Reds 2015

[djeff]

Don't think the Reds can afford him under the salary cap.
It might be best if he signs with the Tahs,and gets to acclimatise slowly to soup footy.

Yeah, the tahs have still got a bit of dough under the cap, their backline is full of no names.

 

[Ash]

Some guys make decent assistant coaches, but absolutely crap head coaches.

Remember Laurie Fisher's time in charge of the Brumbies a few years back?

 

[RugbyReg]

from Growden last week. Didn't see it elsewhere:

Queensland Reds' disastrous season - which sank to a new low last weekend, when several attacking players appeared to just give up against the Crusaders - has officials considering major coaching changes.
The Queensland Rugby Union has publicly defended Richard Graham this week, but reality is that he is under threat of losing his head coach role. Influential union officials, concerned at how badly the Reds have slumped this season after winning the Super Rugby title just three years ago, are already talking of alternatives for 2015.

We've been told the list includes Reds assistant coach Steve Meehan, former Waratahs assistant coach Todd Louden, and even past Wallabies player Brian Smith, currently with London Irish. Meehan is understood to be at the top of the list. Even if Graham survives, Reds sources are adamant there will be changes forced upon him.
The Reds are also facing an exodus of players at the end of Super Rugby. The Rebels are in discussion with at least three Reds players and will put even more pressure on them to move south after the Melbourne franchise missed out on Brumbies No.10 Matt To'omua. It is understood the Rebels are targeting Mike Harris and the Fainga'a twins - Saia and Anthony. They already have younger brother Colby Fainga'a.

It is also believed that one of the most important Reds backs - Quade Cooper - is deliberating his future; he will leave an enormous hole if he departs Brisbane and maybe that's why the Reds are suddenly interested in James O'Connor. And if O'Connor, currently with Smith at London Irish, goes to the Reds, it will require peace pipe meetings involving the player and Graham. Ruck'n Maul can vividly recall the venom aimed at O'Connor when he left a Graham-led Western Force regime several years ago. It turned very nasty.

 

[RedsHappy]

@RugbyReg

If the above from GG is even half true, it's very concerning. Not wrt the potential sacking of RG - that is essential surely - but what is required IMO is (a) a sound Interim Coach that at least has the players' respect (and none of RG's hapless 'made in QLD and recruited by the Force' Assistants should be considered), and (b) a calm, unhurried, well-designed, objective selection process for a new HC that looks globally for the best qualified candidates with careful examination of track records, close references and credentials in building excellence in the broader coaching and S&C support positions.

(b) is precisely what did not happen in early 2012, and now the piper is being royally paid. Instead, we inexplicably went for someone whose principal demonstrated attribute seemed to be an Assistant's mindset of willingness to 'learn and listen' at the feet of Link and the Ballymore elite.

Can anyone see a J White or M Cheika contemplating going along with that odd 'transitional and learning' model under another HC for 18 months?

 

[RugbyReg]

agreed. If they are going to recruit a new head coach, the only way they will win back support of the fans/members etc is go through the proper process and recruit. Not appoint from within. Particularly to someone who is responsible for one of our most dire elements this season.

 

[Ignoto]

A-fucking-men Reg. There is no way in hell I want any of the current coaches overseeing a re-build. Fresh eyes are obviously needing considering none of them are able to rectify the issues they're currently facing.

 

[Ash]

What concerns me this season is where we have been scoring our tries. Nearly every one has been from within 10m or so out from the opposition's try line.

Our attacking is really stuttering, and it would concern me if the guy responsible for it becomes head coach.

 

[gel]

A hell of a lot of noise on players that are leaving, but not a large amount about the ones that are staying (or wanting to stay).

Understandable really, but very disconcerting nonetheless.

I don't want to see us lumbered with the always injured crowd ("OMG, he is just THAT good - if he ever gets on the field") whilst the guys that are more regularly available are leaving.

You cannot win on the back of guys that sit on the sidelines for over half the season. They need to be regularly on the field to be able to make any sort of difference.

 

[Brumby Jack]

What concerns me this season is where we have been scoring our tries. Nearly every one has been from within 10m or so out from the opposition's try line.

Our attacking is really stuttering, and it would concern me if the guy responsible for it becomes head coach.

Toua's try in the game against the Brumbies was very good and apart from that I can't really recall any long range tries

 

[RedsHappy]

What concerns me this season is where we have been scoring our tries. Nearly every one has been from within 10m or so out from the opposition's try line.

Our attacking is really stuttering, and it would concern me if the guy responsible for it becomes head coach.

Apart from perhaps some marginal improvements in the scrum and QC (Quade Cooper)'s place kicking, can anyone say that they can this season see evidence of ANY area of team improvement within the Reds' Assistant Coaches' defined responsibility areas when compared to the Reds of 2013?

Defence (that's RG), attack (backs and team-wide), forwards play in tight or loose, kicking from hand, line out, handling, off loading, passing in general, S&C?

This is where my concern has deepened as 2014's season has progressed: not only does the Apprentice HC seem incapable of developing and improving the team, the Apprentice's Assistants seem just as woeful based upon a clear trend of hard results on the field.

 

[liquor box]

I really don't think Horwill or Genia need moving, we have other positions that really need to be addressed before we even think about them. Horwill looks tired but pretty confident he will have a return to form once the teams in a happier place.

Nick Frisby looks the goods for Genia, we should be giving him much more game time on the back end of this season.

It's our back line we have to sort out for next year, and our No 8. Schatz just doesn't do anything for me, I would try Curtis at 8 and see what happens.

We need a real fullback and maybe Hunt would be the perfect answer but I suspect he would be very costly. Harris & JOC (James O'Connor) as the centres, Davies & Shipperley on the wing for my mind.

I would cut the Fainga'a brothers lose, with CFS and Chibba we have them covered. Maybe look at 4 as well as 8 while we are there.

I cant understand any reason to not have all backups on the field to start every game until the end of the season. We need to know if they have what it takes.

 

[Sully]

So the number one candidate is the guy on charge of our attack this season. That's scarey

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

 

[something]

meehan is a step in the wrong (wronger?) direction

 

[tranquility]

Anybody talking moving Horwill on is kidding themselves. Nobody rates our 3rd but they want to punt Horwill with no replacement on the horizon for either of them?

It's absolute, un-medicated, disrespectful, madness.

 

[USARugger]

It's absolute, un-medicated, disrespectful, madness.

I think the problem is that it was a little over-medicated

 

[Scrubber2050]

This is the professional era rightly or wrongly. The rules have changed

If players are not performing, whoever they are, for whatever reason (that cannot be fixed), however passionate, however long their service to the State they need to be culled for the greater good of the Franchise. Not saying its an easy call but its a call that needs to be made from time to time (in whatever Franchise).

Anything else is bullshit !!!!!

 

[Train Without a Station]

If this is regarding Horwill great, but who the fuck are you going to replace him with. He's not tying up the spot of a better player. We are very thin on specialists in his position in fact. We only really have 3 in the squad and one in the EPS I think.

And people have been saying the 3rd, EOD should be replaced. So know where going to cut off our nose to spite our face and cut Horwill too, and what? Replace him with the bloke people don't think is good enough to be a bench lock?

If somebody else is proving to be better, great. Pick them. But right now if we need to recruit a replacement lock we could replace EOD and see if that guy even performs. Until something like this happens talking about kicking Horwill to the kerb is utterly stupid fucking knee jerk fucking reaction shit.

 

[Braveheart81]

This is the professional era rightly or wrongly. The rules have changed

It was easier to ditch players before the professional era. You just stopped selecting them.

Now, teams are far more constrained by contractual matters which means that some players you might want to get rid of are already contracted into the future and ending the contract early is too costly.

The Reds definitely need some changes for next year but I think they'll have no choice but to tinker with the group not already signed for 2015.

The only contracted person that would be any chance of being told they're no longer required is Richard Graham.

 

[Scrubber2050]

If this is regarding Horwill great, but who the fuck are you going to replace him with. He's not tying up the spot of a better player. We are very thin on specialists in his position in fact. We only really have 3 in the squad and one in the EPS I think.

And people have been saying the 3rd, EOD should be replaced. So know where going to cut off our nose to spite our face and cut Horwill too, and what? Replace him with the bloke people don't think is good enough to be a bench lock?

If somebody else is proving to be better, great. Pick them. But right now if we need to recruit a replacement lock we could replace EOD and see if that guy even performs. Until something like this happens talking about kicking Horwill to the kerb is utterly stupid fucking knee jerk fucking reaction shit.

Great we'll keep everyone signed with the Reds until they are 40 - fuck winning.

ALL I'm saying is that teams need tio evolve. Players have to come and go. Performance is the key indicator and that being irrespective of age, length of time at the franchise, whether you are born within 20metres of Ballymore, etc

Fucking T-Rex is extinct because "he" couldn't evolve.

 

[Train Without a Station]

No. Just don't fuck players off without a viable alternative. Who should we look at signing at the expense of James Horwill?

And since EOD is considered subpar, who are 2 players we should sign that are both better than James? Because you are saying he shouldn't even be our reserve lock.

Players should be kept until you have a better option. That's professionalism, not throwing the fucking baby out with the fucking bath water.