From The Couch: Round 17
From The Couch: Round 17
Luke Brooks Is a Dumb Player: When you lack any relatively elite athletic skills in the NRL, you really need to be a smart player. So it somewhat defies belief that Luke Brooks has survived a decade in the NRL – and has been touted by some morons as an Origin quality halfback – with the football intelligence of a low-battery vibrator. Brooks had the gall last week to criticise the Tigers as if he was not central to their problems and then declared he would be ‘“selfish” in his next contract negotiations as if robbing the Tigers the last decade has not been selfish enough. His career can be summed up by his effort in the final six minutes before halftime on Saturday night with the Tigers battling to a 12-6 lead. After getting a very lucky penalty with a player in the sin bin, Brooks decides to put a kick in on the second tackle with the Tigers deep on the attack despite being surrounded, going through with the stupid set play like a robot incapable of diverging from its set journey. He then gave away a set restart thanks to some petty game-playing with Mitchell Moses. The Eels score less than a minute later. They then – astonishingly – concede another try where Brooks in cover took an air swing at a ball he could easily have dived on with any bottle. He should not he re-signed by the Tigers. The Dolphins would be idiots to sign him. He is a reserve grader at absolute best. His comparison is not Andrew Johns as many suggested early in his career. It is not even Chad Townsend. He is Jarrod Mullen without the Origin jersey or the drugs charge, an overhyped pretender who combined a lack of athleticism with a lack of intelligence that somehow suckered in poorly run clubs.
Covid Saves Freddy: Brad Fittler showed tremendous bottle leading into Game 2 by making some uncomfortable but necessary selection calls. The Blues won comfortably. When the vinegar went on to make some calls for the decider though, Fittler went to water. It was very clear to anyone who knows Rugby League that the Blues were on a strong downhill run in Perth after being strongly critical of the refereeing in the opener and the need to keep the series alive. The final score was hardly reflective of the difference between the two teams. To not recall Jack Wighton or push for Latrell Mitchell was just silly. He should have looked at dropping Jarome Luai. To name Jordan McLean – and then Jacob Saifiti – rather than Reagan Campbell-Gillard though was utterly stupid. The Maroons were primed to make Fittler look stupid considering 13 of the last 14 live games at Suncorp – including the last five deciders – have gone with the home team. The Covid struck and it struck bad with Queenslaand’s most important player Cameron Munster ruled out. Murray Tuilagi is also out. Corey Oates is an adequate replacement for the latter but Tom Dearden is such a downgrade for Munster it is hard to see anything short of an iconic Queensland effort getting the Maroons home on Wednesday.
Warriors Sign Webster: The Warriors pulled a stunner this week when they were the first club with a vacant head coaching role to appoint a coach when Andrew Webster was appointed. To call his selection a surprise would be an understatement. After missing out on top target Krisitan Woolf, the Warriors eyed off Panthers assistant Webster, who unsurprisingly signed as soon as a contract was put in front of him, likely never expecting an opportunity to be an NRL head coach.The decision is a hard one to assess. It is clearly a sharp improvement on the last two hires, which were utterly moronic from the start and were destined for disaster from the get-go. Webster is not an idiotic hiring. He was an unfashionable player who has risen through the ranks on hard work. He has worked at good clubs (Penrith) and bad clubs (Wests Tigers, New Zealand) in Australia and had a stint overseas at Hull Kingston Rovers. He is highly regarded for his intelligence. There are knocks though. For starters, being a “mastermind of Penrith’s attack” has proven a diabolical addition to one’s CV. Secondly, his lack of experience as a head coach in the lower grades is a concern. Thirdly, he has also spent most of his career with very ordinary teams that have tasted very little success under some very ordinary head coaches. The worry with the Webster hiring too is not how prepared the team will be (significantly more than now) or whether the team will develop an identity (significantly more than now) or whether there will be a clearer pathways-to-NRL plan (significantly more than now) but Webster’s ability to attract players. It is hard for “unfashionable” coaches to attract players and that is made even harder when very few NRL players want to live in New Zealand or play for the Warriors. In the end, it will be his ability to overcome this that will determine success or failure.
2022 Field Goal Update – 19: We are going through an abhorrent dry run of field goals with none in the last three rounds.
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Fun Fact #1: Luke Brooks is 16-40 the last three seasons.
Fun Fact #2: Records of Penrith Panthers assistants as head coaches since 2013 is 36-102
Fun Fact #3: Phil Gould’s last association with a premiership team was Penrith in 1991. Stints as Roosters coach, Roosters advisor, Panthers GM, Warriors advisor and Bulldogs GM of Football.
Betting Market of the Week: Five years after claiming the NRL needed one referee and a week after declaring the NRL needed two referees Phil Rothfield will this week declare:
$5.00: The NRL needs three referees, two bunkers, seven touch judges, a chip in the ball and a set of steak knives
$4.00: Players should officiate themselves and play in the spirit of the game
$1.20: Shane Flanagan should be the only referee for all games
Rumour Mill: Luke Brooks, like every other NRL player, has been linked with a move to the Dolphins and such is their desperation it may actually be true. Brooks could be joined by Kodi Nikorima up there with Anthony Milford set to stick with Newcastle. Cameron Ciraldo is not out of the mix for the Bulldogs coaching job but it will most likely go to Brad Fittler.
Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week: Brad Fittler’s decision to start Newcastle third-string prop Jacob Saifiti instead of Reagan Campbell-Gillard after Jordan McLean went down hurt was truly stunning. Saifiti is a mediocre prop at best. He is now an Origin player. Fittler has lost the plot with some of his selections this series.
The Coaching Crosshairs: It would be stunning if Justin Holbrook saw out July based on the way the Titans have completely given up the ghost. It would be of no surprise if they lost to the bye this weekend. Holbrook may be a decent coach but there is absolutely nothing he can do with the Titans. The roster is a mess but Holbrook is improving nobody. The push is on and his days are numbered.
Watch It: This week we look back on one of the most disgraceful incidents of the NRL era, when Danny Williams king hit Mark O’Neill in a shameful act that drew an 18-week suspension. It was Williams’ final match in his 213 game NRL career. Watch it here.