Employing Thorn as HC wasn't a risk, it was a mistake. That mistake was obvious to many and the blinkers seem to have come off from many of the "Brad is messiah" group.
But the mistake is made and culling him, Aus Prime Minister like, would not be a good look, and has not just no likelihood of better success, but every likelihood of worse.
So logic is to look at where his strengths and weaknesses and how you augment this. It needs a better management behind Thorn, a plan giving three years is the only thing solid right now - no matter how much many here would like his head immediately.
To me the players look like they respond to him, and that individual performances, within the guidance the coaching team provides, are pretty good. They looked flat, pretty much across the park, that also doesnt sound like individual problems but something within the coaching and/or S&C. Swapping personnel does not seem to me to be the answer.
Our forward attack seemed to lack direction. I don't agree in shooting Lucas, who looks quite workmanlike at 9 at Super level. But Sorovi etc, will they be any better, Genia like, driving the pigs? Whichever one is to do it, it needs the coaching team to bring the 9 into the forwards and coach hard around the pig strategy. Individuals look fine. Game strategy seems missing, and even Genia would either struggle, or not "follow our direction". Which is hard to do without one.
Quade, who would be in my team in less than a heart beat, would make approx nil impact on organisation of the backline in D. Jono possibly would be stronger here, and not nonsencical in my view with Kerevi to organise the D. To the strategy. IF THERE IS ONE. One bloke who might do better in this organising barking could be Hunt. Without Hunt, the blokes we have are fine, we just need a strategy.
Likewise there seems little organisation in backline attack. Now Quade could do better in this, no doubt. But in the absence of a strategy to be implementing, would no doubt dominate procedings in a way that fails the Thorn "new direction". Quade's "do what is in front of him" is not a game strategy, and barring someone like Link/Chook Fowler, it is not an easy thing to build a strategy around. It is not hard to see the compatibility problems between Quade and Thorn's "new direction".
Thorn needs a strategist, and one that he can trust and build a relationship with. We need to spend the rest of the season hunting for one, and maybe fill a gap for now.
For now, as quite a few predicted, we have a long season in front of us.
