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This article was written by gould on Smith a few months back. First few paragraphs make for interesting reading if indeed Smith is appointed.
Brilliance of coach Smith sparks win
Phil Gould | April 6, 2009
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.
This week he kept chief playmaker Jarrod Mullen out of the footy program but named him in the team on the day of the game. He resisted the temptation to rush this talented half into the starting line-up, preferring to start him from the bench and introduce him into the contest at precisely the right time.
Running into a strong breeze in the first half, the Knights built their game on defence and patience. They were prepared to risk giving up a lead in return for a second half aided by the elements and the large, parochial home crowd. Mullen was instrumental in this plan. His long kicking game in the second stanza deprived Manly of any chance to claw their way back into the contest.
Smith's men delivered. They defended their goal line grimly in the first 20 minutes of the contest as the Sea Eagles dominated field position and possession. They saw little of the Manly end of the field, giving up an early six-point lead but remaining defiant. It was as though they knew something about Manly and seemed confident they could run them down.
Sure enough, the Knights' stoic defence took its toll on the struggling premiers. The Manly players started to panic when they couldn't extend their lead, despite countless opportunities to do so. Mistakes crept into their game, and when the Knights received some quality possession of their own, they struck twice with well-constructed tries in the closing stages of the first half to take the lead heading into the break.
The Knights exposed the inexperienced defensive partnership on Manly's right-hand side of new young centre Shane Neumann and winger David Williams. Smith identified that these two boys had probably never played together before, quite rightly predicting they could be forced into some poor decisions. For a period of the game, the Knights were relentless in the way they attacked this area of the field.
When Manly's right centre, Steve Matai, left the field injured, the Knights players got the message from their coach at half-time to head in that direction in search of points. The result - two more tries to the home side. The game was now gone.
Fullback Kurt Gidley was a standout for the home side, so too their willing pack of forwards, who totally outshone their more illustrious opponents. The Knights had total control over the match a long way from home and thoroughly deserved their victory. The players were great - but the coaching was superb.
As for Manly, well, they are in a terrible rut at the moment and need to get some players back from injury in a real hurry if they are to make a worthy defence of their title. I guess we'll see what they're made of in the coming weeks.
Brilliance of coach Smith sparks win
Phil Gould | April 6, 2009
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.
This week he kept chief playmaker Jarrod Mullen out of the footy program but named him in the team on the day of the game. He resisted the temptation to rush this talented half into the starting line-up, preferring to start him from the bench and introduce him into the contest at precisely the right time.
Running into a strong breeze in the first half, the Knights built their game on defence and patience. They were prepared to risk giving up a lead in return for a second half aided by the elements and the large, parochial home crowd. Mullen was instrumental in this plan. His long kicking game in the second stanza deprived Manly of any chance to claw their way back into the contest.
Smith's men delivered. They defended their goal line grimly in the first 20 minutes of the contest as the Sea Eagles dominated field position and possession. They saw little of the Manly end of the field, giving up an early six-point lead but remaining defiant. It was as though they knew something about Manly and seemed confident they could run them down.
Sure enough, the Knights' stoic defence took its toll on the struggling premiers. The Manly players started to panic when they couldn't extend their lead, despite countless opportunities to do so. Mistakes crept into their game, and when the Knights received some quality possession of their own, they struck twice with well-constructed tries in the closing stages of the first half to take the lead heading into the break.
The Knights exposed the inexperienced defensive partnership on Manly's right-hand side of new young centre Shane Neumann and winger David Williams. Smith identified that these two boys had probably never played together before, quite rightly predicting they could be forced into some poor decisions. For a period of the game, the Knights were relentless in the way they attacked this area of the field.
When Manly's right centre, Steve Matai, left the field injured, the Knights players got the message from their coach at half-time to head in that direction in search of points. The result - two more tries to the home side. The game was now gone.
Fullback Kurt Gidley was a standout for the home side, so too their willing pack of forwards, who totally outshone their more illustrious opponents. The Knights had total control over the match a long way from home and thoroughly deserved their victory. The players were great - but the coaching was superb.
As for Manly, well, they are in a terrible rut at the moment and need to get some players back from injury in a real hurry if they are to make a worthy defence of their title. I guess we'll see what they're made of in the coming weeks.
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