Is Des Losing his Mojo?

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We have to remember that Des inherited this playing roster. You also can't turn around physical training regimes too quickly. He has (along with everyone else) been blind sided by the huge rule changes made by the NRL mid season without the chance to adapt his roster and training. On top of that we have injuries to our crucial players during a season where the second divisions aren't getting a run and our squad depth consists of young guys with no experience.

We don't have the team make up to adapt to these rule changes as quick as some of the other teams have.One thing is for sure, he has been getting a lot more out of the players than Barrett. I have faith that he will work out an approach to the new game and execute his plan to get us a premiership in the next 3 seasons.
 
We have to remember that Des inherited this playing roster. You also can't turn around physical training regimes too quickly. He has (along with everyone else) been blind sided by the huge rule changes made by the NRL mid season without the chance to adapt his roster and training. On top of that we have injuries to our crucial players during a season where the second divisions aren't getting a run and our squad depth consists of young guys with no experience.

We don't have the team make up to adapt to these rule changes as quick as some of the other teams have.One thing is for sure, he has been getting a lot more out of the players than Barrett. I have faith that he will work out an approach to the new game and execute his plan to get us a premiership in the next 3 seasons.
That's it mate. I think we have been left behind with the new rule change but that's not Des' fault. It's not his fault we lost Fainu, Turbo and Walker. We do need to tweak our roster next year and it may be that we need to let go a couple contracted players to get the quality and strike we need. I don't think our roster is far off but we definitely need a couple of these young guns to come in and stand out straight away. I would also like a genuine half and possibly a strike outside back. These guys may be at the expense of a Parker or a Taufua or Sipley but they are the tough calls Des has to make
 
What worries me with those who gain fame and are held up on a pedestal, is that they get scared of losing their reputation and play it very safe...which unfortunately is usually the worst thing you can do. Persisting with the same squad that received two very bad thrashings and a close one but still lost, and then expecting a turn around on the fourth game, again with the same group, suggests inertia, holding on and wishing it will change. Making an error once is normal, twice in a row is worrying, three times in a row suggests poor judgement in any situation, not just sport. I hope Des knows what he's doing because the season is just about shot.
 
What worries me with those who gain fame and are held up on a pedestal, is that they get scared of losing their reputation and play it very safe...which unfortunately is usually the worst thing you can do. Persisting with the same squad that received two very bad thrashings and a close one but still lost, and then expecting a turn around on the fourth game, again with the same group, suggests inertia, holding on and wishing it will change. Making an error once is normal, twice in a row is worrying, three times in a row suggests poor judgement in any situation, not just sport. I hope Des knows what he's doing because the season is just about shot.
I'm pretty confident he knows what he's doing.

Look at his record it says it all.

Even when at the dogs in those final years when he lost control of the roster and it was all the board decisions they still just missed the 8.

We are pretty well playing a reserve grade spine in the NRL.

I agree we need a clear out at the end of the year but for now we just need to ride out the pain.
 
We have to remember that Des inherited this playing roster. You also can't turn around physical training regimes too quickly. He has (along with everyone else) been blind sided by the huge rule changes made by the NRL mid season without the chance to adapt his roster and training. On top of that we have injuries to our crucial players during a season where the second divisions aren't getting a run and our squad depth consists of young guys with no experience.

We don't have the team make up to adapt to these rule changes as quick as some of the other teams have.One thing is for sure, he has been getting a lot more out of the players than Barrett. I have faith that he will work out an approach to the new game and execute his plan to get us a premiership in the next 3 seasons.
True, though under Des a few have had contract extensions or have signed on. Jorge, Garrick, Croker, Cust, Parker, JetSki, T-Rex, Turbo, Jake, Walker, Suli, Tomo, Siro, AFB, Paseka, Schuster, Manase, Marty, Ben T, Funa, Anderson, Levi, Titmus, Keppie and Saddler have all signed on under the watchful eye of Des. Boyle and Metcalf I am uncertain of.

A good percentage of the squad Des has had oversight on.

Steven Hales in the last chance saloon for several players and we could pick up the odd decent footballer there, Dylan Phythian has good judges giving their seal of approval.

The recruitment strategy has been about junior talent retention, I would like to see it used.

Agree that a few players should be let go and bring in some others to stop the stale mode and attitude that looks present in the group.
 
I'm pretty confident he knows what he's doing.

Look at his record it says it all.

Even when at the dogs in those final years when he lost control of the roster and it was all the board decisions they still just missed the 8.

We are pretty well playing a reserve grade spine in the NRL.

I agree we need a clear out at the end of the year but for now we just need to ride out the pain.


Point taken Eagle, and I hope you are right. But my comment relates to my first sentence which is a general ailment among those with fame.
 
We have our best 1, best 6, best 9 and best prop unavailable. The 1 and the 8 are arguably the best and certainly top 3 players in their respective positions in the entire competition. Our salary cap is top heavy with star power, the bulk of it is made up of 'squad players' who grow a leg when playing with the elite players. Then there is a stream of glorious rookie talent taking up the rest of the top 30 that Des is loathe to blood whilst there are no stars on the park to ease them in. Hoppa, Schuster and Benny Turbo take up 3 spots in the top 30 which makes our depth appear 'thin'. Reality is our squad is building towards great success within the next little period when all of our top 30 are actually ready to play. No Fainu has hurt us badly. Last year when Turbo was out, we still had the 6,7 & two 9's available and creating around the ruck. DCE is the only bloke in the side currently able to throw a pass for a try assist. We are extremely slow and easy to defend against with no strike from dummy half. Fainu and Turbo revel ploughing through the middle of the ruck from dummy half on the back of dominant play the balls with DCE and Walker roaring through in support. The new rules would be such a benefit to our true style of play. No cattle on the park at the moment. A third of our top 30 is unavailable through injury or youth. Defensively we have been poor in the last three weeks. It's very hard to defend your line consistently for 80 mins when you get no reward for your effort up the other end. The turnovers are high and that is based on players forcing their hand in attack because nothing is working. Ride it out. We will come out the other side.
100% spot on. Well said.
 
Des is persisting with an inept backline and it begs the question why? Some might say he has no choice. I’d love to know why he won’t use the kids. They don’t even make his extended bench I wonder what’s going on. Des is no dope and very stubborn.
 
Des is a great coach. There are only a few better and every once in a while, he’ll get one over the better coaches in the game.

I do think Bellamy and Robinson are better but having said that, neither of them have even come close to having as great a season as what Des had in 2008 and Des had to achieve this while being at a disadvantage compared to the richer clubs in the game. Tooves and Donny also always deserve to have their names attached to what the Sea Eagles achieved in 2008
 
Imo I feel that Des is spoilt with the amount of talent that is at the club. But like a diamond they need to be cut and polished so that the full potential of that diamond is displayed. So at the moment and for a little while. Des will place players in certain position some may fail but once he has the right balance and the right talent in positions we will/may see the same result as we got with the Stewart brother, Steve Matai, Watmough, Ballin, Menzies, and co. Its just a matter of time before the dominoes are in place and we will have a well oiled machine that will make us even more proud of our great team. It is a work in progress but what a masterpiece it will be when completed.
 
Des is persisting with an inept backline and it begs the question why? Some might say he has no choice. I’d love to know why he won’t use the kids. They don’t even make his extended bench I wonder what’s going on. Des is no dope and very stubborn.
I think he doesn't want to play them as they have not had a single game against men and apart from a brief outing in a trial for Schuster, neither of them have any play for a looong time...and when it was, it was against kids. Yeah Best is doing ok but he is huge.

Young Hoppa is off contract at the end of the year and I FEEL Des may be weary about him pissing off like his brother did after he MADE him. I expect Hoppa won't be here next year...so why give him a start?

Des will bring Schuster in when he feels he is good and ready and the time is right. He ain't no gambler...he is as tight as a fish's ass.
 
This thread'll do, I dunno.



MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES

ERRORS


Tom Trbojevic 12

Daly Cherry-Evans 10

Bradley Parker 10

Lachlan Croker 9

Jorge Taufua 9

PENALTIES CONCEDED



Danny Levi 3 penalties + 9 set restarts = Total 12

Joel Thompson 5 penalties + 1 set restart = Total 6

Jorge Taufua 4 penalties + 1 set restart = Total 5

Curtis Sironen and Sean Keppie 2 penalties + 3 set restarts = Total 5

Jake Trbojevic 3 penalties + 2 set restarts = Total 5

MISSED TACKLES

Danny Levi 23

Curtis Sironen 18

Joel Thompson 14

Sean Keppie 13

Jake Trbojevic 13

TRY CAUSES

Reuben Garrick 7

Daly Cherry-Evans 4

Tom Trbojevic 4

Tevita Funa 4

Brendan Elliot 4
 
This thread'll do, I dunno.



MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES

ERRORS


Tom Trbojevic 12

Daly Cherry-Evans 10

Bradley Parker 10

Lachlan Croker 9

Jorge Taufua 9

PENALTIES CONCEDED



Danny Levi 3 penalties + 9 set restarts = Total 12

Joel Thompson 5 penalties + 1 set restart = Total 6

Jorge Taufua 4 penalties + 1 set restart = Total 5

Curtis Sironen and Sean Keppie 2 penalties + 3 set restarts = Total 5

Jake Trbojevic 3 penalties + 2 set restarts = Total 5

MISSED TACKLES

Danny Levi 23

Curtis Sironen 18

Joel Thompson 14

Sean Keppie 13

Jake Trbojevic 13

TRY CAUSES

Reuben Garrick 7

Daly Cherry-Evans 4

Tom Trbojevic 4

Tevita Funa 4

Brendan Elliot 4
Wow. Levi needs some discipline and fast.
 
The emotion after some dud performances can get the better of fans with an opinion, my hand is up.....as we all just want to get back to the winners circle that seems light years away.
Thing is, we all know Des is picking the side based on who HE believes will get the best result.
I know bringing even the most talented young players into a struggling environment can be a risk, as the extra impact of top grade combined with a lack of the Star quality players by the side, can destroy confidence and have a negative long term effect.
If Des has a Cryptonite, its adversity to change.....the thing is as frustrating to watch atm with game plan boring and simple, can see why Des is sticking bith basic tactics, simply to accommodate the cattle we have available..... - these simple hitups, kick/chase and big defensive reliance maintained over 80 minutes with high intensity, will keep you in any game and in Des defence, the execution in reflection has been the major issue, leading to drops of enthusiasm on the back of this and shifting momentum to the opposition.
I stick by the call of blooding 1 or 2 young guns to elevate the side, but by Saturday would not be surprised to see Des do what he does best, lift the side against all adversity for an against the odds victory.
 

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