Coaching Options for Qld Rugby

[Scrubber2050]

Hard to teach what you never had to learn. Larkham looks to be a rare exception.

Agree - I wonder how he would go if not at the Brunbies. He certainly is a legend down there

 

[Swansong10]

What do you think it is with Richard Graham and Steve Meehan as coaches in Super Rugby? Both have had success overseas (Meehan in particular) but average in Australia - Meehan took a running and attacking brand of rugby to the northern hemisphere and it payed off against bigger and slower sides when he took the reigns at bath... Thoughts on there approach in Super rugby?

 

[Wilson]

Part of Graham's problem is that while he looks to be a decent assistant coach, he is lacking whatever else it takes to step it to head coach. Perhaps Meehan is suffering because he had been largely coaching under Graham and doesn't do well without a more capable leader above him, but I feel like that may be letting him off the hook, particularly given country's performance.

 

[Floggn']

Part of Graham's problem is that while he looks to be a decent assistant coach, he is lacking whatever else it takes to step it to head coach. Perhaps Meehan is suffering because he had been largely coaching under Graham and doesn't do well without a more capable leader above him, but I feel like that may be letting him off the hook, particularly given country's performance.

Meehan was unlucky with injuries with Country and lets face it City was stacked by the Reds. Meehan is a good coach which is why is baffles me the Reds are playing the way they are. The only thing I can think of is he is doing what is asked of him by Graham. If Graham has a particular game plan of just "holding onto the ball until an opportunity comes up" then Meehan has to organise his attack to do this which means boring. Those were Graham's words at halftime last week.

 

[fatprop]

Interesting position from the Roar
http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/03/12/harmless-richard-graham-beige-reds/

The problem with Graham is, he strikes everyone as just being a terrifically nice bloke. And nice blokes make great assistant coaches. But to be a good head coach you have to have an edge, and at times be a bit of a prick. People have to see something compelling in your delivery.

........................................ blah, blah ......................







The Reds, who once owned the global trademark on running rugby, now have no brand at all. They have no idea about what is important in their game – no one has forced them to choose a side, and so they’re all just doing their best as individuals.
If the trademark of a team is born of its heritage, then the keeper of the flame is the coach. The coach demands perfection on the trademark, calls the players on the things that don’t contribute to that perfection, strives for excellence and shows his pleasure and displeasure.
A good coach can’t be beige, it’s too confusing for the players. They have to know what is most important here? And to work out what is important, they watch, listen and observe. If it’s beige, they’re bored.
Note that showing what you care about doesn’t have to equal a rant at high volume. Think Wayne Bennett or Jack Gibson – low volume, but candid, forthright and leaving no one in any doubt about where they stand.
Very few people would ever describe Graham Henry, Steve Hansen, Michael Cheika, Clive Woodward or Jake White as harmless.
Unfortunately for the Reds, it’s a description that sits a little too comfortably on Richard Graham.

 

[qwerty51]

What exactly is the position?

 

[fatprop]

What exactly is the position?

RG out,

The problem with Graham is, he strikes everyone as just being a terrifically nice bloke. And nice blokes make great assistant coaches. But to be a good head coach you have to have an edge, and at times be a bit of a prick. People have to see something compelling in your delivery.

 

[qwerty51]

Hardly ground breaking stuff, everyone's been saying that since last year.. would've been nice to offer up some solution. I get the feeling the QRU don't think there's many outstanding candidates around and may be waiting it out, maybe some big name Test coaches will become available post-RWC?

 

[Ash]

One issue with Graham out is also Tongan Thor, currently living at Graham's house.

 

[TOCC]

One issue with Graham out is also Tongan Thor, currently living at Graham's house.

No he is living with his brother


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[ChargerWA]

So the bean heads on the couch at Rugby HQ reckon Graham is safe till the end of the season as Reds management have given him a pass due to the injury toll.

I don't believe them, the golden rule is that the man with the gold makes the rules. And in this instance the man with the gold is the Reds fans. You just can't ignore a ground swell of public opinion and if they lose badly this weekend the pressure will become to much for the QRU to bare.

 

[Scrubber2050]

There will always be diehard fans who support any team irrespective of winning.

The money rolls in when the team is winning and playing exciting rugby as we'll.

Then, everyone wants to get on board. Casein point are the Reds and South Sydney.

The Board will be reactive eventually to public opinion as gate numbers start to tumble. The trick for them is the timing

 

[Wilson]

So the bean heads on the couch at Rugby HQ reckon Graham is safe till the end of the season as Reds management have given him a pass due to the injury toll.

I don't believe them, the golden rule is that the man with the gold makes the rules. And in this instance the man with the gold is the Reds fans. You just can't ignore a ground swell of public opinion and if they lose badly this weekend the pressure will become to much for the QRU to bare.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...ve-over-injuries/story-e6frg7o6-1227255803212

The worry is McCall as his mate is giving him the injury related pass and has his head in the sand about it. He can always point to Quade and Co's return to ring the crowds back and it could well take the majority of the season to accept that. Hopefully it doesn't, but at this point it probably depends on the outcome of the HPU review, and when it'll be handed down.

 

[Scrubber2050]

McCall needs to reconcile the difference between friendship and leadership,

 

[Ash]

And remind me, how did the Reds go under Graham in the latter part of last season when most of the team were on the park?

It's the not the losses, it's the manner of the losses. The team just looks clueless and poorly coached with no discernible game plan. And it's the same story as last year: "we didn't play to our game plan". Well at some stage the coach has to set a game plan they can play to.

 

[TOCC]

I agree with your comments Ash, but maybe my memories a little hazy as I seem to remember plenty of injuries in the later part of last season.. Kerevi, Kuridrani, Tualagi, Placid and Johnson all debut'd in the last few rounds of the year..


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[RedsHappy]

There will always be diehard fans who support any team irrespective of winning.

The money rolls in when the team is winning and playing exciting rugby as we'll.

Then, everyone wants to get on board. Casein point are the Reds and South Sydney.

The Board will be reactive eventually to public opinion as gate numbers start to tumble. The trick for them is the timing

They are already declining since 2012, a declining Reds w-l % ratio in home games is decidedly bad for business. Excuses are a poor replacement for lost ticket revenues. (And Reds home crowd levels are now starting to again fall below home Broncos levels.)

Reds (home) v Tahs crowd 2012: 42,000
Reds v Tahs crowd 2013: 36,000
Reds v Tahs crowd 2014: 36,000
Reds v Tahs crowd 2015: 27,000

(As a marker for tomorrow night's game, last year's home crowd v Brumbies was 30,000.)

 

[Hound]

And remind me, how did the Reds go under Graham in the latter part of last season when most of the team were on the park?

It's the not the losses, it's the manner of the losses. The team just looks clueless and poorly coached with no discernible game plan. And it's the same story as last year: "we didn't play to our game plan". Well at some stage the coach has to set a game plan they can play to.

Ash - spot on. We don't mind losing if the team is having a crack and they are trying to work towards a set plan.

 

[Strewthcobber]

And remind me, how did the Reds go under Graham in the latter part of last season when most of the team were on the park?

It's the not the losses, it's the manner of the losses. The team just looks clueless and poorly coached with no discernible game plan. And it's the same story as last year: "we didn't play to our game plan". Well at some stage the coach has to set a game plan they can play to.

If Graham had a few more runs on the board from last year, especially pre-Cooper's injury in May we'd all be a lot more forgiving I reckon.

This years injury list is ridiculous and worth taking into account. He'll get fired because of last year though.

 

[Scoey]

I agree with your comments Ash, but maybe my memories a little hazy as I seem to remember plenty of injuries in the later part of last season.. Kerevi, Kuridrani, Tualagi, Placid and Johnson all debut'd in the last few rounds of the year..

No your memory is spot on. As part of my Reds season preview I put together team sheets and injuries for each Reds game last season and the last half of the season were the worst for injuries. In one game we had unavailable Toua, Quirk, Cooper, Genia, Shipperley, A Fainga'a, Holmes and Gill. Gill wasn't injured from memory but was unavailable because of maybe 7's duty??? The following week saw Holmes return but Frisby drop out injured.

But I do agree with Ash that it's not the losses, it's how we're going about our footy that he's being marked poorly for.