So you think he is deliberately sabotaging the team so that crowds will drop below any reduced capacity? Really David? You think that?


Do you mean crowing or complaining? Crowing is synonymous with boasting. Do you really mean he was boasting about dropping season tickets sales.

That said, crowing can also mean "The shrill cry of a cock" so I could be generous and say that is what you meant.

Im more worried about the amount of points we're leaking in defence !! When I heard we had appointed BMD. my natural thoughts we're that he wouldn't stand for any nonsence and the defence would be stiffened up.
Only to find, we have shifted 70 more points already in the first 9 matches this year than last, and last year we blamed the WCC for our demise.
So naturally I was astonished to hear that BMD had decided his holy grail would be fast open attacking free flowing rugby !!!
This is ok but with players like Ablett,JJB,Luluei,Kirke,Bailey and Cross in the pack it doesnt give me any inspiration.

Fully agree Andy.

Many of those singing from the now popular "blame it all on the coach" hymn sheet are looking for a simple scapegoat and their comments are emotional and based more on disappointment than logical rugby analysis.

I completely agree but Surley the manager has to take some of the flack as well as the players, who do need to take responsibility for there play.

The manager has been here for a while now, yes only 9 games but all of the off season , and has not seemed to develop the skill of the players in these simple areas.

Yes the players need to take responsability and the blame lays with them, but equally the coach cannot be above critisim for failing to iron out basic skills.

"Completion rates are unimportant".

Looks to me like the players are playing to the coaches instructions.

So are you saying the coach has instructed the team not to complete the sets?

Don't be daft - he's too busy showing them how to inflate rubber gloves.

He probably hasnt no, but equally the players havent just decided to play how they are at the moment. Looks to me like they are being asked to play with caution to the wind.

The problem is our defence not our attack. You can say we may throw caution to the wind on attack ( and you could also say that it has been successful so far on attack) but you cannot use this argument about defence.

Missed tackles are nothing to do with a defensive strategy. It is all to do with individual errors or a lack of basic ability. With our serious and continuing injury crisis the coach has had no option but to play his fittest players some of whom are not quite up to SL standard every week. What else can he do?

In the case of younger players like Watkins we have to accept that they need time to acquire the defensive skills. However is very dissappointing to have players like Senior & Hauraki constantly making basic defensive errors which have been costing us points.

The situation will change if we can get a near full strength side out. Until then we should remain positive and console ourselves that the leaders all have had their problems and are not out of reach.

Compare and contrast to the thoughts of Warren Ryan (actually discussing what Wayne Bennett would bring to any club he coached):

1. Defensive solidity
2. Structured attack

Everything else (including flashy tries etc) comes a distant third/fourth. Any coach who thinks different is an idiot.

Agree entirely. Of course, McDermott may only have made the statements he did to get fans through the turnstiles and to back his boss's stance, although the evidence on the field so far suggests he is practising what he has preached.

Do you really think that is what I am saying?

Do you think that our defensive issues could be linked to the fact that we have much more defending to do because we're so relaxed about possession of the football?