Can Fittler coach?

[Guest]

It's a question we all need to seriously ask ourselves.

Hi all I'm Chook, newest member to this gabfest.

Can Brad Fittler coach?

Based on this year the answer is simply no. He is not getting the best out of the players individually or collectively. We are slow in defence and very one dimensional in offence. None of our "stars" are performing and none of our up and comers are improving under Fittler.

Is Freddie the new Nathan Brown? Too close to the players?

I wanna give the champion that is Fittler every opportunity, but those opportunities are fast dimishing. He needs to turn this team around and fast or he needs to be speared. As much of a club champion he is, we cannot afford 2010 be begin as 2009 has.

Chook.

[Guest]

Definately the next Nathan Brown. One of the boys.

I think it was 2006 he was hired as the Roosters kicking coach, and our kicking was bad that year. Come 2009 everything we do is bad.

Seems Great players don't always make good coaches (Ricky,Freddie,Meninga), yet average first graders make great coaches (Bellamy, Sheens, Bennett)

But I'll be generous and hope he can last out this year, and then let's get serious.

[Vasco]

Definately the next Nathan Brown. One of the boys.

I think it was 2006 he was hired as the Roosters kicking coach, and our kicking was bad that year. Come 2009 everything we do is bad.

Seems Great players don't always make good coaches (Ricky,Freddie,Meninga), yet average first graders make great coaches (Bellamy, Sheens, Bennett)

But I'll be generous and hope he can last out this year, and then let's get serious.

In all fairness to Freddy in 2006, Finch was our main kicker!

[Guest]

I blame the Roosters for his current predicament, just like the Dragons were responsible for Brownies lack of coaching success. Freddy should have been given the opportunity to cut his teeth for a few years in the lower grades and as an assistant to an experienced coach before even thinking about moving up to the top job. It can't be easy to try and coach the blokes you played alongside for so long and who you are mates with.

Seems Great players don't always make good coaches (Ricky,Freddie,Meninga), yet average first graders make great coaches (Bellamy, Sheens, Bennett)

Freddy was a lazy player, immensely talented and a true on-field leader but never the hardest worker. I remember an interview with him a long time ago where he said he didn't want to have to work a day in his life once he retires. IMO a guy like Jason Taylor has the mental attitude most suited to coaching, nowhere near as naturally gifted as Fittler, he had to work very hard to stay in the NRL through most of his career.

I think Ricky could be a great coach if he smoked a joint or two to relax every day. Far too intense for coaching, not everybody can deal with that for long.

[Guest]

I think most people who post here would agree we all loved Freddy as a player! However I think this trend has been coming since late last year. We scrambled into 4th Spot after being in great form up until after Origin and then fell in a heap.

Bowed out in straight games when they were both there to be won.

Similar traits this year and we have lost a few we should never have Warriors game comes to mind.

It is time we either get Freddy some help Lang? or the guy that seems to always get a mention but never top spot is Shane Flanagan now whether he would come back I don't know? Or Just as a left field idea what about co-coaches like the Raiders did with Furner and Bennent. Look what Bennent has gone on to do?

Otherwise we will be left with no option other than letting him go and potentially pi$$ing off one of the all time greats to have ever pulled on the jumper and I am not sure he deserves that just yet?

[Vasco]

I blame the Roosters for his current predicament, just like the Dragons were responsible for Brownies lack of coaching success. Freddy should have been given the opportunity to cut his teeth for a few years in the lower grades and as an assistant to an experienced coach before even thinking about moving up to the top job. It can't be easy to try and coach the blokes you played alongside for so long and who you are mates with.



Freddy was a lazy player, immensely talented and a true on-field leader but never the hardest worker. I remember an interview with him a long time ago where he said he didn't want to have to work a day in his life once he retires. IMO a guy like Jason Taylor has the mental attitude most suited to coaching, nowhere near as naturally gifted as Fittler, he had to work very hard to stay in the NRL through most of his career.

I think Ricky could be a great coach if he smoked a joint or two to relax every day. Far too intense for coaching, not everybody can deal with that for long.

You clearly have no idea.

[Billy Gunn]

I don't know that it's a simple yes/no answer

If we look at his record you could make a case for both. In the Yes camp we can say that he took a team from the bottom of the ladder with less than a 10 weeks to go in 2007 and was a win off the semi's. He then took them to a top 4 team who played consistantly well all season but failed to take the next step in the semi's due to injuries and a tough back end to the year.

In the no camp we can say that he has been gifted a job because of who he is and not for what he has achieved. He has a number of high profile players at his disposal and great up and coming players that he has done nothing with and have failed to improve with his coaching. Based on the last month or so he appears to have no ability to motivate players as they are stale and appear to have very little fight in them when things get a little bit tough.

Also for the no camp we could say that Freddy has not been able to make the hard decisions and drop those players who have under-performed all season hence further showing the signs of a weak leader.

Personally I belive there are a number of things that have lead to our results this season.

- We have recruited poorly bought big forwards for a game that has become fast.
- We have not brought in experienced support staff to assist Freddy and the development of the lower grades.
- We have decided to focus on the top grade only - look at the results of the lower grades.
- We let the natural leaders and talented players in our club go far too early - Morley, Crock, Mona's, Dale Flannery
- We are always looking for a quick fix

I would like to see the club become a little more professional to be honest. The club needs to be an institution like the Broncos are so that it doesn't matter who the coach is, who the trainers are, the environment is one that is successfull and that players want to play at. In 2003 every player in the comp would have wanted to play for the Roosters , we were the benchmark, we dictated the style of the game, we had a tough mobile back that beat the shit out of other teams.

Now it;s the storm that came up with the grapple tackles and crusher tackes and god knows what else they media call them, but the facts are we were that club but failed to sustain it and until we take our medicine and start the slow re-build with the right infrastructure then we will go through the cycle again.

[Vasco]

Mate I think "Shocking" will win again tomorrow.

[Billy Gunn]

Mate I think "Shocking" will win again tomorrow.

In the footy as well as the track

I will have a lick at it this week - might go and start a thread on here how for tips

[Guest]

You are right Billy Gunn
It's not a simple matter of Freddy's coaching ability.

[Guest]

It's pretty simple in my opinion..

If Freddy wants to keep coaching the team we need to bring a coaching director in.....mainly too make sure Freddy doesn't take his "eye off the ball" as he clearly has since Origin last year..

Gus would be perfect,and for the life of me i can't understand why he isn't in place right now..

Last time he was coaching director we won a GF..

[Guest]

Can Freddy coach ?

If you just took this years you would probably be in the no camp. But its not just about this year. He had success in both 2007 & 08. So clearly there is ability there.

What has happened and what responsibility do the players, as individuals need to take ? And how much better would Freddy be with experience proper assistants like Dean Pay (how I wish) ?

I agree with the poor recruiting and this constant need to go to the doggies to find players. Look at the difference beteen the doggies recruiting and ours and where both clubs stand now.

[Guest]

48-6 = no! That and the fact we have quit as a team in the second halves of our last two games.

We are broken and Fittler has no clue how to fix it, Anasta to fullback is another damning indictment of Fittler's coaching ability.

Chook.

[Guest]

while the coach can't take all the blame for shit like ball control, the simple fact of the matter is the team shows no fighting spirit and that's the role of the coach and the leadership. added to that the WTF moment of anasta at fullback.

whatever happened last year isn't happening this year, it's time for the club to fix whatever's broke with the club culture.

[Juggler]

Stimpy, you're not an idiot!