I find this forum wierd - people ask for change well next year we get new head coach, new assiatants, whole new strength and conditioning department, almost a whole new pack from last night and very different backline from where we started the year and still prob 4 or 5 more changes in playing personel to come. They have blown the place up as people requested and next 2 yrs will show if that worked or not but im not sure you could ask for much more change yet I see some many complaining that nothing is changing
There's not as much change as there appears on the playing side of things - and I think people have the right to be uneasy about the process given how bungled it's been thus far.
Breaking it down further:
Head coach: change should have come at the end of last year when it was obvious to all and sundry that it wasn't working (see: 0-38 against a woeful CB in the last round).
Once we finally did make a change this year, we publicly approached a single candidate only for him to pass just as publicly. We then appointed the guy who was tasked to lead the recruitment, who hasn't coached in the NRL for 10 years.
Hartigan: rightfully dismissed given his record, replaced by Sheens. Role is now vacant given Sheens has had to shift offices and coach.
Also rescued McDonnell from his real estate career to get back in the recruitment game, despite dismal returns on his first go around over a decade ago.
Coaching staff/high performance etc: seems we are making changes here across the board but obviously nothing will come out officially until the summer. A good thing, no doubt - provided we get the appointments right.
Pathways: finally we've realised that this area needs nurturing, with Betsey and co being introduced. The system and roles still seem rather opaque and it'd be good to get some further clarity on the structure, but that'd be asking too much given the pitiful nature of our comms team.
Playing staff: the big one. Two great signings coming aboard, but outside of that things are pretty worrying given we only
have three spots left in our '23 top 30. Good to give some kids an opportunity, but swapping the likes of Jimmy Roberts for Tristan Reilly isn't going to shift our prospects.
Since the Sheens announcement we've re-signed three painfully average centres, one of which (To'a) was the worst amongst a pitiful lot last night.
We look extremely weak up front: we have one senior edge forward signed for next season, and our best middle from this season (Joffa) is unsigned.
Our halves are in total flux and are all off contract by the end of '23.
Backs are completely devoid of quality. Our one potentially good winger has attitude problems and was given away to one of the competition heavyweights for free and is already succeeding. A plethora of average misfits in the centres. A small but somewhat promising FB that is miles away from being a consistent performer.
Like you, and most, I am expecting (hoping?) that there'll be a fair bit of movement of contracted players in and out over the summer, but I'm also expecting that we'll get most of the important decisions wrong, given the track record of all involved.
tl/dr: everything's a mess, we're doomed