6 weeks in

[Tassie Devil]

1 game in a majority of the Kennel spat the dummy and demanded for mass sackings including our a permanent sacking of our coach. My reply was simple:

"It's only Round 1, we should give the coach + team some time to at least find their feet a little. I'm going to leave judgement until round 6 at least."

It's round 9 so I think there's been plenty of time to make a more rational anaylsis of the team and coach. Those that have been following my posts know that I'm really quite positive and optimistic about this team as I do think we need to keep in mind a few things:

- the roster is TERRIBLE
- we've had our two best players out for multiple games
- there's been some DREADFUL referring against us
- things can't be improved in one year, or even three if I'm honest

Taking this on board, has there been enough to show us, the supporters, enough that we're going in the right direction? I mean, I think most rational supporters know that this year was a writeoff from the start (I was saying top 8 was a possibility though ... ) so can we expect more?

The simple answer is ... yes. Look, inspite of our injuries. Inspite of the bad referring. Inspite of our shit roster. Inspite of the clear need for time. Inspite of all of this ... it's simply not good enough.

Any team, whether it be in sport, business or socially, needs a clear vision and direction. We were fed a vision and direction by the coaching staff and players before the year started but until now we haven't really seen anything that resembles this. The terrible roster couldn't have been a surprise to them ... so why then make such a vision and then communicate it to your supporters when you know it's not possible to meet those expections?

Any way you look at this simple point it's extremely bad coaching. Extremely bad. Whether it be that they really believed that the squad was capable of playing such a way, or that they didn't but thought they'd feed the players crap confusing them even further. It doesn't make sense. Did they realise a game in that they couldn't play that way so changed the approach?

In no way am I bashing Pay, I'm just stating what I see here. The way these players were coached preseason, and told to play (we know this from interviews with Pay, and players like Lewis) you would at the very least expect to see some resemblence of this style. No?

At the present time we've rarely seen glimpses of this promised 'play what you see in front of you,' 'focus on attacking,' 'defending as a pack' approach as we had heard.

So ... after 9 weeks in and being one of the most positive supporters on here I can honestly say I'm fucking worried. I've only referred to one point of which could be 101 points. 1 point. And that 1 point to me clearly shows something ain't right here.

 

[Jean-Claude Juncker]

I think we all hoped and expected the team to build on the improvement shown at the back end of last season.

That hasn’t happened, and right now we seem to be lost and getting worse.

I’ve given up on the season; not how I wanted to be feeling after 9 rounds.

I’ll support Dean Pay always, but I don’t blame others for voicing their concerns and doubts.

 

[GirthGorilla]

1 game in a majority of the Kennel spat the dummy and demanded for mass sackings including our a permanent sacking of our coach. My reply was simple:

"It's only Round 1, we should give the coach + team some time to at least find their feet a little. I'm going to leave judgement until round 6 at least."

It's round 9 so I think there's been plenty of time to make a more rational anaylsis of the team and coach. Those that have been following my posts know that I'm really quite positive and optimistic about this team as I do think we need to keep in mind a few things:

- the roster is TERRIBLE
- we've had our two best players out for multiple games
- there's been some DREADFUL referring against us
- things can't be improved in one year, or even three if I'm honest

Taking this on board, has there been enough to show us, the supporters, enough that we're going in the right direction? I mean, I think most rational supporters know that this year was a writeoff from the start (I was saying top 8 was a possibility though ... ) so can we expect more?

The simple answer is ... yes. Look, inspite of our injuries. Inspite of the bad referring. Inspite of our shit roster. Inspite of the clear need for time. Inspite of all of this ... it's simply not good enough.

Any team, whether it be in sport, business or socially, needs a clear vision and direction. We were fed a vision and direction by the coaching staff and players before the year started but until now we haven't really seen anything that resembles this. The terrible roster couldn't have been a surprise to them ... so why then make such a vision and then communicate it to your supporters when you know it's not possible to meet those expections?

Any way you look at this simple point it's extremely bad coaching. Extremely bad. Whether it be that they really believed that the squad was capable of playing such a way, or that they didn't but thought they'd feed the players crap confusing them even further. It doesn't make sense. Did they realise a game in that they couldn't play that way so changed the approach?

In no way am I bashing Pay, I'm just stating what I see here. The way these players were coached preseason, and told to play (we know this from interviews with Pay, and players like Lewis) you would at the very least expect to see some resemblence of this style. No?

At the present time we've rarely seen glimpses of this promised 'play what you see in front of you,' 'focus on attacking,' 'defending as a pack' approach as we had heard.

So ... after 9 weeks in and being one of the most positive supporters on here I can honestly say I'm fucking worried. I've only referred to one point of which could be 101 points. 1 point. And that 1 point to me clearly shows something ain't right here.

By cutting and reinstating players left, right and centre shows his incompetancy in the way he goes about his role, there's instability and signs of trust lacking into the joint, if it hasn't so yet.
I supported pay from start, I've lost faith not just in him but the officiating and the whole govering body.

Nrl has turned into a corrupted, tasteless and disloyal product I once loved.

 

[B-Train]

Well said Steve. As I said in the thread I made, other teams like Manly have had injuries to their star players and decimate the rest of their squad yet they still compete and look like a FG football team.

Even teams that are bad like the Titans and Warriors etc look like they play in a different league to us. It's deeply disturbing and the club can't expect us to tolerate another 15 weeks of this which could be valuable time to build for next year. But in the wrong hands, it could be 15 weeks to set the club back even further.

 

[doggieaaron]

We are a much better team when napa/foran play hopefully they stay fit for the rest of the year

 

[_G-Dog_]

Simple turnovers in our own red zone.. Poor 5th tackle options.. Gifting oppposition 7 Tackle sets.. Poor defence that leads to tries..

These are some of the things we are seeing and are in control of regardless of our roster..

If we get the rubbish out of our game i think most fans would cop the losses better..

 

[GrogDog]

I've said it a couple of times since Tuesday now, Pay is on strike #1 with me.

I went from confident of a win Monday to a terrible knowing of a loss by Tuesday afternoon. I really think he fuked up with the changes this week not to mention wasting a bench spot every week. With Foran returning we should have been feeling great with a full strength squad (our possible full strength squad), however Pay deflated this by dropping players. Took the wind out of our sails and let's be honest we need all the wind we can get. All this chopping and changing gives no chance of players building confidence. We've gone from a coach who never drops players to one that drops them every week it seems.......no cohesion. Is Pay just using this whole year to try every player in the club out? Surely he knows something about them before selecting them?

As for our style I was in section 604 at Suncorp yesterday which is a bird's eye view. From that position you can clearly see that our guys are terrible in shape and have no idea about angles, straightening the attack, draw and pass, passing and numbering off in defence. They actually look un-coached. I said this many times about the previous bloke too. We are underachieving and even though most of our top 30 aren't actual FGer's we should be looking and doing much better than we are. There is no excuse for not being able to do the basic fundamentals of Rugby League at their level.

In short we are in need of about 12 signings in the next year or so because most of what we have are rubbish. While watching the second game last night I found myself saying, "I would love that player or that player in our team" then realised that I doubt any other teams fans would be saying that about 1 single player in our team. Would any player in our top 30 make any other clubs run on team?

 

[Tassie Devil]

Our roster is shit, but we're definitely capable of more.

I for one really hope that Pay will turn this around. That the players will turn this around. We're not a top 8 team, but we're certainly better than what we're showing.

To say they need more time and patience .....

I for one hope the club us looking far and wide for a new coach simply because if this continues on for another 6+ rounds they better have someone good ready to step in ....

 

[Spoonman84]

The club has bought themselves a grace period with the cap and shit roster, if they deserve a grace period is another question all together. Now what have we seen from the club (coach and board) that gives us any confidence that in 2 or 3 years that this rebuild is going to be successful? Let’s not sugarcoat anything this season has been a disgrace on the field from the first game of the year. Pay looks devoid of ideas and isn’t getting the best out of the players, it’s a bad roster but capable of more. The front office isn’t exactly setting the world on fire either they seem more interested in culling anything tied to the old regime then improving things. You’d be a brave person to believe we can make this rebuild a success at the minute and if we fuck it up the club will be in the doldrums for years.

 

[cookieman909]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Yes Pay inherited this rubbish roster. But the tactics and team selections are puzzling at best. We can blame des all we want for the mess we’re in. But how much longer? Pay has only won something like 9 games? It’s a lean run. Personally I think he’s unfortunately out of his depth.

 

[Baseball Furies]

I’d throw a lifeline to someone like Matthew Johns to work with our halves and our attack, he has a great analysis of the game and might be just what Pay needs at this stage.

Stevie G belongs in second grade looking after the part timers, not working as our “attacking” coach.

 

[south of heaven]

Watched 1 game all year ,the year before maybe 1 ,so forgive my ignorance or lack of knowledge ( i couldn't even name 5 players in our squad) but we are dead last, pay took over a pile of shit but shouldn't this be the year we improve ?
I thought finishing 8th world be a realistic goal for us you dont have to be that good to finish there.

 

[WestBeast]

Fk being the family club , I don’t care if it makes us hated because we already are , media is gonna write and talk shit regardless , sign bad ****** that can play , who cares if they’ve had stint in silverwater , if they can play , fuck it , I wanna win , niceties will get us nowhere , regardless who is coaching , the joint is a Fkn rabble bending over for greenturd and his bunch of merry flogs to ram us from behind , fuck em all

 

[Dognacious]

I’d throw a lifeline to someone like Matthew Johns to work with our halves and our attack, he has a great analysis of the game and might be just what Pay needs at this stage.

Stevie G belongs in second grade looking after the part timers, not working as our “attacking” coach.

Is Matty Johns even looking for work? DOnt think it would matter. We dont have the cattle. We have a number of players who have plenty upside, but how soon we see that consistantly is unknown. Okunbor for example, can have great games. But also can look at sea in others. Most of that is being so noob.

 

[Vek]

All I have to say is, where is the improvement? What is our attacking structure? Where is the "#mongrel"?? Where is the accountability?

So far it is "they dont exist" for all of the above.

 

[Bad Billy]

I’ve said it before, now I’ll say it again. You can’t claim that the team is shit, then in the next breath claim it’s the coaches fault we’re not winning.
Jesus Christ couldn’t coach this team to the semis.

 

[Spoonman84]

I’ve said it before, now I’ll say it again. You can’t claim that the team is shit, then in the next breath claim it’s the coaches fault we’re not winning.
Jesus Christ couldn’t coach this team to the semis.

This squad isn’t capable of finals but it’s not as bad as it’s going now. They are capable of much more then they are currently showing.

 

[Mr Invisible]

Too many Raiders rejects.

Board is falling for the same shit the previous mob did with Hasler. You don't let the coach decide who he works with... you TELL him who he'll be working with.

If he doesn't like it, fuck him off.

Too many "jobs for the boys/mates/family members".

Put simply we aren't employing the best people for job.

 

[Bad Billy]

This squad isn’t capable of finals but it’s not as bad as it’s going now. They are capable of much more then they are currently showing.

I don’t think they’re that far off TBH.
We’ve been in every game except the warriors who played like they were on ice after Christchurch and the dragons which seems to be a bit of an anomaly.
We pushed the storm and the rabbits to the death, and they’re competition heavyweights.
Our problem is consistency, but could be expected with a team this young.

 

[doggieaaron]

Is Matty Johns even looking for work? DOnt think it would matter. We dont have the cattle. We have a number of players who have plenty upside, but how soon we see that consistantly is unknown. Okunbor for example, can have great games. But also can look at sea in others. Most of that is being so noob.

He said on his show once he does it for free if a club needs help wed be silly not to get him in