Freddy out - Smith in

[Guest]

Murray definitely brough through a great batch of juniors but Gus started the whole ball rolling. We had spent a long time in the wilderness before Gus arrived and Murray picked up a team that had made the finals four years in a row.

Gould, Murray and Ricky all contributed heavily to our success from 2000-2004.

No Doubt Gus pulled us out of the doldrums mate

[OMR]

I am a litle surprised, and reluctantly joyed by the decision. If he can get us to be conteners again, then it will be up to the players to get us over the line.The coach's job is to set up plays and defensive structures, and the players to apply them.

[Guest]

Smith does not seem to take much shit which is the one thing we need at the moment

[Chook Norris]

I'm happy with this decision to bring in Smith, a good experienced coach which should ensure stability and confidence over the next few years. Sure it might take a few years but our future looks better already. Fittler is too relaxed, Smith brings the opposite.. which is what we need tbh; not going to take shit from players

NEWCASTLE coach Brian Smith was the man of the match in his team's big win over the Manly Sea Eagles yesterday afternoon. His players were well prepared, physically strong, mentally tough and tactically brilliant.

More importantly, despite the fact his team was missing several key players and coming off a loss last weekend, the Knights looked purposeful and confident right from the start of the game. A coach can do no more.

Sure, it's the players who have to go out and execute, but much of what happened in Newcastle yesterday was a product of Smith's ability to get the best out of his own team and identify the worst in the opposition. Smith has come in for plenty of unfair criticism over the years. He leaves himself open to such treatment because he doesn't follow the conventional methods most media types understand.

He's always been an innovator, a creator and a speculator. He is prepared to fail greatly in order to achieve greatly. The other great talent of Smith's is the way he recruits seemingly average talent and turns them into winners. He helps players realise their potential even though these same players may have previously played at a few different clubs in search of success. He has a gift for identifying those who can play a role within a team framework and then assists them to enjoy their contribution.

He loves the cloak and dagger stuff. The mystery of the team selection is one of his traits. People criticise his methods but I can tell you as an opposing coach it is a real pain in the butt when you are preparing your troops to take on one of his teams. Any coach who says different is a liar.

[elo]

http://abc.com.au/news/stories/2009/...on=rugbyleague

Dumped Fittler to be replaced by Smith

Sydney Roosters coach Brad Fittler has been dumped and will be replaced by Newcastle's Brian Smith for the 2010 NRL season.

Fittler's coaching future has been in doubt after the Roosters slipped to the bottom of the ladder.

His contract expires at the end of the season and it will not be renewed.

Smith's contract with the Knights finishes at the end of next season but chief executive Steve Burraston has confirmed he has requested a release.

"I don't think Newcastle was ever going to be long-term for Brian," Mr Burraston told Fox Sports.

"If he had an opportunity to get a pretty substantial position somewhere else for a long period of time, it would be wrong for us to stand in his way I think.

"Brian asked us today if he could have a release so he could take up the position with the Roosters.

"From the chairman's and my point of view, we said we would be recommending to the board on Monday that that be the case, that we do grant him a release.

"In any employment outside of footy, you wouldn't stand in someone's way if they could do something that they wanted to do in their career."

Mr Burraston said the Roosters had offered Smith a four-year deal, compared to the one season remaining on his Newcastle contract.

"I would suggest without knowing that it's probably substantially more than we're capable of paying as well and he had family reasons around that as well," Burraston said.

He said the Knights had a number of ideas regarding a possible head coach for next year, including assistants at Newcastle and other clubs.

"We're not short of options, put it that way," he said.

But he played down talk club great Andrew Johns would be the man.

"I don't think Joey would like a full-time coaching career. He has stated that publicly on many occasions that he's not cut out to be a coach," Burraston said.

Mr Burraston said he was more than happy to have Smith as head coach for the remainder of the 2009 season.

"He's a very intense coach and he's a very professional coach," Mr Burraston said.

"Brian will give us everything and he gave me his word on that and said he has got a competition to win here and he firmly believes we will win the competition."

-ABC/AAP

[Guest]

Well we needed a new coach and Smith is a fairly good one, I do think I would have preferred Kearney even though he's a more of an unknown quality ... However I feel sad for Freddy, he's a club legend, what will he think of us now?

[melon....]

The Eternal Brisdesmaid.

Intense. Too intense. He'll **** some young heads.

Not happy.

[supermario]

The Eternal Brisdesmaid.

Intense. Too intense. He'll **** some young heads.

Not happy.

You have to admit, he is doing a great job with mullen, he is one of the top halves in the NRL, unlucky not to be selected for SOO over wallace.

[melon....]

You have to admit, he is doing a great job with mullen, he is one of the top halves in the NRL, unlucky not to be selected for SOO over wallace.

Mullen was always talented.....and always injured. I didnt say he cant coach. But he'll break down our fragile mental midgets. He'll piss off a lot of people. I wanted a head shrink, just not Smith. There'll be a mass clearance, because at least we need that to get rid of the Newtown shit we have our hopes set on.

But he will break a few eggs to make an omelette. I just dont feel he is the right one.

[Rocky Rhodes]

Mullen was always talented.....and always injured. I didnt say he cant coach. But he'll break down our fragile mental midgets. He'll piss off a lot of people. I wanted a head shrink, just not Smith. There'll be a mass clearance, because at least we need that to get rid of the Newtown shit we have our hopes set on.

But he will break a few eggs to make an omelette. I just dont feel he is the right one.

That's more like it. One can say Anasta is injury prone as well.

There'll be a mass clearance, because at least we need that to get rid of the Newtown shit we have our hopes set on.

We can only hope. We have too many unmotivated highly paid players who need to shape up or ship out. Mason and Sa to name a couple. Agree with your newtown comment. They are nothing but a disaster. It's hard to establish a club culture when there are two clubs.

[Vasco]

You give Gus too much credit it was Murray who bought through our youth to set it up for Stuart. Smith could do the same and set it up for somebody else to finish the job.

You clearly have no idea. It was Gould that re-built this club. The club went backwards under Murray. Don't let Freddy's match winning performance against Newcastle to get us in the GF cloud your judgement.

[Guest]

I think 4 years is to long.

So who will Smith get rid of if he decides to have a clean out?

[Guest]

You clearly have no idea. It was Gould that re-built this club. The club went backwards under Murray. Don't let Freddy's match winning performance against Newcastle to get us in the GF cloud your judgement.

Yes Gus rebuilt the club. But it was quite clear he was never going to get us into or let alone win a gf. His teams were built around buys (Barnhill & Gourlay to name a few) that went missing when the blow torch was applied in the big end of season games. It was clear thes buys were very good players but did not bleed RW&B or for each other in the way required to win it all. It was Murray's promotion of youngsters that came through our system that led to our ultimate success.

Minichiello
Hegarty
Flannery
Crocker
and others

[TheLoneRooster]

The Eternal Brisdesmaid.

Intense. Too intense. He'll **** some young heads.

Not happy.

Exactly melon. I thought the Roosters had already tried the "Intense Coach" path with one r. stuart? Why then try that same path with Smith when it proved a miserable failure before? Additionally, the clubs that Smith had previously coached were glad to see the back of him for various reasons which tells me he isn't the right choice for the Roosters.

Not happy either.

[Guest]

Exactly melon. I thought the Roosters had already tried the "Intense Coach" path with one r. stuart? Why then try that same path with Smith when it proved a miserable failure before? Additionally, the clubs that Smith had previously coached were glad to see the back of him for various reasons which tells me he isn't the right choice for the Roosters.

Not happy either.

I don't how it could be called a failure as we won a gf under Stuart