It looks like a shuffle of the same coaching staff the Reds have had for years, so don't expect anything new in the culture or the results for 2019
How do you get to that conclusion?
McKay isn’t a shuffle of same staff but a return from the successful 2011. Ryan comes from the Btumbies with history across 2 codes and reacquaints an old relationship with Thorn. These three are the Red core. No doubt Thorn is green and unproven but it’s a far more powerful looking unit in 2019.
Abad also returns from the 2011 success though I presume was in a more junior role and recent work with Firebirds etc will be relevant but is not rugby or pro football code. To be proven I think.
Lillicrap looked fine taking up the role as scrum docter and we should hang on to him.
The “shuffle of the same staff” happens around the academy where skills that seem to have been proven weak at the Reds may well be effective at the right level.
I don’t at all like Thorns attitude to ownership and what this is meaning for squad selection. The missing link remains a strong CEO. But we have Thorn locked in like it or not. From there the coaching team that is being built around him looks solid with real potential and a big step up from 2018.
There is plenty to prove but this at least appears to be a major step in the right direction.