Nathan Grey - Skills Coach at the Rebs

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Just because he had limitations playing does not mean he isn't able to coach

Absolutely. I was being a little flippant

 

[TOCC]

those who are quick to criticise Grey and his coaching ability due to his somewhat lack of skill have obviously never coached before themselves..

Im not advocating he is a good skills coach, he could very well be terrible, but to assume he is a terrible skills coach due to the style of rugby he played is rather presumptuous. Quade Cooper has skills but do we really think he could make a good skills coach. Coaching takes a vastly different skill set(excuse the pun) to that required of a player, some of the greatest coaches in history werent exactly awesome players themselves.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Calm down TOCC, we were having a bit of lend. Limited players often make good coaches and superstars often don't, there is plenty of real world evidence of that.

 

[#1 Tah]

Skills Coach?! More like Un-Skilled Coach! Wut up? Okay seeya kids.

How I met your mother? seriously?

 

[TOCC]

Calm down TOCC, we were having a bit of lend. Limited players often make good coaches and superstars often don't, there is plenty of real world evidence of that.

calm down?
i was purely explaining my opinion on the subject

 

[naza]

Im not advocating he is a good skills coach, he could very well be terrible, but to assume he is a terrible skills coach due to the style of rugby he played is rather presumptuous.

Presumptous eh ? Oh good god, how will I recover from such an insult. This is such a weak fence sitting post. What are you saying ?

What is there in Grey's background that boasts of his expertise in skills ? FUCKING ZERO. How do you get a S14 gig with FUCKING ZERO on your resume ?

You do not hire the taxi driver who can't drive you from the Airport to the CBD as your personal chauffeur.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

This gem from the archives courtesy of Moses.

Mr Grey is perhaps a little more astute and forthright than people give him credit.

The man dubbed "The Brain's Trust" by Roy and HG for services to stupidity has been mentioned for a potential move to Japanese Rugby. Nathan Grey is very supportive of the proposal......

He has always polarised rugby league opinion and Willie Mason's potential move to Japanese rugby is no different.

Rugby identities offered vastly differing views last night on whether the Sydney Roosters forward would succeed in a new sport.

Mason returns to Sydney Roosters' training on Monday after spending a week in Japan negotiating with three clubs, one believed to be the Sanyo Wild Knights, who are based in Ota City, about two hours north of Tokyo.

Nathan Grey, a 35-Test Wallaby centre playing in Japan for Kyushu-based Kyuden, claimed Mason would fail miserably and look to quit the game after just three weeks.

However, others insist Mason would be a smash hit.

Despite Mason turning 30 in April and having never played rugby union, Eddie Jones, Willie Ofahengaue and Sam Harris - who have all played or coached in Japan - believe he would trample his smaller Japanese opponents.

"If Willie wants to play and is serious, he would be absolutely sensational,'' said Jones, who is an adviser to the Suntory club.

"He can carry the ball, he can tackle and is a proven State of Origin player. If you can play State of Origin, you can play rugby union at a high level - and Japan isn't the highest level.''

Asked if Mason's dubious off-field record would work against him, Jones said: "I think it would, but I think a club would possibly take that risk. The two league guys that came over her, [former Sharks] Fraser Anderson and Dustin Cooper, have done very well. Things go in fads in Japan and rugby league is the 'in' at the moment.''

However, Grey has blasted Mason's attempt to switch codes.

"He will be here for three weeks, find some reason to get out of his contract and go back to league having robbed someone else of an amazing opportunity in Japan,'' Grey said.

"It would take at least one season for him to get his head around rugby.

"And he would undoubtedly blame everyone else for not teaching him quickly enough, the rules are too hard, too confusing, and the game should be easier, people here made him feel unwelcome, he misses his family, or find some excuse to hide behind other than making an effort to learn the game.

"He could be a decent lineout jumper, a ball-running back-rower, and hopefully a decent defender, but rugby is too much of a team game for this bloke.

"Good players do a stack of things you never see and never get praised, but it's not really up his alley to do things for others and not expect anything in return.

"If some company over here is silly enough to pay him what his manager is asking then good luck to him ... I just don't get it.''

Despite being new to the game, there is little doubt Mason would cause havoc in Japan.

Harris, who played in the NRL for Manly and Wests Tigers before a stint with Honda Heat, had little doubt Mason would be devastating.

"They look for big blokes who can run over some of the little blokes over there. Willie would fit the bill,'' Harris said.

"He might find it hard with the technical side, especially when it's in a different language, but he would be damaging when he gets the ball, although that mightn't be much. The clubs over there are looking for players who can crush the smaller guys.''

Ofahengaue added: "He'd be a big hit over there even given his lack of union knowledge. The standard is not as high as Sydney club rugby so it wouldn't take long for him to fit in. He'd enjoy the different lifestyle and the chance to be out of the spotlight. I've seen him play on television and he's got good ball skills.''

 

[Jnor]

Presumptous eh ? Oh good god, how will I recover from such an insult. This is such a weak fence sitting post. What are you saying ?

What is there in Grey's background that boasts of his expertise in skills ? FUCKING ZERO. How do you get a S14 gig with FUCKING ZERO on your resume ?

You do not hire the taxi driver who can't drive you from the Airport to the CBD as your personal chauffeur.

What's the drink of choice there naza? I might like to try some cos it sure as hell seems to do the job...

 

[TOCC]

Presumptous eh ? Oh good god, how will I recover from such an insult. This is such a weak fence sitting post. What are you saying ?

What is there in Grey's background that boasts of his expertise in skills ? FUCKING ZERO. How do you get a S14 gig with FUCKING ZERO on your resume ?

You do not hire the taxi driver who can't drive you from the Airport to the CBD as your personal chauffeur.

Firstly you missed my point entirely, i said its presumptuous to judge someone's coaching ability by there playing style.. I fail to see how you think that is a insult, my intent wasnt to insult anyone.

Secondly, you are in fact incorrect about Nathan Grey have "FUCKING ZERO" on his resume, he has been the backs coach of Kyuden Voltex since 2006.. Not exactly S14 standard, but it is coaching experience nonethe less.

As i said before, Nathan Grey could very well be a terrible skills coach, but to judge ones coaching ability by there playing style is a little 'misgiving'.

 

[Ruggo]

What coaching experience does Grey have? If he is only new to the proffession, it may take time. Macqueen is renowned for surrounding himself with good people, so I wouldn't be too quick to judge Grey.

 

[Cutter]

Grey thinks more about the game than 98% of this board combined. I think its a canny appointment. I doubt the Rebels will be lacking in the skills department and Grey is a straight talker so they won't doubt where they stand either.

The quality of input in this thread is well below standard.

 

[naza]

As i said before, Nathan Grey could very well be a terrible skills coach, but to judge ones coaching ability by there playing style is a little 'misgiving'.

Forgive the blast...I just don't react well to paragraph length posts where people don't actually opine anything.

What I really was getting around to saying was that I don't think we'll ever know how good a skills coach Nathan Grey is.

I reckon its pretty much impossible to judge any assistant coach. We really have no idea with the Wallabies just how good a job Scott Wisemantel did or current skills coach Richie Graham. How much of the quality Wallabies' defence under John Muggleton was due to his work ? Was Michael Foley's improved Wallaby scrum due to his input, Knuckles' emphasis on fixing scrummaging woes, improved propping talent, or the players making a commitment to the scrum after repeated humiliations ?

The Campese example stands out as a rare exception - coaches & players praised him to the heavens, and he was the only real change to staff & personnel and there was obvious tangible improvement to player skill levels.

 

[Rob42]

Well, you're right Naza that it'll always be hard to judge the worth of an assistant coach, but it's going to be a point of interest to compare Bernie Larkham's efforts in Canberra against Grey's efforts in Melbourne.

 

[naza]

What's the drink of choice there naza? I might like to try some cos it sure as hell seems to do the job...

Stella Artois. Fabulous stuff. I'm paying for it a bit now though..

 

[RugbyReg]

speaking of skills coaches....a tweet from the Faingaas:

off to training, Mark Ella is coming in to take us for a session, we're excited. Then Boxing this afternoon (cont) http://tl.gd/6c4kei

 

[TOCC]

Forgive the blast...I just don't react well to paragraph length posts where people don't actually opine anything.

So you get upset with me because i wont commit myself to saying that Nathan Grey is a good/bad skills coach, yet you then post this....

What I really was getting around to saying was that I don't think we'll ever know how good a skills coach Nathan Grey is.

Either way, my 'opine' as stated twice now, is that coaching ability isnt always a reflection of ones playing ability.

Anyway, this is a pointless and tedious argument

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

speaking of skills coaches....a tweet from the Faingaas:

I'd be excited too. Reading some of the previous things he has written on the subject of back line play, it appears that he has some passing knowledge of it.

 

[RugbyReg]

JOC (James O'Connor) tweets:

Tough sess this morn- mark ella took us through skills then ended with contact drill got very intense, some big hits put on.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Stella Artois. Fabulous stuff. I'm paying for it a bit now though..

Ah the old wife beater. Shocking hangover in the morning generally speaking.

 

[Newter]

I reckon its pretty much impossible to judge any assistant coach. We really have no idea with the Wallabies just how good a job Scott Wisemantel did or current skills coach Richie Graham. How much of the quality Wallabies' defence under John Muggleton was due to his work ? Was Michael Foley's improved Wallaby scrum due to his input, Knuckles' emphasis on fixing scrummaging woes, improved propping talent, or the players making a commitment to the scrum after repeated humiliations ?

The Campese example stands out as a rare exception - coaches & players praised him to the heavens, and he was the only real change to staff & personnel and there was obvious tangible improvement to player skill levels.

Are you referring to David Campese's work at the Sharks in the Super 14 a couple of years ago? If so, I completely agree. He completely transformed that team. They went from old fashioned Boers who bash it up senselessly and without variation, to a side that could actually put the ball through the hands and break the line out wide. They made it look so simple. Catch, draw, pass, and repeat until they got a line break or made ten meters. Beautiful.