I'm not sure we totally disagree. My very first paragraph outlines my position that the difference with Benji and other rookie coaches is they earned their promotion through a series of coaching jobs prior to taking over an NRL side. Benji did not.
Now, Benji could have knocked back the job, but the job was already his, albeit after a 2 year apprenticeship which was cut short. That was the plan the club agreed on and they stuck to it.
In saying the above, I'd be more on board with dumping him as coach if we had stability in that area since Sheens left and the attempt was to return to stability, but we have put multiple coaches in and regardless of their pedigree, we dump them before they've had a chance to finish the job. It's time now for stability through thick and thin.
There are some things I do like about Benji and one of them is the roster overhaul. We have been in these situations many times before and a coach will go out and saddle us with big money contracts for players that were never going to perform just to turn the roster. I like Benji and Richos patience in this area and, although painful now, we will see the benefits of this next season or thereafter. It remains to be seen what the real impact of Luai will be and what positions will need to be addressed to get more wins, but we have players on contract that we are obligated to pay until they find a new club or their contracts run out.
I dont think you can give a coach less than a season before you start death riding them. We have a huge number of u20s in the NRL side, non limp j ok on oil suspensions, injuries and underperformers. Let's be honest...what coach would do any better than last with what we have?
All fair points, but your last question can’t be answered and the answer is we don’t know and never will.
Benji was not given the job based on any merit whatsoever. He didn’t have a barest skerrick of experience.
It was a “mates appointment” because people liked him and he is a club icon.
And it’s not a sensible, commercial or ethical way to appoint a coach or anyone else to an important position.
As for stability, stability for its own sake doesn’t cut it. You don’t continue to persist with a losing coach so you swan about and declare “ yeah, we are coming last, but at least we are stable”
I’d rather us be unstable and off the bottom, I’d rather us be unstable but signing better players and having us play better. So long as there is progress on the park.
And once again, it’s not just a case of whether or not the job was his, it’s also about whether or not Benji should have waited until we had more ducks in a row.
And this “rookie coach” nonsense.
In my respectful submission, Benji simply isn’t coping. That’s where we are.
I think he should probably step down, but stay on as an assistant to a new coach. That would take a lot of courage, to have that solemn yet truthful conversation with himself.
Thanks for your side of it, much appreciated.