I'm not convinced about Al....

[spert]

Some might get a warm fuzzy feeling about putting up good performances in losses, but the whole caper is about winning, and since AR has been coach, we haven't done a lot of winning. Apart from getting close in a few games, I don't really see much to enthuse about.

[magnifisaint]

How many years and number 1 draft picks has it take Melbourne to string two wins in a row?

Basically we started 2 steps backs from every other club, the game plan looks great when we execute, unfortunately we have too many young guys running around in the seniors that will need another year before they become hardened. Yesterday's loss is a good lesson that if you don't put the effort in or don't have the right structures you get smacked - severly

[saintsRrising]

Some might get a warm fuzzy feeling about putting up good performances in losses, but the whole caper is about winning, and since AR has been coach, we haven't done a lot of winning. Apart from getting close in a few games, I don't really see much to enthuse about.

While what you say is true AR took the job knowing that the Saints were part way through a "super tank" where over years we offloaded players and sought to gain a lot more younger players including through multiple picks and trades. So any coach in that circumstance is not going to have a good win/loss ratio. GWS were crap for many seasons despite a huge amount of great picks, and are only now really getting it togeather now that they are older, plus have topped up with te right "older" trades.

However about now, and in particular from 2017 on, that will no longer be a reason or excuse. Games like the WC one are always in excusable.

2016 is the last year for AR to be heavily sorting his list and working out who plays where. In teory next year he will also have Freeman and Carlisle as extras.

[Kick-it-lace-out]

We are shallow down back and there really is not that much there to bring in.

Delaney is having an average few weeks in the magoos, as is Goddard truth be told.

You have to ask the question though, would it have been any worse if one had of come up to do a job?

This game was three steps backwards for us and undid a lot of good work.

I can assure you last week hurt them a lot more than today. You may think that makes out the players to be heartless and not playing for the jumper. Totally wrong, they're very pissed off about the performance today but last week they were devastated. Both physically and mentally. And very, very sore.
Judge the club in a months time.

Judge them in a month?

I'm judging them after 8 rounds......2 and 6 is just not good enough. Honourable losses don't count anymore. It's time to start winning. I get the physical soreness, but yesterday they didn't turn up mentally. Effort is a non negotiable.

Cannot express my disappointment strongly enough.

[Bluthy]

Some might get a warm fuzzy feeling about putting up good performances in losses, but the whole caper is about winning, and since AR has been coach, we haven't done a lot of winning. Apart from getting close in a few games, I don't really see much to enthuse about.

While what you say is true AR took the job knowing that the Saints were part way through a "super tank" where over years we offloaded players and sought to gain a lot more younger players including through multiple picks and trades. So any coach in that circumstance is not going to have a good win/loss ratio. GWS were crap for many seasons despite a huge amount of great picks, and are only now really getting it togeather now that they are older, plus have topped up with te right "older" trades.

However about now, and in particular from 2017 on, that will no longer be a reason or excuse. Games like the WC one are always in excusable.

2016 is the last year for AR to be heavily sorting his list and working out who plays where. In teory next year he will also have Freeman and Carlisle as extras.

Richo has got lots of young players on the list now and is choosing not to play many of them - Paddy, Goddard, Lee, Eli, Minch, Murdoch, White, Curren, Delaney, Mckenzie, Rice, Saunders. He's got to stand by the players he is playing. Last year he played Schneider all year instead of playing Minch or Curren or Shenton or Saunders. On Sunday we got smashed by 100 pts with many older players. If he played more young players at least you have more of an excuse and can say you are getting games into them.

Last year Beveridge at the Dogs played something like 35 players in the firsts to really build the clubs depth. We are 3rd bottom in how many players we have used this year. http://www.triplem.com.au/melbourne/spo ... is-season/

We should be at the top as we turn our list over and test players out and develop them. My great hope is this thrashing will break Richo and the match committee out of this cosy oldie brigade coat they like wearing and get aggressive with the use of our list and testing it out.

[Con Gorozidis]

I think after Rd 12 we will have a complete picture to make a judgment:

5-7 = Big tick. On track. Pleasing.
4-8 = Par. Expectations being met. Pass.
3-9 = Fail.
2-10 - Disastrous/Sack the coach.

[Bluthy]

Is Richo a bit old school? I wonder why so many clubs turned him down for a head coach role. Even we did the first time. I wonder if he doesn't have a tactically radical approach to the game that many clubs seem to look for.

[Bernard Shakey]

Our midfield were disgraceful, as were our backline. Undersized, poorly skilled and quick to panic and crab sideways or retreat. Of course Lee wouldn't have changed the outcome but with that logic, why bother selecting a fwd line either because it's only midfield that matters. Why are we the only side to not play KPD'ers when we have them playing for Sandy? Selection is an issue. No side selects zero KPD'ers when there are fit players in that mould in the twos. Even u think Lee's form warranted selection. Goddard should also be in the ones. Especially with Fisher rested. Dumb selections. Again.

Why should Goddard be in the ones? He's slowly developing at Sandy, but would have been destroyed yesterday!
Delaney is a spud!
Lee appears to have a high hammy problem and is not a KPD (whatever that is), he's a bloody good footballer though.

[Gordo']

I can assure you last week hurt them a lot more than today. You may think that makes out the players to be heartless and not playing for the jumper. Totally wrong, they're very pissed off about the performance today but last week they were devastated. Both physically and mentally. And very, very sore.
Judge the club in a months time.

too right mate! oh ffs!!! some of the drummer types on here go all phil flowering collins at the first set back.

young team. some inconsistency is to be flowering expected ffs!!! and for a little while yet. particularly as we're playing against bigger flowering bodies.

i was mainly disappointed in that our mids didn't flowering adjust for the palm tree winning the flowering taps. combine that with the addition of big bodies (snowy carlisle and goddard) down back, and that first quarter rout would have been very flowering different. (that said, i was pretty flowering pissed-off with those two goals with only 1:21 left to play, to get the margin to over 100 points ffs! )

but we do have the band, it's just that some of the players (for 'differing reasons', nudge nudge, flowering wink wink, eh snowy) aren't quite ready yet. and we also have carefully restructured our salary cap, so this and next year's draft trading period will be very very flowering interesting.

looking at the more immediate future, ffs we'll definitely beat those flowering soft...k drummers from effndope, freo heave-flowering-ho and the carl-flowering-scum over the next four weeks. and those flowering soft...k brown water drinking drummers types from the crows are also very very flowering gettable too, even at flowering crow oval!

ffs, sure sunday was (almost) even less fun than a phil flowering collins concert, but we're still on track. roo holding up that premiership cup is still very much alive ffs!

[Bernard Shakey]

What have flowers got to do with anything ffs!

[st.byron]

I can assure you last week hurt them a lot more than today. You may think that makes out the players to be heartless and not playing for the jumper. Totally wrong, they're very pissed off about the performance today but last week they were devastated. Both physically and mentally. And very, very sore.
Judge the club in a months time.

too right mate! oh ffs!!! some of the drummer types on here go all phil flowering collins at the first set back.

young team. some inconsistency is to be flowering expected ffs!!! and for a little while yet. particularly as we're playing against bigger flowering bodies.

i was mainly disappointed in that our mids didn't flowering adjust for the palm tree winning the flowering taps. combine that with the addition of big bodies (snowy carlisle and goddard) down back, and that first quarter rout would have been very flowering different. (that said, i was pretty flowering pissed-off with those two goals with only 1:21 left to play, to get the margin to over 100 points ffs! )

but we do have the band, it's just that some of the players (for 'differing reasons', nudge nudge, flowering wink wink, eh snowy) aren't quite ready yet. and we also have carefully restructured our salary cap, so this and next year's draft trading period will be very very flowering interesting.

looking at the more immediate future, ffs we'll definitely beat those flowering soft...k drummers from effndope, freo heave-flowering-ho and the carl-flowering-scum over the next four weeks. and those flowering soft...k brown water drinking drummers types from the crows are also very very flowering gettable too, even at flowering crow oval!

ffs, sure sunday was (almost) even less fun than a phil flowering collins concert, but we're still on track. roo holding up that premiership cup is still very much alive ffs!

Nice VPN Gordo. Consistently choosing The Netherlands I see. You can't mask everything though Mr. Multiple Nics. Maybe try Czech Republic or Austria FFS.

[satchmo]

I can assure you last week hurt them a lot more than today. You may think that makes out the players to be heartless and not playing for the jumper. Totally wrong, they're very pissed off about the performance today but last week they were devastated. Both physically and mentally. And very, very sore.
Judge the club in a months time.

too right mate! oh ffs!!! some of the drummer types on here go all phil flowering collins at the first set back.

young team. some inconsistency is to be flowering expected ffs!!! and for a little while yet. particularly as we're playing against bigger flowering bodies.

i was mainly disappointed in that our mids didn't flowering adjust for the palm tree winning the flowering taps. combine that with the addition of big bodies (snowy carlisle and goddard) down back, and that first quarter rout would have been very flowering different. (that said, i was pretty flowering pissed-off with those two goals with only 1:21 left to play, to get the margin to over 100 points ffs! )

but we do have the band, it's just that some of the players (for 'differing reasons', nudge nudge, flowering wink wink, eh snowy) aren't quite ready yet. and we also have carefully restructured our salary cap, so this and next year's draft trading period will be very very flowering interesting.

looking at the more immediate future, ffs we'll definitely beat those flowering soft...k drummers from effndope, freo heave-flowering-ho and the carl-flowering-scum over the next four weeks. and those flowering soft...k brown water drinking drummers types from the crows are also very very flowering gettable too, even at flowering crow oval!

ffs, sure sunday was (almost) even less fun than a phil flowering collins concert, but we're still on track. roo holding up that premiership cup is still very much alive ffs!

Nice VPN Gordo. Consistently choosing The Netherlands I see. You can't mask everything though Mr. Multiple Nics. Maybe try Czech Republic or Austria FFS.

I think he's on to you Pluggsy.

[Darth Vader]

Is Richo a bit old school? I wonder why so many clubs turned him down for a head coach role. Even we did the first time. I wonder if he doesn't have a tactically radical approach to the game that many clubs seem to look for.

Well when the senior players refer to him as mini-GT, they're not being complimentary.

[SydneySainter]

Despite all the drubbings Richo's coached us through, he still seems to have quite a few fans in the Saints community, which I think he's quite lucky to have, given how quick people where to turn on Watters during one bad season.

[HitTheBoundary]

Is Richo a bit old school? I wonder why so many clubs turned him down for a head coach role. Even we did the first time. I wonder if he doesn't have a tactically radical approach to the game that many clubs seem to look for.

Well when the senior players refer to him as mini-GT, they're not being complimentary.

[st.byron]

Is Richo a bit old school? I wonder why so many clubs turned him down for a head coach role. Even we did the first time. I wonder if he doesn't have a tactically radical approach to the game that many clubs seem to look for.

Well when the senior players refer to him as mini-GT, they're not being complimentary.

Four doors in such a little car.

[st.byron]

I think he's on to you Pluggsy.

Nope. It aint him.

[saintspremiers]

I think he's on to you Pluggsy.

Nope. It aint him.

flowering FFS rolly eyes rolly eyes

seems more likely

[Bluthy]

Is Richo a bit old school? I wonder why so many clubs turned him down for a head coach role. Even we did the first time. I wonder if he doesn't have a tactically radical approach to the game that many clubs seem to look for.

Well when the senior players refer to him as mini-GT, they're not being complimentary.

Is that what they call him? How would you know such things Lord Vadar? Do they think he's more motivation over tactical smarts? That's a worry. We've got a huge graduate class of Clarksons School in complex tactical footy structures now blooming in Bolton, Beveridge, Simpson, Cameron who will be our competitors for a flag. I don't want another GT lack of clever tactics and structures for sloganeering "Create your own history"

[satchmo]

Must be true. It's on the internets.

[Bluthy]

Must be true. It's on the internets.

Well a 100 pt smashing in his 3rd year where he went in with no real KPD against the grand finalists on their home deck and then barely made any changes to our set up despite the players drowning on the field didn't bode well to me tactically. But I'm sure his qtr address of "Put more pressure on" resonated with the players.

[satchmo]

Obviously he didn't have internet access over there. Should be sweet this week.

[WellardSaint]

Is Richo a bit old school? I wonder why so many clubs turned him down for a head coach role. Even we did the first time. I wonder if he doesn't have a tactically radical approach to the game that many clubs seem to look for.

Well when the senior players refer to him as mini-GT, they're not being complimentary.

"Mini-GT" doesn't sound catchy enough to stick. Find it hard to believe that it would be a nickname.

[mullet]

Must be true. It's on the internets.

LOL at this.

Was mentioned on the radio this morning that they went with a plan to out run the eagles. Hence the selections. Clearly didnt work.

Think Sainter K mentioned in the match thread that we had only 24 rotations to half time. So was the plan based on Richos confidence in our fitness.

Certainly did not work and was extremely risky, and clearly we were unable to execute. Perhaps they were unable to execute because of how they pulled up after
north game, both physically and mentally.

I find it hard to believe that in this day and age Richo and assistants dont plan for each team each week.

Happened upon Jack Newnes last wednesday and the kid was still so upset about losing to North. He said something along the lines of we try our guts out and come so close, but being close isnt good enough, we want to win.

Now is their chance to put a couple together, and for their sakes, I hope they do it. We have seen what stringing wins together has done for Carlton and Melbourne.

Dont give up on the team or coach, that has been our problem in the past.

[Darth Vader]

Is Richo a bit old school? I wonder why so many clubs turned him down for a head coach role. Even we did the first time. I wonder if he doesn't have a tactically radical approach to the game that many clubs seem to look for.

Well when the senior players refer to him as mini-GT, they're not being complimentary.

"Mini-GT" doesn't sound catchy enough to stick. Find it hard to believe that it would be a nickname.

Wouldn't say its a nickname. More like a when they're talking about him to others kind of reference.