Sack Adam O’Brien

AOB not realising the fans are usually included in the siege mentality.

Pretty poor comments to one of the most faithful support bases in the league.
The only justification I can see to that comment was a few weeks ago, when the crowd was cheering and chanting Newcastle when we scored a consolation try when the game was over.

I agree with some posts that the booing may have served as a bit of a wake up call. I was watching Ponga coming off, to see his reaction, and he turned to the group and said something.
I don’t think anybody was targeting the young players in that booing, it seemed a message to the club as a whole that this is unacceptable and uninspired.

It was great that the crowd got behind them in the second half when they play a more inspired and enthused game.


I just don’t know how he takes credit for that.
Unless his half time speech was “forget the game plan”.
The second half was so far from AOB ball or the style we seem insistent on playing. Contesting attacking kicks directly lead to 2 tries. Throwing the ball around lead to great yardage and lots of attacking runs.

I’m curious how we come out to play next week.
 
I wonder how much AOB is aware of what he says one week to the next. He strikes me as a bloke that just says whatever in the moment that he feels gets him the best optics, and that will change one week to the next.

AOB in the presser right after KP just said he shanked the kick that Hunt ran through and batted back in field, so there was no plan for Hunt to come through and contest it. Right after that, OB is talking up playing to Hunt competing for attacking kicks. Yet we haven't seen it thus far, except one kick earlier in the half and who knows if that was even the plan then.

We have played such a dire, controlled, percentage grinding game plan all year, came out this game, first half was cookie cut Knights attack. Second half players are throwing the ball around, spreading the ball sideline to sideline and making breaks, scoring points. And AOB sits there and wants us to believe that is his influence, his coaching?

And the comment about not having a play 1 or play 2 front rower, since when are our front rowers taking play 1 and 2 hitups? He just latched on to that as his latest excuse for how his game plan doesn't work.
 
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Adam in the first half losing it like all us normies and then the superior SuperCoach he wants us to believe he is in the second.

That comment about booing is the final straw he’s a maggot.
 
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danknights said:
I did not appreciate aobs comments at all. It triggered me and I'm sure there's plenty of emails sitting in knights hq inbox this morning regarding it. It's a way to get people not playing for memberships next year. Disrespectful to every single person sitting in that stadium last night.
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There would have been people in that stadium that were 30 years older that AOB who were as upset as anyone with what was being dished up in that first half and 10 mins into the second. I have to agree, surely what he said sounds alarm bells with management? I think prouder clubs in the same position would have been sharpening the axe for use this morning?
 
Hutcho said:
Yeah that is ****ing disgusting from AOB.
I’m a weirdo, in that I end up supporting the players more than the club. I would never support another team and in certain circumstances my love for the red and blue can make me bitter towards certain players when they choose to leave. But for the most part I’m happy when Watson gets called into origin, I’m happy Barnett got called into origin both players 100% deserve their spots. And when they were here, they always put effort into games. I was ****ing pissed when Lucas was still in the conversation for being selected for NSW and he had one last game to impress and our genius coach plays him in the centres - a position that no longer suits his physical attributes. Same thing when he played Best a few days after one of the most intense origin games in recent memory, best already was in doubt for the origin game (if yall remember there was footage of him struggling to run at training and new rumours every day that he’d failed to train etc.). Best plays and tears his ****ing hamstring and is out for 8 weeks or whatever it was.
Anyone who defends his coaching IQ and general game plan is a lost cause. Our few tries we score come off individual brilliance or desperation plays. Tonight was no exception.
We have Fletcher Sharpe, Bradman Best, Kalyn Ponga, Dylan Lucas, Greg Marzhew, Dane Gagai - the lack of attack cannot be excused. Yes we lack genuine halves, but those players I just named are among the most dynamic attacking players in the comp. There’s an argument to be made that Greg isn’t. To that I say ********. You get him one-on-one with his opposite number 20-30ms out from the try line on the end of a simple backline movement - he scores 9/10.
Lucas would have to be one of the better attacking backrowers in the comp with his committed lines he runs, his speed and agility (on these points I’d back him against any backrower in the comp). The others speak for themselves. It’s simple ****, yet they look like a bunch of talented 16 year olds who are coached by one of the obese dads who “doesn’t watch the footy that much anymore, but i went alright for Dudley magpies under 12s in my day”.
But what is now becoming more evident, is that he’s not even a particular good guy. There were the rumours which I won’t go into but I think we’ve all heard them.. (something about a scene at the races involving a fan). I ignored them, but now going off some of his comments and decisions to allow players to play when they should be made to rest and recover… and tonight’s press conference was that bad, he should honestly apologise this week. If he apologised for shooting down talk of Dylan Brown in a stern manner… well then **** me. The fans who braved the freezing cold on a school/work night to watch a team who have failed to score points in 8 halves or whatever it is, and have lost their last 4 games at home deserve handjobs for being accused of knowing nothing about football - because they expressed frustration at yet another scoreless first half and some soft arse defence. You think booing is bad Adam? I don’t watch the ****ing games live anymore, I check the live scores on nrl.com intermittently until we’ve scored a couple of tries or the game is close, and then I’ll watch the game delayed. I already confessed to not watching last week’s game. And I watched every single game we played when Brown was coaching and we were wooden spooners because then we literally had children playing first grade. We were losing because we were being bashed by men. Now we’re losing because we stick to the same under 8s game plan every week. Apologies for all the cursing
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That pretty much sums it up for many people around us in the Andrew Johns stand last night.
And by the way, nobody around us were booing at half time.
 
Sarge said:
Exactly when we were behind 16-12 actually said to my mate if we lose now at least we are playing some footy
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I was saying that to my wife at the same point when I was getting hyped and she was sitting there visibly worried because she's seen how miserable I've been for weeks, I guess she assumed it would break me if they lost.

But I always say - it's not about the winning or losing, sometimes the other team is just better and you're in for a rough time as a footy fan if you can't accept that. And I said that to her, "I'm okay if they lose, I just want them to play well and play to their strengths, and they are now."

If they compete for everything, play good footy, play tough, and lose, I can cop that and be happy and proud to be a Knights fan. They deadset bombed a finals win last year and yet I was still happy & proud as a fan because of the level they hit in an away game against a fringe top 4 team, playing with a makeshift halves combo - I didn't think they had it in them last year, quite frankly - and it gave me a lot of optimism for 2025.

I can legit cop that, the most devastating late loss you can imagine, over playing boring, turgid footy and winning against another team playing even worse footy.
 
On AOB: When they were introducing the team on the big screen, every player got a cheer, and then when they got to the coach, massive boo around the stadium, apparently.

It's possible he was just butthurt about that specifically.

But hey maybe don't coach the team to try to win the ruck by asking 95-100kg back rowers to try to run directly over the top of Bullemor, Sipley and Jake Turbo mate. Maybe Tom Cant is going to struggle to win a collision with Junior Paulo! Is that possible, Adam?
 
Hes obviously not lost the players. I agree with his comments in the presser. what message does it send to those young players, debutants & lower grade players about our fans.
We've played alot worse this year with better players out there than we did last night.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
On AOB: When they were introducing the team on the big screen, every player got a cheer, and then when they got to the coach, massive boo around the stadium, apparently.

It's possible he was just butthurt about that specifically.

But hey maybe don't coach the team to try to win the ruck by asking 95-100kg back rowers to try to run directly over the top of Bullemor, Sipley and Jake Turbo mate. Maybe Tom Cant is going to struggle to win a collision with Junior Paulo! Is that possible, Adam?
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I thought our smaller guys were more physical at times last night, rather than running over the top we were able to get more in the tackle & push them back. I bet Cogger feels like hes been hit by a train this morning.
 
His comment reminds me of the Kiwis at the Rugby League World Cup in 2017. David Kidwell as coach tried to create this siege mentality ... when the Kiwis were bundled out in the quarter final vs Fiji it manifested as Adam Blair saying "this isn't a negative for us" and Shaun Johnson saying "Everyone who doubted us - the fans, media - you got your way".

It can't be easy getting that reception but it is from fans who want the team to succeed. How many scoreless first halves have we had this year? We were barely averaging two tries per game. Anyone could see it was going to be another insipid performance if we didn't come out with a totally different energy in the second half.

Those Kiwis comments were reflective of a culture and team that had gone totally off the rails. I hope the same can't be said for the Knights and they can perhaps as a club get a bit more in tune with how the average fan is feeling.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
On AOB: When they were introducing the team on the big screen, every player got a cheer, and then when they got to the coach, massive boo around the stadium, apparently.

It's possible he was just butthurt about that specifically.

But hey maybe don't coach the team to try to win the ruck by asking 95-100kg back rowers to try to run directly over the top of Bullemor, Sipley and Jake Turbo mate. Maybe Tom Cant is going to struggle to win a collision with Junior Paulo! Is that possible, Adam?
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I watched the game again this morning actually thought we were quite expansive in the opening 25 of the game we just kept dropping it. Actually think if we had Best at left centre we might have iced 1 or 2 shifts down the left but instead Schiller was all at sea. Definitely more ball movement than it felt at the time anyway. We go back into our shells towards the end of the half but thought that was probably because of all the errors.
 
Terrible comments from the coach and he shouldn't have said it but at least he was defending his young players that didn't deserve that reaction from the crowd. In his time here he has said some great things about our fans and always talks about wanting to play well in front of them. He has also been apart of watching us play badly but it falls on him and he looks like it's affecting him, so his comments were just a reaction against those who booing what is essentially his life's passion and something he would most definitely take home with him.
I'm sure most people here would hate it if people started attacking something you spend all of of your time working on. Who would honestly be crazy enough to be a full time coach.
I know I have always asked for the coach to show a little passion and show some kind of reaction in the pressers and he did, he defended the team that those who booed support.
People are frustrated and oh boy do I get it but try being in his shoes for that one.
Maybe the booing was a bit harsh for this game? If it was our full first grade side then maybe it's more warranted I don't know.
The comments by the coach were not good and you shouldn't speak out against the fans and supporters of the team but sometimes something has to be said.
AOB made some great coaching decisions in the 2nd half, he changed players positions and changed the game plan so it's clear there is someone who has at least watched a game there.
I know it sounds like I'm defending him on this one but I just wanted to point out that he was defending his team and his job and so he should.
At least he didn't call people weak gutted dogs
 
I just watched the presser from last nights game & I gotta say, I’ve never been more disgusted with comments from a Knights Coach. How dare he say the people that booed, don’t have any idea about footy. Mate if you want to see someone that hasn’t a clue about footy, look in the f$&#ing mirror your moron. The fans that booed, had every right to, given the crap the players dished up in the first half ( probably from your crap game plan) & hey Adam, of course the people that booed in the first half, were the ones cheering in the second half. If the team is playing like crap & have been constantly, of course you would boo. On the other hand, when they get it right & have a go, (probably by throwing AOB’s game plan in the garbage where it belongs) why wouldn’t you cheer. It’s a well known fact that Newcastle fans are the most loyal in the League & the crowd booing was trying to send a message, not just to the players, but to the knights Organisation as a whole, that while we are loyal, we have had enough of a coach that hasn’t a clue & a game plan that sucks. The other thing the booing was trying to convey was, hey guys, this is not good enough from a team, supported by the most loyal fans in Australia. Then you have a Moron of a coach that says we know nothing about footy! I am now certain that AOB not only doesn’t know a good game plan if it bit him on the ar$e, he also doesn’t understand the passion of Newcastle supporters, this was highlighted in the presser when AOB said he was pretty happy with their first half! Your kidding yourself mate, the first half was a train wreck!
I’ve supported the knights since they came into the comp. through the good times ( 97 & 01) & the bad times of the Wooden Spoon years. One thing was certain back then, even if they lost, you were still proud of the boys because they were having a go & that’s all the Newcastle fans ask for. Sure we want a successful team but if they are playing tough & leaving it all out on the field, that’s all we can ask for. I just feel since AOB arrived on the scene, the team has lost that do or die attitude & let’s be honest, he is NOT a good coach! Please, please Newcastle, get rid of this fool ASAP.
 
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