I'm not convinced about Al....

[Darth Vader]

Is Richo a bit old school? I wonder why so many clubs turned him down for a head coach role. Even we did the first time. I wonder if he doesn't have a tactically radical approach to the game that many clubs seem to look for.

Well when the senior players refer to him as mini-GT, they're not being complimentary.

Is that what they call him? How would you know such things Lord Vadar? Do they think he's more motivation over tactical smarts? That's a worry. We've got a huge graduate class of Clarksons School in complex tactical footy structures now blooming in Bolton, Beveridge, Simpson, Cameron who will be our competitors for a flag. I don't want another GT lack of clever tactics and structures for sloganeering "Create your own history"

Motivation over tactical smarts is a very good summary.

[Bluthy]

Must be true. It's on the internets.

LOL at this.

Was mentioned on the radio this morning that they went with a plan to out run the eagles. Hence the selections. Clearly didnt work.

Think Sainter K mentioned in the match thread that we had only 24 rotations to half time. So was the plan based on Richos confidence in our fitness.

Certainly did not work and was extremely risky, and clearly we were unable to execute. Perhaps they were unable to execute because of how they pulled up after
north game, both physically and mentally.

I find it hard to believe that in this day and age Richo and assistants dont plan for each team each week.

Happened upon Jack Newnes last wednesday and the kid was still so upset about losing to North. He said something along the lines of we try our guts out and come so close, but being close isnt good enough, we want to win.

Now is their chance to put a couple together, and for their sakes, I hope they do it. We have seen what stringing wins together has done for Carlton and Melbourne.

Dont give up on the team or coach, that has been our problem in the past.

Look I do take the mini-GT nickname with some grains of salt. Anyone can say anything on the web. And even if true players always give their coaches 2edgy nic names - they are like resentful kids towards teachers as authority figures telling them what and pick apart their appearance and personality behind the scenes. But if true it would just be another little behind the scenes slice of info about our esteemed leader.

My understanding is after the Watters implosion they basically head hunted Richo who was interviewed previously and passed over. His interview again was purely a formality. Was he passed over initially with us, and other head coach jobs I think he applied for at other clubs, because he wasn't particularly cutting edge tactically? After deciding to go down the youth/rebuild path were we desperate to get a guy we knew was a good development coach and not worry about how he was tactically? But if he was preordained in the new coach search, is that the best way to do it - are you exploring all options or are you scarred by getting it wrong with Watters and go the safe option?

And why were the players so cut up about North to the point that it was depressing them on Sunday? Its like they were stuck on that game. Armo even said they didn't turn up - their minds were still in last week. Did Richo drive the "you should have won" thing too hard and it destroyed their confidence instead of building it which it should have. In reality we shouldn't have been anywhere as close as we were with our list. Is Richo pacing himself properly knowing that we have lots of development to go?

I have been ranting a bit after Sunday which rattled me due to what I think were tactical blunders and an unwillingness to be honest about it. Its on the back of my frustration about playing so many oldies incl Schneider last year (pulled off the rookie list after Pelchen had left coincidentally). I'm not sure what wins do against dons and blues who we should be well in front of but at least it would restore some confidence. Will be an interesting rest of the year.

[st.byron]

I think he's on to you Pluggsy.

Nope. It aint him.

flowering FFS rolly eyes rolly eyes

seems more likely

Nope not him either. A known poster taking the piss out of another.

[Gordo']

the flowering sky is falling!!! the flowering sky is flowering falling!!! bawawafloweringwah! oh ffs!!! harden up dudes!

here, have a good lie down, watch this, it will make you feel better. round 10, 2004.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNUuurtCWYk

sunday arvo............ one week earlier. do the flowering maths.
6.4 Q1 3.3
13.7 Q2 6.8
19.9 Q3 9.10
26.13 Q4 9.14
(169) Total (68)

now go and look at who flowering played in the 2005 and 2006 grand flowering finals.

then pay tony some flowering respect!!! he knows his music, and he knows his saints ffs! we are currently trying out some new material, sorting out the song arrangements. ffs it's not about flowering 2016! it's all about the saints national tours of 2018 and beyond, each culminating with the glorious final concert at the 'g to finish the season. book your flowering seats early, because a saint's gig will be the hottest ticket in town. i'll certainly be making very flowering sure to back from my netherlands tulip farm (flowering, get it?) for those gigs!!!

[st.byron]

i'll certainly be making very flowering sure to back from my netherlands tulip farm (flowering, get it?) for those gigs!!!

No space in Amsterdam for a tulip farm FFS. Maybe try Romania or Turkey instead. Oh hang on....you've moved to Austria.....very nice there at this time of year. Lovely cafes.
Do you have some mates there who are into Zen?

[The OtherThommo]

Beware of ides involving tulips:

http://www.investopedia.com/features/cr ... ashes2.asp

[Scollop]

Richo said in the week leading up to the match in Perth that they'd pencilled in the West Coast game to give Rooy a rest but there was no holding him back...so ok...if Rooy has that sort of sway on the match committee...how much influence does our captain have on evry aspect of team selection? Personally, I don't think he should have much at all and if he is involved in decisions like the KPDers on the weekend it proves he should be left out of those discussions

[Saints43]

Richo said in the week leading up to the match in Perth that they'd pencilled in the West Coast game to give Rooy a rest but there was no holding him back...so ok...if Rooy has that sort of sway on the match committee...how much influence does our captain have on evry aspect of team selection? Personally, I don't think he should have much at all and if he is involved in decisions like the KPDers on the weekend it proves he should be left out of those discussions

You understand the term 'pencilled in', yeah?

[Scollop]

You understand the meaning of planning yeah? You understand that players aren't going to be able to play at their best for 22 rounds straight, especially when they are 34, yeah?

[White Winmar]

Must be true. It's on the internets.

The correct term is the "interweb". It must be true because it's on the interwebs.

[Saints43]

You understand the meaning of planning yeah? You understand that players aren't going to be able to play at their best for 22 rounds straight, especially when they are 34, yeah?

So now we're talking about something else?

'Pencilled in' doesn't mean definite. Perhaps Roo's body is traveling better than expected when they were planning this block.

[asiu]

i dunno whats more fun
... this week of woe is us / how shite n obviously stupid everyone connected with the club is
or the weeks we are finals/premiership threats.

shes a rollercoaster of humungous proportions !!!

ps ,
I love Al.

[Bluthy]

Its that old classic - sometimes taking no risk is the biggest risk. If Richo plays all his oldies again this week and we lose, he can't hide behind the "we're a young team" formula because we are actually older than many teams including GWS, Melbourne, Dogs and Lions. Richo is equal with Leppitsch as having the worse win % record of current coaches and Lepper is now on the cutting block. Richo is taking a bit of a risk this weekend if he fills it with his oldies. If, and its a big if, but if we lose huge volumes of pressure will suddenly come down after a 100 pt loss and only two wins. Need to get it done on the weekend or else the supporters and media will bring the heat. And he's facing a wiley old coach in Worsfold. Great test for Richo and the players.

[Jacks Back]

Is Richo a bit old school? I wonder why so many clubs turned him down for a head coach role. Even we did the first time. I wonder if he doesn't have a tactically radical approach to the game that many clubs seem to look for.

Well when the senior players refer to him as mini-GT, they're not being complimentary.

"Mini-GT" doesn't sound catchy enough to stick. Find it hard to believe that it would be a nickname.

I have no clue if that's what AR is called on the interwebs but, if it is, it can only be coming from a few of the older players as no one else was there when big-GT was last there.

[Jacks Back]

i dunno whats more fun
... this week of woe is us / how shite n obviously stupid everyone connected with the club is
or the weeks we are finals/premiership threats.

shes a rollercoaster of humungous proportions !!!

ps ,
I love Al.

That St Kilda pendulum sure has turned mighty pessimistic this week. That can only mean one thing - Pencil in a 10 goal+ thrashing of the dopey dopers.

[borderbarry]

I have npthing against Richo, yet, except his part on the selection panel.
Brisbane get thrashed by Collingwood. Nine changes.
We get thrashed by West Coast, drop Lonie. If we only make one or two changes to last weeks side, what message is that sending to the players?

[Scollop]

I have npthing against Richo, yet, except his part on the selection panel.
Brisbane get thrashed by Collingwood. Nine changes.
We get thrashed by West Coast, drop Lonie. If we only make one or two changes to last weeks side, what message is that sending to the players?

As Bluthy said; the media will bring the heat and this place will explode if we lose to Wooshers top up team. I agree with you BB, more changes needed and Richo's and the clubs goals (after Carlisle suspension and Freeman continued problems) for this year should have been 'play the youngsters'

[saintsRrising]

You understand the meaning of planning yeah? You understand that players aren't going to be able to play at their best for 22 rounds straight, especially when they are 34, yeah?

So now we're talking about something else?

'Pencilled in' doesn't mean definite. Perhaps Roo's body is traveling better than expected when they were planning this block.

Roo's body is indeed travelling better than it has for several years.

They used to drain his knee every 1/2 games. It has not required that for at least 15 weeks now and Roo has indicated that his knee feels a lot better. I cannot remember the exact words now used by Richo in the interview but it was along the lines of whatever was causing the aggravation of the knee has settled down and that no one really knew why. But noting that Roo had lost weight and so that mat have helpd, but would not be the sole cause of the improvement.

[saintsRrising]

We get thrashed by West Coast, drop Lonie. If we only make one or two changes to last weeks side, what message is that sending to the players?

3 dropped. Lonie, Acres and Sinclair.

The Thursday selection is mainly just for the media with the real selection being finalised late on Friday.

Also with the Lions they had had a season of mainly poor performances with Pies game the last straw.

The Saints were good the week prior. Few teams would drop vast numbers of players based on one game.

[Myron Gaines]

I agree with the OP

[HitTheBoundary]

Lyon got us to a few grand finals and people still aren't convinced about him.

What hope has Al got.

[SainterK]

OK we won, still not convinced.

Thought we had a team of coaches led by Alan that gave belief to the kids, instilled confidence, had them in a good mindset match day?

Youngins are flat as a tack, can't be denied can it?

Seb is going well, a few others lift on the back of momentum, but you couldn't argue that they walk out there like they've been on the end of the bulldogs/luke beveridge style of coaching...self assured and confident that they do make up the best 22?

[mr six o'clock]

OK we won

but you couldn't argue that they walk out there like they've been on the end of the bulldogs/luke beveridge style of coaching...self assured and confident that they do make up the best 22?

How'd the dogs go today !

[SainterK]

OK we won

but you couldn't argue that they walk out there like they've been on the end of the bulldogs/luke beveridge style of coaching...self assured and confident that they do make up the best 22?

How'd the dogs go today !

Very well considering how young they were....

GWS were the older more experienced side.

You cannot be arguing that the dogs aren't being coached very, very well?

[Bernard Shakey]

OK we won

but you couldn't argue that they walk out there like they've been on the end of the bulldogs/luke beveridge style of coaching...self assured and confident that they do make up the best 22?

How'd the dogs go today !

Very well considering how young they were....

GWS were the older more experienced side.

You cannot be arguing that the dogs aren't being coached very, very well?

They're two years ahead of us. Who was coaching Dogs two years ago?

I'm still not concerned about Al....