Currently overseas so have been lurking on the site when I can to try and keep up.to date.
I missed the last two games but watched a replay of this weeks. I had seen the score and read through this thread before I watched so it wasn't an emotional experience; just trying to get a feel for the why.
After thinking hard on this I think our problem is two fold. The obvious positional issue is our lack of halves. The other is club morale.
I think Tim's lack of composure in the post match presser was as telling as what is happening on the field. We know that we went all in on Brooks and AD being our halves solution and that failed but with them both injured we are running out a halves combo that is well below NRL standard.
Wakeham's lack of courage/skill means that our edges/inside backs get the ball too early and in poor position. That affects evetything else we are trying to execute in attack.
We could swap our centres with any other clubs pairing and it wouldn't make a great deal of difference unless we can change the halves combo. We are stuck with what we have for this season so I can't see a great deal of improvement in our attack.
Our defence seems to be getting worse despite what I am sure is a lot of hard work during the week. We all know that defence is 75% attitude and 25% skill. You could see tofay that many of our guys weren't interested once their "involvement" was over.
Plenty of blame being laid on the coaches, but it was clear from Tim's frustration that the plans aren't being executed. Given how we stripped the game right back after the first bye round it isn't because the plan is too complex. We have gone from being in the fight to being blown off the park. What has changed since then?
Joffa shown the door, Brooks and Api injured, Fulton appointment, Brooks low balled (players view), media focus on management.
As much as the coaches and players say they focus on what they can control; they can't control morale and morale is directly related to attitude. An average side with a good attitude can defeat a star studded side with none.
Us and the Dragons will be fighting for the spoon because of what has happened around the team not so much the lack of talent we have.
I personally think that our halves situation makes us favourites for the spoon. I'm not a fan of TT in the centres or AJ on the wing, but with a quality halves pairing and some morale our backline could be effective. Even better is if we replaces them with Staines and Naden.
We can drag ourselves outnofnthis mess though.
Morale is a product of leadership and standards. What our club needs is a lesson in leadership. Fix that and the rest will follow.
Leaders make the hard right decisions:
Letting Offa go may have been the right financial decision but how much of an effect has it had on morale? How much has the Brooks saga affected team cohesion? What effect has the Fulton appointment had?
Our board does not understand, or.did not.even consider, the second and third order effects of their decisions on the teams we field.
With the right leadership we don't have the media scrutiny, we don't have morale issues and we don't get beat by 70 odd.
The board need to get Gadget, Fiasco and Sheens into a room and not let them out until they can agree on a coordinated approach to delivering a successful team. A single vision, defined roles and a united effort is the only way ahead.
Our on field results reflect our off the field issues and until we acknowledge.and address those issue we will continue to be bottom dwellers.
