You do realise the cattle Benji is working with ?? They are competing every week , all the boys are playing for him and want to be here because of him … until he has a strike centre, a strike second rower and a prop to help Terrell I refuse to blame Benji for us being beat in close games
You're absolutely correct, but that's only half true. Having a strike centre etc doesn't stop Luai being sent off. That first half against the Cowboys was
bad.
Benji is brilliant, we are getting better, but Benji is shanking some key match day decision making moments as a coach. That's probably the area where he needs to grow most. I think tactically and culturally within the walls of concord is a fab place to be. I still think he's a bit blind to the importance of some moments in a season and misreads what kind of performance is needed from his team. Or how to set them up.
The spoon bowl was the first really noticeable one for me, he sent the team out to have fun and express themselves in a massive grudge match. Misread. We got flogged and an extra wooden spoon at home. That was really disrespectful to all the punters who turned up to Campbelltown and even Richo had to spray players for joking while getting flogged and earning another spoon.
He sent the next team out at the same ground to play super conservative against an absolutely abysmal Knights side. Two points lost. Misread.
This week, we couldn't put together 10 minutes of coherent footy after the kickoff, following a bye. If anything
this was the game to start super conservative and ease into. First game without Galvin, after a rest, a chance to restart/reset our season. Luai would be skinned alive for what he did in that game by an experienced coach. He's the main man. Instead we are sliding back to last season and we are back to being F&CJ)Up central and being proud of nearly fixing up mess that we made ourselves.
He can't get the team to perform at Campbelltown with even close to the same passion that they play with at Leichardt. He can handle the media spotlight really well in most cases, but I don't think he's figured out all the little mind games and tricks guys like Ricky Stuart and Wayne Bennett play to detract from a sides poor performance.
