Worst Coaching Decision Ever?

[dice]

Buzz suggesting that Billy Smith will be dumped. This place going to meltdown if Suaalii named at left centre again.

[Johnny Brass]

Buzz suggesting that Billy Smith will be dumped. This place going to meltdown if Suaalii named at left centre again.

I'd like to see Pauga at left centre and Suaalii can play right winger, it suits both of their styles of play better.

[HunchoRooster]

Huncho was 100% wrong-and so are you.

We lost 20-6 to the Cowboys and 48-4 to the Riff after those 2 results you mentioned... sounds like abject failure to me. Manu also got injured in the Riff game and there was a suggestion we needed to recall Walker, in which case, he himself was already injured and couldn't be selected.

Robbo clearly wanted to bring Walker back into the fold if not for the injury, despite saying he needed to go away and work on game management and running the reserve grade side. It was impossible to do that with the tiny amount of footy he played in NSW Cup, so in other words, Robbo went back on what he originally had said.

[Rooster_6]

Whilst I wouldn't have dropped Sam, I get it. What annoys me is that Robbo said he needed to spend time running a side to get his game in order, YET after the Manu at 6 experiment completely failed within a week, he tried to bring Walker back into the side. Seems like a lot of people are missing this... yes the injury is not Robbo's fault but he literally said a week prior, that Sam needs time to develop his game management by running the ressies side for a while. Then he recalls him (only to be ruled out injured) after only 40mins of reserve grade footy... That proves Robbo had no idea what he actually wanted from Walker and that something deeper was the reason behind the dropping.

Walker was never recalled and was never in line to be recalled as the halfback.

This is simply all untrue as are the subsequent assumptions made on the back of this version of events.

[HunchoRooster]

Walker was never recalled and was never in line to be recalled as the halfback.

This is simply all untrue as are the subsequent assumptions made on the back of this version of events.

Of course he was never recalled, everyone is aware of that unless they are living in an alternate reality given we haven't seen Sam for months. Not sure where it was implied he was recalled?

If you wish to believe that Robinson didn't say he needed to spend an extended period of time honing his craft and working on game management to run the reserve grade side only to backflip after a couple of weeks saying it wasn't working how he anticipated but then have the decision taken out of his hands by Sam's injury, then that is your prerogative mate.

I won't be as extreme as others on here who blame Robbo for bad weather and in-game injuries but conversely, the staunch loyalists that blindly ignore events to suit the Teflon Robbo narrative are equally amusing.

[Rooster_6]

Not sure where it was implied he was recalled?

You said "YET after the Manu at 6 experiment completely failed within a week, he tried to bring Walker back into the side."

[HunchoRooster]

You said "YET after the Manu at 6 experiment completely failed within a week, he tried to bring Walker back into the side."

He didn't recall him though? Nor did I say he was recalled. Let's say within a couple of weeks to make everyone feel better.* Even though I think the experiment was a failure within the first week given we beat the Dragons by 1pt and lost the try count.

The point is being missed. Going off Robinson's own words and logic, Walker should be named in reserve grade as soon as he is deemed fit enough to play and should be nowhere near the first grade side because he has only had 1 full game in reserves which was a heavy loss so I don't think he has shown the game management skills nor has he gained any experience 'running the reserve grade side'. However, I suspect he will be fast-tracked straight back into the NRL side, which is a good thing but also proves Robinson missed the mark completely and went back on his own rationale for dropping him.

[Rooster_6]

He didn't recall him though? Nor did I say he was recalled. Let's say within a couple of weeks to make everyone feel better.* Even though I think the experiment was a failure within the first week given we beat the Dragons by 1pt and lost the try count.

Ok change the wording as you please what evidence is there that he tried to bring Walker back into the side after a week of the Manu experiment failing?

Given you drew your conclusions from this statement I think it's a fair question to ask...

[Bates]

Anyone who thinks Walker was dropped for poor form has rocks in their head.

So why was he dropped then?

[4 the all in brawl]

Gus "the genius" Gould before a sudden death semi final in 1999 against the Dragqueens decides lower grade winger Graham Appo would be a better starting number 7 than the Qld Origin incumbent Adrian Lam.

First scrum of the game Dragons score after Appo misses his assignment. Not blaming poor Appo, he should not have been anywhere near the starting side for that semi. Let alone playing half.....

[SamKerrSimp]

Gus "the genius" Gould before a sudden death semi final in 1999 against the Dragqueens decides lower grade winger Graham Appo would be a better starting number 7 than the Qld Origin incumbent Adrian Lam.

First scrum of the game Dragons score after Appo misses his assignment. Not blaming poor Appo, he should not have been anywhere near the starting side for that semi. Let alone playing half.....

Gus did some strange things like that. Who was the forward he played at fullback one day out of the blue I thought it was Tony Iro but I don’t think the timeline adds up. The player even questioned why he would play fullback when he’s never done it but Gus trained him there all week and from memory he scored a try and we won the game.

[Vasco]

Gus did some strange things like that. Who was the forward he played at fullback one day out of the blue I thought it was Tony Iro but I don’t think the timeline adds up. The player even questioned why he would play fullback when he’s never done it but Gus trained him there all week and from memory he scored a try and we won the game.

It was Tony Iro. Don't think he scored but he did have a blinder, which he often did.

[Sentimentinel]

Gus did some strange things like that. Who was the forward he played at fullback one day out of the blue I thought it was Tony Iro but I don’t think the timeline adds up. The player even questioned why he would play fullback when he’s never done it but Gus trained him there all week and from memory he scored a try and we won the game.

Gus told that story about Iro a few weeks ago with Matt Thompson on their 6 tackles podcast. I think it was that one.

Have a listen. Funny Gus.

[SamKerrSimp]

Gus told that story about Iro a few weeks ago with Matt Thompson on their 6 tackles podcast. I think it was that one.

Have a listen. Funny Gus.

Hey mate where can I find the Gus Gould podcast I like hearing stories about his time with us he made some eccentric moves at times. Bryan Fletcher told some great Gus stories on the the hello sport podcast and even some funny Ricky Stuart stories when he was coach. Fletch told the story about how he got sacked by the club for making a goose of himself at an end of year function and Gus told him not to worry just to turn up to preseason training anyway lol

Sean Garlick was on The Fan reminiscing about the famous day Gus wanted to bring the team off the field while we were winning the game.

[SamKerrSimp]

It was Tony Iro. Don't think he scored but he did have a blinder, which he often did.

He was a great player. Gus was a good coach for us too our team was robbed of a premiership win in 1997 I will never get over the disgraceful refereeing against Manly in the preliminary final where they kicked penalty goals all day and especially the tackle without the ball that should’ve been a penalty try.