Taylor Losing the Room?

[Shaneandmaddy]

I don't want to seem like a Jason Taylor hater, growing up loving the Magpies by brother and I used to argue about who was going to play Jason Taylor in our games of backyard footy, but this year has been sad. Being a long time member I cant handle these games and the constant excuses about salary cap issues etc.
The team seems like it is going backwards, the Gold Coast and Panthers game were both a disgrace and I don't see it getting any better. Those above mentioned games I walked out of the ground before full-time something I have never dreamed of doing.
My concern is, we keep hearing about how good Taylor is as a coach, but his record states otherwise, of 104 games for 46 wins at 44%. Is he really capable of improving the team.
Maybe he is like Stephen Kearney (another former Magpie) a fantastic assistant coach, but not a good head coach.
I hope I'm wrong, as I love our team and tired of all my dragon loving mates giving it to me

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I don't get lambasting Taylor for not moving Lawrence to centre either. I would not have moved him either as he's our best option at second rower. Moving him back to a position he's struggled in for the best part of 3 seasons is Sheenius. He's high on confidence at the moment after making a successful move, leave him there. Don't stuff the bloke about any more when he has found his groove.

I think we really hurt missing Halatau.

 

[Tim Sheens]

I don't get lambasting Taylor for not moving Lawrence to centre either. I would not have moved him either as he's our best option at second rower. Moving him back to a position he's struggled in for the best part of 3 seasons is Sheenius. He's high on confidence at the moment after making a successful move, leave him there. Don't stuff the bloke about any more when he has found his groove.

I think we really hurt missing Halatau.

By all means leave him there in attack if you wish CB. However, whilst centre may only be one position wider, in defence it is worlds apart, particularly with a right side backrower trying to figure it out.

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[Tigermama]

Oh this is such rubbish. I'm sorry but that call has been way over dramatised. Lawrence has been run around at centre for two years. Finally he is looking settled in the back row. Then to risk his hammies in the centres. Judgement call.

Yes in hind sight it was the wrong call. To crucify him for it and act like a bunch of school kids is just poor.

He didn't want to win… That is just rude and way out of line. The guy is doing his best and in good old Wests Tigers form everyone insults his character and commitment.

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Disagree on the need for hindsight. It was an obviously wrong call immediately in many minds, with live game posts and another specific thread during the match on here. This thread may be about losing the room, which I feel he lost part of by the Cowboys loss, but by the two thirds mark on Sunday he had lost the bulk of the grandstand and nearly all of it by the final whistle.

If the guy is doing his best, with schoolboy like errors such as the Lovett debacle, then it is an insult to the judgement of those at WT that hired him. If he made it on advice from his assistants, then the blame should be shared, and if Kidwell did not point out the problem, he should be removed as defensive coach.

The real insult was in the press conference. Fancy anyone trying to tell a roomful of specialist journos that they, along with the fifteen odd thousand people at the ground, were wrong in their appraisal of the situation

Bravo…Said with passion. Love it Formerguest! :slight_smile:

 

[magpiecol]

He couldn't train a choko vine over an outhouse.When a team is leaking points in a particular part of the field a (the left side defense where he placed Lovett instead of putting Lawrence ho is an experienced center) IT seemed to me he didn't want to win. He cant coach period.

You are right, he didnt want to win.

His ego wanted to teach, the Lovett thing was all about trying to teach the squad a defensive lesson.

Results arent important.

Oh this is such rubbish. I'm sorry but that call has been way over dramatised. Lawrence has been run around at centre for two years. Finally he is looking settled in the back row. Then to risk his hammies in the centres. Judgement call.

Yes in hind sight it was the wrong call. To crucify him for it and act like a bunch of school kids is just poor.

He didn't want to win… That is just rude and way out of line. The guy is doing his best and in good old Wests Tigers form everyone insults his character and commitment.

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Good post. We were leading at half time were we not? Injuries creamed us in the second half. Punters on this forum have been kicking Lawrence for two years for being the worst centre in the game. Then they crucify Taylor for not moving Lawrence ( who was playing great in the second row ) into the centres.

Some of the comments on this forum seem to me to reflect the society of today. Instant gratification, no waiting around for teams to improve gradually. Their mantra is " we want the best team in the comp. When do we want it? Now "

Give us all a rest and pipe down for a while.

 

[stevied]

I don't get lambasting Taylor for not moving Lawrence to centre either. I would not have moved him either as he's our best option at second rower.

Because, CB, there is a very good chance that one, two or three of those tries could have been prevented with a more experienced defender there. Admittedly, Lawrence has struggled in that position but Taylor was lucky to have a ready made replacement and he should have used him. I don't think it would have detracted from his confidence either as it would have been a vote of confidence and he knew he'd be going back to the comfort of the forwards next week anyway. A no brainer in my opinion…especially after the first standing up of Lovett....

 

[Black_n_White]

I don't get lambasting Taylor for not moving Lawrence to centre either. I would not have moved him either as he's our best option at second rower. Moving him back to a position he's struggled in for the best part of 3 seasons is Sheenius. He's high on confidence at the moment after making a successful move, leave him there. Don't stuff the bloke about any more when he has found his groove.

I think we really hurt missing Halatau.

Exactly. As I said before one of the oldest sayings in sport is "Dont weaken one position to strengthen another".

Of the 2 backrowers we had, Lovett is obviously condisered the weaker of the 2 and was shifted accordingly.

To be brutally honest on past form I dont see Rowdy doing all that much better than Lovett. There could be a case at not aiming the play there as much if Lawrence was back to centre, but being stood up by speed is a no latteral movement Lawrence special.

It was a bad move in the end, but not as absurd as it is made out to be.

 

[supercoach]

Have you ever seen a team that is coming last not to be embroiled with rumor and drama, it comes with the turf. Most of the so drama and rumors are created by people who have no idea and want a reason for their team preforming so badly. The old saying a winning team is a happy team.

Once again I am not trying to defend Taylor, but like anyone he deserves a fair crack and I see that as two years. I just can not see anyone else doing any better at present with the roster we have.

Agree to a point Supercoach, as long as our best are on board - ie Woods, Tapau, Teddy. While no one wants the players running the show in our case it is essential those players are buying into Taylors plans - we can not afford to lose any of them . There has to be a point where if it is not moving forward, then he has to go, just like Potter. Not sure who would be brave or crazy enough to take it on next.

I think the point I am trying to mate is a coach is only as good as the cattle he has at his disposal and at present we have some very good cattle but we also have a truck load of plodders. Although I do agree with you if in fact their is a major problem between the coach and the players, especially our marquee players than it has to be sorted quick smart as if nothing is done it will spread like cancer

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I don't get lambasting Taylor for not moving Lawrence to centre either. I would not have moved him either as he's our best option at second rower.

Because, CB, there is a very good chance that one, two or three of those tries could have been prevented with a more experienced defender there. Admittedly, Lawrence has struggled in that position but Taylor was lucky to have a ready made replacement and he should have used him. I don't think it would have detracted from his confidence either as it would have been a vote of confidence and he knew he'd be going back to the comfort of the forwards next week anyway. A no brainer in my opinion…especially after the first standing up of Lovett....

I get what you're saying, but without benefit of it playing out I'm not sure Lawrence wouldn't have been stood up there either. He's not really reliable laterally either and he did get shown up a few times in the last few seasons post hip & hammy injuries.

My point is that it wasn't as stupid a move as critics are pointing out.