Jefferies?

Billy

Billy

Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
He's going well.
Most of the team are clearly much fitter than last year, and last year they had made some gains on the previous year.
He has lost a lot of the best players - some because they didn't want to do the work he demands I think. Some went for more money and/or better opportunities.

Months ago, I went to a trial game at Cessnock and saw Jefferies putting dozens of players through their paces for the NSW cup squad, and it seemed clear he was putting together a very professional programme to develop our club from the bottom up, and the current NSW cup team couldn't be more impressive, with 3 solid wins against good sides and 3 trial games where they dominated other squads.

I'd say the girls that have stayed are almost all better than they were last year, but losing Tamika, Hannah and Rima will probably see the team struggle to be as successful as previous years.

All in all, I'd say our 50 or so senior players this year across the two top grades are all very fit and professional and well coached by Jefferies and Bec Young.
 
Was frustrated with the first game but I've since watched it back and the big difference is just no Liv Higgins. She both brings forwards onto the ball and holds together the middle defensively to a level other NRLW hookers just don't do as effectively. I'd say it's just a matter of being the only girl with genuine number 9 ball skills + middle forward size and strength. All the others have one or the other but not both.

Aside from that Ben made a comment in one of the pressers about how we play a bit of a boring, patient, pressure game, but it's not boring when you win. I agree with that. It makes sense to play that way when you've got better game controlling halves than all the other teams and a lot of fit, athletic players in depth but maybe not as many strike weapons as the top teams (our best strike players are Yazzie and Evah, who are pulling double duty as the most prolific workhorse edge forwards in the game). Gallagher is good but she's more a big strong workhorse than a dynamo, ditto Willison, Shanice Parker and Bo Vette-Welsh more in the "smart, tough, skilled veteran" convo than the Izzy Kelly, Tamika Upton one, etc.

It's a well built team overall playing a game style that suits the sort of players we are producing. The big obvious team need is a Caitlan Johnston-Green or Millie Elliott shaped hole in the forward pack. We add that and we're genuinely in with a shot to finish the in the top 3 and compete for the title for a fairly long period.
 
Yeah you can see they’re clearly fitter. Looks the difference between Laishon last year and this year.

I know Hannah and Tamika had the blow up about the lack of downtime for recovery last year. To his credit, in the first interview for the season he did say they looked at this in the off season and they’ve acknowledged they got it wrong and will rectify it this year. So at least he’s willing to take on feedback and make changes. Can’t say that for everyone

I also don’t entirely blame him for a lot of the losses, I blame Parr especially for CJ.

They could make a play for Millie for next year she’s off contract now, assuming she hasn’t taken up her option yet. Don’t like out chances but can’t hurt to try.

Otherwise, I’m hoping CJ gets homesick and comes back early
 
One thing I noticed in both firsts and reserves is that our girls are really working over the opposition in tackles. We give away a lot of penalties, but no one is getting up quickly without a struggle and our better fitness means we wear them down over time. Laishon didn't have much left in the tank after the girls had piled onto her 4 or 5 times.
 
Absolutely gave it to Brake every time she took a carry too. Just a really professional outing overall where every ball carrier for us ran hard and direct and then in defence the girls did the kind of stuff which makes opposing sides want to run sideways.
 
I’ve always thought they’ve done a pretty good in the ruck over the past 3 years.

To be honest, I often thought they were really pushing their luck a lot of the time but that’s what good teams do. I’m sure it’s only going to become more of factor in the women’s game, moving forward.

Agree they really did a great job on Brake compared to the Eels, who she run amok against. Clearly did their homework.
 
Even in the Dogs game defensively we had them as the best they had (dogs) was charge over tries. Our ball control and discipline did ourselves in along with two very unfortunate bounces of the ball.

Since then we’ve pretty good with ball control.

I think the change is a big ups to Georgia Roach is halves (who would still be IMMENSE as a 13 when Evie makes it back ( in Cup this week) and Jesse is clearly showing improvement from her work with Joey.

As above have said, we’re short an impactful 10 and explosive back. but I think the footy smarts and fitness get us to prelims this year.

I haven’t in anyway had the issue a with Jefferies have had (funnily enough I’m mostly the same with O’Brien) I’ve herd discord from unconfirmed people, though they look pretty together to me.
 
At the end of the day he was on a hiding to nothing following that Ron Griffiths tenure. Anything short of winning the comp and he was bound to cop the blame.

So far this season though it looks like the team is all pulling in the same direction and he’s getting (to my eye) a lot out of what he has available. The girls look like they’re pulling in the same direction. He has a “compete & complete” style of roster and would probably be leading the comp for set completion % right now if Tess Staines had played all three games.
 
I'm happy with the results this year.

It was obvious very early this year that reserve grade was getting a lot more resources spent on them, and even feeder teams all over the Hunter and Central Coast were getting extra attention.

Jefferies seemed pretty pleased, when asked about the HVN side making the GF, that, as he said, 90% of them are locals.

It's a new direction to previous years, but it's the right direction.
 
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