Cool Your Jets

[CaptainJackson]

There are a few threads that have popped up overnight literally calling for him to be installed immediately. Quite a few supporters of that move, right here in The Kennel.

Also, the media is starting to blow the horns for Potter, eg that article from 'journalist' Paul Crowley.

Forget Crawley, he's a moron.

But I think others are saying, he was only interim before and not in contention, maybe he should come into contention based on what he's done.

 

[xanderalexander]

I would say that was because they had no idea what they were up against. It was the attitude of the Bulldogs that beat them, not a drop in form.
If we can repeat that attitude in the coming weeks, and get a few back to back wins, every team will worry about facing us.

I agree, but that also sort of proves my point.

The Dogs came with a win-at-all-costs attitude yesterday. It has been stated (correctly) that TPJ brought an aggression that rattled the Eels. This is the Dogs of War mentality that has been missing for many years.

A rattled team does not play their best, and Parra were rattled, thus, below their best.

 

[maroondog72]

I dont think any Dogs fan could be critical of Potter..hes come into a side that was playing poor and has improved them..

Potter Cant do much more this early on.. we saw improvment in our attack early on with him in charge.. i doubt any Dogs fan is bagging Potter out and hes come here to help even though he lives far out of Sydney.. understandable he cant commit after this year or may not even want to move hos family down at his age..

There are a few...

 

[xanderalexander]

Forget Crawley, he's a moron.

But I think others are saying, he was only interim before and not in contention, maybe he should come into contention based on what he's done.

Agreed and agreed.

My order of preference for the coaching gig is now as follows:

1. Flanagan
2. Woolf
3. Potter
4. Ciraldo
5. Madge
6. Holbrook
7. Walker brothers
8. Dymock
9. Fittler
10. Brown

 

[Grunthos]

The Bulldogs need a coach for 2023 and beyond. A few thoughts:

1. I was a big advocate about Potter being interim coach, and while there has been noticeable improvement, I’m not jumping the gun and asking for him to be installed after one win. Parramatta were dreadful, as good as we were.

2. Making a decision on who coaches should have zero to do with beating other teams (Tigers, Warriors etc) to the punch. Coaches who are available are also aware of which clubs need a coach. Imagine if our next coach actually turned down offers from those other teams because they *wanted* the gig at the Bulldogs. That’s the kind of coach I want here.

3. Of the names that are being thrown around, I think it’s important to think of their performance with other teams. Nathan Brown is a straight no. Madge is a premiership winning coach but he had a golden lineup. I don’t think all of his success can be directly attributed, and he has floundered at the woeful Tigers for some time. Woolf is massive in the UK but so was Holbrook. The NRL is a different beast. Flanagan took the Sharks to their first premiership against the odds and is known to be a ‘development’ coach. He’d also have a better shot at recruiting marquee players. Potter has the Bulldogs DNA but his CV is light. Ciraldo might end up being a stellar FG coach but I don’t want to be the first team to take a gamble with him. Dymock should have been our coach when Pay was selected (in my opinion) but the fact that he hasn’t progressed to that level yet shows the decision was probably right. Filter hasn’t performed that strongly at FG level and is too invested in the Roosters to fire our engines. He’s likely more focused on NSW and Ch9 to be seeking a change.

Summary:

A decision should not be made for at least another 6-8 weeks. Give Potter time to show what he’s got and don’t start the pressure mill on anyone just yet as it’s not needed. We need a coach who wants to be here and we need to surround that coach with people who are less focused on their own career, and more on the success of our club. My pick would be Flanagan with Potter as an assistant. I’d love to see Graham and Ennis back at the club in some capacity too.

Very well put sir.

 

[Eesma]

If we can string together a bunch more wins (and some more big scalps), Potter will probably be worthy of consideration. The sentiment a month ago was that even Bellamy would struggle to get success out of the current squad. In 3 weeks we've gone from the laughing stock of the NRL to smashing a premiership contender. Potter's done better than anyone imagined, so far. A good coach knows what they've got and how to use it. The bloke's living up to that.

 

[Bulldogsteve]

Potter when asked about coaching yesterday, he never ruled it out. He said we will see how go at seasons end. I think he is taking the pressure of himself and he privately wants the job.

 

[ddt192]

The Bulldogs need a coach for 2023 and beyond. A few thoughts:

1. I was a big advocate about Potter being interim coach, and while there has been noticeable improvement, I’m not jumping the gun and asking for him to be installed after one win. Parramatta were dreadful, as good as we were.

2. Making a decision on who coaches should have zero to do with beating other teams (Tigers, Warriors etc) to the punch. Coaches who are available are also aware of which clubs need a coach. Imagine if our next coach actually turned down offers from those other teams because they *wanted* the gig at the Bulldogs. That’s the kind of coach I want here.

3. Of the names that are being thrown around, I think it’s important to think of their performance with other teams. Nathan Brown is a straight no. Madge is a premiership winning coach but he had a golden lineup. I don’t think all of his success can be directly attributed, and he has floundered at the woeful Tigers for some time. Woolf is massive in the UK but so was Holbrook. The NRL is a different beast. Flanagan took the Sharks to their first premiership against the odds and is known to be a ‘development’ coach. He’d also have a better shot at recruiting marquee players. Potter has the Bulldogs DNA but his CV is light. Ciraldo might end up being a stellar FG coach but I don’t want to be the first team to take a gamble with him. Dymock should have been our coach when Pay was selected (in my opinion) but the fact that he hasn’t progressed to that level yet shows the decision was probably right. Filter hasn’t performed that strongly at FG level and is too invested in the Roosters to fire our engines. He’s likely more focused on NSW and Ch9 to be seeking a change.

Summary:

A decision should not be made for at least another 6-8 weeks. Give Potter time to show what he’s got and don’t start the pressure mill on anyone just yet as it’s not needed. We need a coach who wants to be here and we need to surround that coach with people who are less focused on their own career, and more on the success of our club. My pick would be Flanagan with Potter as an assistant. I’d love to see Graham and Ennis back at the club in some capacity too.

I agree we shouldn’t rush into the decision. We can’t afford to bottle this one again.

 

[Nate DAWG]

Potter when asked about coaching yesterday, he never ruled it out. He said we will see how go at seasons end. I think he is taking the pressure of himself and he privately wants the job.

Potter would 100% want the job. Ex Bulldog, improving list, good salary cap position and the big bucks that come with it

 

[maroondog72]

Out of everything that happened yesterday, I think that was my favourite moment. By Burton's reaction, I think it was his favourite too.

so good to see burto give him a spray after

 

[Moedogg]

I was pretty annoyed (but not surprised) when Moses was interviewed after the match. He did not say one positive thing about the Bulldogs or their excellent performance.

I was pissed when Moses didn't give one bit of credit to our team. It was all about Parras attitude blah blah blah ....fuck you Moses, you guys weren't off your game, we upped our game!

 

[Flanagun]

Flanno advocates keep avoiding the elephant in the room - the peptides scandal which occurred at his former club under his watch, which was one of the most shocking drug scandals in Australian sporting history. Not to mention the fact he has campaigned for the job so publicly, which has put a lot of noses out of joint. If people still want him, that's their opinion and they are entitled to it..... but let's be honest and discuss the cons as well as the pros.

I don't think people are calling for Mick just because of one win. Signs of improvement have been evident each week. Yes, Parramatta were bad, but Bulldogs teams of old would have squandered attacking opportunity after attacking opportunity and still found a way to lose that game.

I think those of us who are excited about Potter are excited because they have seen the team getting better week by week. We are averaging more points under him than we have in years, attention to detail is improving, elements of our game which have been missing for years such as support play are starting to reappear.... how many players backed up offloads and passes to set up that spectacular last try? The Burton/ JAC partnership is getting better week by week, he has made some important positional changes and those changes appear to be working better than anything Barrett tried, we are showing we can play off the cuff footy, showing more desperation in defence and the boys actually look like they want to play for their coach and each other. Most importantly, our team is getting a lot less boring and predictable, which makes it much more enjoyable to watch them, and is going to make it much more of a challenge for opposition teams to defend them.

I'm all for not rushing the decision. It makes sense to make sure yesterday wasn't an anomaly, but I think the team and our combinations are building nicely under Potter. The signs have been there from the start, even though up until yesterday we have still played a lot of dumb footy and suffered from first halfitis. It takes a while to drill those things out of a side. Other pros for Potter are he has the Bulldogs DNA and seems to be a straight talker. If he talks straight with the media (when it comes to on field performance, if not his coaching aspirations), I'm sure he does the same with the players.

I know he said in the past he didn't want the job, but that was probably just because he is humble and didn't want the media scrutiny. If Gus and the board told him they really thought he was the best man for the role, I don't think he'd say no.

I suppose the cons are he is relatively inexperienced at first grade level and he didn't do great at the tigers. But very few coaches have in the last 30 years.

If the team continues to improve and combinations continue to build, I think Potter should be at the top of our priority list.

If not Potter, I'd look at Woolf or Madge, tbh. I know Madge didn't do well at the tigers, but that club is a rabble. I do think he can coach. And at very least I know he would get the team fit and ready to compete for the 80.

But if I were asked to pick a coach next week at gunpoint, it would be next stop Pottersville, baby.

 

[Flanagun]

There are a few threads that have popped up overnight literally calling for him to be installed immediately. Quite a few supporters of that move, right here in The Kennel.

Also, the media is starting to blow the horns for Potter, eg that article from 'journalist' Paul Crowley.

Gus has made it pretty clear he is not going to rush the decision...and nor should he. But honestly, the changes in this team over such a short time span have been pretty impressive. Enough to make Gus take notice and give him serious consideration pending continued improvement, I think.

 

[Flanagun]

I agree, but that also sort of proves my point.

The Dogs came with a win-at-all-costs attitude yesterday. It has been stated (correctly) that TPJ brought an aggression that rattled the Eels. This is the Dogs of War mentality that has been missing for many years.

A rattled team does not play their best, and Parra were rattled, thus, below their best.

Yeah, but we didn't just scrape through against them like bottom teams sometimes do when they have a good day....we iced 'em by 30. And as bad as Parra were, there was a lot to like about our performance. If we continue to play like that, Parra won't be the first team we put off their game.

 

[xanderalexander]

Flanno advocates keep avoiding the elephant in the room - the peptides scandal which occurred at his former club under his watch, which was one of the most shocking drug scandals in Australian sporting history. Not to mention the fact he has campaigned for the job so publicly, which has put a lot of noses out of joint. If people still want him, that's their opinion and they are entitled to it..... but let's be honest and discuss the cons as well as the pros.

I don't think people are calling for Mick just because of one win. Signs of improvement have been evidenced each week and it's been obvious the team has been slowly getting better. Yes, Parramatta were bad, but Bulldogs teams of old would have squandered attacking opportunity after attacking opportunity and still found a way to lose that game.

I think those of us who are excited about Potter are excited because they have seen the team getting better week by week. We are averaging more points under him than we have in years, attention to detail is improving, elements of our game which have been missing for years such as support play are starting to reappear.... how many players backed up offloads and passes to set up that spectacular last try? The Burton/ JAC partnership is getting better week by week, he has made some important positional changes and those changes appear to be working better than anything Barrett tried, we are showing we can play off the cuff footy, showing more desperation in defence and the boys actually look like they want to play for their coach and each other. Most importantly, out team is getting a lot less boring and predictable, which makes it much more enjoyable to watch them....and is going to make it much more of a challenge for opposition teams to defend them.

I'm all for not rushing the decision. It makes sense to make sure yesterday wasn't an anomaly....but I think the team and our combinations are building nicely under Potter. The signs have been there from the start, even though up until yesterday we have still played a lot if dumb footy and suffered from first halfitis. It takes a while to drill those things out of a side. If we continue to improve over the next few weeks, He also has the Bulldogs DNA and seems to be a straight talker. If he talks straight with the media, I'm sure he does the same with the players.

I know he said in the past he doesn't want the job, but that was probably just because he is humble and didn't want the media scrutiny. If Gus and the board told him they really thought he was the best man for the role, I don't think he'd say no.

I suppose the cons are he is relatively inexperienced at first grade level and he didn't do great at the tigers.....but very few coaches have in the last 30 years.

If the team continues to improve and combinations continue to build, I think Potter should be at the top of our priority list.

If not Potter, I'd look at Woolf or Madge, tbh. I know Madge didn't do well at the tigers, but that club is a rabble. I do think he can coach. And at very least I know he would get the team fit and ready to compete for the 80.

But if I were asked to pick a coach next week at gunpoint, it would be next stop Potterville, baby.

Stepping in as devil's advocate here, Flanagan's role in the drug saga was that he casually dismissed enquiries regarding what players were being given in the form of supplements and injections, and that he brought the key player Stephen Dank to the club in the first place. While it might be convenient to suggest that Flanagan was fully aware and an active participant in player doping, that remains speculative at best.

Rugby league is full of dudes who are on their second, third, fourth and fifth chances in life. Flanagan's role in the drug saga was that he was flippant. He was not found to be integral, rather he told the club to have trust in someone who turned out to be fully knowledgeable of what was going on: that was absolutely his fault and he has served the suspension handed to him.

Mick Potter has coached four games and while yesterday was an incredible win, the three matches prior (cellar dwelling Tigers and Dragons plus a severely depleted Panthers outfit), we leaked 100 points at an average of 33.3 points per game. Under Barrett, the team was conceding 19-20 points per game and that average is calculated with consideration to a 44-0 drubbing from the Storm.

 

[Flanagun]

Stepping in as devil's advocate here, Flanagan's role in the drug saga was that he casually dismissed enquiries regarding what players were being given in the form of supplements and injections, and that he brought the key player Stephen Dank to the club in the first place. While it might be convenient to suggest that Flanagan was fully aware and an active participant in player doping, that remains speculative at best.

Rugby league is full of dudes who are on their second, third, fourth and fifth chances in life. Flanagan's role in the drug saga was that he was flippant. He was not found to be integral, rather he told the club to have trust in someone who turned out to be fully knowledgeable of what was going on: that was absolutely his fault and he has served the suspension handed to him.

Mick Potter has coached four games and while yesterday was an incredible win, the three matches prior (cellar dwelling Tigers and Dragons plus a severely depleted Panthers outfit), we leaked 100 points at an average of 33.3 points per game. Under Barrett, the team was conceding 19-20 points per game and that average is calculated with consideration to a 44-0 drubbing from the Storm.

Those enquiries came from a very well respected doctor who had been associated with the club for a quarter of a century and Dank was allowed to have continued involvement for the club for 7 weeks after Doc Givney's warning. While it appears Flanno spoke to him, it seems there was no thorough follow up. Maybe he knew exactly what was going on, maybe he didn't. But at very the least I think Flanno Snr should have made it his business to get to the bottom of things after such a strong warning from a respected professional. The fact he didn't seems worryingly dismissive at best and very fishy (excuse the sharks pun) at worst. Then there is the fact he was found to have violated the terms of his ban, which led to his de-registration from coaching for a considerable period of time. Can you imagine the media hammerings and sponsorship fallout if these things happened at the Bulldogs? I'm not saying that Flanno's history should necessarily be prohibitive of him getting the job, or that these scandals would be repeated here.... but there are some significant blemishes on his record which should at very least be talked about.

I don't think you can put the tigers loss on Potter. He took over the team mid week and has stated he pretty much just sat back and let Barrett's assistants run the show that week so he could get a gage on what he needed to do. Taking the tigers loss out of the equation (which is only fair), we are averaging a little under 23 ppg conceded under his coaching. He has also made some key positional changes and has no doubt brought some new ideas to the table, in defence as well as attack. Our line speed and aggression in defence was great yesterday and even the commentators were saying it's the best we've looked in d in a long time. That line speed was one of the things that spooked the eels and put them off their game. It's not that surprising if the changes Potter has started to make caused some initial confusion.

Like I said, give it a few weeks. I'm not saying the decision should be made tomorrow. But I really like what I've seen from Potter and think he should be given serious consideration if the team continues to improve.

 

[_G-Dog_]

There are a few...

Silly.. no one in their right mind can bag Potter.. its not his team hes inherited it all.. funny enough things have improved a few weeks under him already..

Even moving Kiraz from wing to centre is the right call.. He knows what hes doing .. happy to also see if Averillo at FB works ..

 

[Philistine]

I don't buy the line that Parra were awful yesterday. They looked solid and threatening in possession, and were solid in defence - they looked like a team in the top eight. I know the coach was down on his side, but I was seeing a team that could have run away with the game at any minute.

I agree, Parra weren't that bad. We won because we came to play, we had a reasonable go from the referee for once, and because TPJ did so much damage in his opening 20 minute blitz, the Parra forwards were never able to recover their poise and settle into any sort of rhythm.

 

[Dogtime]

Flanagan and Peptides. Will he ever live that down? Probably not. All the same, is Flanagan to blame? Or what about the CEO, Chairman of the Board and others at the Club?
Clubs surround themselves with experts. Experts on preventing racial vilification, abuse of women, alcohol abuse, how to deal with fans and social media, how to invest for your future. Should Flanagan of been across all these areas as well in case some consultant gave poor advice?
Lets not forget Danks came from Manly. Hasler had used his sports medicine techniques for 2 years. No investigation there strangely, yet we still hired Hasler.
Flanagan understood it was amino acids which assist in recovery which were being supplemented. Was he out of his depth? Sure. Was the entire Club mislead about what the supplements contained? Absolutely but lets not forget that there's no evidence that anyone at the Club were aware it was synthesised human growth hormone they were consuming.
Elkin (trainer) and Damien Irvine (Club President) have not been seen since. Flanagan was given a sentence for his part in the doping which expired October 2014. With the assistance of Maloney, Ennis and Barba they won the comp in 2016.
Has Flanagan paid the price for not being smarter? Absolutely.
Should this scandal prevent any Club considering Flanagan as an appropriate FG coach? Of course not. Any more than if a crooked investment adviser had given the players bad investment advice.
Flanagan did his time. He's paid the price for his naivety.
He's one of the best development coaches in rugby league. Players loved to play for him. He'd attract players. He delivered a premiership for Cronulla who were rocked by the scandal just a few short years earlier. A scandal that Steven Dank has never suffered any penalty for it must be said.
I don't care if his son plays for us or not. The fact is there's hardly any elite number 7's running around. Most are tradesman like, just like Kyle. Having his son play for us should not be relevant. If we can secure a better 7, then do so. Until then, Kyle is the best 7 in the Club. He was effective against the Eels, he played his part in executing the win.
Flanagan is an elite coach. We'd thrive under his leadership. He'd bring us back to being a powerhouse. He's the only coach available that would.
Overlook Shane Flanagan at your peril Mr Gould.

 

[kmr07]

Found it interesting that both Anasta and James Graham said that they had been coached by Potter and he’s not the right man for the job..