Do we extend Ross or do we let him walk the tightrope?

[JeffDunne]

Do we extend Ross’ contract or do we let him walk the tightrope?


Might seem a random time to be raising this, but Greg Miller raised a good point this week and one I agree with 100%. He was talking Wallace at Richmond but the same holds true for Ross, and that is if your coach is on the last year of their contract you risk instability.

Clearly if Ross pulls off a miracle this year he should be given that 10 year contract GW was offering. However, unless he comes close to achieving the ultimate though there’s going to question marks over both him and the list.

Can he really be empowered to make tough decisions if he’s going into the last year of his contract?

Thoughts?

[Eastern]

I would hope that there would be an extensive review of the entire football department before any such decisions are made (either way).

I would also like to think that such a review would be almost finished at this time of year !!

[PLUGGER14]

Bookmarked....Will revisit in October.

[JeffDunne]

I agree Eastern but we should doing that now.

[plugger66]

I agree Eastern but we should doing that now.

To late now. Do it when the players arent around and make sure we do it as Geelong did theres. Change some roles if we have too, sack people, employ more people do exactly what the review finds. No short cuts.

[Ros Lyon]

I reckon we should let him finish his contract and if there is no improvement, bring back Grant Thomas. Now before you all go beserck and ask for my banning, think carefully before you post. The players loved him and I reckon it could be the lift that the club needs. Only if we are crap again next year. If RL gets us into the top 4 next year and we show real improvement, then extend his contract.

[plugger66]

I reckon we should let him finish his contract and if there is no improvement, bring back Grant Thomas. Now before you all go beserck and ask for my banning, think carefully before you post. The players loved him and I reckon it could be the lift that the club needs. Only if we are crap again next year. If RL gets us into the top 4 next year and we show real improvement, then extend his contract.

Not sure about GT but Stan Alves or Ken Sheldon may be good.

[Eastern]

A review is a review. It should be done over the entire 52 weeks of the year. That way when it starts and when it finishes and when it is tabled to the board is almost irrelevent, except to spark debate amongst fans !!

[Otiman]

Should either do it mid year (split round), or at the end of the year.

I'm a fan of the end of the year, after a detailed review of the season.

In the mean time, reassure the man that he has a contract for the future, (e.g. Westaway comments) and deal with renewal at the end of this year.

[JeffDunne]

Please don't turn this into a sack Ross or GT thread.

Unless of course you are a troll.


I'm talking about whether we force Ross to think short term or long term, not whether we sack him now.

[ausfatcat]

wazit until this time next year.

[JeffDunne]

Should either do it mid year (split round), or at the end of the year.

I'm a fan of the end of the year, after a detailed review of the season.

In the mean time, reassure the man that he has a contract for the future, (e.g. Westaway comments) and deal with renewal at the end of this year.

Do we really need to wait until the end of the year?

I agree with Eastern about a review being ongoing and I'd like to think those in charge have had good look at Ross and how he's going about it. What's going to change over the next month that's going to tell them something they don't already know?

Maybe coming out now and giving him an extension might be the shot of confidence the team needs?

[BAM! (shhhh)]

Too soon to make a decision at this point. I'd have been leading towards tightrope/firing 6 weeks ago, but I'm leaning towards a 1 year extension now. The Saints have finally shown some signs that the Ross Lyon approach can deliver. I want to see it more consistent and clinch a finals berth before I take away the tightrope.

While it may breed specuilation and instability to go into next year without an extension, giving one may breed complacence. The Saints have been below standard far more often than they've been above it under the Lyon regime, so we really need to see that we can expect improvement.

Given the run home, if from where we are today we can achieve a home final and/or a final victory, then a 1-year extension should be his. If we can go further we should look at a longer term deal. If we miss the 8 or limp in and get booted straight away (e.g. 7th or 8th and a trip to Brisbane or Sydney will have us in serious trouble) then I'll be leaning towards the tightrope and making a decision after 10 rounds.

If he's going into the last year of contract it impinges on the mandate to make tough changes... but if that's the way we're going, it's a bit of a statement that we're not sure we want him to be making those tough changes. Not because of problems with his list management (I thinkt hat's been pretty good), but because he hasn't proven the leadership necessary to follow up on those changes with on field results.

I agree that the review should be going on currently.

[Eastern]

Let's not forget that, as head coach Ross would need to have input into any review of the footy dept !!

[Otiman]

I agree with Eastern about a review being ongoing and I'd like to think those in charge have had good look at Ross and how he's going about it. What's going to change over the next month that's going to tell them something they don't already know?

There will be an ongoing review, but post-season is easily the best time for an indepth one, when your major resources are freed up from all of the time spent by the staff throughout the season.

e.g. Weekly reviews, which are collated and developed into a full report at the end of the season. To do this now would be taking resources away from where they are best spent, on getting the saints to win games.

[rodgerfox]

Unless there's a risk of him being poached (and that bothers us) then I see no need to re-sign early.

[plugger66]

Unless there's a risk of him being poached (and that bothers us) then I see no need to re-sign early.

Have to agree. Done nothing either way to be sacked or re-signed. review at the end of year and wait until at least this time next year before decision is made in coach.

[WayneJudson42]

Decide at year's end. Reggardless of where we finish, the club must take into consideration where we are at, where we want to go... and if he's the right person to do that.

Some believe we have the cattle and the coach is holding us back. Others (like me) believe it's a work in progress and needs time.

Others just hate him and want him sacked.

Whatever the outcome, let's hope that any decisions are taken based on facts and not on emotional or ego related factors.

Problem is that if we don't extend, then the heat will be on externally as usual...

Why haven't you extended... will u sack Lyon if you don't make the 8... how many games must he win to be kept... and all the usual BS.

Unecessary distractions IMHO.

If we make finals, give him an extra year only to allow him to make changes required.

[Schillaci]

Extend his contract and have stability.

I've seen many coaches come and go.

Thought we should have kept Stan, Sheldon and Thomas and was baffled when they were all shown the door after their respective reigns.

In the same time we've won zero premierships....I'm willing to be patient LOL as if we haven't been waiting long enough...and see if Ross can get the job done. I think he can but I'm no Rod Butterss...What do I Know?

[St_Cave]

A review should probably have started at the beginning of the year. Minimally asking questions such as-

- Where do we think our list is at?
- Where do we think we should be finishing? Etc.

Then we should be setting how far an acceptable deviation from here is? Eg. We think we're top 4 and we finish in 6 or 7, is that acceptable or not?

Then it is just a matter of reviewing along the way and after seasons end.

It is very similar to most current project management strategies. I understand that obviously football is a lot different with injuries to players etc. But is still believe this strategy would be effective.

[markp]

Mid-year next....

[saintsRrising]

I'm talking about whether we force Ross to think short term or long term, .

He obviously is already not just thinking short term or he would not have:

*taken bottom aged picks in Steven and Eljay who effectively will need an extra year of development and where 2008 was always going to be a "nothing" year from them. Even in 2009 you would think would not alot will be gained from them.

*taken McEvoy with our first pick. As a tall ruckmen he was always not going to delivera lot of value till 2010 +

These were picks for beyond the term of his 3 year contact. = long term provision.

Howard was another very long term pick..rather than a guy you would hope would play quickly.


Sure Lyon has picked up experienced players from other clubs. But only Schneider has been "expensive'. The others were bargains.

[JeffDunne]

sRr, try for once looking at the bigger picture.

Clarke, Gehrig, MG & King aren't what I'd call long term decisions.

[Con Gorozidis]

Bookmarked....Will revisit in October.

. call

agree. call me in october.

[WayneJudson42]

Just because the club has not announced an "official" review, it doesn't mean that questions are being asked on an ongoing basis, does it?

My preference is for stability, and apart from the win/loss ratio, if the board see him as doing the correct things, then a 1 year would be a good call. As someone mentioned, stability is the key.

Whilst in charge, he has made some major chamges in off field personell andput the basics in place for the long term. Will he be allowed to see it out?

I'd hate to see him do the hard "reforms" and then have someone walk in which may or may not improve our situation. AND before anyone suggests that this is what he did after GT... GT had 5 years.

On field is another issue. If we are to judge him purely by a win loss ratio, as well as comparing him to the previous coach, then we deserve another 50 years in the wilderness IMHO.

On that basis, Malthouse and a few others should have been sacked years ago.

Even if we miss the finals, the questions will need to be asked as to why. Is it the coach, or is it the list etc.

As I see it, at our best we are very good. But we are not yet consistant in the way we play. We are not in a downward spiral like Melb were.

I'd hate to see a decision made purely on win/loss. This willl ensure that we keep repeating the same mistakes again.