Adam O'Brien

[BirdMan4ever]

i hope NOT, but i can smell the first wooden spoon in 2026

 

[Seagles68]

i hope NOT, but i can smell the first wooden spoon in 2026

Why so?? If we can bring Moale in b4 27, I like how the forward pack starts to look more balanced. As @susan noted in another thread, fitting Jake in will now become a real issue. TKO, Paseka, Moale, Ola, Bulle, Navale, Burbo and Hetherington is a much stronger pack than this year. And the backs we have can be top shelf if they have more room to move with a forward pack getting over the ad line. Tom has the off season to rest his troubled knee and as long as nothing else goes wrong (risky, I know), I'm hopeful he can get back to somewhere near his best next year.

Anyway, you could be right but I feel pretty confident that the spoon will not be our new addition to the cabinet.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

You clearly didn't watch many Newcastle games this year. Their attack was putrid.

I’ve watched Ivan Cleary coached teams have putrid years as well

I’m ambivalent on O’Brien, but of the coaches who have lost their jobs in the past few years, there aren’t any that stack up better than him

 

[Brookie1973]

I’ve watched Ivan Cleary coached teams have putrid years as well

I’m ambivalent on O’Brien, but of the coaches who have lost their jobs in the past few years, there aren’t any that stack up better than him

Apart from Des of course

 

[double hoops]

Germans thought that about Adolf Hitler.

More than half the yankes think it about Trumpy

 

[Phobia]

Wouldn’t be surprised if this guy shadow coaches us for some of 2026. He had some absolutely dreadful halves combos for his stint at Newcastle, and they never improved. I’d put that down to Newcastle having shocking management, more than AOB’s own shortcomings.

Fogarty/Brooks is a decent pairing, but they look like immortals compared to any of AOB’s prior halves. I’ll be interested to see what he can add to our attack. Maybe not just the same sweep plays, or “give it to Koula”, being our only options.

AOB was touted as one of the best assistant coaches out there, whilst he was at the Storm. He’s back to that role here. That is some quality support, that the club has found for Seibold.

Between this, and a (surprisingly) quick forwards cleanout, the club is giving Seibold every chance for next year. I’m happy for this arrangement.

If we’re all wrong about his shortcomings (somehow), and he makes the finals, we are the beneficiaries. If he misses the finals, he has no one left to blame, and we know he’s the main problem. Leaves the club in a spot of immunity, as opposed to the concoction of collated disasters this year, that left blame lying everywhere.

 

[robbiea]

We lost AFB and gained AOB.
More poo NEWS.

 

[Eagles4Life]

i hope NOT, but i can smell the first wooden spoon in 2026

Not a chance in hell. IMHO of course.
We will play finals next season.

 

[Uk eagle]

How long before the sack AOB thread overtakes the welcome one ?

 

[Rafferty]

We lost AFB and gained AOB.
More poo NEWS.

Another old bloke……the recycling in this industry never ceases to amaze, maybe AOB can coach on into his seventies as well……..

 

[MW66]

While the bulldogs sign Foz as an assistant coach. Would have loved him back at Manly.

 

[mosto]

I’m not an AOB fan. He lost me early on with the ‘Don’t you know who I am!’ incident and his press conferences since have he come across as lacking intelligence. However, he never seemed to ‘lose the dressing room’ at the Knights so seems to develop good relationships with his players. The excuse that he had no halves at Newcastle doesn’t fly with me though. Isn’t it the job of a coach to develop and improve players? Did any of those halves improve under him. To me he was the one cycling through play makers regularly. Is that the sort of coach we want developing our young halves in the coming years?

It’s a no from me.

 

[Brookie Bob]

yeah sack him ,he's no good whats he done for us ???
where's my flaming torch and pitch fork ?
Lets storm 4 Pines !!
whose with me ??

 

[frank stokes]

How long before the sack AOB thread overtakes the welcome one ?

It is very short odds given that welcomes are temporary and AOB is on a hiding-to-nothing.... short of delivering a premiership (yeah, right!), coaches tend to cop it in the neck around these parts...

 

[frank stokes]

I don't have much to add to the welcome but I commented in the "Sack AOB" thread and I do not want to play favourites soooooo....

 

[manly al]

A O B will bring some useful experience and apart from being previously connected as an assistant , was it with The Storm and with some of the net benefits that should have offered for him .
Maybe would have preferred Holbrook but of course ironically going to the Knights now
Wasn 't that wrapped in Ennis , not that i was that aware of his actual influence in the overall Manly coaching .
Hayles , maybe more in the run of the mill type assistants , maybe a bit better , so A O B again , as good as any candidate out there for an assistant gig based on his background

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

While the bulldogs sign Foz as an assistant coach. Would have loved him back at Manly.

Do you mean the Titans?

 

[The Wheel]

Do you mean the Titans?

Yep he has joined Titans coaching set up with Hannay.

 

[Frogz]

Just maybe AOB is a good assistant. Just like Jason Taylor, cant head coach for sh1t, but a great assistant.

 

[Stevo]

I heard Wayne Bennet speak at a function. He said he left the knights because the club was a mess and he couldn't change the culture or mentality of the players. I don't think much has changed since then.

If Wayne couldn't do it, how is anyone else supposed to?