Kearney Sacked from the Warriors
Yes the roster is dogshit, but Kearney has been there for 3.5 years, so it's all his.
He's been a head coach for 121 first grade games. He has won 42 of those. This should not be a shock to anyone
He's getting an awful lot of sympathy over here, and honestly that's understandable (people loving the Warriors for what they did to get the footy back) but in all seriousness this should have happened 12 months ago.
The recruitment at the Warriors for several years has been "did you play for the kiwis once? okay have a truck-ton of money" or even worse, trying to buy ex-Storm players (which works out for no one).
We are never going to buy ready-made origin-level talent, so stop trying. Identify needs and fill them with solid pros, and identify local talent to provide that bit extra. We have one part of the spine sorted. I assume our hooker is cheap, so that's okay, but our halves? The money Nikorima is on is a just another bad warriors contract. We need a complete rebuild, which is a shame, because RTS is going to realise he wasted the best years of an elite level career by playing in Auckland. He deserves better.
The new coach needs to provide an edge to all prep. The Roosters had a 5-day turnaround to a game against the other unbeaten side. They lost a player to injury because of the intensity of the defensive session they did on Thursday. I somehow doubt there has been that level of prep in the Warriors for some time (not just Kearney to be fair).
On the NRL as a whole
The QLD teams are dogshit. Green should be the next coach sacked given he actually has a good roster to work with, and the Cowboys are terrible. The Broncos have an unbalanced squad, and too many passengers. The Titans are just stacked with ordinary, and losing meekly to the Dragons is damning.
Manly are a bloody tough side, and those Trbo... Turbo... Trj... those brothers they have a both really fucking good. I would say they are the 2nd best team in the comp right now. Newcastle are going well, playing off the back of a big, mean forward pack. Mitchell Pearce is the reason they can't win the comp, even given an armchair ride against a shit Broncos team he worked against them last week. I have a sneaky suspicion that Parra are once again pretenders. Everyone else is making up the numbers.
The right decision but poor timing. Should have been done six months ago, or otherwise at the end of this season given they backed away in 2019.
Kearney wasn't going to turn anything around given his coaching record, but he's always appeared to be a good bloke - the sense of a good man being thrown under the bus mid-pandemic won't do the Warriors many favours either.
@Donsteppa give him a new multiyear deal then cut him within 6 months. Terrible business
Don't know what people expect with the roster the Warriors have. They're a side packed with journeymen and a world class back 3. Unfortunately world class outside backs and nothing else anywhere in the squad aren't going to get you very far. The halves are journeymen, they have nothing coming out of dummy half (no disrespect to Wade Egan but he'd be probably the 16th best rake in the comp) and the pack are full of toilers with a lack of creativity coming out of them. They're just severly lacking in too many areas to be a top 8 side let alone anything higher than that.
It must be hard for a loyal coach who's been dumped to take shots at the roster. But that is the ongoing issue with the Warriors, we just can't snag enough quality talent to seriously threaten 6-8, let alone the top 4. We've had (and have) some serious talent over the years, and for the odd period we've had a squad that could legitimately go deep in the comp. But overlay those times with our variable coaching quality and it's more rocks than diamonds.
@Paekakboyz apparently they are focusing on youth development again after letting it slide for a while. This is the most sustainable way for the club
@canefan hmm wonder if Auckland League stepping away from the Warriors will see an improvement in grassroots and the feeder system. I know there are scouts from most teams checking out NZ talent but getting more of our homegrown guys in the mix will hopefully let us save $$ to really target aussie talent, whether that's experienced guys or up and comers.
@Paekakboyz said in NRL 2020:
@canefan hmm wonder if Auckland League stepping away from the Warriors will see an improvement in grassroots and the feeder system. I know there are scouts from most teams checking out NZ talent but getting more of our homegrown guys in the mix will hopefully let us save $$ to really target aussie talent, whether that's experienced guys or up and comers.
Our best ever teams were homegrown with a few aussies thrown in. We have bought poorly for the most part since Wiki and Price. Off the top of my head, Luck Lillyman Harris and RTS were or have been great, Tomkins Luke Blair not so much. Hoffman tried hard but was past his best. Can't think of anyone else right now, I am prepared to be corrected
How about getting John Ackland in the house and on the young talent again. Why they got rid of him, I don't know ( @Sneakdefreak might)
On the NRL as a whole
The QLD teams are dogshit. Green should be the next coach sacked given he actually has a good roster to work with, and the Cowboys are terrible. The Broncos have an unbalanced squad, and too many passengers. The Titans are just stacked with ordinary, and losing meekly to the Dragons is damning.
Manly are a bloody tough side, and those Trbo... Turbo... Trj... those brothers they have a both really fucking good. I would say they are the 2nd best team in the comp right now. Newcastle are going well, playing off the back of a big, mean forward pack. Mitchell Pearce is the reason they can't win the comp, even given an armchair ride against a shit Broncos team he worked against them last week. I have a sneaky suspicion that Parra are once again pretenders. Everyone else is making up the numbers.
@mariner4life said in NRL 2020:
We need a complete rebuild, which is a shame, because RTS is going to realise he wasted the best years of an elite level career by playing in Auckland.
TBF, if he'd swapped to rugby rather then re-sign with the Warriors he'd have been perfectly placed to be in a successful Auckland based team right now.
RTS might just be one of those guys that never gets the titles that he deserves, in terms of championships, but still one of the best to ever play.
whoa whoa whoa hold on
There is a decent argument to make that he is only the 3rd best fullback in the comp right now.
He's really really fucking good, but perhaps made to look better by being the best player at his club by the length of the Flemington straight.
RTS might just be one of those guys that never gets the titles that he deserves, in terms of championships, but still one of the best to ever play.
Well he's got one at least. More than Stacey who probably deserved one at least too.
Yeah that is why I used the plural.
I did also say "one of the best". Top ten fullbacks?
@mariner4life said in NRL 2020:
made to look better by being the best player at his club by the length of the Flemington straight.
No doubt about that, but he was pretty bloody good before he came to the Worriers too, and won a championship in a very good Rooster team of course.
Top ten fullbacks?
crowded field
Some greats in the 90s (Belcher, Brasher, ET, even Dale Shearer)
Minnichelo, Matty Bowen, Lockyer as a FB was a jet, Jaryd Hayne got Parra to a GF by himself, Slater is the best i have seen, Tedesco is awesome and getting better, Tommy Turbo, Brett Stewart,
and that's just the ones i can name off the top of my head.
@mariner4life said in NRL 2020:
Top ten fullbacks?
crowded field
Some greats in the 90s (Belcher, Brasher, ET, even Dale Shearer)
Minnichelo, Matty Bowen, Lockyer as a FB was a jet, Jaryd Hayne got Parra to a GF by himself, Slater is the best i have seen, Tedesco is awesome and getting better, Tommy Turbo, Brett Stewart,
and that's just the ones i can name off the top of my head.
I think RTS is easily up with that lot. Starred in a stacked team and then has starred in an utterly cabbage team.
@mariner4life These things are all subjective but I would have him up there with some of those and he isn't finished yet.
Slater was the first that came to mind. Inglis was a fullback on occasion and good. Hayne for sure. Still leaves room in a ten though.
@mariner4life said in NRL 2020:
On the NRL as a whole
The QLD teams are dogshit. Green should be the next coach sacked given he actually has a good roster to work with, and the Cowboys are terrible. The Broncos have an unbalanced squad, and too many passengers. The Titans are just stacked with ordinary, and losing meekly to the Dragons is damning.
Manly are a bloody tough side, and those Trbo... Turbo... Trj... those brothers they have a both really fucking good. I would say they are the 2nd best team in the comp right now. Newcastle are going well, playing off the back of a big, mean forward pack. Mitchell Pearce is the reason they can't win the comp, even given an armchair ride against a shit Broncos team he worked against them last week. I have a sneaky suspicion that Parra are once again pretenders. Everyone else is making up the numbers.
I kind of wish we got Des Hasler to the Warriors when he was still jobless. He's proven that he can rebuild a struggling team, not once, but 3 times now. And he's taken no time in getting each team he's coached to being contender quality.
He's a bit quirky, but he has a case for being the 2nd best NRL coach of the last 15 years.
@mariner4life said in NRL 2020:
Top ten fullbacks?
crowded field
Some greats in the 90s (Belcher, Brasher, ET, even Dale Shearer)
Minnichelo, Matty Bowen, Lockyer as a FB was a jet, Jaryd Hayne got Parra to a GF by himself, Slater is the best i have seen, Tedesco is awesome and getting better, Tommy Turbo, Brett Stewart,
and that's just the ones i can name off the top of my head.
I think RTS is easily up with that lot. Starred in a stacked team and then has starred in an utterly cabbage team.
of course he is, but i am referring to him being called one of the greatest. I assumed that meant players, not just fullbacks.
He's at least as good as the other 2 great FBs going around now. In a decent team i would say he would absolutely carve.
@mariner4life said in NRL 2020:
I assumed that meant players,
Yeah, meant fullbacks. Can't really compare players easily in different positions.
Is Carter as good is McCaw.? Just different skill sets.
so, coaching names. Who do we like?
I don't want another Warriors old boy. For whatever reason, they all seem to be too chummy with the players, not hard enough.
I don't mind the Anthony Griffen calls. By all accounts he's fucking tough on the playing group, and sets high standards. He's not the coach to win you a comp, but then, we are years from that anyway. He'll lay the platform for the next guy though.
The amount of squad turnover we need is outrageous.
But, the Warriors gonna Warrior. It'll be a bad appointment on a bad contract. Trent Barrett for 5 years on $4M a year
@mariner4life said in NRL 2020:
I assumed that meant players,
Yeah, meant fullbacks. Can't really compare players easily in different positions.
Is Carter as good is McCaw.? Just different skill sets.
then yes, he's as good as anyone i can remember at 1. But Fullback is stacked in the NRL, there always seems to be 3-4 great ones running around at the same time.
@mariner4life said in NRL 2020:
so, coaching names. Who do we like?
I don't want another Warriors old boy. For whatever reason, they all seem to be too chummy with the players, not hard enough.
I don't mind the Anthony Griffen calls. By all accounts he's fucking tough on the playing group, and sets high standards. He's not the coach to win you a comp, but then, we are years from that anyway. He'll lay the platform for the next guy though.
The amount of squad turnover we need is outrageous.
But, the Warriors gonna Warrior. It'll be a bad appointment on a bad contract. Trent Barrett for 5 years on $4M a year
I'm not sure if a tough task master is what they need. They certainly haven't worked in the past (Anderson did very well until he lost the group though, and he was a yeller). Geoff Toovey has put his hand up God help us.
A mate who is close to the Warriors likes the Walker brothers. They play an exciting brand of footy by all accounts. Time to focus on the basics and have fun at the same time. The more I read the more I'm happy to take a punt on a hungry coaching team rather than an existing entity
Renouf: Why Walker brothers are right fit to coach Titans
The Gold Coast Titans have a big decision to make on their next coach and I firmly believe Ipswich co-coaches Ben and Shane Walker are the right option.
The fact that they do more with less would appeal to management. We need someone to take the yoof and turn them into real scary ball players
@canefan i watched their Q-Cup team a few times up here, and they are fun to watch.
And i have a lot of sympathy for the attitude that if we are going to lose, lets at least entertain. Give me a reason to turn it on.
I still think a hard task master needs to come in and set some standards. For too long we looked under-prepared. They don't need to be a yeller, just set a high bar, and get the players to that level.
But, this is all guess work from the outside. What we can't do is the same thing we have done forever.
@canefan Toovey has a solid record, but he had the team Hasler built to work with.
@mariner4life said in NRL 2020:
@canefan i watched their Q-Cup team a few times up here, and they are fun to watch.
And i have a lot of sympathy for the attitude that if we are going to lose, lets at least entertain. Give me a reason to turn it on.
I still think a hard task master needs to come in and set some standards. For too long we looked under-prepared. They don't need to be a yeller, just set a high bar, and get the players to that level.
But, this is all guess work from the outside. What we can't do is the same thing we have done forever.
From what I read Walker is very professional and will drum the basics into the team, is that your assessment? I don't see why you can't play hard, do the basics and have fun
@canefan Toovey has a solid record, but he had the team Hasler built to work with.
He has come out in the media and says he would like to do it if asked. I just think we've tried a number of established coaches and we've not done great. Ivan has the best playoff appearance record of any Warriors coach (not sure about W-L), he was understated, quiet, instilled a lot of trust in his players and tried to get a balance between the percentage play of Kearney and the razzle dazzle of the great Warriors teams. I reckon roll the dice on a guy who is ambitious and is desperate to prove himself at NRL level. Walker was passed over by the Titans, he will be gasping to prove everyone wrong
@mariner4life said in NRL 2020:
Top ten fullbacks?
crowded field
Some greats in the 90s (Belcher, Brasher, ET, even Dale Shearer)
Minnichelo, Matty Bowen, Lockyer as a FB was a jet, Jaryd Hayne got Parra to a GF by himself, Slater is the best i have seen, Tedesco is awesome and getting better, Tommy Turbo, Brett Stewart,
and that's just the ones i can name off the top of my head.
Man those names takes you back, late 80’s early 90s was a great time. NRL was something new and cool here in NZ
You had that and the WWF, Friday nights were sweet back then.
Dale Shearer was one of those guys who generally saved his best for Origin tho.
@canefan Yeah, I saw Toovey's interview on the news last night. I'm not sure what he is as a coach, but Manly players seemed to like his coaching style. It was obvious that he lived off of the team Hasler built a bit too much though and didn't have a plan to build his own once the star players got older.
@Dice The Walkers built Ipswich from the ground up. That is the type of coach we need
@Dice The Walkers built Ipswich from the ground up. That is the type of coach we need
Unfortunately they wont be able to do that with the Warriors. Cameron George, the supposed saviour will still be there, and they'll inherit a squad. But hopefully (if they were brought in) they can do a Rennie and come into that environment, make some adjustments and have success.
@mariner4life said in NRL 2020:
yes the roster is dogshit, but Kearney has been there for 3.5 years, so it's all his.
He's been a head coach for 121 first grade games. He has won 42 of those. This should not be a shock to anyone
Fake news. Show me those 42...
@Dice The Walkers built Ipswich from the ground up. That is the type of coach we need
Unfortunately they wont be able to do that with the Warriors. Cameron George, the supposed saviour will still be there, and they'll inherit a squad. But hopefully (if they were brought in) they can do a Rennie and come into that environment, make some adjustments and have success.
Apparently they intend to focus on youth development in future, so its perfect. And if Walker doesn't need expensive signings to get success that will suit the owner
As long as its not Graeme Lowe.
We need someone with experience, and a record of being able to build teams, and then the ability (and succession plan) to hand over to the next guy.
The Melbourne Demons (AFL - obviously) grabbed Paul Roos, who had taken the Sydney Swans to two Grand Finals for 1x title, and consistently played the big finals. He left Melbourne with a top-8 side after three years, they made top-4. And then injuries completely derailed their 2019 season, jury out on 2020.
Thats what the Warriors need - a Paul Roos type.
Wayne Bennett too old.
Bellamy would be the man, with someone like Craig Fitzgibbon (considered to be the next good coach) as his successor... except we'd never get Bellamy.
Is Kevin Walters an option? was supposed to get the Broncos job, but they flip-flopped and got Seibold (I think thats his name) - or is he just a QLD coach, who had a bunch of talent at his disposal until he didn't
How about that former Knights coach Michael Hagan? with Stacey Jones to be the successor in three years.
I'm starting to be convinced that no league journos in Australia actually watch the Warriors, and haven't in about 10 years.
Paul Kent had a rant last night about the direction, and look at this fucking quote
“The Warriors are a side that don’t defend mistakes. So they play great football and pop a pass, but they don’t handle adversity well and that’s the problem."
He's right about adversity, but playing great football? When was the last time that was the case? It's the same things over and over. The big Warriors forwards. And playing great ad-lib football. Neither have been true for fucking years.
@mariner4life said in NRL 2020:
I'm starting to be convinced that no league journos in Australia actually watch the Warriors, and haven't in about 10 years.
Paul Kent had a rant last night about the direction, and look at this fucking quote
“The Warriors are a side that don’t defend mistakes. So they play great football and pop a pass, but they don’t handle adversity well and that’s the problem."
He's right about adversity, but playing great football? When was the last time that was the case? It's the same things over and over. The big Warriors forwards. And playing great ad-lib football. Neither have been true for fucking years.
Probably back when Ali Lauatiti, Clinton Toopi and Kevin Campion were all running round at the same time.