Mostly true, but well and truly offset by the players that we don't sign up for next year because he's not able to be there for the pitch to them and their managers. If he is here he can recruit whoever he wants as an assistant coach immediately, Antonelli left last week so we already have an assistant coaching position available right now. He's is also able to first hand rate the players that he wants to keep for next year, that aren't resigned, and let go or release the ones he doesn't want. There is no substitute for time and giving up 6 months is not recoverable. As for a shortened off season, it's not much use starting before 1st December because of the unavailability of any players that we have signed for next year plus those on international or SOO duties. Hopefully we will have a few new players signed for next year plus of those at least a couple on international or SOO duties. Seriously are we going to insist on players in pre season training before Xmas, I don't think so.
Go Dogs
re: assistant coach
according to reports he wants Cartwright who's at Manly. Manly won't let him leave early just to become assistant coach here and disrupt their season when they are a chance to go into the finals. Our current assistant coaches are crap which is evident on the poor skills, fitness and tactics of our team. If I was Barrett I'll get rid of all of them and bring in ones I can know and trust to do a good job.
re: pre season training
our players are in no position to whinge about a shortened off season. Most of them are crap and need a kick up the rear end. Insisting on a shortened off season will identify the ones who have the wrong attitude and therefore the ones to boot off. NRL is a moving target. The opposition are not static and improve each week. Our players are unfit. They need more time to train in the pre season to have a chance to come up to parity with the top teams. If we train for the same number of weeks as the other teams in the pre season we'll always be behind.
re: unavailability of any players that we have signed for next year plus those on international or SOO duties.
It's largely irrelevant since none of our players are good enough for test or SOO so you're only talking about the new recruits. If the new recruits are good enough to play the rep football then they don't need the extra pre season training I'm referring to but clearly our current players aren't fit enough.
re: He's is also able to first hand rate the players that he wants to keep for next year, that aren't resigned, and let go or release the ones he doesn't want
If he's as savvy as I think he is he'll know already which players he definitely wants to retain/let go and there would be a shortlist of those in the borderline category. They'll be the ones he'll keep a close eye on and be identifiable in the early pre season training as I doubt any club would want them. I would keep the borderline category unsigned and use the pre season training as their trial probation period.