Reds 2017

[gel]

It's not just the HC though - the make up of the coaching staff appears to be quite unbalanced. Obviously RG being sent away had an effect - but even with him there it still looks very different to other super rugby staff line ups.

I would be disappointed to have Stiles leave as his work with the set piece is nothing short of exceptional, but is he in charge of the rest of the forwards play?

Who took charge of the defensive coach role once RG went?

 

[Simon.]

Who took charge of the defensive coach role once RG went?

Judging from results, nobody! Same with the kicking coach. And I know they regained their conditioning coach but he's obviously struggled to make an impact this season too.

I assume that Brad Thorn would be stepping up in general forwards coaching if Stiles became HC. I hope Stiles would still find time to remain scrum coach.

I'm still lukewarm on the prospect of Stiles HC though. The problems with the Reds' gameplay are so pervasive that I think we need to bring somebody new in and give them free reign to shake things up.

 

[Happy to Chat]

I hate to say this but maybe we should be looking across the ditch for a backs coach. Someone that can teach the Reds to run backup and offload in a tackle.


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[Simon.]

I don't hate to say it at all, I absolutely want a Kiwi backs coach. They are playing much smarter than we are currently. We're a little outmatched in our forwards but we're comprehensively outmatched in our backs.

I don't expect us to play like the Chiefs but I do expect us to have the basic backup and offload game, as well as the occasional well-executed sneaky move like an inside ball or chip chase. The 2011 Reds had a full bag of tricks, the 2016 Reds had nothing, except occasionally rehearsed plays off first-phase ball.

 

[Sully]

O'Connor's the defence coach.

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[dru]

I'm pleased with the suggestion that Stiles is firming over MOC, but really don't accept this issue of the HC having to be an Australian.

Anyway, we wont have long to wait.

 

[Scrubber2050]

figures

 

[dru]

And I know they regained their conditioning coach but he's obviously struggled to make an impact this season too.

This has me befuddled too. We were really happy with the S&C staff, it seemed something of a coup getting them. Reds looked the least fit of an Australian conference that looked the least fit across Super Rugby.

So what happened?

 

[Simon.]

Yeah I don't know what happened. Not enough focus on cardio during the off-season and too much ground to make up? Too much set piece practice? Too much effort expended in the first 60 of each game?

I crunched the numbers a few weeks back, the Reds got absolutely flogged in the last quarter on average. They were actually okay up to the 60 minute mark and outscoring the opposition in the third quarter, but falling apart in the last 20.

 

[Scoey]

I don't hate to say it at all, I absolutely want a Kiwi backs coach. They are playing much smarter than we are currently. We're a little outmatched in our forwards but we're comprehensively outmatched in our backs.

I don't expect us to play like the Chiefs but I do expect us to have the basic backup and offload game, as well as the occasional well-executed sneaky move like an inside ball or chip chase. The 2011 Reds had a full bag of tricks, the 2016 Reds had nothing, except occasionally rehearsed plays off first-phase ball.

In 2011 we had Quade who from most reports was heavily involved with the backs/attack coaching. Link said something to this effect regularly.

 

[RugbyReg]

In 2011 we had Quade who from most reports was heavily involved with the backs/attack coaching. Link said something to this effect regularly.

I think it was more that Quade was the best implementer of a game plan he'd coached. Link along with Tatsy Taylor, Jim McKay and, dare I say, Chook Fowler, worked relentlessly on coming up with the right game plans for each side.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Yeah I don't know what happened. Not enough focus on cardio during the off-season and too much ground to make up? Too much set piece practice? Too much effort expended in the first 60 of each game?

I crunched the numbers a few weeks back, the Reds got absolutely flogged in the last quarter on average. They were actually okay up to the 60 minute mark and outscoring the opposition in the third quarter, but falling apart in the last 20.

Might have something to o with our bench being poorer than the oppositions' ???????

 

[gel]

figures

To be fair to the guy, he is Co head coach, attack coach and defence coach - so pretty big ask to do it all.

Why didn't the QRU parachute in someone from club land for a season? Definitely less than ideal, but weakening the whole thing by making one guy do everything except scrums and lineout seems a bit retarded.

 

[gel]

I think it was more that Quade was the best implementer of a game plan he'd coached. Link along with Tatsy Taylor, Jim McKay and, dare I say, Chook Fowler, worked relentlessly on coming up with the right game plans for each side.

Why the "dare I say"?

 

[kiap]

Yeah, what actually happened with Fowler?

I know he supposedly left after a disagreement. But the nitty gritty was never spelled out.

 

[Scoey]

Here's a couple of articles on what allegedly happened:

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...previous-dispute-at-reds-20141017-117yf0.html

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...r-brilliant-mind/story-e6frg7o6-1226339236910

Doesn't make for great reading.

 

[kiap]

Ta, Scoey, beat me to the punch.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...previous-dispute-at-reds-20141017-117yf0.html

… In 2012 Fowler abruptly quit with rumours citing a difference of opinion over a player review. Fairfax has learned however the departure was tied to an alleged assault by a player on Fowler after a team meeting.​

​

The attack allegedly involved a star player taking offence about something Fowler had said in a team meeting. The player was alleged to have struck Fowler twice in the chest so hard he was left with bruising.​

​

… Fowler was then let go on the grounds he was a contractor with only a 30 day clause in his contract.​

 

[RugbyReg]

I think I read that Eddie consulted him in the recent test series.

Can't find the article though

 

[RedsHappy]

Ta, Scoey, beat me to the punch.

… In 2012 Fowler abruptly quit with rumours citing a difference of opinion over a player review. Fairfax has learned however the departure was tied to an alleged assault by a player on Fowler after a team meeting.​

​

The attack allegedly involved a star player taking offence about something Fowler had said in a team meeting. The player was alleged to have struck Fowler twice in the chest so hard he was left with bruising.​

​

… Fowler was then let go on the grounds he was a contractor with only a 30 day clause in his contract.​

'Chook' Fowler is a difficult and opinionated person, but many rate him as a brilliant rugby game and general strategist and further a very smart mental skills and sports team psychologist.

I posted years back re the actual 'star' Reds player that did not take kindly to one of Chook's 2012 post-game individual player reviews that Chook insisted were done rigorously and without favour. That antagonism led directly to Chook's departure from the Reds in 2012.

It was interesting - and to me wholly unsurprising - that in one of Spiro Z's Roar columns post the Wallabies' 3-0 loss debacle v England buried in the fine print was the fact he Zavos had discovered that E Jones had also retained Chook for some specialist coaching advice re beating the Wallabies. Fowler is one the best in the business.

And whatever, once Link's 2010-11 total Reds coaching team broke up as it did into and through 2012 - and in parallel with RG joining the team in September 2012 - things were never the same again in terms of the Reds' consistency, game game ingenuity and w/l ratio. Something very fine and very skilful had begun to decay and dissipate and we have never seen the likes of it since.

 

[RedsHappy]

I think I read that Eddie consulted him in the recent test series.

Can't find the article though

It was in a Zavos Roar column a few weeks ago.