Coach Benji 👑

[magpies forever]

Honestly I look at the teams in the top 8 and compare our individual players in each position in relation to their natural ability, skill level, fitness, strength and size, mental attitude- and there is simply no getting around the facts. Our guys are just not at the same standard.
The posts in here about early in the season when this player or that player was firing - realistically, match them up player for player, across the season. Blame Benji if you like but in my mind it’s blatantly clear we just don’t have the types of players to compete with the best clubs.
Winning games like those on the weekend when both teams have 17 players who are all at the top of their game and putting in 100%, comes down to elite players who can make something from the smallest break or create something from nothing. We simply don’t have those guys - not even one, yet teams like the Panthers or Roosters or Phins have 5 or 6.
I’m not saying we can’t make the finals because we certainly could but winning the comp - that’s going to take a different group of players.

I don't think we will ever get the best players as the major clubs always / regularly get. I think our limit on current roster and potential gets into the foreseeable future will be somewhere positions 6 thru 10. And even that would require better coaching, fitness, game plans, interchange usage, organisation in attack and defence. All that is on the coaching and fitness guys. We have been found wanting there without much change or hope at present.

Edit- also looking at rosters, think we are typical example of lower rung teams in lack of roster depth. It's really only top 4 or 6 that have great depth.

 

[Telltails]

Honestly I look at the teams in the top 8 and compare our individual players in each position in relation to their natural ability, skill level, fitness, strength and size, mental attitude- and there is simply no getting around the facts. Our guys are just not at the same standard.
The posts in here about early in the season when this player or that player was firing - realistically, match them up player for player, across the season. Blame Benji if you like but in my mind it’s blatantly clear we just don’t have the types of players to compete with the best clubs.
Winning games like those on the weekend when both teams have 17 players who are all at the top of their game and putting in 100%, comes down to elite players who can make something from the smallest break or create something from nothing. We simply don’t have those guys - not even one, yet teams like the Panthers or Roosters or Phins have 5 or 6.
I’m not saying we can’t make the finals because we certainly could but winning the comp - that’s going to take a different group of players.

Yep - I do this every year when people start the talk that we should be making the eight.
And it's always the same we fall short against at least 10 other teams in the competition in personnel, and to be any chance would have to keep our top squad on the field unearth an untapped talent , and hope that other teams falter and or get hit by injury.
There is far stronger teams than ours on paper that didn't make the eight this season- Brisbane Canberra and arguably Manly and Bulldogs all finalists last year. That leaves us around where we finished up.

 

[orange&black]

I don't think we will ever get the best players as the major clubs always / regularly get. I think our limit on current roster and potential gets into the foreseeable future will be somewhere positions 6 thru 10. And even that would require better coaching, fitness, game plans, interchange usage, organisation in attack and defence. All that is on the coaching and fitness guys. We have been found wanting there without much change or hope at present.

I think you’re right, our best hope is that with the right development and “culture” in place, plus all the things you mentioned, we are able to bring through a group of talented young players that want to stay and are elite compared to the players that are going around at the successful clubs. Almost like the next generation. The Panthers did this years ago - and once you have success then astute roster management and talent ID can bring in the additions you need.
In the meantime leadership and experience along with quality coaching are the keys to help develop those young guys.

 

[Jolls]

Yep - I do this every year when people start the talk that we should be making the eight.
And it's always the same we fall short against at least 10 other teams in the competition in personnel, and to be any chance would have to keep our top squad on the field unearth an untapped talent , and hope that other teams falter and or get hit by injury.
There is far stronger teams than ours on paper that didn't make the eight this season- Brisbane Canberra and arguably Manly and Bulldogs all finalists last year. That leaves us around where we finished up.

The Broncos are a clear indicator that money and talent are not pre-requisites for success. It sure makes it shit tins easier to win if you have the most money and the best players but attitude and desire is what gets results.

There has been change for the better at WT over the last few years; while the results are not on the board we have been inching towards improvement. We fell apart mid season for a number of reasons: round 1 bye, depth, coaching, off field dramas, but most of all attitude and desire through the hard part of the season.

We definitely need to have HBG tip in more cash to have us competing from a less disadvantaged postion and for Benji to have some stronger and more qualified support. However, I don't think that wins us premierships. Without the funding and performance levels we aren't attacting the highest calibre players that play the game in the same manner as the top four teams. We need to be revolutionary in our approach to the game, not trying to emulate what Penrith do.

So it Benji really the wrong coach? Do we need assistant coaches that come from systems that we don't have the player stock to emulate? Is the family first player centred approach wrong, or is it the genesis of the next revolution in Rugby League?

None of us know for sure - but what we need is a system that works for what we have. We had a working system at the start of last year but that proved to be unsustainable. But is was clearly a step in the right direction, we were able to win games in a fashion that other sides weren't based on attitude and commitment. Add a bit of talent, a hard head in the pack, and a pair of halves that enable play instead of hogging the ball or dancing in circles and we are another step closer to September footy.

This off season will be interesting: does AD walk, does he transition or does he play a similar running role at 6? Were do Latu and Javon fit into the picture? Does Schuster recapture his form and push someone into Reggies? How do Roberts and Aho fit into the squad? Can Terrell May play a more direct role?

We have some talent and starting to develop some depth. Not enough yet but itis not all doom and gloom.