2017 - What's Gone Wrong?

As with any sports team, the buck stops with the head coach. If the desired results are not forthcoming then it is the coach who is first to fall on his sword, if the results are the desired ones the club is chasing then the coach is the one to reap the rewards. That is, plain and simple, the nature of the beast for coaches in a professional sports team.


No doubt many of you will be quick to dismiss this opinion by suggesting we cannot get rid of yet another coach, you'll argue we've already seen too many come and go. My question is, why can't we get rid of Kearney after what will go down as one of the worst seasons in the clubs history? "Because we've had too many coaching changes already" is not an answer that is likely to improve the situation the club currently finds itself in.  That answer does nothing more than breed an acceptance of mediocrity, you're waving the white flag and accepting defeat and allowing the same outcomes to be repeated over and over again.

Think of it in a hypothetical sense. Say, for example, since 2011 we only had the 1 coach until this season where Kearney took over the reigns. If we were successful during that period of time with the one coach, would we all be keen to keep Kearney on for 2018 after this season? You can guarantee that 99% of the fans would be calling for his head!

So why do we throw support behind a coach after 6 dismal seasons with multiple coaches but would presumably call for his head after (hypothetically) enjoying success under 1 coach for 5 season before being faced with the same results in 2017. Why do we want him sacked in one scenario and not the other? Regardless of the past seasons the simple truth is he did not deliver this year and has the club finishing so far away from their expected finish it is almost comedic. Have the fans and club subconsciously accepted failure? We are all well aware you can't polish a turd yet here you all are rolling the fucker in glitter.

Much has been said about the "all star" spine and the excuses have rolled in blaming their ineffectiveness on the forward pack for not making the metres. Currently the Warriors sit in 8th for metres made and average just 30m per game less than the Melbourne Storm. With a forward pack being led by a bloke (Gavet) proving his worth to the club by playing for a contract and averaging 112m a game while being surrounded by plenty of experience and talent in Hoffman (99m - Caps: NSW 14 - Aust 6), Lillyman (127m - QLD 14), Mannering (129m - NZ 42), Matulino (119m - NZ 23) then it's fair to say that if they're lacking in performance it's down to the instructions being given by the coaches because the talent and experience is certainly there within that pack to match it with any club.

That takes us back to the spine, they just have not performed. Kearney has come to the club seemingly under the illusion that having spent time under Bellamy and Bennett he can become the next super coach. Since his arrival the only major improvement within the team worth noting has been the lower error rate. There is a very clear reason as to why that error count has seemed to improve, it's due to Kearney coaching the natural flair out of the team, the offloads have gone, the ad-lib footy is nowhere to be seen. We've been left with a watered down version of a Melbourne Storm outfit that misses one major key to it's success, player-led accountability.

It's easy to see the players are clearly lacking confidence within themselves and those around them. When a player lacks confidence they focus on making good contact in defense, holding/throwing a pass or retrieving a kick cleanly, this leaves their minds half a second slower due to being consumed on focusing on the very basics of rugby league. With confidence plumetting in a player they become swamped with fear, afraid to make a tackle, take the hit up or throw a pass.

A successful coach transmits positivity to his players that reassures them. Everything from body language, behaviour and attitude exudes belief in their players, something Kearney does not do.

In such a competitive competition you cannot afford to have a coach who does not inspire his players, a coach who fails to get a roster full of talent to perform, a coach who imitates a style of play not suited to the team he is in charge of, a coach that uses the same "process" over and over again or a coach who holds no players acountable and continues to reward poor performances with 1st grade selection.

At the end of the day one fact remains constant, a coach must get results to hold onto his job or at least have the club looking like turning a corner, not heading backwards. Coaching is a results based job and with Kearneys lack of those i cannot see how he deserves to hold onto his position, a position that in 3 seasons has seen him never be able to have his team within the top 8 after round 1. Sorry Mooks, it's time to go. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

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