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Honest Assessment of Richard Graham's Coaching Ability

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Ash

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
Hmmm, it would be between Shepherd and Pretorius for most expensive top-line Force player, based on a "dollar per minute played" basis. Well, OK, Pretorius wins hands down, but Shepherd would be right up there. The guy is a serial crock, sadly.
 
The_Brown_Hornet

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
It's a source of great frustration for us Force fans too, Ash. Bags of talent, occasionally shown, but a lot of time on the injury list too.
 
Richo

Richo

John Thornett (49)
RH, it seems to me that you're arguing that Deans not wanting to keep RG points to some kind of failing on RG's part. Yet isn't one of your core arguments against Deans that he prefers yes-men with limited skills to strong coaches with leadership abilities? By your prior arguments, I would have thought that Deans not throwing buckets of cash at RG is a testament to RG's abilities rather than a knock on them! :D
 
RedsHappy

RedsHappy

Tony Shaw (54)
Richo said:
RH, it seems to me that you're arguing that Deans not wanting to keep RG points to some kind of failing on RG's part. Yet isn't one of your core arguments against Deans that he prefers yes-men with limited skills to strong coaches with leadership abilities? By your prior arguments, I would have thought that Deans not throwing buckets of cash at RG is a testament to RG's abilities rather than a knock on them! :D
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Thanks Richo. Yes, I feel it was extraordinary for Deans to relinquish an apparently key support coach ('skills' and backs) 10 months out from an RWC. If as Head Coach you were delighted with that support coach's performance, I'd have thought you'd fight tooth and nail to keep them through that RWC, and that hopefully, or typically, the support coach would want to stay big time to potentially see their own talents help win a RWC. And in this setting I think there'd normally be some moral obligations both ways to stay for that (relatively short) extra period.

The process of RG's exit that occurred was thus IMO odd, and you may be right that it was RG, talent and assertiveness in hand, rushing off to a better new job in Perth and delighted to be out of the Deans embrace and not motivated with any desire to support Deans at the RWC.

I tend to believe my hypotheses somewhat more though as (a) I was not impressed with RG's 'skills and back line' work with the Wallabies in the 2009-10 period - did the the Wallabies core skills and integrated back line attack capability really grow markedly in that period (aside from the talents of individuals)? Now, this stagnation may have been Deans' domineering presence frustrating RG's real talents, that is open to speculation. But to (a) I must add (b): for me, the Force has not improved in almost any department that I can detect from late 2010 to early 2012, and indeed I'd argue that in Saturday's game v Reds, both the Reds and the Force played less well than they did in the same match in 2011, yet the Reds have recruited brilliantly in Harris and drove the points gap way higher (and it could have easily been 18 points vs, what, 1 in 2011). So, I have consistently been to date an RG sceptic, but I want to be wrong.
 
W

Waylon

Guest
RG is a poor coach

he invested heavily in the big Fijian Nalanga

nalanga stands on the wing, clearly confused about his role. There is no obvious plan to involve him in the game

It doesn't take a genius to bring a blind side winger into set plays from set piece

I see the Force doing poorly this season

RG.......massive FAIL
 
thierry dusautoir

thierry dusautoir

Alan Cameron (40)
I personally think that the force have the potentially one of the most fearsome forward packs in the comp and the attacking nouse within it with strong runners in sharpe,pocock,cottrell,hodgson,macalman and charles. With runners like these i dont understand why RG doesn't utilise his rampant running flankers to crash it up and run the linesa little wider off stannard (who as a halfback would be more then apt at serving some lovely short balls). I think this would give them the space and momentum needed to deliver the ball to runner like nalaga and maafu. But I think its time Godwin was injected just so they have that genuine playmaking option.
 
The_Brown_Hornet

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Exactly the point I am going to make in my preview later in the week. With the strength of the Force pack, especially in the positions 4 through 8, there is abundant opportunity to crash it up for a few phases at close range to get the defence backpedalling.
 
GaffaCHinO

GaffaCHinO

Peter Sullivan (51)
RG's coaching will be tester this week. lets see if he makes the tough call and starts seymour at 10 after his showing on sat.
 
sonny crockett

sonny crockett

Allen Oxlade (6)
There were a couple of key rumours around late last year about player dissent towards Graham in the West, and that he wouldn't see the calendar year out. Currently the rumour has shifted to not seeing this year out, which I guess is obvious, but he sure needs to turn things around pretty quickly or those rumours will become fact.
 
RedsHappy

RedsHappy

Tony Shaw (54)
sonny crockett said:
There were a couple of key rumours around late last year about player dissent towards Graham in the West, and that he wouldn't see the calendar year out. Currently the rumour has shifted to not seeing this year out, which I guess is obvious, but he sure needs to turn things around pretty quickly or those rumours will become fact.
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SC, part of the problem - as RG's coaching, selection and recruitment deficiencies gradually become more exposed as they sadly are - is that the WARugby board members that rushed into this folly of coaching inexperience and unprovenness become personally exposed and start to defend the indefensible to save their own positions.

They will call for 'patience' and 'he must be given time' and 'Pocock needs continuity as a young Captain', stuff like this as was exactly the case at ARU level when Deans' failings to started to show in 2009. They become more concerned about themselves than admitting a serious error and fixing it properly and quickly before the damage multiplies and hardens. Anyone who thinks I am being too 'harsh and aggressive' re the way these elites work, hasn't been on the inside of corporate boards who regularly base their definition of prosperity on their own egos and external prestige as much as on proper measurable performance.

The consequence of the above machinations is typically denying the issue, and inaction. This is precisely what happened within the 2006-2009 board of the QRU and Mooney. The result of that prior Board's indolence and denial re the then team's and coach's performance was utterly disastrous for the franchise's financial viability and fan support. Meanwhile, the ARU stood by and watched, then finally intervened at midnight only as the patient was being wheeled off to the mortuary.

I see a very similar pattern slowly emerging in WARugby and I prey the appalling pre-2010 history of the QRU is not going to be repeated in your great State where, as Waylon highlighted recently, rugby has such huge potential as the State booms and rugby loving expats flood in, etc.
 
Garry Owen

Garry Owen

Chris McKivat (8)
Could it be timely to invite Richard back to the podcast for another edition? His previous session was very enlightening, and he's very articulate. He could shed some light.

Timsy, the hard questions please.
 
W

Waylon

Guest
It's the style of rugby the Force are playing that is the most displeasing

It's unwatchable

It's an old mans game with 7 at the breakdown, slow recycling and narrow channels.

Dull, ineffective and boring. Losers rugby

Sack Graham
 
N

Newter

Guest
RedsHappy said:
SC, part of the problem - as RG's coaching, selection and recruitment deficiencies gradually become more exposed as they sadly are - is that the WARugby board members that rushed into this folly of coaching inexperience and unprovenness become personally exposed and start to defend the indefensible to save their own positions.

They will call for 'patience' and 'he must be given time' and 'Pocock needs continuity as a young Captain', stuff like this as was exactly the case at ARU level when Deans' failings to started to show in 2009. They become more concerned about themselves than admitting a serious error and fixing it properly and quickly before the damage multiplies and hardens. Anyone who thinks I am being too 'harsh and aggressive' re the way these elites work, hasn't been on the inside of corporate boards who regularly base their definition of prosperity on their own egos and external prestige as much as on proper measurable performance.

The consequence of the above machinations is typically denying the issue, and inaction. This is precisely what happened within the 2006-2009 board of the QRU and Mooney. The result of that prior Board's indolence and denial re the then team's and coach's performance was utterly disastrous for the franchise's financial viability and fan support. Meanwhile, the ARU stood by and watched, then finally intervened at midnight only as the patient was being wheeled off to the mortuary.

I see a very similar pattern slowly emerging in WARugby and I prey the appalling pre-2010 history of the QRU is not going to be repeated in your great State where, as Waylon highlighted recently, rugby has such huge potential as the State booms and rugby loving expats flood in, etc.
Click to expand...

The more Graham loses, the more tirades like this will start to stick. It's a great shame because he's brought a huge amount of effort and passion from this team in all of its games.

But the win-loss ratio is god. I can only suggest that maybe the Hurricanes are a better side than most people thought - their support play looked outstanding.
 
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