment on them though

Why? Why 20? Why can’t we observe other teams who can get their attack clicking far better than ours ever has over the course of just a few games of spine continuity, and comment on that basis? Or who have stuff they’ve worked on over pre-season which actually works, who can make adjustments so that one or two injuries doesn’t totallly **** them over?

 

[Owey]

Why? Why 20? Why can’t we observe other teams who can get their attack clicking far better than ours ever has over the course of just a few games of spine continuity, and comment on that basis? Or who have stuff they’ve worked on over pre-season which actually works, who can make adjustments so that one or two injuries doesn’t totallly **** them over?

I was going to say thirty

 

[Owey]

The best example I can give you is Darren Lockyer, who was a fair footballer. It took him about two years to transition from fullback to 5/8 even in a team he knew well. Bennett resisted and resisted the calls to put him back to fullback. He especially struggled defensively, and realistically he never mastered that on his own, but Bennett gave him a defensive minder in Toni Carroll (who was it who used to call him Cato because he'd swoop in and save Lockyer? Fulton? HG and Roy? Can't quite remember). He turned into a fair 5/8 too given time and patience.

That's not to say he didn't have some nice touches in the meantime. And we have seen some nice touches from our spine this year. But seriously, even the great ones can't create combination out of thin air.

Only the knee jerk king, Nathan Brown, would spend an off season transitioning Ponga to 5/8 and then compound the misery by giving up after three weeks.

 

[Frank McWilliams]

The Ponga move to 5/8 depends on many things, firstly do we retain Milford if so do we need Ponga at 5/8
If no Milford and we move Ponga then is our replacement f/b, likely Hodgson, a better f/b than say Clifford is a 5/8 and if so is Clifford a better 7 than Clune.
As I see it at this time our best options based on what we have is 1 Ponga, 6 Milford (make him an offer) 7 Clune/Clifford. If no Milford make a strong offer for Hastings.
We need To sign someone, Hastings and Milford would be great and give us many options.
If we have moved Ponga to 5/8 it means we have failed to make signings and moved SOO f/b to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.
Who said it “IF IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT”

 

[Owey]

I'm not advocating moving Ponga to 5/8 now. If it ever happens again though, it needs to be part of a bigger plan, and it needs to be permenant no matter the results of the first ten weeks.

 

[Kurriboy]

The Ponga move to 5/8 depends on many things, firstly do we retain Milford if so do we need Ponga at 5/8
If no Milford and we move Ponga then is our replacement f/b, likely Hodgson, a better f/b than say Clifford is a 5/8 and if so is Clifford a better 7 than Clune.
As I see it at this time our best options based on what we have is 1 Ponga, 6 Milford (make him an offer) 7 Clune/Clifford. If no Milford make a strong offer for Hastings.
We need To sign someone, Hastings and Milford would be great and give us many options.
If we have moved Ponga to 5/8 it means we have failed to make signings and moved SOO f/b to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.
Who said it “IF IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT”

But it is Broke though.

Personally I find Ponga a rubbish fullback. He is in SOO because of what he can do with the ball in attack, not because he is an awesome fullback.

But if he is going to continue to play at 1, we need a 7 who can steer us around and run the team. 6 can be clifford or Milford.

In fact I'd be happy with Hastings at 7, Clifford at 6 as he is a better ball runner than ball player, and Ponga at 1.
Or Hastings at 7, Ponga at 6 and Hodgson at 1.

Or if not Hastings, then some other yet to be available halfback.

 

[KnightsUnite]

After 14 rounds the Knights only average in the mid thirties for average set distance with only a couple of games breaking the forties (saints, tigers). most teams are in the low to high forties. Basically the Knights are mostly rucking the ball out from their own half , using conservative one out plays. They take very little out and ask few questions of the opposition defence. Typically they use lightweight players for the first couple of runs from their own end, Gagai, Mann, Tuala, Ponga, Lee who usually get monstered. Oppositions know that the Knights are not going to throw any football at them in the Knights own half, so can compress their defence with little to worry about.
Use the forwards, saving them by using lightweight players is not working, especially when you are not creating any field position. Sometimes they may try to shift it wide, but usually only after the fourth tackle. They usually are kicking on the last from well inside their own half.
With the attacking players the Knights have, why are their so low on metres gain per set? Conservative coaching.

Kinda like the dogs, slow play the ball and boring attack

But look what they produced today, a performance Knights fans dream of

 

[Rupert Murdoch]

The Ponga move to 5/8 depends on many things, firstly do we retain Milford if so do we need Ponga at 5/8
If no Milford and we move Ponga then is our replacement f/b, likely Hodgson, a better f/b than say Clifford is a 5/8 and if so is Clifford a better 7 than Clune.
As I see it at this time our best options based on what we have is 1 Ponga, 6 Milford (make him an offer) 7 Clune/Clifford. If no Milford make a strong offer for Hastings.
We need To sign someone, Hastings and Milford would be great and give us many options.
If we have moved Ponga to 5/8 it means we have failed to make signings and moved SOO f/b to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.
Who said it “IF IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT”

They are looking at going after Hastings apparently.

Dont hold your breath but they were saying he was pissed off at the way Madge was knifed.

Wait a minute... Didn't we try to bring a spine player from the Tigers just before the start of the season?

Oh, that's right we did and It worked out wonderfully for us.

COCAINE is a hell of a drug people... And that's what the Knights administration are on.

That Is where the majority of our annual budget must go to, It gets redirected from pathways and what not.

Then when the high wears off we say "OHH ****" where did all the money Go!!!" and make offers to First Grade Players who are NSW Cup Players at best.

Go The Knights.

 

[HarVeeGee13]

The best example I can give you is Darren Lockyer, who was a fair footballer. It took him about two years to transition from fullback to 5/8 even in a team he knew well. Bennett resisted and resisted the calls to put him back to fullback. He especially struggled defensively, and realistically he never mastered that on his own, but Bennett gave him a defensive minder in Toni Carroll (who was it who used to call him Cato because he'd swoop in and save Lockyer? Fulton? HG and Roy? Can't quite remember). He turned into a fair 5/8 too given time and patience.

That's not to say he didn't have some nice touches in the meantime. And we have seen some nice touches from our spine this year. But seriously, even the great ones can't create combination out of thin air.

Only the knee jerk king, Nathan Brown, would spend an off season transitioning Ponga to 5/8 and then compound the misery by giving up after three weeks.

It absolutely did not take him two years

 

[Owey]

It absolutely did not take him two years

Oh it absolutely did

 

[HarVeeGee13]

Oh it absolutely did

You’re either remembering it wrong or you saw the game very differently to most at the time. By April the year he made the switch people were saying he’d already become the best 6 in the comp. If anything “two years after the switch” is when he had problems… had a rough old start in 2006 and people were saying he should be dropped from Origin… and then he went on to win Origin, the premiership and a Golden Boot lol.

So he had patches of bad form like anyone, but people at the time raved about how quickly he made the transition from 1 to 6, and he got picked at 6 at both levels of rep footy immediately.

 

[Ethan]

Waynesworld just bought up Arthur in the gameday post, pointing out that Parra stuck by him after winning a spoon and have had some level of success since.

Obi has taken us to two finals appearances in a row. Thats no mean feat at this joint. Yes, everyone at the club has been signed or resigned on his watch. But seriously, did he sign Randall and Clune to be our first choice hooker and half? Or did he sign off on them thinking, if I need to get three or four weeks in a row out of them, they are handy players? Our back up half who ended up being first choice has actually had more games on one leg then two. That's half his spine. His other half has gone through something off the field that has clearly left him rattled, and Ponga's form before his contract as settled was so sketchy.

This certainly hasn't been a year that has built on the last two. But what coach would have us firing with that disruption to his spine?

I have one issue with Obi's coaching at the moment, and that is the Safs have dialled it in all year and they haven't been dropped or shown significant improvement.

Jacob didn't dial it in for the first 3 games he was best prop on field but who knows whats happened since .