Coaching

I can't give Sheens and Benji a pass on 2023 from a result perspective; they errantly placed their faith in Brooks and AD to carry the day. However, if you look at the long game I think that despite slicing it off the tee the approach shot in the development of our young players has been pretty good. Add in the latest recruits and, if we putt well, we may save par in 24 and be in a postion to birdie 25.
Good post.
Love the analogy and also think it is pretty apt.
As we know, you need half a dozen ultra competitive, hard, tough players to be successful in this game.
Klemmer, Api, Bateman and Bula have played this way so far in 23. We need another prop at this level and a centre that fits this mould at a minimum.
 
There is still a lot of footy to be played in 2023, so I don't want to get too far ahead, but I am trying to put the Benji/Fulton issue in the rear view mirror and look for some positives from our current coaching arrangement and our latest recruiting developments.

Sure, Sheens and Benji, made a huge error in their assessment of Brooks and AD being a coachable halves combination and have lead us to where we are. However, in the background I am seeing potential benefit from the current "arrangement".

Bula, TDS, Pole, Blore, Uto, Tupou, Feledy and Fianu(s) are a good nucleus to build from. If we can add an experienced half and a quality centre to compliment Api, Klem and Bateman we will have about the right mix to build a team that, with the right pathways system, is sustainable.

We now need to ensure that we follow the Penrith model and develop the talent to drag us off the bottom of the NRL. Despite the results on the field this year I am optomistic about the future. While many are calling for youth to be blooded Sheens had refrained from this. I think rightly so - we are, touch wood, developing a dynasty. Given we can't buy in the cream of the crop we need to invest in these players and bring them into FG when they are ready - not just when we need to fill a gap. While I am not a fan of having TT on the paddock, I think it is probably too early to get Feledy out there and the same can be said for junior Fianu and TDS. However, unless we can get a couple fo good halves over the off season Latu, may be thrown in the deep end.

I trust that Sheens' eye for junior talent combined with what Benji has learn't from Uncle Wayne will make 24 a productive and pivotal year in the development of WT. If we stuff up our investment in our young talent, as has been shown with our recruiting efforts to date, we will not be in a postion to recruit experienced playmakers.

I can't give Sheens and Benji a pass on 2023 from a result perspective; they errantly placed their faith in Brooks and AD to carry the day. However, if you look at the long game I think that despite slicing it off the tee the approach shot in the development of our young players has been pretty good. Add in the latest recruits and, if we putt well, we may save par in 24 and be in a postion to birdie 25.
great post. the Brooks/Doueihi gamble has killed us off in the short term, but for mine it is an experience that Benji has hopefully learnt from early in his career.

experienced halves and outside backs are certainly required as you say, but all this stuff about Marshall and Sheens struggling to develop players is complete hogwash imo, and has only come about since the NQ thrashing. we are on the right path, and it has always been evident that the issue is guidance in the halves.

agree on Feledy and potentially Fainu being held off, pending other signings. I think blooding them both on the left edge would be defensive suicide, so for me its one or the other, or neither. I'm really interested to see what they have in mind. Wakeham off contract and no word on his retention, Sezer allegedly wrapped up and Laurie gone. a Brad Parker or Paul Momirovski might be a good idea.
 
The Tigers scored one try against 13 men and that was from a pass that hit the ground and dribbled along the ground.

The only other try’s were scored against 12 men

I don’t know what benji is doing but it didn’t cause any challenges for the 2nd last team in the comp

Surely they could at least barge over
 
The Tigers scored one try against 13 men and that was from a pass that hit the ground and dribbled along the ground.

The only other try’s were scored against 12 men

I don’t know what benji is doing but it didn’t cause any challenges for the 2nd last team in the comp

Surely they could at least barge over
All true. Still not sure the greatest coaches of all time could get an attack firing that contains Wakeham and Talau in the same team.
 
Benji is attack coach, and that’s where he’s getting found out. He must be speaking a foreign language gauging by the team’s efforts in the attack zone.
The only thing different is the additional passing from anywhere on the field, which I applaud btw.
Robbie is doing a great job, and has improved our D on our line, obviously under the overarching eye of Furner.
 
Yes attack clunky and our slow halfback a big cause of this . Also the basics involve
RUN -DRAW and then PASS . We tend to RUN -PASS or just PASS
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO RUN ATTRACT DEFENDERS AND THEN PASS Putting support player away with overlap . Its pretty basic but we don't do it much .
We always go left and don't mix it up .
I'm willing to give Benji time but I think he should start now .Cant see what Sheens contributes atm
 
Benji is attack coach, and that’s where he’s getting found out. He must be speaking a foreign language gauging by the team’s efforts in the attack zone.
The only thing different is the additional passing from anywhere on the field, which I applaud btw.
Robbie is doing a great job, and has improved our D on our line, obviously under the overarching eye of Furner.

It's lack of class in the halves IMO. Laurie will take time to get fluent in the role, but definitely has something to offer. Wakeham just too slow and lacks the class to cause issues.

If we get Brooks back next week, and finish the year with Laurie next to him, we are a chance of winning a couple.

I wouldn't be against just throwing Laurie into 7. I liked his energy last night, and think he could do well playing more on the ball rather then wider out. His short kicking is good, and Brooks can still do most of the long kicking at 6.

Even watching Laurie play in the halves in KOE cup he does most of the talking. I really think 7 isn't out of the question for him.
 
All good points but at the end of the day if a coach loses 1 of his halves for the full season, the other for half a season who was limited in training due to injury preseason with a new hooker and captain also limited in preseason ball work due to injury and then also missing for long periods with a broken jaw it's season over.

One only has to look at Easts and South's for reference during the last few weeks.

Parramatta looked rudderless without Moses and Brown.
 
We have to be the worst attacking team I've seen in well over 20 years.

I realise we have had to play third string halves in the last two months or so and that doesn't help, however even when we had our full team on the park earlier in the season we lost 8 games straight and had absolutely no idea what to do when we got to the opposition 20. So the excuse that this is only because we have injuries doesn't cut it.

Last night we only scored when it was 13 on 12.

Sheens spent the whole off season telling us all that we will look like a different team this season, and they didn't stop doing passing drills. Yet we look like an extremely poorly coached team.

I'd love to know what on earth do they do at training?
 
We have to be the worst attacking team I've seen in well over 20 years.

I realise we have had to play third string halves in the last two months or so and that doesn't help, however even when we had our full team on the park earlier in the season we lost 8 games straight and had absolutely no idea what to do when we got to the opposition 20. So the excuse that this is only because we have injuries doesn't cut it.

Last night we only scored when it was 13 on 12.


I'd love to know what on earth do they do at training?

Don't forget the times the tigers have conceded tries whilst being up a man.

It's happened numerous times.

Also the tigers have been playing with 3rd string halves since Prince left.
 
We have to be the worst attacking team I've seen in well over 20 years.

I realise we have had to play third string halves in the last two months or so and that doesn't help, however even when we had our full team on the park earlier in the season we lost 8 games straight and had absolutely no idea what to do when we got to the opposition 20. So the excuse that this is only because we have injuries doesn't cut it.

Last night we only scored when it was 13 on 12.

Sheens spent the whole off season telling us all that we will look like a different team this season, and they didn't stop doing passing drills. Yet we look like an extremely poorly coached team.

I'd love to know what on earth do they do at training?

Lot's of reasons for the poor performances but our attack looks really ordinary and we've won 3 games this season.
 
Our coaching is definitely one of our biggest issues. Having an old and out of touch head coach, and two rookie assistants who seems to be have been given more than they can handle. The sad reality is no rookie should be coaching us in attack or defence, they can assist those doing the coaching, but having never coached before neither Robbie or Benji are in a position to be leading training sessions. Furner and Sheens should be running nearly all sessions with the others observing and learning and less hands on.

You only need to look at how chaotic and unorganised the team have been all season. Our attack has never looked worse. Defensively horrible too. One month of good footy as an outlier but you can clearly see that whomever has been coaching our attack is not a good coach. They cannot develop a game plan that suits their players, nor are the players clear on what they have to do. The players don't even have the skillset to do what the coaches want.
It's a complete shambles and you can totally understand players and agents wanting assurances that the same mess won't happen again.
 

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