Beyond the Coach

[smpd]

Let's be clear, this is the worst performing Berries or Doggies team I think I have seen in 50 years. I only say that because I didn't see any more than 50 years ago. Given that last weekend was pretty much a full strength side with the return of players from State of Origin, to lose by that margin shows how bad the performance was. A lot of focus has been on the coaching staff for obvious reasons. But I think it goes beyond that. I recently did one of those surveys from the NRL on behalf of the Bulldogs. It asked me to rate half time entertainment, the cheer girls, how great I thought the T-shirt gun was, the ground announcers, the quality of the facilities, food prices ... in short anything except the actual football. And there was nowhere for other comments, just a text box at the end in 25 words or less to say how great the NRL is. No interest in when fans or players might want the games played. No interest in the quality of refereeing. No interest in whether the video referee should be axed (they won't because of the advertising dollars). No interest in rule changes, or enforcing the existing rules. In short, the football is secondary. I think the players must feel that. I think the coaching staff probably feel that. I know as a long term follower of the sport that I feel that. So long as the focus within the club and league is on the periphery and not on the main game, i.e. the game, then we will continue to see sub-par performances. (end soapbox)

 

[CaptainJackson]

Paragraphs are your friend

 

[GrogDog]

Once upon a time we easily won against other codes due to "the product" of our game. The toughness, the attack, working class game against the odds. That is all gone now. The so called leaders of the game have weakened the game and the only tough part about the game is the injuries. The game is weak as fuk now and the rules are almost unrecognisable to anyone over 25 years of age. This knock any time it goes loose whether it was backwards or not, the blocking of runners, blatant taking out chasers, the state of the scrums, block plays and shepards that use to be easy to understand. Refs being untouchable regardless of the howlers, scheduling, the cheating, the betting companys......................the sport needs a massive dose of tradition! I could continue for a year on this shite.

 

[Dogzof95]

The quality has definitely suffered, particularly in the last decade. Rule changes, officiating, and involvement of betting agencies! The focus has shifted towards increased revenue only because the hierarchy are feeling the heat from the players who justifiably want their piece of the pie due to being the star attraction of the product!

I'm not sure who is running this sport and I don't mean Tod Greenburg? Is it the betting agencies, is it Murdoch who has injected the most amount of money the game has ever seen or/and, is the hierarchy so incompetent that they're over their head and don't have a clue!

Either way the game will probably never be the same again! I'm just glad I got the chance to watch rugby league when it was the greatest game of all!

 

[c-b-b]

Can someone please explain to me why a coach can't criticise refs during a press conference yet the Melbourne Storm boss can come out on twitter and say he's questioned the NRL about the incident in yesterday's game and that's ok.

So in answer to the question yes the NRL has lost the plot.

 

[cookieman909]

For mine there is a lot wrong in the game. Few issues being

-Scheduling. Thursday night games are horrible. I understand it's for the ratings. But surely there is a better way. I personally prefer a 6pm Sunday night game instead. Hopefully next year will improve being the NRL will have control of scheduling, not the broadcaster.

-Referees. Way to inconsistent. What is a penalty in one game, isn't a penalty in another game. Far too many calls are being missed. I'm all for speeding up the game, but we have the technology. We need to utilise it more. One of these days a GF will be decided by a referee making a wrong decision.

-Origin. I love origin. But it is too big now, taking over the NRL season. It only goes for 6 weeks, but it is spoken about all year round. Fucking sick of it. Look at this year, the focus now should be on the run to the finals, and the pending final series. But no everyone's still talking about origin and giving there 2 cents about who should coach origin. Need to schedule it so it's done with in 3 weeks.

So many more issues in this code.

 

[_G-Dog_]

The dominant parts of the game have become wrestling and at times touch footy

The middle ground between these 2 is what the game used to be.

But what we have for a while now is rule changes trying to artificially speed up the game like for eg 20m zero restarts for knockons ingoal /missed field goals etc etc, and the reduction of interchange has meant once you lose momentum and possesion you are at a bigger disadvantage than you would be in years gone by.

Furthermore the games are not officiated consistently. Their are teams that are allowed to really spoil the ruck and are not penalised for it, while in other games its constant tunnel ball that isnt penalised..

All this said if the Dogs were winning I would be happy

 

[D.O.W.]

For mine there is a lot wrong in the game. Few issues being

-Scheduling. Thursday night games are horrible. I understand it's for the ratings. But surely there is a better way. I personally prefer a 6pm Sunday night game instead. Hopefully next year will improve being the NRL will have control of scheduling, not the broadcaster.

-Referees. Way to inconsistent. What is a penalty in one game, isn't a penalty in another game. Far too many calls are being missed. I'm all for speeding up the game, but we have the technology. We need to utilise it more. One of these days a GF will be decided by a referee making a wrong decision.

-Origin. I love origin. But it is too big now, taking over the NRL season. It only goes for 6 weeks, but it is spoken about all year round. Fucking sick of it. Look at this year, the focus now should be on the run to the finals, and the pending final series. But no everyone's still talking about origin and giving there 2 cents about who should coach origin. Need to schedule it so it's done with in 3 weeks.

So many more issues in this code.

As much as I hate to say it, Origin feels like it's taking over the NRL season because we are performing so poorly. For the fans of teams that are entrenched in the top 4, they are back on the horse like Origin never happened.

 

[GrogDog]

I think Origin has taken over the NRL because Origin represents the way footy use to be played and is the last resemblance of that game we loved.

 

[CMP]

The NRL have sold the game out.

They don't have any control over any of the key issues with the game!

On top of that they lack people with vision. With the guts to break the normal.

Way to many changes to mention on here should be looked at.

I agree with others. State of Origin has stolen the show. I believe it's time to move the Origin to the end of the season. 1 week break after the GF then 3 weeks of Origin.

Internationals can follow that.

 

[Oatley Dog]

The NRL have sold the game out.

They don't have any control over any of the key issues with the game!

On top of that they lack people with vision. With the guts to break the normal.

Way to many changes to mention on here should be looked at.

I agree with others. State of Origin has stolen the show. I believe it's time to move the Origin to the end of the season. 1 week break after the GF then 3 weeks of Origin.

Internationals can follow that.

Yes that was the problem when that idiot Gallop sold out to Ch. 9 in the current TV deal. They got all the control and the NRL became passive partners. In the new one that starts next year the NRL have much greater control, including the scheduling of games so it will be interesting to see what sort of changes take place. It's all good and well to talk about vision but you have to mix it with practicalilty. We could add another 10 teams to the comp tomorrow. Have them from Fiji to Fremantle, but the reality is the economy and the playing depth can't support the 16 we have now, so it needs to be a softly softly approach over an extended period, starting with getting the ownership of the clubs off the NRL's books. Once that is bedded in you can look at expansion. You can't play origin in Oct/Nov because the people start moving towards the cricket. Besides everyone connected with the game will tell you it is impossible to back up three weeks in a row for origin due to the speed and toughness, so then it would become substandard. Also, you forget clubs go back to training in November so you are asking the elite to play 12 months of the year without a break. Can't happen. Truth is there are plenty in the NRL with vision, but they also have to temper it with responsibility and good governance.

 

[Qld-Dog]

I think Origin has taken over the NRL because Origin represents the way footy use to be played and is the last resemblance of that game we loved.

I understand where you are coming from however, it would be impossible to play the game each weekend with the same intensity as SOO, you would need 2 first grade sides employed at one club and even then you would not last the season without a shit load of injuries and the rest fatigued. IMO

 

[Calibra]

Too many rules and media critics - add to that reffs are sub par at best, they are like robots and at times I think they forget a player can not physically do what they call in a second before whistling a penalty.

On the rules, game is too soft now due to, too many rules, you go to a game and most great hits have people shouting for penalties, shoulder charge when done right is great but that's been eliminated, punches are like someone got a gun out and a bad example for kids... yet before the rule came in people couldn't wait for it and it got the grand stand buzzing but now it's a bad look... give me a break, if you don't like it don't watch footy.

All the media do is follow players outside the field too.

I think most games are actually not that bad in terms of actual footy, it's really the over doing of rules and how soft the game has become.

 

[GrogDog]

I understand where you are coming from however, it would be impossible to play the game each weekend with the same intensity as SOO, you would need 2 first grade sides employed at one club and even then you would not last the season without a shit load of injuries and the rest fatigued. IMO

Very true but Origin still represents that toughness that use to be allowed each week, I think the fans who remember even back towards mid 90's would crave that game. The intensity as you said could not be handled week in week out.

 

[maroondog72]

Very true but Origin still represents that toughness that use to be allowed each week, I think the fans who remember even back towards mid 90's would crave that game. The intensity as you said could not be handled week in week out.

Bring back tommy and the cattle dog call!!!!! From memory I think we won that stink as well lol
QUEENSLANDER!!

 

[GrogDog]

Bring back tommy and the cattle dog call!!!!! From memory I think we won that stink as well lol
QUEENSLANDER!!

Was that Joey Johns v Goddard one lol

 

[Punchbowl Dog]

Yes that was the problem when that idiot Gallop sold out to Ch. 9 in the current TV deal. They got all the control and the NRL became passive partners. In the new one that starts next year the NRL have much greater control, including the scheduling of games so it will be interesting to see what sort of changes take place. It's all good and well to talk about vision but you have to mix it with practicalilty. We could add another 10 teams to the comp tomorrow. Have them from Fiji to Fremantle, but the reality is the economy and the playing depth can't support the 16 we have now, so it needs to be a softly softly approach over an extended period, starting with getting the ownership of the clubs off the NRL's books. Once that is bedded in you can look at expansion. You can't play origin in Oct/Nov because the people start moving towards the cricket. Besides everyone connected with the game will tell you it is impossible to back up three weeks in a row for origin due to the speed and toughness, so then it would become substandard. Also, you forget clubs go back to training in November so you are asking the elite to play 12 months of the year without a break. Can't happen. Truth is there are plenty in the NRL with vision, but they also have to temper it with responsibility and good governance.

it was that bigger idiot david smith

 

[Punchbowl Dog]

it was that bigger idiot david smith

shit im not sure now

 

[Punchbowl Dog]

The NRL have sold the game out.

They don't have any control over any of the key issues with the game!

On top of that they lack people with vision. With the guts to break the normal.

Way to many changes to mention on here should be looked at.

I agree with others. State of Origin has stolen the show. I believe it's time to move the Origin to the end of the season. 1 week break after the GF then 3 weeks of Origin.

Internationals can follow that.

nrl is frozen with decisions until clubs sign new participation agreement for 2018

 

[maroondog72]

Was that Joey Johns v Goddard one lol

Yeah joey got wasted,spud kicked it off joey went looking for Goddard and unfortunately for him he found him, l miss the really good stinks in origin