Our next head coach

Who should be the head coach in 2026?

  • Blake Green

    Votes: 5 5.9%

  • Brian McDermott

    Votes: 14 16.5%

  • Brad Arthur

    Votes: 13 15.3%

  • Willie Peters

    Votes: 40 47.1%

  • John Morris

    Votes: 18 21.2%

  • Justin Holbrook

    Votes: 42 49.4%

  • Des Hasler

    Votes: 1 1.2%

  • Sam Burgess

    Votes: 1 1.2%

  • Billy Slater

    Votes: 6 7.1%

  • Other (name below)

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • Total voters
    85
Who would be possible defence coaches we could go after?

Is Kidwell an option? I don’t know much about him as a coach other than he helped Cheika with the wallabies
 
sherpa said:
I think Crossland is wasted at hooker and plays better out wide and I see no reason why Cant couldn't be an effective hooker
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So he doesn’t have experience as a hooker?
Not having a crack at you, his name’s been put forward a few times and I don’t know if he’s even played that position, hence why I’m asking.
We tried to turn Crossland into a hooker and while his competitiveness and willingness to tackle everything that moves is great, there are a lot better decision makers out there to get the ball where it needs to be.
If Tom Cant hasn’t been a hooker before, I wouldn’t like to start again to see how he goes. Maybe in reserves if required, but I’d rather spend my time developing a genuine hooker if he’s just an experiment.
 
Actually don’t think sending the ball the right way has ever been a real issue with Phoenix, he’s just not got a lot of guile, doesn’t do a great job of holding the markers up or keeping the A defender honest, he’s not quick out of there, etc.

But he’s still the best option we have due to his defence, intangibles, motor, and question marks over whether any other player on the roster is ready to play big minutes in that position regularly. It’s the most important spine position to your team’s defence besides fullback and that should be weighed heavily against other considerations.

What we need is a coach with a proven track record of getting good attack out of a team with limited/not particularly crafty hookers.

And we just appointed one.
 
I thought ponga done well when he swept to the right, he ripped Canberra apart a few times in one game on the right from memory. I actually want too see more of it. Saves him trying to go left and throw those torpedo passes to the stands coz enari isn't there anymore to catch them. Plus dylbro and dilly Luc will be over there and that's threat enough. Chuck in Braddy, sharpe, young and our backs are scary with good ball.

Hopefully the pigs can get us good field position for the spine to do its job.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Actually don’t think sending the ball the right way has ever been a real issue with Phoenix, he’s just not got a lot of guile, doesn’t do a great job of holding the markers up or keeping the A defender honest, he’s not quick out of there, etc.

But he’s still the best option we have due to his defence, intangibles, motor, and question marks over whether any other player on the roster is ready to play big minutes in that position regularly. It’s the most important spine position to your team’s defence besides fullback and that should be weighed heavily against other considerations.

What we need is a coach with a proven track record of getting good attack out of a team with limited/not particularly crafty hookers.

And we just appointed one.
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Certainly hope that’s the case, it seems the position in question at the moment for me.
 
danknights said:
I thought ponga done well when he swept to the right, he ripped Canberra apart a few times in one game on the right from memory. I actually want too see more of it. Saves him trying to go left and throw those torpedo passes to the stands coz enari isn't there anymore to catch them. Plus dylbro and dilly Luc will be over there and that's threat enough. Chuck in Braddy, sharpe, young and our backs are scary with good ball.

Hopefully the pigs can get us good field position for the spine to do its job.
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Ponga does well wherever he goes. The issue with Ponga is he is our only shot fired.

We need the halves to create their own chances and Ponga chiming in off the back of that, along with his own creativeness as well.

Ponga being predominantly our only real threat without relying on kicks to generate fluke tries, isn't a great game plan.

What I want to see is Brown and Smith in the halves, and Ponga told to play off the back of them and cease dominating the ball as much as he does. Revert to a more traditional fullback role, support play, off the back of shape etc, get him good ball out wide left or right and let him go.

Sharpe, I know it's a tough call, but I want to go with 2 genuine halves to start the season and see how we shape up.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Actually don’t think sending the ball the right way has ever been a real issue with Phoenix, he’s just not got a lot of guile, doesn’t do a great job of holding the markers up or keeping the A defender honest, he’s not quick out of there, etc.

But he’s still the best option we have due to his defence, intangibles, motor, and question marks over whether any other player on the roster is ready to play big minutes in that position regularly. It’s the most important spine position to your team’s defence besides fullback and that should be weighed heavily against other considerations.

What we need is a coach with a proven track record of getting good attack out of a team with limited/not particularly crafty hookers.

And we just appointed one.
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Had the Crossland @ 9 conversation at the pub over the weekend, we all came to the agreement that if Sandon is gonna play 9 we’d prefer it like this:
- Crossland starts at 9
- Croker starts 13
- Sandon at 14
- 20 minutes in Crossy moves to 13
- Sandon comes on into 9 and plays the remainder of the game there

Why?? Sandon’s creativity and smaller agile body after 20 minutes around the ruck will be more effective than starting the game and wasting energy on the initial arm wrestle. Crossland’s defence is middle forward worthy and can be quite effective in getting us into the wrestle. Croker also has a willingness to tackle anything that runs at him. Crossland inability to hold the markers or engage the A defenders isn’t a problem in the first 15/20 minutes, it’s the rest of the game that this skill is needed. Will also give the defence a false belief and hopefully Sandon can catch them out around the ruck… That’s how i’d use Sandon IMO
 
I like it. I like it even more if sandon is 7, Sharpe is right center, gags left wing, and Paix at 14. Crossy starts at 9 and we play essentially 3 props to start with crossland going to 13 afterwards. Dont need much ball play through the middle the opening 20 either.

1. Ponga
2. Gags
3. Best
4. Sharpe
5. Dom
6. Brown
7. Smith
8. Safiti
9. Crossland
10. Mooney
11. Lucas
12. Mckewn
13. Jones/Croker
14. Paix/Watlers/someone like that
15. Saulo
16. Croker/Jones
17. Frizell
 
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nighttiime said:
I like it. I like it even more if sandon is 7, Sharpe is right center, gags left wing, and Paix at 14. Crossy starts at 9 and we play essentially 3 props to start with crossland going to 13 afterwards. Dont need much ball play through the middle the opening 20 either.
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honestly think it’s a great gameplan for anyone who plays that 14 (main hooker) role, even if it’s Sandon Smith, Harrison Graham or Matty Arthur… think it’s really adds some steel to our defence to start the game
 
nighttiime said:
I like it. I like it even more if sandon is 7, Sharpe is right center, gags left wing, and Paix at 14. Crossy starts at 9 and we play essentially 3 props to start with crossland going to 13 afterwards. Dont need much ball play through the middle the opening 20 either.
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Paix re-signed with the Broncos
 
Junior said:
honestly think it’s a great gameplan for anyone who plays that 14 (main hooker) role, even if it’s Sandon Smith, Harrison Graham or Matty Arthur… think it’s really adds some steel to our defence to start the game
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The other day I guessed that Holbrook might put both a hooker and a utility on the bench - ie Graham/Arthur + Gamble - with Gamble playing 30-40 as a designated bench lock, based on the kinds of lineups he picked at the Titans, with McEwen on the bench playing 60 and Frizell starting edge and moving middle. He would literally just bring off the starting 9 when they were gassed rather than tactically so often the bench hooker played like 15 minutes.

Thinking on it more the part which I kind of didn’t factor in is he’d play Tino and MoFo for huge minutes a lot, so not really asking much of the bench was more viable there. We don’t really have middles with those sorts of motors.

So I think it’ll be either Crossland playing 80, Gamble bench lock, OR a bench hooker, with Phoenix doing the starting hooker/transition to lock role. Depends on how ready the young fellas are.

I stand by the call he’ll bring one of his inexperienced back rowers off the bench rather than ask 80 of them though. Then two genuine props in the other spots.
 
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