Sign a Superstar, Sack a Coach

[Guest]

SBW wont be a signing like all the other big names the Roosters have bought that turned out to be flops. SBW is actually doing the club a favour by only signing for 1 season. It's the only way to deal with SBW & his team.

IMO when it comes to being the coach of the Roosters you have to demand total control before you sign a contract.

[Guest]

Someone please reccomend some stars to sign apart from B.Stewart etc.

SBW, Glen Stewart is available apart from that???
Btw we dont need Glen Stewart so SBW is the only one worth signing IMO if he is payed not too much.

[The Rooster Oracle]

The good old tried and tested formula for occasional short term success and long-term failure. This must be the Vision statement at the top of the Roosters Strategic-Business Plan.

Will we ever learn?

This creates the culture and shapes the results – on and off the field.

I have been a long-time critic of our policy of changing coaches as soon as times get tough. The quick fix. At the end of 2009 we needed a strong, experienced coach on a longer term contract who would instil discipline and not take rubbish. We got him. Took us to a Grand Final in the first year, rails fell off in 2011, got rid of the rubbish and finished year strongly and started 2012 similarly. There has also been a significant reduction in the off-field dramas and headlines for the wrong reasons – tick again, job done.

Mid 2012 things unravelling again. And, yet again, I point the finger at our upper level management. Players being given verbal “guarantees” about their position in the team from the Chairman. Big money being offered to sign a “sportsman” from another code, granting him his every wish, shedding our own players in the wake to accommodate him.
How can a coach and his players be expected to operate effectively and focus on building a winning culture for the club in this environment? Simple answer, they cannot.

The SBW circus has begun to affect our club even before it has even been announced officially – big time. What sort of message is this one-year, bend over backwards deal sending to other players in the club? Yes Smithy is a tough disciplinarian which some of the players do not like. Well they like it even less when management is giving the red carpet treatment to one new player.

It is so easy to blame one person or group – i.e. the coaching staff when things are going bad. It’s just a simple cop-out. Has the game left behind the more experienced coaches like Smith, Bennett and Sheens?…it’s possible, but it’s not what lies at the heart of our problems.

Nick I think it’s time to step aside. Yes we do need to re-build, but this time from the top of the tree.

Bring back Easts.

Oh yeah your completely right Jackie, how on earth can Smiffy operate effectively when he has hanging over him the knowledge that SBW and Maloney are coming next year and Anasta is leaving. That is just an untenable situation, no coach in their right mind would want that scenario thrust upon them. It is grounds for handing in your resignation or even slitting your wrists!!

Poor Smiffy has to put up with Nick running the team. Every week Nick picks the 17, enforces a no structure policy, comes up with the game plans, tells the players which lines to run, addresses the players before kick off and at half time. Really all Nick pays Smiffy to do is cut oranges and turn up at the after match conference cause he doesn't like having to do them.

Jackie you are a believer that Smiffy hasn't lost the dressing room and that the signing of SBW has the players unhappy and it is affecting their performances. Wow, you sure do have an intricate knowledge of what is going on with our club, are you Smiffy?? Actually you sound older, are you Smiffy's father?? Grandfather??

No Jackie boy, 'the real' cop out is making piss weak excuse after ****ing excuse for Smiffy's constant failures!!! It is easy to blame Smiffy as it is so bleeding obvious that he is the main reason we are going so shithouse!!!

Enough with the constant "rebuilding" bullshit, that excuse just doesn't wash!! And this new SBW excuse is beyond a joke!! What will you come up with next??? We have a side good enough to be making the 8 this year but we are let down with our crapola coaching set up!!

You say that we shouldn't have sacked Chris Anderson????? When a coach isn't getting the results it is time to go, Rugby League if you didn't know is a results oriented sport!!

Smiffy has no excuse for where we are positioned, we have had a good run with injuries unlike the raiders, panthers and knights. He was able to choose his assistants and he chose his special needs son and Elliot to assist him.

Your son/grandson has been coaching 1st grade since 1984 and has never won an NRL premiership and he never will! What's the point with sticking with him??? The whole point I was led to believe is to win premierships.

What makes you say that losing these players mid season is to do with accommodating SBW??? You know this as fact? The fact that we have signed Oldman and Seluini doesn't blow that little theory out of the water now would it????????
Perrett and Mitchell leaving and Taka looking at going to manly and Symonds to the storm has absolutely nothing to do with them not liking Smiffy now would it????

Personally I couldn't give a stuff about what happens off the field (this supposed SBW circus you crap on about, is there a trapeze? I like those!), I like to focus on what happens on the field, winning games of football!!! Anyway, heaven forbid SBW brings bigger crowds to our games and more prime time viewing. That would be awful!

Now if you want to talk about REAL footy adversity, then what Bellamy and Hasler have gone through and overcome in their careers is something to admire!! The way Bellamy dealt with the salary cap rorting fiasco in 2010 was extraordinary! The storm were hit with a massive bombshell and were left with completely nothing left to play for with being unable to accumulate points for the rest of the season, and players all fearing for their futures, yet Bellamy inspired his side to fight on and if they were able to accumulate points they would have finished ahead of us in 5th spot. The following year after having to shed so many players and having that big salary cap cloud hanging over their heads along with everyone hating them, they go out and Bellamy guides the storm to the minor premiership and again this year the storm are well on their way to winning yet another minor premiership. Incredible! There is NO hope in hell that Smiffy would have been able to achieve a feat like that!!

You think that we have it bad at the Roosters with Nick, ha, just take a look at manly and what Hasler had to put up with in his time there. And what did Hasler do with all the boardroom in fighting and with it being played out in the media, he just put it behind him, got on with business and proceeded to win 2 premierships. Now I will say again, Smiffy would have NO hope in hell of achieving a feet like that!!!

So really Jackie, Smiffy has nothing to complain about!

***Cue Jackie's mates/other alias' to defend him by personally attacking me and coming up with zero substance or constructive debate!

[stsae]

Oh yeah your completely right Jackie, how on earth can Smiffy operate effectively when he has hanging over him the knowledge that SBW and Maloney are coming next year and Anasta is leaving. That is just an untenable situation, no coach in their right mind would want that scenario thrust upon them. It is grounds for handing in your resignation or even slitting your wrists!!

Poor Smiffy has to put up with Nick running the team. Every week Nick picks the 17, enforces a no structure policy, comes up with the game plans, tells the players which lines to run, addresses the players before kick off and at half time. Really all Nick pays Smiffy to do is cut oranges and turn up at the after match conference cause he doesn't like having to do them.

Jackie you are a believer that Smiffy hasn't lost the dressing room and that the signing of SBW has the players unhappy and it is affecting their performances. Wow, you sure do have an intricate knowledge of what is going on with our club, are you Smiffy?? Actually you sound older, are you Smiffy's father?? Grandfather??

No Jackie boy, 'the real' cop out is making piss weak excuse after ****ing excuse for Smiffy's constant failures!!! It is easy to blame Smiffy as it is so bleeding obvious that he is the main reason we are going so shithouse!!!

Enough with the constant "rebuilding" bullshit, that excuse just doesn't wash!! And this new SBW excuse is beyond a joke!! What will you come up with next??? We have a side good enough to be making the 8 this year but we are let down with our crapola coaching set up!!

You say that we shouldn't have sacked Chris Anderson????? When a coach isn't getting the results it is time to go, Rugby League if you didn't know is a results oriented sport!!

Smiffy has no excuse for where we are positioned, we have had a good run with injuries unlike the raiders, panthers and knights. He was able to choose his assistants and he chose his special needs son and Elliot to assist him.

Your son/grandson has been coaching 1st grade since 1984 and has never won an NRL premiership and he never will! What's the point with sticking with him??? The whole point I was led to believe is to win premierships.

What makes you say that losing these players mid season is to do with accommodating SBW??? You know this as fact? The fact that we have signed Oldman and Seluini doesn't blow that little theory out of the water now would it????????
Perrett and Mitchell leaving and Taka looking at going to manly and Symonds to the storm has absolutely nothing to do with them not liking Smiffy now would it????

Personally I couldn't give a stuff about what happens off the field (this supposed SBW circus you crap on about, is there a trapeze? I like those!), I like to focus on what happens on the field, winning games of football!!! Anyway, heaven forbid SBW brings bigger crowds to our games and more prime time viewing. That would be awful!

Now if you want to talk about REAL footy adversity, then what Bellamy and Hasler have gone through and overcome in their careers is something to admire!! The way Bellamy dealt with the salary cap rorting fiasco in 2010 was extraordinary! The storm were hit with a massive bombshell and were left with completely nothing left to play for with being unable to accumulate points for the rest of the season, and players all fearing for their futures, yet Bellamy inspired his side to fight on and if they were able to accumulate points they would have finished ahead of us in 5th spot. The following year after having to shed so many players and having that big salary cap cloud hanging over their heads along with everyone hating them, they go out and Bellamy guides the storm to the minor premiership and again this year the storm are well on their way to winning yet another minor premiership. Incredible! There is NO hope in hell that Smiffy would have been able to achieve a feat like that!!

You think that we have it bad at the Roosters with Nick, ha, just take a look at manly and what Hasler had to put up with in his time there. And what did Hasler do with all the boardroom in fighting and with it being played out in the media, he just put it behind him, got on with business and proceeded to win 2 premierships. Now I will say again, Smiffy would have NO hope in hell of achieving a feet like that!!!

So really Jackie, Smiffy has nothing to complain about!

***Cue Jackie's mates/other alias' to defend him by personally attacking me and coming up with zero substance or constructive debate!

While your posts are a good read mate I've noticed you often take criticism badly and come out attacking individuals with a differing opinion. I guess I'm next???

Talking opinion, and I'm not rubbishing yours cos I agree with a lot of it, but you asked Jack if he knew his shit was facts??? But you then go and make statements which appear to me as your stating facts but when I read them they are speculation and opinion.

The old bag another fan and call him a rello of Smiff one has been done to death. Now I'm his son, Chook is Smiff and Jack is our father/grandfather. All we generally say is while Smiff isn't the long term answer and limited, we signed him for 4 yrs and it would be good to let a coach see out his contract before making changes. Firstly the club can't keep paying coaches out, it's a waste of cash. Secondly there is very little available in terms of quality proven coaches. And thirdly with our current reactive sack everyone bleeting I'd be guessing it would make quality coaches, who every club wants, think twice before coming to a place that's very quick to react. Also what about the players and their responsibility in the mess??? Never have I seen a club lose the dressing room so often in such a short space of time. IMO it's crazy that we allegedly have the players influencing what happens in the boardroom, who they like/dislike this season as coach etc. I doubt other quality coaches would want to be part of that sorta wacky shit.

IMO we are all fans of the club and all want what's best. Our opinions may differ on how it should be achieved but the goal is the same.

[chook 56]

Backwards, get on the turps tonight, mate.
You are making waaaay too much sense, again.

[stsae]

Backwards, get on the turps tonight, mate.
You are making waaaay too much sense, again.

That's the plan my friend.

[The Rooster Oracle]

While your posts are a good read mate I've noticed you often take criticism badly and come out attacking individuals with a differing opinion. I guess I'm next???

Talking opinion, and I'm not rubbishing yours cos I agree with a lot of it, but you asked Jack if he knew his shit was facts??? But you then go and make statements which appear to me as your stating facts but when I read them they are speculation and opinion.

The old bag another fan and call him a rello of Smiff one has been done to death. Now I'm his son, Chook is Smiff and Jack is our father/grandfather. All we generally say is while Smiff isn't the long term answer and limited, we signed him for 4 yrs and it would be good to let a coach see out his contract before making changes. Firstly the club can't keep paying coaches out, it's a waste of cash. Secondly there is very little available in terms of quality proven coaches. And thirdly with our current reactive sack everyone bleeting I'd be guessing it would make quality coaches, who every club wants, think twice before coming to a place that's very quick to react. Also what about the players and their responsibility in the mess??? Never have I seen a club lose the dressing room so often in such a short space of time. IMO it's crazy that we allegedly have the players influencing what happens in the boardroom, who they like/dislike this season as coach etc. I doubt other quality coaches would want to be part of that sorta wacky shit.

IMO we are all fans of the club and all want what's best. Our opinions may differ on how it should be achieved but the goal is the same.

Very good post mate, I'm not going to attack you after a good constructive read like that. What I don't take kindly to is when certain people on here resort to personal attacks on me because they have no substance with a come back constructive argument like what happened to a previous thread of mine.

I do make some statements that appear like fact but I do not state that they are, and then there are some things I say that I do know to be fact but really how can you prove it on here?

I ask Jackie if he is related to Smiffy as I can not for the life of me work out the man love for him and why he constantly defends him with ridiculous endless excuses.

I know it is not ideal to keep wasting the cash on paying people out before their time, but you have to when the club keeps making poor signings! Signing Smiffy for 4 years is incomprehensible!

Imo Bellamy is the answer. He has a proven track record of getting the storm to the finals every year, quite often winning minor premierships. He has good relations with players, which is something we sorely need! Players take less money to play for him like Hinchcliffe recently did, that has to say something! I don't hear that happening with Smiffy, he has to pay extras if anything!

Who would have thought Bennett would leave the broncos or Hasler leave manly? As you know money talks. Uncle Nick will need to make him the highest paid coach in the NRL to prize him away from Melbourne, and it will be worth every cent!! A challenge can also be very appealing. After all we are the greatest club of all time, with the most history and you can't argue with that!

[stsae]

Very good post mate, I'm not going to attack you after a good constructive read like that. What I don't take kindly to is when certain people on here resort to personal attacks on me because they have no substance with a come back constructive argument like what happened to a previous thread of mine.

I do make some statements that appear like fact but I do not state that they are, and then there are some things I say that I do know to be fact but really how can you prove it on here?

I ask Jackie if he is related to Smiffy as I can not for the life of me work out the man love for him and why he constantly defends him with ridiculous endless excuses.

I know it is not ideal to keep wasting the cash on paying people out before their time, but you have to when the club keeps making poor signings! Signing Smiffy for 4 years is incomprehensible!

Imo Bellamy is the answer. He has a proven track record of getting the storm to the finals every year, quite often winning minor premierships. He has good relations with players, which is something we sorely need! Players take less money to play for him like Hinchcliffe recently did, that has to say something! I don't hear that happening with Smiffy, he has to pay extras if anything!

Who would have thought Bennett would leave the broncos or Hasler leave manly? As you know money talks. Uncle Nick will need to make him the highest paid coach in the NRL to prize him away from Melbourne, and it will be worth every cent!! A challenge can also be very appealing. After all we are the greatest club of all time, with the most history and you can't argue with that!

The bolded bit is where I see you and Jack disagreeing mate.

I suspect Jack agrees with my point, it's the club management that's made this so called problem reoccur, the coach sack-a-thon. They signed Smiff for 4 yrs. If they sack him now it's them that look stupid, again.

What I hope doesn't happen is it makes other quality coaches question whether they would bother coming to a club that is so reactive and has been since 2006.

I want us to be ruthless and attract the best quality coaches and players to the joint, what I don't want is for us to constantly look for the easy and reactive way out of a hole. IMO it's a bad reflection on the culture of a club. For that I don't blame Smiff, I blame management.

All that said IF Smiffs lost the dressing room and on his way out IMO it should be done now. Many sides have benifited in the short term turning their seasons around. Taylor has done it at Watsamatta, Freddy with us.

IF that's what happens and again we experience the honeymoon, like in 07, while I will be happy I will be very worried we haven't learnt from the past errors and will continue this cycle we are currently on.

Interesting times ahead I guess.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

The bolded bit is where I see you and Jack disagreeing mate.

I suspect Jack agrees with my point, it's the club management that's made this so called problem reoccur, the coach sack-a-thon. They signed Smiff for 4 yrs. If they sack him now it's them that look stupid, again.

What I hope doesn't happen is it makes other quality coaches question whether they would bother coming to a club that is so reactive and has been since 2006.

I want us to be ruthless and attract the best quality coaches and players to the joint, what I don't want is for us to constantly look for the easy and reactive way out of a hole. IMO it's a bad reflection on the culture of a club. For that I don't blame Smiff, I blame management.

All that said IF Smiffs lost the dressing room and on his way out IMO it should be done now. Many sides have benifited in the short term turning their seasons around. Taylor has done it at Watsamatta, Freddy with us.

IF that's what happens and again we experience the honeymoon, like in 07, while I will be happy I will be very worried we haven't learnt from the past errors and will continue this cycle we are currently on.

Interesting times ahead I guess.

Jack does indeed STSAE.

My original thread basically shows that I lay the blame for our current ills with management. I use the current SBW situation to try and highlight how the other players must be feeling with him being allowed to call the tune pretty much whilst we expect discipline, sacrifice, wholehearted commitment from every other player in the club?

It just nurtures a rotten culture that (even if some short-term success was achieved) would see our club soon plummet the depths again.

Nick has to stay out of things where the coaching staff should be judge, jury and executioner too. He just needs to pick and stick so to speak.

Yes these are my opinions but gleaned from a wealth of rugby league experience and devotion to Easts. I turn 106 in a couple of weeks

[chook 56]

Jack does indeed STSAE.

My original thread basically shows that I lay the blame for our current ills with management. I use the current SBW situation to try and highlight how the other players must be feeling with him being allowed to call the tune pretty much whilst we expect discipline, sacrifice, wholehearted commitment from every other player in the club?

It just nurtures a rotten culture that (even if some short-term success was achieved) would see our club soon plummet the depths again.

Nick has to stay out of things where the coaching staff should be judge, jury and executioner too. He just needs to pick and stick so to speak.

Yes these are my opinions but gleaned from a wealth of rugby league experience and devotion to Easts. I turn 106 in a couple of weeks

Geez, and I thought you were older than me.
Bugger

[The Rooster Oracle]

The bolded bit is where I see you and Jack disagreeing mate.

I suspect Jack agrees with my point, it's the club management that's made this so called problem reoccur, the coach sack-a-thon. They signed Smiff for 4 yrs. If they sack him now it's them that look stupid, again.

What I hope doesn't happen is it makes other quality coaches question whether they would bother coming to a club that is so reactive and has been since 2006.

I want us to be ruthless and attract the best quality coaches and players to the joint, what I don't want is for us to constantly look for the easy and reactive way out of a hole. IMO it's a bad reflection on the culture of a club. For that I don't blame Smiff, I blame management.

All that said IF Smiffs lost the dressing room and on his way out IMO it should be done now. Many sides have benifited in the short term turning their seasons around. Taylor has done it at Watsamatta, Freddy with us.

IF that's what happens and again we experience the honeymoon, like in 07, while I will be happy I will be very worried we haven't learnt from the past errors and will continue this cycle we are currently on.

Interesting times ahead I guess.

Imo Nick is to blame for signing Smiffy in the first place. I can accept that Nick takes a punt on Smiffy because at the time there may have been absolutely no one else. But for 4 years? Come on! That was pure stupidity for making it that long! Nick now has to pay the price one more time for that error in judgement. Imo signing Bellamy for 4 years will be an entirely different story! There will be no worries of requiring an early payment down the track there!! The coach sack-a-thon would then come to an end, for the time Bellamy would be with us at least.

I don't want us to look for the easy or reactive way out of our current hole either. That would then mean signing Elliot.

What I want is looking for the best way out of the hole and that is imo without doubt Bellamy!!

I love the idea and have mentioned it myself about Taylor taking over now. As you say we can then have the possibility of having the honey moon period just like when Taylor took over from Smiffy at parra and Freddy from opes, until we get Bellamy!

[Guest]

I dont hold the same opinion as jack in regards to Smith being a good coach but I do feel they need to honour his contract.

Roosters oracle I can see were you are coming from & agree with alot of it but I think stsae answered it best when he replied to your original post.

[Guest]

Imo Nick is to blame for signing Smiffy in the first place. I can accept that Nick takes a punt on Smiffy because at the time there may have been absolutely no one else. But for 4 years? Come on! That was pure stupidity for making it that long! Nick now has to pay the price one more time for that error in judgement. Imo signing Bellamy for 4 years will be an entirely different story! There will be no worries of requiring an early payment down the track there!! The coach sack-a-thon would then come to an end, for the time Bellamy would be with us at least.

I don't want us to look for the easy or reactive way out of our current hole either. That would then mean signing Elliot.

What I want is looking for the best way out of the hole and that is imo without doubt Bellamy!!

I love the idea and have mentioned it myself about Taylor taking over now. As you say we can then have the possibility of having the honey moon period just like when Taylor took over from Smiffy at parra and Freddy from opes, until we get Bellamy!

From reports I have heard Bellamy is on 750,000k per year & his contract expires the same year as Smith's.

The way I see it is if the NRL ARL want to have a Rugby League team in Melbourne (which I am a fan of) it has to be successful because of the fact it is based in a AFL mad state. To be able to get AFL supporters interested in the Storm they have to be a top 4 side continually & the only person who seems to have that ability is Bellamy so I would guess what ever the Roosters offer him the Storm ARL NRL would match.

If they could get Bellamy I would be wrapped but if they coudn't I would give Taylor a shot at it.l

[The Rooster Oracle]

I dont hold the same opinion as jack in regards to Smith being a good coach but I do feel they need to honour his contract.

Roosters oracle I can see were you are coming from & agree with alot of it but I think stsae answered it best when he replied to your original post.

Mickey i just don't see any benefit at all (apart from saving some cash) keeping Smiffy for next year. He is damaging our club now in much the same way as Anderson and Freddy before him. The sooner he goes the better for the sake of the club. It may hurt Nick in the hip pocket in the short term but he will gain in the long term!

I hear the same about Bellamy currently being on $750k a year. Nick will most likely need to fork out a cool mill a season. But to me it is a small price to pay for premierships, and Nick will then cash in on all the success!! I know the storm won't be happy to lose Bellamy, and I do realize the importance of the storm being successful in the war against the gAyFL.... BUT Bellamy is his own man and can do as he pleases. Nick and the Roosters board are not lightweights, don't underestimate their ability when they want to get their man! As far as I know Nick has a good relationship with certain members of the new commission, I don't think they will go out of their way to block what Nick wants.

[Guest]

Mickey i just don't see any benefit at all (apart from saving some cash) keeping Smiffy for next year. He is damaging our club now in much the same way as Anderson and Freddy before him. The sooner he goes the better for the sake of the club. It may hurt Nick in the hip pocket in the short term but he will gain in the long term!

I hear the same about Bellamy currently being on $750k a year. Nick will most likely need to fork out a cool mill a season. But to me it is a small price to pay for premierships, and Nick will then cash in on all the success!! I know the storm won't be happy to lose Bellamy, and I do realize the importance of the storm being successful in the war against the gAyFL.... BUT Bellamy is his own man and can do as he pleases. Nick and the Roosters board are not lightweights, don't underestimate their ability when they want to get their man! As far as I know Nick has a good relationship with certain members of the new commission, I don't think they will go out of their way to block what Nick wants.

I dont know the in's & out's of the Roosters or the Storm but from what I read or hear Nick has always had to much influence on football team decisions which appears to make things hard for who ever is coach. Guys like Bellamy would want total control on everything & rightly so. Could you imagine Bellamy not knowing the CEO of the Storm had given permission for Anthony Quinn to transfer to another club mid season.

Maybe just maybe guys like Nick dont pursue guys like Bellamy & vise versa guys like Bellamy dont want to coach at a clubs where they dont have total total control.

2 control freaks wouldn't work.