These coaches are facing the darkness on the edge of town
Maguire signed for three years, uprooted his family including teenage kids, bought a house a suburb away from the club's Red Hill base and, according to some, trained them too hard in the Queensland sun and the shrinking violets all melted.
Oh they breed them tough in Queensland because, that's right, they're Queenslanders. What rot.
The Broncos' biggest problem is not Maguire. It's off the field and has been for a long time.
Consider this. Front office gobbledygook said there were no cultural issues at the club, but sacked Walters and brought in a hard nut who made the players put shirts back on at club headquarters to kill the rock star image. Then head office said again 'what rock star image?`′
They also said Walters would be staying on at the club as some sort of ambassador because the Broncos loved him so much. It never happened.
It was a softener to appease fans.
Being a publicly listed company, there's no one properly at the top who runs the place with an iron fist, like a Chair with true passion such as Nick Politis or a hired gun like Phil Gould.
Then there's the club's low-level middle managers who call and swear at journalists who write constructively about how the team, or a certain player, aren't going that well as the losses rack up.
Who does the buck stop with? Shareholders? They're the last consulted, if they're consulted at all.
Strange joint the Broncos.
Loading
North of Sydney, there's no way Adam O'Brien will make it, despite a win over the Dolphins on Saturday.
Unfortunately for him, bagging Newcastle fans will do him in in the end.
The consistently inconsistent form can't be tolerated, and to get angry at working-class supporters after a win with your chest all puffed out is poor.
At least he spiced things up for once. As a former long-serving NRL and Kangaroos coach said to him over a drink during Magic Round: 'Your team plays like your press conferences - boring.'
Anthony Seibold is on the brink at Manly.
Once Daly Cherry Evans channelled Springsteen's anthemic Hungry Heart by saying he was going out for a drive and never coming back, the season was derailed.
Then there's Tom 'Turbo' Trbojevic looking like an Alpine perennially at the back of the Formula One grid rather than the purring Ferrari he is when his hamstrings fire.
With Turbo unwilling, or worse, unable, to shift from third gear through fourth and fifth and beyond, then he's no good to them. Sadly.
Short on time to save himself, and short on patience with his bumbling team, Seibold used the bye week to experiment with speed dating, conducting seven-minute interviews with each member of his squad.
How you crunch 15 rounds of sputtering form where black smoke has been spewing out of the exhaust into seven minutes is anyone's guess.
Surely a few of them were told 'sorry, but you're not for me' and quickly shuffled out. Others may have been put into the 'maybe' file.
It was a perilous strategy. No one likes to be told straight out what their faults are. It kind of wipes the self-esteem which was already vulnerable when they entered the speed dating scene.
Benji Marshall is battling way admirably after the game's boom teenager Lachie Galvin publicly gave him the old 'it's not me, it's you' and bailed after a brief courtship.
Galvin is in the Born to Run category, deciding to get out while he's young.
Loading
Marshall's hanging on in the safe-for-now file but if Jarome Luai ghosts him by activating his get-out clause it may be one break-up too many.
Todd Payten and the Cowboys are surely in marriage counselling. They're trying to make it work but their love may be too cold.
To Shane Flanagan at the Dragons, who's on the ultimate rebound in coaching, finding a new partner down the road at the Dragons after his Sharks relationship ended.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Knights star in Perth hospital, could face lengthy stint on sideline
THE Knights wil be without Fletcher Sharpe for a crunch game against an in-form Canberra Raiders - and possibly longer - after the game-breaker suffered a lacerated kidney. Sharpe was forced from the field after a head knock early in the second half of the Knights' thrilling 26-20 win over the Dolphins in Perth on Saturday. The Knights confirmed on Sunday night that Sharpe had surgery that morning. The five-eighth fell face first into the turf after his arms were pinned in a tackle from behind by Dolphins hooker Jeremy -Marshall-King. Sharpe failed the Head Injury Assessment and later experienced abdominal pain. Sharpe remains in a Perth hospital after surgery on Sunday morning to repair a lacerated kidney. Brian Seeney, also know as "the NRL Physio" posted on social media - "Medical situations like this obviously prognosis has a wide range - common return to play in past cases has been 4-6 weeks." The Knights have indicated that Sharpe will remain in Perth, accompanied by club medical staff, under observation for a number of days. The 21-year-old was playing his first game back after a minor calf injury. The livewire scored the Knights opening try in the fourth minute and was a constant threat in and around the ruck. Either Jackson Hastings or Tyson Gamble is likely to come into the six jumper against the Raiders at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night. Hastings played five-eighth, ending a near 12 month exile from the top grade, in the 12-8 loss to the Roosters a fortnight ago and was 18th man against the Dolphins. Gamble started at five-eighth for the Knights in their 28-24 loss to the Eels in NSW Cup on Sunday. The Knights have the bye after the game against the Raiders. Sharpe was the only casualty from the win over the Dolphins. Bradman Best (hamstring) and Tyson Frizell (concussion) made successful returns from injury, while captain Kalyn Ponga backed up from Origin, despite an on-going ankle issue. Winger Greg Marzhew was a late withdrawal after aggravating a nerve issue with his shoulder in the lead up. The win over the Dolphins moved the Knights to 14 points and within reach of the top eight. Speaking before knowing the severity of the Sharpe injury, coach Adam O'Brien said the pivot's likely absence would be "big". "We have a really important game next week [against Canberra] and then the bye," he said. Losing Sharpe in the 48th minute was among a number of hurdles the Knights overcame in the second half to be beat the Dolphins. Dane Gagai spent 10 minutes in the sinbin and the Knights had a contender for try of the year pulled back for a forward pass. "We had to contend with a fair bit," O'Brien said. "With Gags going to the bin ... I didn't think it was a forward pass. I thought it was a very entertaining try. "The boys rose above it." THE Knights wil be without Fletcher Sharpe for a crunch game against an in-form Canberra Raiders - and possibly longer - after the game-breaker suffered a lacerated kidney. Sharpe was forced from the field after a head knock early in the second half of the Knights' thrilling 26-20 win over the Dolphins in Perth on Saturday. The Knights confirmed on Sunday night that Sharpe had surgery that morning. The five-eighth fell face first into the turf after his arms were pinned in a tackle from behind by Dolphins hooker Jeremy -Marshall-King. Sharpe failed the Head Injury Assessment and later experienced abdominal pain. Sharpe remains in a Perth hospital after surgery on Sunday morning to repair a lacerated kidney. Brian Seeney, also know as "the NRL Physio" posted on social media - "Medical situations like this obviously prognosis has a wide range - common return to play in past cases has been 4-6 weeks." The Knights have indicated that Sharpe will remain in Perth, accompanied by club medical staff, under observation for a number of days. The 21-year-old was playing his first game back after a minor calf injury. The livewire scored the Knights opening try in the fourth minute and was a constant threat in and around the ruck. Either Jackson Hastings or Tyson Gamble is likely to come into the six jumper against the Raiders at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night. Hastings played five-eighth, ending a near 12 month exile from the top grade, in the 12-8 loss to the Roosters a fortnight ago and was 18th man against the Dolphins. Gamble started at five-eighth for the Knights in their 28-24 loss to the Eels in NSW Cup on Sunday. The Knights have the bye after the game against the Raiders. Sharpe was the only casualty from the win over the Dolphins. Bradman Best (hamstring) and Tyson Frizell (concussion) made successful returns from injury, while captain Kalyn Ponga backed up from Origin, despite an on-going ankle issue. Winger Greg Marzhew was a late withdrawal after aggravating a nerve issue with his shoulder in the lead up. The win over the Dolphins moved the Knights to 14 points and within reach of the top eight. Speaking before knowing the severity of the Sharpe injury, coach Adam O'Brien said the pivot's likely absence would be "big". "We have a really important game next week [against Canberra] and then the bye," he said. Losing Sharpe in the 48th minute was among a number of hurdles the Knights overcame in the second half to be beat the Dolphins. Dane Gagai spent 10 minutes in the sinbin and the Knights had a contender for try of the year pulled back for a forward pass. "We had to contend with a fair bit," O'Brien said. "With Gags going to the bin ... I didn't think it was a forward pass. I thought it was a very entertaining try. "The boys rose above it." THE Knights wil be without Fletcher Sharpe for a crunch game against an in-form Canberra Raiders - and possibly longer - after the game-breaker suffered a lacerated kidney. Sharpe was forced from the field after a head knock early in the second half of the Knights' thrilling 26-20 win over the Dolphins in Perth on Saturday. The Knights confirmed on Sunday night that Sharpe had surgery that morning. The five-eighth fell face first into the turf after his arms were pinned in a tackle from behind by Dolphins hooker Jeremy -Marshall-King. Sharpe failed the Head Injury Assessment and later experienced abdominal pain. Sharpe remains in a Perth hospital after surgery on Sunday morning to repair a lacerated kidney. Brian Seeney, also know as "the NRL Physio" posted on social media - "Medical situations like this obviously prognosis has a wide range - common return to play in past cases has been 4-6 weeks." The Knights have indicated that Sharpe will remain in Perth, accompanied by club medical staff, under observation for a number of days. The 21-year-old was playing his first game back after a minor calf injury. The livewire scored the Knights opening try in the fourth minute and was a constant threat in and around the ruck. Either Jackson Hastings or Tyson Gamble is likely to come into the six jumper against the Raiders at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night. Hastings played five-eighth, ending a near 12 month exile from the top grade, in the 12-8 loss to the Roosters a fortnight ago and was 18th man against the Dolphins. Gamble started at five-eighth for the Knights in their 28-24 loss to the Eels in NSW Cup on Sunday. The Knights have the bye after the game against the Raiders. Sharpe was the only casualty from the win over the Dolphins. Bradman Best (hamstring) and Tyson Frizell (concussion) made successful returns from injury, while captain Kalyn Ponga backed up from Origin, despite an on-going ankle issue. Winger Greg Marzhew was a late withdrawal after aggravating a nerve issue with his shoulder in the lead up. The win over the Dolphins moved the Knights to 14 points and within reach of the top eight. Speaking before knowing the severity of the Sharpe injury, coach Adam O'Brien said the pivot's likely absence would be "big". "We have a really important game next week [against Canberra] and then the bye," he said. Losing Sharpe in the 48th minute was among a number of hurdles the Knights overcame in the second half to be beat the Dolphins. Dane Gagai spent 10 minutes in the sinbin and the Knights had a contender for try of the year pulled back for a forward pass. "We had to contend with a fair bit," O'Brien said. "With Gags going to the bin ... I didn't think it was a forward pass. I thought it was a very entertaining try. "The boys rose above it." THE Knights wil be without Fletcher Sharpe for a crunch game against an in-form Canberra Raiders - and possibly longer - after the game-breaker suffered a lacerated kidney. Sharpe was forced from the field after a head knock early in the second half of the Knights' thrilling 26-20 win over the Dolphins in Perth on Saturday. The Knights confirmed on Sunday night that Sharpe had surgery that morning. The five-eighth fell face first into the turf after his arms were pinned in a tackle from behind by Dolphins hooker Jeremy -Marshall-King. Sharpe failed the Head Injury Assessment and later experienced abdominal pain. Sharpe remains in a Perth hospital after surgery on Sunday morning to repair a lacerated kidney. Brian Seeney, also know as "the NRL Physio" posted on social media - "Medical situations like this obviously prognosis has a wide range - common return to play in past cases has been 4-6 weeks." The Knights have indicated that Sharpe will remain in Perth, accompanied by club medical staff, under observation for a number of days. The 21-year-old was playing his first game back after a minor calf injury. The livewire scored the Knights opening try in the fourth minute and was a constant threat in and around the ruck. Either Jackson Hastings or Tyson Gamble is likely to come into the six jumper against the Raiders at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night. Hastings played five-eighth, ending a near 12 month exile from the top grade, in the 12-8 loss to the Roosters a fortnight ago and was 18th man against the Dolphins. Gamble started at five-eighth for the Knights in their 28-24 loss to the Eels in NSW Cup on Sunday. The Knights have the bye after the game against the Raiders. Sharpe was the only casualty from the win over the Dolphins. Bradman Best (hamstring) and Tyson Frizell (concussion) made successful returns from injury, while captain Kalyn Ponga backed up from Origin, despite an on-going ankle issue. Winger Greg Marzhew was a late withdrawal after aggravating a nerve issue with his shoulder in the lead up. The win over the Dolphins moved the Knights to 14 points and within reach of the top eight. Speaking before knowing the severity of the Sharpe injury, coach Adam O'Brien said the pivot's likely absence would be "big". "We have a really important game next week [against Canberra] and then the bye," he said. Losing Sharpe in the 48th minute was among a number of hurdles the Knights overcame in the second half to be beat the Dolphins. Dane Gagai spent 10 minutes in the sinbin and the Knights had a contender for try of the year pulled back for a forward pass. "We had to contend with a fair bit," O'Brien said. "With Gags going to the bin ... I didn't think it was a forward pass. I thought it was a very entertaining try. "The boys rose above it."
Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
These coaches are facing the darkness on the edge of town
Maguire signed for three years, uprooted his family including teenage kids, bought a house a suburb away from the club's Red Hill base and, according to some, trained them too hard in the Queensland sun and the shrinking violets all melted. Oh they breed them tough in Queensland because, that's right, they're Queenslanders. What rot. The Broncos' biggest problem is not Maguire. It's off the field and has been for a long time. Consider this. Front office gobbledygook said there were no cultural issues at the club, but sacked Walters and brought in a hard nut who made the players put shirts back on at club headquarters to kill the rock star image. Then head office said again 'what rock star image?`′ They also said Walters would be staying on at the club as some sort of ambassador because the Broncos loved him so much. It never happened. It was a softener to appease fans. Being a publicly listed company, there's no one properly at the top who runs the place with an iron fist, like a Chair with true passion such as Nick Politis or a hired gun like Phil Gould. Then there's the club's low-level middle managers who call and swear at journalists who write constructively about how the team, or a certain player, aren't going that well as the losses rack up. Who does the buck stop with? Shareholders? They're the last consulted, if they're consulted at all. Strange joint the Broncos. Loading North of Sydney, there's no way Adam O'Brien will make it, despite a win over the Dolphins on Saturday. Unfortunately for him, bagging Newcastle fans will do him in in the end. The consistently inconsistent form can't be tolerated, and to get angry at working-class supporters after a win with your chest all puffed out is poor. At least he spiced things up for once. As a former long-serving NRL and Kangaroos coach said to him over a drink during Magic Round: 'Your team plays like your press conferences - boring.' Anthony Seibold is on the brink at Manly. Once Daly Cherry Evans channelled Springsteen's anthemic Hungry Heart by saying he was going out for a drive and never coming back, the season was derailed. Then there's Tom 'Turbo' Trbojevic looking like an Alpine perennially at the back of the Formula One grid rather than the purring Ferrari he is when his hamstrings fire. With Turbo unwilling, or worse, unable, to shift from third gear through fourth and fifth and beyond, then he's no good to them. Sadly. Short on time to save himself, and short on patience with his bumbling team, Seibold used the bye week to experiment with speed dating, conducting seven-minute interviews with each member of his squad. How you crunch 15 rounds of sputtering form where black smoke has been spewing out of the exhaust into seven minutes is anyone's guess. Surely a few of them were told 'sorry, but you're not for me' and quickly shuffled out. Others may have been put into the 'maybe' file. It was a perilous strategy. No one likes to be told straight out what their faults are. It kind of wipes the self-esteem which was already vulnerable when they entered the speed dating scene. Benji Marshall is battling way admirably after the game's boom teenager Lachie Galvin publicly gave him the old 'it's not me, it's you' and bailed after a brief courtship. Galvin is in the Born to Run category, deciding to get out while he's young. Loading Marshall's hanging on in the safe-for-now file but if Jarome Luai ghosts him by activating his get-out clause it may be one break-up too many. Todd Payten and the Cowboys are surely in marriage counselling. They're trying to make it work but their love may be too cold. To Shane Flanagan at the Dragons, who's on the ultimate rebound in coaching, finding a new partner down the road at the Dragons after his Sharks relationship ended.
The Age
7 hours ago
- The Age
These coaches are facing the darkness on the edge of town
Maguire signed for three years, uprooted his family including teenage kids, bought a house a suburb away from the club's Red Hill base and, according to some, trained them too hard in the Queensland sun and the shrinking violets all melted. Oh they breed them tough in Queensland because, that's right, they're Queenslanders. What rot. The Broncos' biggest problem is not Maguire. It's off the field and has been for a long time. Consider this. Front office gobbledygook said there were no cultural issues at the club, but sacked Walters and brought in a hard nut who made the players put shirts back on at club headquarters to kill the rock star image. Then head office said again 'what rock star image?`′ They also said Walters would be staying on at the club as some sort of ambassador because the Broncos loved him so much. It never happened. It was a softener to appease fans. Being a publicly listed company, there's no one properly at the top who runs the place with an iron fist, like a Chair with true passion such as Nick Politis or a hired gun like Phil Gould. Then there's the club's low-level middle managers who call and swear at journalists who write constructively about how the team, or a certain player, aren't going that well as the losses rack up. Who does the buck stop with? Shareholders? They're the last consulted, if they're consulted at all. Strange joint the Broncos. Loading North of Sydney, there's no way Adam O'Brien will make it, despite a win over the Dolphins on Saturday. Unfortunately for him, bagging Newcastle fans will do him in in the end. The consistently inconsistent form can't be tolerated, and to get angry at working-class supporters after a win with your chest all puffed out is poor. At least he spiced things up for once. As a former long-serving NRL and Kangaroos coach said to him over a drink during Magic Round: 'Your team plays like your press conferences - boring.' Anthony Seibold is on the brink at Manly. Once Daly Cherry Evans channelled Springsteen's anthemic Hungry Heart by saying he was going out for a drive and never coming back, the season was derailed. Then there's Tom 'Turbo' Trbojevic looking like an Alpine perennially at the back of the Formula One grid rather than the purring Ferrari he is when his hamstrings fire. With Turbo unwilling, or worse, unable, to shift from third gear through fourth and fifth and beyond, then he's no good to them. Sadly. Short on time to save himself, and short on patience with his bumbling team, Seibold used the bye week to experiment with speed dating, conducting seven-minute interviews with each member of his squad. How you crunch 15 rounds of sputtering form where black smoke has been spewing out of the exhaust into seven minutes is anyone's guess. Surely a few of them were told 'sorry, but you're not for me' and quickly shuffled out. Others may have been put into the 'maybe' file. It was a perilous strategy. No one likes to be told straight out what their faults are. It kind of wipes the self-esteem which was already vulnerable when they entered the speed dating scene. Benji Marshall is battling way admirably after the game's boom teenager Lachie Galvin publicly gave him the old 'it's not me, it's you' and bailed after a brief courtship. Galvin is in the Born to Run category, deciding to get out while he's young. Loading Marshall's hanging on in the safe-for-now file but if Jarome Luai ghosts him by activating his get-out clause it may be one break-up too many. Todd Payten and the Cowboys are surely in marriage counselling. They're trying to make it work but their love may be too cold. To Shane Flanagan at the Dragons, who's on the ultimate rebound in coaching, finding a new partner down the road at the Dragons after his Sharks relationship ended.
