Just heard McKellar on 666, talked about a few things that I found interesting:
- Team meeting this week was all about converting opportunities, they're willing to risk creating less for the security of converting more. The problem with this statement is that we are not creating genuine opportunities. I wonder what he is defining as an opportunity as it must be very broad.
- The Hawera-Lilo 10-12 pairing has been on his mind since he saw Hawera's trial form, it was tough to measure Hawera's form last year without seeing what Lilo could do, and the change has been forced by the need to get better distribution to the players out wide (indictment of Lilo or Godwin?). Playing on his mind yet it takes how many games and how many losses? Most pundits could see the same thing and have been suggestion Hawera start @10. Comparing form was easy if you could watch TV as we could see Lilo playing in Ulster. If he really wanted to know he would have pulled Lilo back earlier to see how he interacted / combined with players (his decision and fault). The going out wide plan when you become obsessed with it (main focus as McKellar wants) is what is skinning the Tahs (Folau moved to the wing now), skinned the Bulls last night. Its the same plan as the Rebels are using. It is a part of every teams game plan but its all about how much you use it. It why we have wingers. This is just hot air BS when you have no idea what else to say reinforced by saying the specific players he wants to go to (Tevita and Henry), both of which are easy sells for his spiel.
- Apart from that, the non-injury changes have been made off the back of the Brumby Runners game last week, lots of interest in the form shown in those games as they struggle to find the best players and combinations in a side of just under 40 people. Absolute BS. These players showed the same form in the pre-season trials. The key issue here is that half the Brumbies fans and causal spectators would have made the same cahnges a few games ago. He selected on name and reputation hoping individual talent would produce results for him. He chose not to select based on form and a game plan made up of players. Pure ass covering .
What the above is demonstrating is a coach with no clue. He has had access to same players since the season started, the information was available and even the pundits have seen it and been saying wrong selections and game plan. He made poor choices and is not sure about what he is doing. He has all off season but is cobbling together a plan 2 weeks out when Lilo joins the camp. That's just culpable.
Back to the wall and desperate with not much to lose and forced to, he makes changes
to his selections and decisions including game plan then tries to justify it by blaming players etc.
I warned about this in the Tuesday Top 5 before the season kicked off:
The Brumbies are at risk of being the underperformers again. So much potential mixed with such hamstrung ways. If McKellar can break the mould and let the young talent loose they will be entertaining (again) and really push for the top of the table. McKellar is the coach at highest risk to select his way out of success.
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/the-tuesday-top-5-72/
Regardless if the results improve his tenure needs to reviewed.
He also need to stop taking!
