Walker didn't ground the ball!

[Kingbilly]

Things are better, they have discovered how to score, sometimes.
But to accept that game as good is really looking through rose coloured glasses.
There were times when I was excited and times when they just looked an absolute rabble.
I have been lucky enough to hear a few people speak honestly about whats going on and I am not talking about having a chat at the pub.
I have changed my opinion about the coaching staff a litte and realise its alot more to do with the attitude of some of the players.

Melon is so close to the truth about getting a shrink in for some of the players its not funny.
When the coaches tell them to do something and all they think about is themselves, it maybe a symptom of the current 20s generation, but its not good enough.

The point of discussing the problems is not to come up with an instant solution and as much as I agree the positives need to be talked about, sticking your head in the sand is pretty pointless

[Guest]

We blew it pure and simple.. That 10 mins from the 27th minute killed us..

No. That U/9s pass from Friend with 5 mins to go is actually what killed us. Friend is a **** wasted. Should have been a wank instead.

[melon....]

By the way you react to anyone with a differing opinon to your Melon, I would say you are the only precious one around here......

I get plenty, and putting the boot in at every opportunity may work for you, but some of us support the team through thick and thin regardless....oh and I can here the..."well you accepet mediocrity" line comming.......its way to predictable I am affraid......

Yes we have problems, but I would love to see one of you naysayers actually come up with a fair dinkum solution that does not involve mass sackings......because that is not going to happen no matter how much you ask the tooth fairy.....

Im glad you asked Phant.

here's an article I wrote for forum 7s that spells out my views and suggestions.

Enjoy.
_______________________________________
You reap what you sew

People that know me or have had dealings with me know I love The Roosters. I have been an Easts man for nearly 40 years. I never lived in the area although these days I’m 10 minutes away just over the bridge. It matters little; I love them as much as any Easts fan could. In fact, there are more Easts fans across the country than there are locally in the area. However, this is not about crowds or fan bases. That topic is for another time.

Following Easts is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you have a club that is proud as one of the remaining foundation clubs can be.
On the other hand, precariously balanced on the sharpest blade you could forge, is a club that’s always had to struggle in one way or another. People see Easts as a club run by high flyers. It was not always the case. Sure, the board at Easts boasts the strongest businessmen that could ever be assembled in a board room. Chaired by Nick Politis, he’s joined by Michael Conn (Partner in Law), Mark Bouris (Wizard), peter Newton, Brian Samphier, Mark Fennessey (CEO Fremantle Media) and Marc McInness (CEO, David Jones). They are heavy hitters.
But the question has to be asked. Weve lost Juniors to South Sydney. We’ve thrown the rest away under the greed of the late Ron Jones. We’ve released local juniors or developed players and opted for big names with an even bigger price tag, some showed little care for the jersey. Only one premiership in 30 years.

Why?

The past decade saw a club that was destined to succeed. Semis and Grand finals were the norm. It was a period when the club had a good mix of players and staff that were Easts through and through or at least could relate to the club, dug the vibe, and helped form that winning culture.
But since 2005 the club has gone backwards. Was it Stuart’s iron fist, was it his clash of egos with Gould, was it the lack of succession planning that would cover for the eventual retirement of the enigma known as Fittler? It was all that. It was all that, and more. The club had lost its culture – its mojo. An imbalance seemed to throw everything out of whack. The front office started making bad decisions, in a desperate bid to spark success. They thought they could buy a culture. Just like they thought they could buy a comp through the 90s.
They seem so far gone they only have a chance of emerging great once more, if a major plan, is implemented. Harsh decisions will be made. People will go and egos, upto the highest station, would be smashed.

My plan:
1. Fire the majority of the training staff.

2. Hire staff that can get into young men's psyche and can shape leaders.

3. Hire the best medical and fitness staff. Bring them from overseas if need be.

4. Re-establish the Easts History and Juniors relationships. Reconcile the juniors and start a funding and promotion drive that gets Inner Sydney and North Sydney familes to want to send their kids to the Roosters. Get the dollars to these clubs. Make South Sydney the secondary option. Fight back.

5. Cut the deadwood players for the last time. Those that put in will complete their contracts. The rest can leave now. I would rather bleed 5 or 6 under 20s and win the spoon than win it with big names.

6. Bring Adrian Morley home. He genuinely loved the club and bled for the club. I can find no greater inspiration for any Easts junior forward.

7. Lastly, keep Brad Fittler, Craig Fitzgibbon (assistant forwards coach)and Anthony Minichiello (assistan backs coach). 3 members of its team of the century on the staff. All passionate. All Premiership winners with THIS club. Bring in an “assistant” coach to help Freddy. Freddy has said he is open to help and ideas. A week ago I suggested Lang on another forum. This week Easts announced Beetson, in this very position. Maybe my plan isn’t that far off the mark. Maybe it is.

8. Keep on-field matters out of the boardroom.

One thing is a given. Easts must act now. Radically and decisively. They can again play a big part in Rugby League. They can become the successful and proud foundation club with 12 premierships to its name once more.
______________________________________

Thats as ****ing fair dinkum as I can put it.

[Guest]

Im glad you asked Phant.

here's an article I wrote for forum 7s that spells out my views and suggestions.

Enjoy.
_______________________________________
You reap what you sew

People that know me or have had dealings with me know I love The Roosters. I have been an Easts man for nearly 40 years. I never lived in the area although these days I’m 10 minutes away just over the bridge. It matters little; I love them as much as any Easts fan could. In fact, there are more Easts fans across the country than there are locally in the area. However, this is not about crowds or fan bases. That topic is for another time.

Following Easts is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you have a club that is proud as one of the remaining foundation clubs can be.
On the other hand, precariously balanced on the sharpest blade you could forge, is a club that’s always had to struggle in one way or another. People see Easts as a club run by high flyers. It was not always the case. Sure, the board at Easts boasts the strongest businessmen that could ever be assembled in a board room. Chaired by Nick Politis, he’s joined by Michael Conn (Partner in Law), Mark Bouris (Wizard), peter Newton, Brian Samphier, Mark Fennessey (CEO Fremantle Media) and Marc McInness (CEO, David Jones). They are heavy hitters.
But the question has to be asked. Weve lost Juniors to South Sydney. We’ve thrown the rest away under the greed of the late Ron Jones. We’ve released local juniors or developed players and opted for big names with an even bigger price tag, some showed little care for the jersey. Only one premiership in 30 years.

Why?

The past decade saw a club that was destined to succeed. Semis and Grand finals were the norm. It was a period when the club had a good mix of players and staff that were Easts through and through or at least could relate to the club, dug the vibe, and helped form that winning culture.
But since 2005 the club has gone backwards. Was it Stuart’s iron fist, was it his clash of egos with Gould, was it the lack of succession planning that would cover for the eventual retirement of the enigma known as Fittler? It was all that. It was all that, and more. The club had lost its culture – its mojo. An imbalance seemed to throw everything out of whack. The front office started making bad decisions, in a desperate bid to spark success. They thought they could buy a culture. Just like they thought they could buy a comp through the 90s.
They seem so far gone they only have a chance of emerging great once more, if a major plan, is implemented. Harsh decisions will be made. People will go and egos, upto the highest station, would be smashed.

My plan:
1. Fire the majority of the training staff.

2. Hire staff that can get into young men's psyche and can shape leaders.

3. Hire the best medical and fitness staff. Bring them from overseas if need be.

4. Re-establish the Easts History and Juniors relationships. Reconcile the juniors and start a funding and promotion drive that gets Inner Sydney and North Sydney familes to want to send their kids to the Roosters. Get the dollars to these clubs. Make South Sydney the secondary option. Fight back.

5. Cut the deadwood players for the last time. Those that put in will complete their contracts. The rest can leave now. I would rather bleed 5 or 6 under 20s and win the spoon than win it with big names.

6. Bring Adrian Morley home. He genuinely loved the club and bled for the club. I can find no greater inspiration for any Easts junior forward.

7. Lastly, keep Brad Fittler, Craig Fitzgibbon (assistant forwards coach)and Anthony Minichiello (assistan backs coach). 3 members of its team of the century on the staff. All passionate. All Premiership winners with THIS club. Bring in an “assistant” coach to help Freddy. Freddy has said he is open to help and ideas. A week ago I suggested Lang on another forum. This week Easts announced Beetson, in this very position. Maybe my plan isn’t that far off the mark. Maybe it is.

8. Keep on-field matters out of the boardroom.

One thing is a given. Easts must act now. Radically and decisively. They can again play a big part in Rugby League. They can become the successful and proud foundation club with 12 premierships to its name once more.
______________________________________

Thats as ****ing fair dinkum as I can put it.

Great post Melon. I would add one item to your plan. Any big name players purchased by the club should be put on incentive based contracts with a very very small retainer. That is, if you treat the Roosters like a transit lounge, and don't put in, you get paid shit.

[Guest]

Great post Melon. I would add one item to your plan. Any big name players purchased by the club should be put on incentive based contracts with a very very small retainer. That is, if you treat the Roosters like a transit lounge, and don't put in, you get paid shit.

Recruiting stars is what we do... Even though it ends in poo...

[Guest]

To build a culture takes many years. How much would all of the suggestions cost Melon? Running any entity would be a juggling act without the luxury of unlimited funds.

[melon....]

To build a culture takes many years. How much would all of the suggestions cost Melon? Running any entity would be a juggling act without the luxury of unlimited funds.

I really dont know what it would cost. Not as much as it would seem, and Id say no more than what its costing us now to run with the crew we have on our books now. Look at the players....hundreds of thousands of dollars on big names, that will deliver a sppon. Hundreds of thousands on training staff, some of which have been on the Easts/ Nick Politis teat for decades....and we still cant compete in teh ruck for speed. Why can others do it?

Lastly, it cant cost more than we are willing to spend, because we did create this culture from 1997-2004 - Under Gould's reign, the culture shift began, and under Murray it continued. Under Stuart and his very very important support team of Cartwright and Pay, we collected the fruits, albeit droppng a couple of prized pieces. We were feared, we were the benchmark, we were where we couldnt be after 30 years of trying to buy it. Now we are back, full circle. people blame the cap. i blame a lack of vision. Teh money watsed recently on rash purchases - in coaching, and playing staff wreaks of desperation and last resorts based on a severe lack of vision.

Moreso a lack of patience. There's only so many millions a milliopnaire can throw around before running out of patience.

You know what JohnL? If Nick sits back and does the sums - over teh past 20 years, who have we bought, and what they brought to the club in terms of success, and then compare it to how much it would have costed to cash up the local junior clubs, what do you think the bottom line would read as?

Yet this very board dismantled the junior competitions, and wanted to cut all funding as recently as this year. Why? Are they that hard up for the cash?

Stop wasting money Easts - 30 years and 1 comp should tell you as much.

You know why Im looking forward to winning the spoon? As much as I dont want it, we need it because it may wake up teh big guys into realising how wrong they got it. Imagine Nick politis with a spoon under his reign?! Its happening - what an ugly awakening.

I dont have all the answers, but I will ask the questions. And something different and fresh is required with this club. Point 8 - keeping on field matters out of the board room would probably go a long way into creating teh required change. I dont know if its egos or politics, but its not doing us any favours.

[Guest]

I was there, and of course he grounded the ball.....BUT his body was out long before this.......

It was no freakin try and blind freddy knew it, god damn it Chris Walker knew it.......

Russell Smith needs taking out the back and having a "stiff word" with.....and as for the time not being called off and the loss of 4 ****ing minutes........fair dinkum......no matter what anyone says, we deserved that win, but it wasnt in the agenda......

We were the better side, we were dominant, and we were ****ing terrific.....and anyone that thinks otherwise should be watching the game from W.A........

Are you kidding? It was a deadset try. No doubt!

[Guest]

Are you kidding? It was a deadset try. No doubt!

I agree it was a try! The way I look at it is that if that had been Perret or SKD and it was disallowed how would I feel and I would have been blowing up to the max.

The turning point was the poor pass from Friend to Fitzy. That allowed them to get down the other end.

[Guest]

His hand is in front of the ball.

Yes he did.

[Guest]

I agree it was a try! The way I look at it is that if that had been Perret or SKD and it was disallowed how would I feel and I would have been blowing up to the max.

The turning point was the poor pass from Friend to Fitzy. That allowed them to get down the other end.

That was not the turning point! The Titans had the ball on their own 10 metre line after we knocked that ball on. They went 100 Metres in the next set of 6! Everyone who is blaming Friend for losing us the game is in denial and just looking for someone to blame!

If we had completed a set of 6, kicked the ball downfield and tackled the Titans on their own 10 metre line, at that some point in the match. Would people be going back to it and saying the same thing? No

Fact is. We had the Titans on their own 10 metre line, regardless of how they got there. We also let them advance the ball 100 metres up field, get a repeat set of six. And we couldn't hold out under the pressure. That's why we lost. Not because Friend threw a pass on the Titans try line

[Guest]

When we had that ball down their end I made the comment "Only 3 more tackles till a knock on". Sure enough.....

[Pass the Ball]

I think us fans are as big a head case as the players JohnL..

When we knocked on, I turned to my family and said - "I know my team, we will lose this 24-22"..

What a terrible thing for me to say...It was only 3-4 minutes left

We do not remember how to win...

[melon....]

That was not the turning point! The Titans had the ball on their own 10 metre line after we knocked that ball on. They went 100 Metres in the next set of 6! Everyone who is blaming Friend for losing us the game is in denial and just looking for someone to blame!

If we had completed a set of 6, kicked the ball downfield and tackled the Titans on their own 10 metre line, at that some point in the match. Would people be going back to it and saying the same thing? No

Fact is. We had the Titans on their own 10 metre line, regardless of how they got there. We also let them advance the ball 100 metres up field, get a repeat set of six. And we couldn't hold out under the pressure. That's why we lost. Not because Friend threw a pass on the Titans try line

You made at least 7 statements explaining the reason why we lost, yet you didnt once ask teh question....WHY?

WHY.....did we allow the Titans to run it 100 meters on teh last set of 6.

WHY......did we have to throw that shocking pass 10 meters out with 2 minutes to go.

WHY.....cant we win the close games this year (Warriors, Titans).

WHY......

Because we are not mentally there. Now apply that to the position, status and responsibilities of the coach. it wasnt bad luck, we do it all the time. We are soft in the head. Strong teams finish off soundly and with resolve...we are sweating over a stop watch.

[melon....]

We do not remember how to win...

PTB...that is very true. Remember a lot of the young blokes have not seen this side know how to win. And teh few old heads that once remebered it have forgotten.