Well now the Prodigal Son returns to the nest. Lets welcome him appropriately.
Blake was a wonderful player and I still remember the magic of his first season until the Parramatta heavies got to him in the semi and knocked him out of the game. Took a few years before he seemed to get his confidence back.
But I don't back Blake for Toovey's coaching assistant because of his playing ability. I would select him for the following:
1) He has played Rugby League, Australian Rules and coached Rugby Union. He has a very broad knowledge of football codes and could bring in some quite innovative ideas as a consequence.
2) He almost took the Marlins (Manly first grade Rugby Union) to a premiership a few years back and I think it was his first year of coaching the team.
3) Blake has been learning his coaching skills, albeit in Rugby Union, as not only a first grade coach but as an assistant coach for one of the NZ/Oz/SA 15s competition teams and has some international assistant coaching experience as well as far as I know.
4) He's a Manly junior and played under Fulton's tuition and therefore understands the Manly style.
Though he hasn't coached Rugby League at the highest level, he has achieved the level of being a skilled coach in a closely aligned code at almost the highest level and with some success and what he could bring to the game may be quite beneficial and unique. Of course I would also consider Lyons as a second assistant coach....why not? Dessie has six over at Canterbury.
The Bear thinks Blake should be given the job and the Bear doesn't like to be disappointed. Grrrrrrrr.