Our Genious Coach said.........

[Easts75]

NSW didn't look good under Bellamy.

Smith is the man, his retirement will prove it once and for all.

As SBW was the man for Trent

[King Salvo]

Is there a source or is it just him being misquoted and taken out of context from his post match press conference by someone on Facebook?

I think it's more Robbo's structured play that will be ditched

[Adam Stone]

They should have taken the first kick at goal though then go again - Cost the Roosters the game - which game were you watching ????? - Fergo's clanger /Aubusson's peanut play the ball penalty on the third and Cordners stone cold missed tackle right on half time cost the game as well(2 converted tries as a result) and Cronks back peddle defence costing a third converted try against(drop ball by Tev and penalty on 5th tackle also in the lead up to this didn't help) - Without these it would have been 2-0 to the Chooks- we score a converted try 8-0- who would care that the 4th dragons try was a no try - Chooks would win 8-6 -

It was a terrible decision and shows just how much pressure Robbo and JT are feeling from Politis breathing down their necks.
Seriously, just keep going for it..why give up? It was white flag stuff. I was at the game and Saints celebrated like they had scored a try.

[King Salvo]

It was a terrible decision and shows just how much pressure Robbo and JT are feeling from Politis breathing down their necks.
Seriously, just keep going for it..why give up? It was white flag stuff. I was at the game and Saints celebrated like they had scored a try.

With so many penalties near the line- taking the 2 each time adds up - Should have taken it first time and go again - taking it after so many sets meant a win for the Dragons in their minds - It looked like the Chooks could have had 100 sets on the Dragons try line and not scored though.

[Danish]

Given the structure we are playing to this year bears absolutely zero resemblance to the structures that Melbourne plays with, I think its fairly safe to say that we aren't currently playing to Cronk's system.

More likely I think Trent developed a more contained game plan e.g. the "no offloads" policy to try and reduce our ridiculous 2017 error and completion rates.... but the errors have not gone anywhere all it actually has achieved is to nullify our attack.

[TheLoneRooster]

Given the structure we are playing to this year bears absolutely zero resemblance to the structures that Melbourne plays with, I think its fairly safe to say that we aren't currently playing to Cronk's system.

More likely I think Trent developed a more contained game plan e.g. the "no offloads" policy to try and reduce our ridiculous 2017 error and completion rates.... but the errors have not gone anywhere all it actually has achieved is to nullify our attack.

Spot on. The Roosters have the worst completion rate in the comp so any changes to how the Roosters play isn't working if the intent was to reduce errors. Damn they're a frustrating team.

[Rooster_6]

Fair enough R6,but it's common knowledge players improve in Bellamy’s system..
Not surprised Jack's is looking good,though still very early in the season.

Don't get me wrong Bellamy is clearly a brilliant coach I don't care what anyone says.

But he does have question marks over him, they were able to keep together a core group of exceptional players by being the biggest salary cap cheaters in the history of the game. He's been fortunate enough to have IMO the best player in the game Cam Smith at dummy half, not just the best player in the game but a player who has revolutionised his position and no other team has come close to imitating. And then there's the whole NSW debacle where he looked way out of his depth.

For some perspective;

This notion that players get worse after they leave the Storm I think is rubbish, Tohu Harris is playing his best footy ever, Blake Green has been as good if not better everywhere he's been since, Greg Inglis hit his peak at Souths, Gareth Widdop has developed no end, Slade Griffin, Nathan Friend, Jeremy Smith etc etc..

That's not to say Melbourne clearly don't have a great recruitment and development system, they clearly do but I also think a lot of players get over-hyped down there which is natural with any successful team. Take a player like Vunivalu for example, he's got suspect defence, ranks in the top 5 in the game for errors made, makes some really dumb decisions in attack but geez he's a fine athlete. In any other team he'd be called inconsistent or a liability. At Melbourne he's 'one of the best wingers in the game' because the honest truth is that errors and defensive lapses only matter to 90% of people if you're not winning and the one thing Melbourne do better than most is win.

I call it the Kevin Proctor syndrome, an average player who gets over-hyped in a winning team, then signs elsewhere, gets exposed and people just jump to the assumption that it must be because he's no longer in the 'Melbourne system'. Rather than the possibility that they over-rated him during his time at the Storm.

I believe that players look better in the Melbourne team because it's a winning team, I don't necessarily subscribe to the notion that all of them are playing better though (some undoubtedly do). Kind of like when we won in 2013 and Daniel Tupou 'looked' like a top winger. He went on to play for NSW and Australia the next year and was much loved by the fan group here... has he really gotten worse since 2013? In 2013 he was still making errors, having defensive errors and being driven back in attack. It was just easier to forget because we were winning...

There's a lot of hype around Craig Bellamy on this forum all of a sudden (I assume because he's off contract) but when you consider in 2010 when they became salary cap compliant he was still left with the best spine in the game, maybe the best we will ever see in a salary cap era, he already had time to build the structure of his off field staff and on field systems, they are a top 3 club for off-field spending and are in the top 3 for 3rd party contracts. With all that said it took him 8 seasons since becoming salary cap compliant to win his 2nd premiership and people want Robinson sacked because he hasn't been able to do it in 5 seasons.

It's undeniable that Bellamy is a great coach but there's a huge unknown risk to whoever wants to sign him next.

[Johnny Brass]

Don't get me wrong Bellamy is clearly a brilliant coach I don't care what anyone says.

But he does have question marks over him, they were able to keep together a core group of exceptional players by being the biggest salary cap cheaters in the history of the game. He's been fortunate enough to have IMO the best player in the game Cam Smith at dummy half, not just the best player in the game but a player who has revolutionised his position and no other team has come close to imitating. And then there's the whole NSW debacle where he looked way out of his depth.

For some perspective;

This notion that players get worse after they leave the Storm I think is rubbish, Tohu Harris is playing his best footy ever, Blake Green has been as good if not better everywhere he's been since, Greg Inglis hit his peak at Souths, Gareth Widdop has developed no end, Slade Griffin, Nathan Friend, Jeremy Smith etc etc..

That's not to say Melbourne clearly don't have a great recruitment and development system, they clearly do but I also think a lot of players get over-hyped down there which is natural with any successful team. Take a player like Vunivalu for example, he's got suspect defence, ranks in the top 5 in the game for errors made, makes some really dumb decisions in attack but geez he's a fine athlete. In any other team he'd be called inconsistent or a liability. At Melbourne he's 'one of the best wingers in the game' because the honest truth is that errors and defensive lapses only matter to 90% of people if you're not winning and the one thing Melbourne do better than most is win.

I call it the Kevin Proctor syndrome, an average player who gets over-hyped in a winning team, then signs elsewhere, gets exposed and people just jump to the assumption that it must be because he's no longer in the 'Melbourne system'. Rather than the possibility that they over-rated him during his time at the Storm.

I believe that players look better in the Melbourne team because it's a winning team, I don't necessarily subscribe to the notion that all of them are playing better though (some undoubtedly do). Kind of like when we won in 2013 and Daniel Tupou 'looked' like a top winger. He went on to play for NSW and Australia the next year and was much loved by the fan group here... has he really gotten worse since 2013? In 2013 he was still making errors, having defensive errors and being driven back in attack. It was just easier to forget because we were winning...

There's a lot of hype around Craig Bellamy on this forum all of a sudden (I assume because he's off contract) but when you consider in 2010 when they became salary cap compliant he was still left with the best spine in the game, maybe the best we will ever see in a salary cap era, he already had time to build the structure of his off field staff and on field systems, they are a top 3 club for off-field spending and are in the top 3 for 3rd party contracts. With all that said it took him 8 seasons since becoming salary cap compliant to win his 2nd premiership and people want Robinson sacked because he hasn't been able to do it in 5 seasons.

It's undeniable that Bellamy is a great coach but there's a huge unknown risk to whoever wants to sign him next.

Great post
The one thing Bellamy has had in common with Gibson is his ability to inspire players of limited ability and get the best out of them. He can get them to fill a role, do their job and not make mistakes.
I know Tohu Harris is a very good footballer and is killing them at the warriors but I would still be weary of buying forwards from Melbourne . How much they benefit from running off Smith can't be underestimated. The defence rarely knows which way he is going and they can hit the line knowing they can run onto each pass.
I detest the wrestling aspect of the game but yet again it was a Bellamy innovation that changed the game.
Once again front and centre of this has been Smith. Like all hookers they are picked on in the middle due to their size but even though he gives away massive weight he always locks the runners up, slows it down and allows his line to go back and get set.
Now they are changing the game once again with the spreading of the ball early in the count to nullify gang tackling coming out of their end.
Bellamy has continually evolved and the storm have never stagnated in playing style with the help of some of the best players to ever lace up a boot in their respective positions.

[Lydon]

This notion that players get worse after they leave the Storm I think is rubbish, Tohu Harris is playing his best footy ever, Blake Green has been as good if not better everywhere he's been since, Greg Inglis hit his peak at Souths, Gareth Widdop has developed no end, Slade Griffin, Nathan Friend, Jeremy Smith etc etc..

[/QUOTE]I honestly think that can be argued as players like James Aubusson,Cheyse Blair,Adam Blair,Koribete,Sika Manu,Ryan Hoffman,Tolman,Hinchcliffe and I’m sure their would be more that declined once leaving the Storm..
Not saying all players get worse when leaving the Storm but the improvement is vast under Bellamy..

In saying that I can see the risk in Bellamy signing with another Club as it won’t guarantee success,whereas if he stays at the Storm the systems are in place for him to be a continued success,even without Smith IMO

[Guest]

The landscape of rugby league would have been changed so drastically had Melbourne not cheated the salary cap and Cameron Smith went to the Gold Coast. He's the best player since Andrew Johns (I think that you could make an argument for him being greater) and is one of the rare players who can make everyone around him significantly better and that's at a level which I don't think Johnathan Thurston does it at. He is definitely up there Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns when it comes to the wider influence.

Yet through all of that Melbourne, Bellamy, Smith and Cronk only have 2 premierships to show for it. With the way people talk up Bellamy and Cronk you would be forgiven for thinking they were winning the comp every second year. Why does Trent Robinson or the rest of the playing group have to adapt to Cooper Cronk? If he is so great why isn't he adapting to our already successful structure? Melbourne has won 1 premiership in the time that Trent Robinson has also won 1 premiership, we have a proven successful formula and so do they. We don't need to do it the Melbourne way and they are doing just fine without him.

[Vasco]

I read this after a mate sent me the link and I reckon it’s hard to argue with what’s been written.

Yep, the article is spot on.

[easts4eva]

There was a lot of time during the game where easts totally dominated dragons..its only when they create that extra time and bent saints back they second guess everything and stumble.

[Headless Chook]

Robbo made a massive mistake on Wednesday when he instructed the team to take the 2 after they had the Dragons on the ropes on their line for 5 or 6 sets. They should have just kept trying to score or get another repeat set. Eventually they would have scored.That decision cost the Roosters the game.

I disagree. Before we took the two points, one of the Dragons players laid down on the ground with a head injury that needed attention. The Dragons defence was well rested by the time the scrum was finally packed. They then gave away a penalty on tackle one and bearing in mind the refs ignored the opportunity to sin bin a player for a blatant professional foul earlier in the game, it was safe to say that they weren't going to start sending Dragons players to the bin for repeated penalties. We would have had to endure another 5 penalties before they would have even been warned so looking at it in that context I can see why they took the two. It's ridiculous to say that it cost us the game, we got beaten 24-8 so there were lots of other instances of greater significance then this one

[The Skeez]

It can’t be right because he and Cordner came out earlier in the year and said Cooper needed to adapt to our style.
Plus Cronks style involves backrowers hitting holes off short balls which there isn’t much of.

[Johnny Tobin]

We need a season under Brian Smith

He deserves some praise for the Worriers form but he won't get it from our media.