batleyrhino wrote:
Anyone that thought we would be top 4 this year needed their bumps felt, the squad alone doesn't support that even if Wayne Bennett had been the coach. Reasonable expectation was 5-8 with a major push on 5, but we're struggling to hang on to 8th as it stands.
This year has been so bad (almost all of it) that Smith has burned through the credit he built up at the end of last season. I think this is why people are so frustrated, we've been here a hell of a lot over the last 6-7 years.
Fair points, Batley. He arrived last year and took us from bottom to the GF with a style of football that left most of us baffled but also very pleased. There was some great rugby mixed with tremendous, character filled back to the wall performances. I remember a couple of pieces in the Aussie press suggesting that he could be the next great NRL coach.That should not be forgotten. I expected that this year, with a full pre-season behind him, we'd see a more hard nosed high intensity approach. That has not materialised and in fact he has doubled down on last year's eccentricities. 15 games in, despite a few memorable flashes in the pan, it hasn't worked. He might be stubborn (not a bad trait in leaders) but he's not stupid. He will know something has to change. He's still a very young coach and there is time yet for him to get past this and come up with a refined and successful strategy.Let's see how he rises to that challenge. I might not say this if I thought the next Graham Murray was out there waiting to pick up the telephone, but he isn't, and in all the many calls for his head over this last 24 hours I haven't seen one available or viable replacement mentioned.
