How to prepare this season for next.

[hackenbush]

This season is finished. We should be using the remainder of the season to Blood new players that have the potential to be good FG players. This will allow them to gain experience, whilst learning from their errors . Also they will not have added pressure of their errors costing a Top 8 finish. Should be selective & not wasting effort or time with players who will not make the grade. Personally I think wakeham, Lewis are great examples of using this season to develop in skills & see if they the potential. Conversely, the other category would include Montoya (who will never be a Gun centre, perhaps a winger) & meaney will not be an effective winger.
I don't like to harsh, as all players put 100% in the field. Let's make good use of the remainder of the year

 

[Sandra's Bollocks]

I'll text Deano now.

Brb....

 

[The_Chimpster]

I'll text Deano now.

Brb....

I'm guessing the reply would be something like this:

"thanks for the message mate, but I choose players based on my criteria, toughness. I don't care if they standout in reserves, they need to be from the country and to be as tough as I am as well as think like I do, which is not at all. They need to have zero attacking flair and display my defensive madness or else they aren't a true BuLldOg"

Sincerely,

Derp pay

 

[Scoooby]

#sack pay

Derp derp !!

Fuck I’m bored. 2019 is sad sad sad !!

 

[Mr Invisible]

No point preparing for 2019 when the problem is the coach. More of the same shit cometh.

 

[Sandra's Bollocks]

I'm guessing the reply would be something like this:

"thanks for the message mate, but I choose players based on my criteria, toughness. I don't care if they standout in reserves, they need to be from the country and to be as tough as I am as well as think like I do, which is not at all. They need to have zero attacking flair and display my defensive madness or else they aren't a true BuLldOg"

Sincerely,

Derp pay

I was gonna send him a dick pic but then I thought nah... I dont wanna upset Elliott.

 

[Aristidiz]

It is about creating a winning culture. And you can only do that by winning. You want to blood players into a winning culture not this clusterf**k that Dean Pay has created.

Question should be how you prepare for 2021 as all hands are tied for 2020.

Step 1. Sack Pay by mid next year, Steve as caretaker for remainder of 2020
Step 2. Find an experienced coach and book him in for 2021 (gives him time to head hunt for his 2021 team)
Step 3. Target 2 marquee players
Step 4. Tell said marquee players who will be coaching the squad in 2021 in order sign them (informally) for 2021
Step 5. Sign new coach and announce at 2020 season end
Step 6. New coach has say in marquee signings but moreso a say in who comprises of the rest of the team in 2021.
Step 7. Finals bound

I would sack Pay earlier but this will have little long term gain.

 

[BlackDawg]

Step 1 - generally agree but will be round 4 to 6
Step 2 - with step 1 in mind discreetly engage flanno now. The bloke is a prick but he is a proven coach and he can pull sonme of cronulla's talent across with him
Step 3 - If step 2 goes my way then get flanno to provide a list of players to target
Step 4 - yes tell them flanno is on board
Step 5 - Agree
Step 6 - should already be happening if flanno is covertly agreed per Step 2
Step 7 - Be a week in week out competitive team like we have been for last 30 years

 

[Horse]

Stick by Pay and let him work his magic.

 

[Squash the Berries!]

Step 1 - generally agree but will be round 4 to 6
Step 2 - with step 1 in mind discreetly engage flanno now. The bloke is a prick but he is a proven coach and he can pull sonme of cronulla's talent across with him
Step 3 - If step 2 goes my way then get flanno to provide a list of players to target
Step 4 - yes tell them flanno is on board
Step 5 - Agree
Step 6 - should already be happening if flanno is covertly agreed per Step 2
Step 7 - Be a week in week out competitive team like we have been for last 30 years

Make sure Flanno doesn’t bring any unknown liquid virals with him as I’m sure the players don’t want to start growing tails even though their bulldogs.

 

[TABOO]

It is about creating a winning culture. And you can only do that by winning. You want to blood players into a winning culture not this clusterf**k that Dean Pay has created.

Question should be how you prepare for 2021 as all hands are tied for 2020.

Step 1. Sack Pay by mid next year, Steve as caretaker for remainder of 2020
Step 2. Find an experienced coach and book him in for 2021 (gives him time to head hunt for his 2021 team)
Step 3. Target 2 marquee players
Step 4. Tell said marquee players who will be coaching the squad in 2021 in order sign them (informally) for 2021
Step 5. Sign new coach and announce at 2020 season end
Step 6. New coach has say in marquee signings but moreso a say in who comprises of the rest of the team in 2021.
Step 7. Finals bound

I would sack Pay earlier but this will have little long term gain.

I really don't think we should give him another full off-season and start the season with Pay if we are only going to sack him mid season.
If we don't have a permanent coach for 2020, then give the caretaker coach the reigns for the off-season so at least the players know who they are playing for and give said coach a chance to put his own direction in to the team to start the season. If we are letting Pay go, it needs to be at or before the end of this season.

 

[TwinTurbo]

A caretaker coach in my view is the absolute worst option, the disruption to the existing team is huge and any players looking at us as an option are hardly going to be impressed with playing under someone they know for certain won't be there, not even for possibly day 1 of their contract. To me the best option by far is if we sign a new coach then its has to announced in the first half of next year for them to start pre season 2021. But (a huge but) it has to be an absolute top level coach, it's no use whatsoever taking a risk on an unknown, unproven coach, one who will attract no one in his own right. There's not many that get remotely close to the level that will make any difference whatsoever in who we sign. Which (aside from being a great coach) is the sole objective in signing a coach for 2021, they need to be respected enough to make a difference in gun/strike players choosing us over other teams. He has to give us a competitive edge not just on the field but in the player market.

The field of candidates gets very narrow when you apply the criteria, they have to available at the end of next season or can be made available via a contract release, they have to be well respected, thought highly of by the players in our target group, almost certainly not an NRL/ESL rookie (needs runs on the board) and most unlikely to be an assistant coach looking to step up.

Targets (not necessarily my personal choices);
Bellamy, contracted to Melbourne till the end of 2021, I'm sure if he asked they would grant him a 1 year earlier release. But he has to want to ask and I doubt that he would, my feelings are he will stay until he can hand over the reigns to Smith.

Daylight

Flanagan, has the rather large issue of needing the NRL to grant him a coaching licence, maybe 2021 is a long enough penance, I doubt that the NRL itself even knows that. Would take some careful/delicate negotiations and some serious media manipulation to offset the shit fight that will undoubtedly happen on his return to the NRL.

More daylight

Holbrook, he's available next year, has a good ESL rep (a Premiership and a 79% win record), not a lot of NRL baggage, so a fresh start. The Sharks wanted him bad for this year, Morris is on an incentive contract, so if the Sharks do well this year he might be safe. We need to move pretty fast as as far as I can tell he is still in negotiations to extend his contract with St Helens. Having grown up in the local area and coached our NSW Cup team he has some Bulldogs history but plenty of experience outside.


As usual managing the transition (if there is to be one) from one coach to another is not easy and requires careful management. So as not to alienate the current players that we may want to keep and also not detract from recruiting those players that we might want to attract.

Go Dogs

 

[Noeasyday]

1. Sack Pay
2. Steal Monkey from zoo
3. Announce monkey as new coach
4. Sack the board
5. Catch a flock of Galah's
6. Put Galah's on new board
7. Progress can now be made for 2020

 

[TABOO]

A caretaker coach in my view is the absolute worst option, the disruption to the existing team is huge and any players looking at us as an option are hardly going to be impressed with playing under someone they know for certain won't be there, not even for possibly day 1 of their contract. To me the best option by far is if we sign a new coach then its has to announced in the first half of next year for them to start pre season 2021. But (a huge but) it has to be an absolute top level coach, it's no use whatsoever taking a risk on an unknown, unproven coach, one who will attract no one in his own right. There's not many that get remotely close to the level that will make any difference whatsoever in who we sign. Which (aside from being a great coach) is the sole objective in signing a coach for 2021, they need to be respected enough to make a difference in gun/strike players choosing us over other teams. He has to give us a competitive edge not just on the field but in the player market.

Go Dogs

A caretaker coach is NEVER an ideal situation but our recruitment of a top notch coach needs to be carefully thought out and no rash decisions made.
This is highly unlikely to happen before the off-season or even next season starting.
On all appearances to me, Dean Pays position is becoming untenable (And yes, I already know you are going to disagree).
But the thing is, we are tracking significantly worse than last year, we have mind boggling selections and bench rotations.
Players confidence and combinations are not looking great, we have poor attacking and defensive issues, and players wanting to leave the club.

As unappealing as a caretaker coach is, I feel its the better alternative to A) Keeping Pay and B) Rushing in a new coach to replace him.
My opinion.

 

[Yougra]

Problem is what quality coaches are available? Thinking outside the box I would target Cooper Cronk as an assistant coach for next year. He has had 10 years under Bellamy and just listening to him analyse the game, he has an amazing insight and knowledge of the game and is a great communicator. He has all the attributes to be an outstanding coach. Get him in next year to work with Pay or if we go for an interim coach like Griffen (who is available) , either way get Cronk on board with a view for him to be our head coach within the next couple of years

 

[TwinTurbo]

Problem is what quality coaches are available? Thinking outside the box I would target Cooper Cronk as an assistant coach for next year. He has had 10 years under Bellamy and just listening to him analyse the game, he has an amazing insight and knowledge of the game and is a great communicator. He has all the attributes to be an outstanding coach. Get him in next year to work with Pay or if we go for an interim coach like Griffen (who is available) , either way get Cronk on board with a view for him to be our head coach within the next couple of years

Cronk is going to Harvard next year to study.

Go Dogs

 

[TwinTurbo]

A caretaker coach is NEVER an ideal situation but our recruitment of a top notch coach needs to be carefully thought out and no rash decisions made.
This is highly unlikely to happen before the off-season or even next season starting.
On all appearances to me, Dean Pays position is becoming untenable (And yes, I already know you are going to disagree).
But the thing is, we are tracking significantly worse than last year, we have mind boggling selections and bench rotations.
Players confidence and combinations are not looking great, we have poor attacking and defensive issues, and players wanting to leave the club.

As unappealing as a caretaker coach is, I feel its the better alternative to A) Keeping Pay and B) Rushing in a new coach to replace him.
My opinion.

Facts first;
Last year we won 8 games in the full season, this year we have won 4 games at around the half way point, that's not "significantly worse than last year". (Byes included)
Last year at Round 15 we had won 3 games, this year we have won 4 games, that's in fact a 33.3% improvement on last year. (Byes included)

Opinions next
I haven't found very many selections "mind boggling", and bench rotations look perfectly normal NRL practise to me.
The team looked more confident last game, threw the ball around quite a bit, whilst maintaining a good completion rate, game management was much better, low error count, etc


Go Dogs

 

[speedy2460]

When people discuss selections, they do not have the information that is necessary to make the decisions. The coaching staff do.
If you think elevating some of the reggies to FG will fix whatever problem there is, then you are in lala land.
RFM and Okunbor might cut it but thats about all. When you work with people for long hours, you notice things about them. Its these things that
determine if somebody is ready for elevation. Thats what the coaching staff do. Let them do their job.

 

[TABOO]

Facts first;
Last year we won 8 games in the full season, this year we have won 4 games at around the half way point, that's not "significantly worse than last year". (Byes included)
Last year at Round 15 we had won 3 games, this year we have won 4 games, that's in fact a 33.3% improvement on last year. (Byes included)

Opinions next
I haven't found very many selections "mind boggling", and bench rotations look perfectly normal NRL practise to me.
The team looked more confident last game, threw the ball around quite a bit, whilst maintaining a good completion rate, game management was much better, low error count, etc


Go Dogs

Thanks for your opinion.
Although at the same stage last year we did in fact have 3 wins as opposed to 4, I don't think overall we are a 'better' team (We lost to the Roosters 6-0, got absolutely robbed against the Broncos in rd 9 where we should have won and a questionable 'loss' to Souths in Rd 4 also) This is just the first few rounds.
Aside from the loss to the Storm in round 4(?) this year, the games we lost, we lost significantly (regardless of the score, we never looked like winning).

We played Newcastle in rd 16 last year and spanked them 36-16 (Probably our 2nd most pleasing win last year behind the St George flogging), so this will be a good test with our upcoming match with them.

The player selections and bench rotations have been mind blogging and you are probably the only person in TK who doesnt think so.

 

[TwinTurbo]

The player selections and bench rotations have been mind blogging and you are probably the only person in TK who doesnt think so.

Maybe I'm the only person who is game enough to post that I don't think so.

I admit that even I have had a couple of head scratcher selections, but I've never been close to being "mind boggled". Plus when I did a little research I have found a number of reasons, aside from form on the field, that justifiably contribute to players being dropped and/or not promoted. An example, if a player blows off their specialist coach enough times such that he refuses to coach them any more should that player be picked to play? My view is fark no, there has to be team discipline maintained (let him get away with that shit and the others will think they can to). Others on TK will say it's irrelevant, players should only ever be picked based on what they do on the field. Hence what is perfectly justified to me is mind boggling to them.

As far as bench rotations go, someone posted that Pay was a total idiot for rotating a prop at ~70 minutes and I pointed out that Bellamy and Bennett had in fact done exactly the same in the same round. So why was Pay's rotation singled out as being idiotic and 2 of the oft called "best coaches in the NRL" weren't similarly scoffed at. Many on TK are desperate to justify their opinions and search out anything that confirms that already reached opinion. Me, I'm a facts first decision maker.

Go Dogs