While we are relaxing over the bye week, time to think a little about next year. Thinking from the point of view of the CEO I think that hickey needs to move on. He has too many blindspots (conservative thinking on game plan, bad use of the bench, bad injury selection policy and poor recruitment [Anesi and Cross the standouts]). There are two possibilities for head coach, and it all depends on what Foley wants to do with his life. Does he want to head a franchise or does he want to coach forwards? If he wants to be head coach then he has earned first shot in my view. But he needs to be told by the CEO that he'll be a one hit wonder if he wants to continue with the conservative approach Hickey has introduced. If he wants to be forwards coach then Louden would be my choice for the position. There's bad blood over the mucking around he got when Link was shown the door but there's a new CEO and space for a new start.
I would approach Phil Waugh with a proposition - make this the last year and step up to forwards coach or defensive coach next year depending on who gets head coach. This will allow us to pull younger fetchers through the system. As George Smith and the Invisible Man have both found out, fetcher is a young man's position. Todd, Pocock, Brussow, Colby and others have proved this and another year in the gym for Gill will confirm it. Phil's experience would make him a wonderful coach, his enthusiasm would be infective and every player would make the extra effort just to avoid a Waugh bollicking.
Bowen has been poor as backs coach. Despite the injury disruptions, the backs receive the ball flat-footed, passes are to the man or behind, rarely in front and with Mitchell out we do not have any first phase planned moves. On what we have seen this year he doesn't have the fundamentals, so we are looking for a new one.
Its a left-field thought but I would try to get Bob Dwyer to mentor the coaching team. He's a very strong personality and would need to understand the role, but having someone like him for the coaching team to refer to for advice would be very valuable. A bit like the role Jones did for White with the SB's and a bit of a sounding board too.
From a squad viewpoint I think the front row is fine as is, the second row needs one more experienced player so Peterson can be brought through ready for 2013. I love that Vickerman will be able to lead them and mentor Douglas and Peterson. He would be my captain. The backrow is fine except for fetchers coming through. If Hodgson's not available to be poached we need to either hire a marquee player or add an inexperienced up-and-comer like Colby or Hooper to Alcock and McCutcheon. Alcock needs to be tried more and McC needs to be told one good game, one fair game and two bad games do not make a career. Consistently good is the only acceptable performance. The rest of the backrow is super strong with McCaffrey not even getting a look in yet due to injury.
McKibben would be my first choice half and I would approach Nick White, Grayson Hart, Richard Kingi and the other SD young star (de Roos?) hoping to get two out of four. Ten is fine with Barnes and Hangers, as is 12 with Carter and Horne. I would look at trying to poach Harris if JOC (James O'Connor) goes to the Reds, he's the most reliable kicker in the Aussie Super squads and could cover 15 too. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) takes 13 with BKH, Bennetts and Kingston as back-up. Cross needs to be let go. The wingers and fullback are suddenly severely understrength. Anesi can't go more than two years thank God (the worst signing in marquee history) so we have Turner and Mitchell to cover three positions. Why have QLD got all the quick wingers? Time to poach at least one and start a search for fullbacks. Letting the Manly 15 go to Ireland was a major fuck-up.
With some good recruiting the Tahs will be very strong next year with a new coach to inject a fresh approach. We had a horrible draw this year, we should be playing the top overseas franchises at home next year and be well placed to finally take it out.