Benji 2025 and Beyond

[TIGERS]

I don’t think he has to go. Before the Galvin debacle the team was doing much better. They now need time to build combinations between Luai and Latu.
The players play for him and this is something players didn’t do for Madge or Sheens.
Once KPP comes in, Makasini or May comes in and there’s a bit more depth in lower grades the team will be where it needs to be.

Couple of things I can’t reconcile:
- why he insists on the stay in the game first half, Then play expansive second half.
- what he doesn’t use his full bench. There could be method to madness, but I think ultimately he needs to show more trust in all his players.

I do think they probably need another attack coach, but as a leader Benji is what the club needs.

We need to remember this rebuild was always going to be harder than the bulldogs. When Ciraldo got there Gould had already been there 2 years. We have improved out of site, and we are still a young team.

This is a really good post.

Benji is clearly struggling with match day decisions. It's just guesswork, but I think he's being too logical and tactical as a coach, and maybe some of the bigger things are getting missed. I'm starting to seriously consider that Benji might be a brilliant GM of football, just not a head coach.

Today was never about who is playing 9 or 7 or whatever. Why shift things up the way we did missing so many key players? Keep it simple and make the game about effort, concentration and control.

 

[innsaneink]

The club made the mistake of bringing back Sheens originally no argument on that, but I do have to question how many people were legit interested in the head coach job after Madge was given the boot. I doubt there was many tbh but Sheens should have never been given the job again. If Benji was gonna be given the job he should’ve had a proper apprenticeship not as an assistant for one year to be given the head coach job the next. I blame the club on that one not so much Benji. But I do think he’s on borrowed time.

No one was interested in the job

 

[GNR4LIFE]

This is a really good post.

Benji is clearly struggling with match day decisions. It's just guesswork, but I think he's being too logical and tactical as a coach, and maybe some of the bigger things are getting missed. I'm starting to seriously consider that Benji might be a brilliant GM of football, just not a head coach.

Today was never about who is playing 9 or 7 or whatever. Why shift things up the way we did missing so many key players? Keep it simple and make the game about effort, concentration and control.

He definitely has a place at the club. I don’t want him gone entirely. But he has to make a lateral move to a role better suited to him. Head coach isn’t it.

 

[magpies forever]

What about Dean Young as a potential coach? I think we need an ex forward who knows the business and can get our forward pack doing what they should. From a good forward pack and momentum, even an average backline can do some damage. I reckon with Luai and Latu we have resonably competent halves.

 

[Needaname]

Looks like our final round of interviews are with Brad Arthur & Willie Peters.

Huh?

 

[Needaname]

We should be looking at Willie Peters. He's completely transformed Hull KR since taking over. They've won their first trophy in 40 years a few weeks ago, and he currently has them in 1st with a 14-1 record. They are currently scoring an average of 33.6 points per game, while only conceding an average of 8 points per game. This is what JWH has said about him:


The best part is that he is basically Richo's protege.

Didn’t we have Willie Peters within our coaching staff of the lower graders and there was a spat or something where he got offended and left?

 

[Glenji95]

No one was interested in the job

Given how we’ve been towards coaches it’s a possibility.

 

[Glenji95]

Didn’t we have Willie Peters within our coaching staff of the lower graders and there was a spat or something where he got offended and left?

Not sure if they’re was a spat but yes he coached our NYC side in 2016. Think we finished 6th or 7th from memory.

 

[Demps]

What about Dean Young as a potential coach? I think we need an ex forward who knows the business and can get our forward pack doing what they should. From a good forward pack and momentum, even an average backline can do some damage. I reckon with Luai and Latu we have resonably competent halves.

Dean Young?

He supported Brett Finch through his child abuse trial, instead of condemning him.

I can't get behind that.

 

[boonboon]

Personally I would keep Benji for 26 and 27. 2025 was meant to be his first year as head coach and the team has improved significantly as have many individuals, the key players in the squad want to play for Benji and replacing a head coach just starts all over again at this stage.

Since Richo joined the squad we have has improved markedly in 1 yr and will be better again next year not just in top liners but depth is obviously on the improve with players coming in and those more obviously on the way out.

 

[watersider]

Ahhh what a disaster that we destroyed Benji's reputation in the game. Everything we do is always disorganised and impatient and then changed, exactly as with hiring Benji. It was another miracle cut out ball/flick pass in our own half that the club tried to throw when we had a chance to gain some momentum and instead that ball sadly ended up going over the sideline...

Being 20 years on from our premiership, the pain and bitterness of it is even worse.

Maybe Richo knows what he's doing and can get us out of this.

 

[watersider]

Personally I would keep Benji for 26 and 27. 2025 was meant to be his first year as head coach and the team has improved significantly as have many individuals, the key players in the squad want to play for Benji and replacing a head coach just starts all over again at this stage.

Since Richo joined the squad we have has improved markedly in 1 yr and will be better again next year not just in top liners but depth is obviously on the improve with players coming in and those more obviously on the way out.

I think to do that you need to point to some improvement. Defensively we're as weak as ever, attack we're as dysfunctional as ever. We have juniors wanting to leave and regressing, we have facets of our game that looked promising, getting worse.i tend to agree that you always wonder what a coach might do next season, but I believe there was enough quality recruited and this being at least Benji's 2nd year you want to see more progress rather than the exact same pattern of mediocrity. This team is not physically strong enough and doesn't have a clear enough structure and intent to succeed. It is not player quality, but hesitation and indecision and confusion from even our best. That's just not acceptable.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Personally I would keep Benji for 26 and 27. 2025 was meant to be his first year as head coach and the team has improved significantly as have many individuals, the key players in the squad want to play for Benji and replacing a head coach just starts all over again at this stage.

Since Richo joined the squad we have has improved markedly in 1 yr and will be better again next year not just in top liners but depth is obviously on the improve with players coming in and those more obviously on the way out.

Just out of curiosity, do you have a pass mark for him in 26 to stay on in 27? The way it’s looking now, we are at minimum a bottom 4 side. I know a lot of people will be revisionist’s and say that was expected this year, but that’s BS. The general consensus was we would hover around the edge of the 8. Around 10th was the most popular opinion. That’s more than unlikely now. So with 3 spoons, and at best a bottom 4 finish, what’s the expectation for 27? It’s unacceptable for there to be no improvement in regards to where we finish. His free pass is surely nearing its expiry date

 

[boonboon]

Just out of curiosity, do you have a pass mark for him in 26 to stay on in 27? The way it’s looking now, we are at minimum a bottom 4 side. I know a lot of people will be revisionist’s and say that was expected this year, but that’s BS. The general consensus was we would hover around the edge of the 8. Around 10th was the most popular opinion. That’s more than unlikely now. So with 3 spoons, and at best a bottom 4 finish, what’s the expectation for 27? It’s unacceptable for there to be no improvement in regards to where we finish. His free pass is surely nearing its expiry date

At this stage given I don't know what the roster will look like - I think a pass mark for 2026 us 50% win rate

When I compare 2025 so far with 2024

In 2024
Win/Loss = 6/24 (25%)
Points for - 19.29
Points Against - 31.25
Games Conceeding 40+ = 8 (33%)
Games Scoring 20+ = 8 (33%)
Losses by 6 or less = 1 from 18

In 2025 so far
Win/Loss = 5 from 15 (33%)
Points for = 19.33
Points Against = 24.93
Games conceeding 40+ = 2 (13%)
Games scoring 20+ = 9 (60%)
Losses by 6 or less = 5 from 10 (and that doesent include the bunnies game where Galvin dropped the ball over the line with 2 mins to go)

If I compare the 2 seasons so far in 2025 vs the whole of 2024 then this season has seen a significant uplift. Our attack is more consistent, our defence is better, we are winning more games and we have been right in games for 80 minutes which we wernt last year at all.

To me that says we so far have made big strides this year and i think people forget just how bad we were last year.

So if we can win 3 more this year and maintain that competitiveness in most games then it's enough to continue onto next year where I would expect to go to around 11-13 games and be on edge of the 8.

Now the big thing for all sides is keeping your spine on the field and having better depth across the other positions. Last night we did not have any of our first choice spine from the pre-season on the field in their normal position - only Api out of position, if that happens you lose - that Manly only got 28 and not 40-60 was a big positive last night.

I think our depth has improved this yr v last yr and will get better as we sign a couple more.

So yeah I would keep Benji because we have seen progress and the advantage of him being still new to coaching is his improvement curve is steeper then an experienced coach who are what they will be (see Madge).

 

[crazycat]

yep , guys like that need to be seen ,so the coach that was rubber stamped , holds up to the woke way of things

??

Huh?

The next coach needs to be seen so that Benji gets a jump and thinks about the team more then holidays.

 

[king_sirro]

The crap thing is i think Benji is showing some great signs of someone who could have been a very good coach. Only problem is, instead of having an amateur career to ply his trade, then work his way up in an appropriate manner, he went straight for a world title shot after a couple of sparring sessions.

 

[tigeress]

We used 37 players, 12 made their debut and we won 2 more games than last season.
Losses: Stefano, Papalii, Tupou, Sezer
Gains: Luai, Turuva, Skelton, Hunt, Bird, Horsburgh (likely)

I'm pretty disappointed with tonight but he deserves at least 1 more year. He needs better assistants.

Benji needs to see that he needs better support, and take advice from that person (coach) for the sake of the club he and we all love, but it's hard to put up with the nonsense this team produces week after week- there is something wrong.
I thought they looked pathetic last night against Manly ( I assume they are ashamed of themselves )

 

[Tom Shines]

No one was interested in the job

It’s ancient history now but…

Flanagan ?

 

[Tom Shines]

The crap thing is i think Benji is showing some great signs of someone who could have been a very good coach.

Really ..what are they?

 

[BAGNF05]

At this stage given I don't know what the roster will look like - I think a pass mark for 2026 us 50% win rate

When I compare 2025 so far with 2024

In 2024
Win/Loss = 6/24 (25%)
Points for - 19.29
Points Against - 31.25
Games Conceeding 40+ = 8 (33%)
Games Scoring 20+ = 8 (33%)
Losses by 6 or less = 1 from 18

In 2025 so far
Win/Loss = 5 from 15 (33%)
Points for = 19.33
Points Against = 24.93
Games conceeding 40+ = 2 (13%)
Games scoring 20+ = 9 (60%)
Losses by 6 or less = 5 from 10 (and that doesent include the bunnies game where Galvin dropped the ball over the line with 2 mins to go)

If I compare the 2 seasons so far in 2025 vs the whole of 2024 then this season has seen a significant uplift. Our attack is more consistent, our defence is better, we are winning more games and we have been right in games for 80 minutes which we wernt last year at all.

To me that says we so far have made big strides this year and i think people forget just how bad we were last year.

So if we can win 3 more this year and maintain that competitiveness in most games then it's enough to continue onto next year where I would expect to go to around 11-13 games and be on edge of the 8.

Now the big thing for all sides is keeping your spine on the field and having better depth across the other positions. Last night we did not have any of our first choice spine from the pre-season on the field in their normal position - only Api out of position, if that happens you lose - that Manly only got 28 and not 40-60 was a big positive last night.

I think our depth has improved this yr v last yr and will get better as we sign a couple more.

So yeah I would keep Benji because we have seen progress and the advantage of him being still new to coaching is his improvement curve is steeper then an experienced coach who are what they will be (see Madge).

Quality post. Our potential strength this year was our spine, none of which will play next weekend and Galvin blew it up earlier anyway, so recruitment for 26’ now becomes key. I’d still be looking at 3-4 new forwards and Sexton on a 2 year deal.