Woods enjoying life under new coach Potter

[tigersrule4life]

Ian McCullough AAP Mon, Mar 25, 2013 - 4:17 PM

Wests Tigers prop Aaron Woods believes the coaching philosophies of Mick Potter are beginning to bear fruit after a slow start to his reign at the NRL club.

Potter's side produced their best performance since he took over from Tim Sheens by beating Parramatta 31-18 at Leichhardt Oval last Friday.

The result was a welcome one following the 42-10 humbling at Newcastle in round one and a scratchy display in the 28-18 success over Penrith a week later.

Woods had only ever been coached by Sheens at NRL level and admitted it had been difficult to get used to the more introverted Potter.

But the 22-year-old, who's certain to be a contender for a front-row spot in the NSW team this year, said the players have all bought into the methods of the former Bradford and St Helens coach.

"It was a bit hard at first to crack a joke with him, he was a bit stiff," Woods told AAP on Monday.

"He's brought a few funny things in, which we are keeping to ourselves, but I am enjoying working under him very much.

"It's been a breath of fresh air."

Sheens left the club in acrimonious circumstances after a woeful 2012 season in which the joint-venture started the year as premiership favourites but missed out on the finals.

Woods said Potter identified early that his new team was weak in defence - and the City Origin representative said it was a facet of the game that had been neglected in the past.

"We still have the same assistants in Royce (Simmons) and Georgie (Steve Georgallis) but things have changed.

"Pottsy is a lot more in-depth than what Sheens was - he was a lot about tackling.

"We have worked a lot more on defence in the pre-season.

"Before it was all about attack and not so much focus on defence.

"People were calling us soft up the middle, which wasn't good enough and we have really tried to rectify that this year."

http://www.nrl.com.au/woods-enjoying-life-under-new-coach-potter/tabid/10874/newsid/71350/default.aspx

 

[BenjiMagic96]

Goos stuff, who noticed that Woods came back on the bench with Potter where as he would have come right in to the starting side with Sheens?

 

[alex]

Bit of a weird article. Royce was always advertised as our defence coach in the past, and now players are saying it was a neglected part of training etc…

_Posted using RoarFEED 2013_

 

[jirskyr]

Still weak in defence; long way to go lads.

 

[tigersrule4life]

Im starting to see us improve by each game i cant wait until we start being a force agian.

 

[tigersrule4life]

Im starting to see us improve by each game i cant wait until we start being a force agian.

 

[softlaw]

Good to see someone from the team finally admit the blatantly obvious.
It will take time to develop a decent defence but at least it sounds like the team is moving in the right direction and has recognised the problem.

 

[stevetiger]

Potter already seems so much better than Sheens. Tedesco to replace Moltzen and Anasta to the bench or reserves and we are in business.

 

[Demps]

Potter already seems so much better than Sheens. Tedesco to replace Moltzen and Anasta to the bench or reserves and we are in business.

My god Tedesco is a talent, can't wait to see him progress.
LOL @ remembering some of our recent full backs - Blake Lazarus any one ?? LOL

Any ways - 2012 Tigers under Sheens would have lost this game VS Parra, I believe.
Potter > Sheens

 

[TIGERS]

Tim Sheens took over a semi-pro backyard operation and turned them into Champions in 3 seasons. Anyone who knows their stuff knows it was a phenomenal once in a lifetime coaching achivement.

We struggled after 2005 but not as much as Parra after 2009, Dragons 2010, Bulldogs and Roosters 2005, and Warriors 2011… even though we lost our best winger, halfback, and backrower.

Came within a few minutes of the big dance in 2010 and his players let him down in 2011.

By 2012 it was all over. He lost the players and the board. Left the club about 200% better off than he found it.

The players need to hold THEMSELVES more accountable for their performances. Its no good players coming out and saying they missed tackles in important games last year because Sheens didn't teach them how to tackle. Its also no good saying that defence has improved this year because in all three of our games I haven't seen too much different except a good first half against parra.

Bit of bad form from Woods actually. Considering that Sheens showed huge huge faith in him and moved players on to keep him at the tigers.

 

[guyofthetiger]

Tim Sheens took over a semi-pro backyard operation and turned them into Champions in 3 seasons. Anyone who knows their stuff knows it was a phenomenal once in a lifetime coaching achivement.

We struggled after 2005 but not as much as Parra after 2009, Dragons 2010, Bulldogs and Roosters 2005, and Warriors 2011… even though we lost our best winger, halfback, and backrower.

Came within a few minutes of the big dance in 2010 and his players let him down in 2011.

By 2012 it was all over. He lost the players and the board. Left the club about 200% better off than he found it.

The players need to hold THEMSELVES more accountable for their performances. Its no good players coming out and saying they missed tackles in important games last year because Sheens didn't teach them how to tackle. Its also no good saying that defence has improved this year because in all three of our games I haven't seen too much different except a good first half against parra.

Bit of bad form from Woods actually. Considering that Sheens showed huge huge faith in him and moved players on to keep him at the tigers.

Well said…

_Posted using RoarFEED 2013_

 

[Guest]

Tim Sheens took over a semi-pro backyard operation and turned them into Champions in 3 seasons. Anyone who knows their stuff knows it was a phenomenal once in a lifetime coaching achivement.

We struggled after 2005 but not as much as Parra after 2009, Dragons 2010, Bulldogs and Roosters 2005, and Warriors 2011… even though we lost our best winger, halfback, and backrower.

Came within a few minutes of the big dance in 2010 and his players let him down in 2011.

By 2012 it was all over. He lost the players and the board. Left the club about 200% better off than he found it.

The players need to hold THEMSELVES more accountable for their performances. Its no good players coming out and saying they missed tackles in important games last year because Sheens didn't teach them how to tackle. Its also no good saying that defence has improved this year because in all three of our games I haven't seen too much different except a good first half against parra.

Bit of bad form from Woods actually. Considering that Sheens showed huge huge faith in him and moved players on to keep him at the tigers.

Woods commented on the differences between the two coaches. Nothing bad about that at all.

 

[Spartan117]

Im optimistic about future under a " No Nonsense" Potter

Still I reserve judgment to we play a contender or 2

 

[Furious1]

Tim Sheens took over a semi-pro backyard operation and turned them into Champions in 3 seasons. Anyone who knows their stuff knows it was a phenomenal once in a lifetime coaching achivement.

We struggled after 2005 but not as much as Parra after 2009, Dragons 2010, Bulldogs and Roosters 2005, and Warriors 2011… even though we lost our best winger, halfback, and backrower.

Came within a few minutes of the big dance in 2010 and his players let him down in 2011.

By 2012 it was all over. He lost the players and the board. Left the club about 200% better off than he found it.

The players need to hold THEMSELVES more accountable for their performances. Its no good players coming out and saying they missed tackles in important games last year because Sheens didn't teach them how to tackle. Its also no good saying that defence has improved this year because in all three of our games I haven't seen too much different except a good first half against parra.

Bit of bad form from Woods actually. Considering that Sheens showed huge huge faith in him and moved players on to keep him at the tigers.

Excellent post. Although i disagree with the Woods part.
I'm also on the fence a bit about how much our defence has improved. I think people are getting carried away about the game v parra. If a couple of Parras passes stick, they quite possibly win a game they should have had no right to given the weight of possesion we enjoyed.

 

[851]

Im optimistic about future under a " No Nonsense" Potter

Still I reserve judgment to we play a contender or 2

Well that will be the next 2 weeks,Manly and then Melbourne,should tell us a lot.

 

[Blotto]

The pratts in the press really need to stop calling Mick introverted, thats the public face he puts on for them and it works, away from the media he is very approachable with a good sense of humour but is strict when its needed!
The Players have obviously had to take time to get to know him as a person and what his Coaching philosophy is about, and from what I've heard and read in the media They are getting confidence from him as a Coach and feeling that themselves
As far as comparisons with Tim Sheens goes it's a bit myopic as it seems that it was only last season it just imploded for various reasons. Comparions between the two Coachs are a waste of time at present maybe in a season or two some can be made

 

[TIGERS]

Tim Sheens took over a semi-pro backyard operation and turned them into Champions in 3 seasons. Anyone who knows their stuff knows it was a phenomenal once in a lifetime coaching achivement.

We struggled after 2005 but not as much as Parra after 2009, Dragons 2010, Bulldogs and Roosters 2005, and Warriors 2011… even though we lost our best winger, halfback, and backrower.

Came within a few minutes of the big dance in 2010 and his players let him down in 2011.

By 2012 it was all over. He lost the players and the board. Left the club about 200% better off than he found it.

The players need to hold THEMSELVES more accountable for their performances. Its no good players coming out and saying they missed tackles in important games last year because Sheens didn't teach them how to tackle. Its also no good saying that defence has improved this year because in all three of our games I haven't seen too much different except a good first half against parra.

Bit of bad form from Woods actually. Considering that Sheens showed huge huge faith in him and moved players on to keep him at the tigers.

Woods commented on the differences between the two coaches. Nothing bad about that at all.

Its a cop out.
Another example of the excuse culture at the club these days.

We're are the NRL version of Arsenal. We're very pretty when we're on but we bottle when it doesn't go to plan.

This team can be outright lazy sometimes. "so and so is injured" "Out of position" "defence technique is no good"

If we had the battling quality of all our rubbish teams of the 90s early 2000s we'd hardly ever lose.
The guys from the old days would KILL to have the kind of facilities, training, money, support and high profile our guys get today.

Thats why Ben Galea and Brett Hodgson are still killing it England in their mid 30s. Its why we had to tap John Skandalis on the shoulder to pick up the slack in 2010 and 2011.

 

[system]

The excuse culture kicked in by 2008 and will take a while to get rid of.

Maybe I should chage that from excuse to reasons. We were a big fan of that terminology.

Sheens did wonderful things for this club but his time was done.

 

[TIGERS]

The excuse culture kicked in by 2008 and will take a while to get rid of.

Maybe I should chage that from excuse to reasons. We were a big fan of that terminology.

Sheens did wonderful things for this club but his time was done.

Took Maguire one pre season at Souths to get John Sutton, Greg Inglis and co in gear. He puts a strong focus on player accountability. I guess I'm a bit jealous and I want the same for us.

I'm sure there is an excuse from someone as to why our situation is different and we are therefore exempt.

 

[jirskyr]

If we had the battling quality of all our rubbish teams of the 90s early 2000s we'd hardly ever lose.
The guys from the old days would KILL to have the kind of facilities, training, money, support and high profile our guys get today.

Thats why Ben Galea and Brett Hodgson are still killing it England in their mid 30s. Its why we had to tap John Skandalis on the shoulder to pick up the slack in 2010 and 2011.

Michael Withers killed it in England, so did Rangi Chase, let's not use Super League as proof of the continuing capabilities of a player in the NRL.

Steve Menzies still going strong at 39, did Manly make a mistake letting him go?

The old teams were battlers because they lacked class. If you want a team of honest toilers, let's have Darren Senter back and get him to fill every position. I do not want a return to the old Balmain days of the late 90s where the team lined up expecting to lose half the weeks and were happy with a string of respectable losses.