The NRL Season of 2016
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storm get the week off , one game away from the GF,
Cowboys play the Broncos next Friday
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Penrith Panthers roll the Doggies. Could Hasler be on the way out?
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@kiwiinmelb said in The NRL Season of 2016:
storm get the week off , one game away from the GF,
Cowboys play the Broncos next Friday
Cue a thousand replays of last years grand final on Fox over the course of this week....
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Foran signs with the Warriors. Don't know how many games he'll play (I predict five) but good signing if he pulls it together.
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@Sneakdefreak said in The NRL Season of 2016:
Foran signs with the Warriors. Don't know how many games he'll play (I predict five) but good signing if he pulls it together.
I hope it's for cheap.
Are we all happy the Dogs are gone? Fuck off you boring grubs. Only Cronulla to bounce out now and the finals are worth watching.
Pleased to see Penrith playing well.
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@mariner4life said in The NRL Season of 2016:
@Sneakdefreak said in The NRL Season of 2016:
Foran signs with the Warriors. Don't know how many games he'll play (I predict five) but good signing if he pulls it together.
I hope it's for cheap.
Are we all happy the Dogs are gone? Fuck off you boring grubs. Only Cronulla to bounce out now and the finals are worth watching.
Pleased to see Penrith playing well.
I don't think everyone hates them as much as you do. They were my favourite team in the 90s (not now though). But, TBH I don't care who's left now.
I hope we get Foran, so we can see if anyone can organise this team.
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@Sneakdefreak Interesting signing - possibly a really good one.
People can suffer from depression, but a bit of time out and into a new environment (or especially out of an old one) and they can quickly be back on the horse and good as new.
I have no idea what was going on with Savea - quite likely nothing like Foran - but, on Saturday night he was a different player to the one we saw a couple of months ago.
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I heard that Kearney might be coaching the warriors ?
Signing all the kiwis so may as well get the coach too I giuess
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Signing Foran is quite a coup if he's managed to address whatever the problems were in his life. He's a remarkably talented footballer.
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Last I read the Warriors are saying Foran has not yet signed. Also read Kearney is in. Not sure about Kearney. He makes weird Kiwi selections so I am not holding my breath.
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@Crazy-Horse Other reports had Kearney not wanting to leave the Brisbane setup which he is comfortable in. But this does confirm that Warriors are looking for a new coach and Cappy is (probably) gone this week.
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@Crazy-Horse said in The NRL Season of 2016:
Last I read the Warriors are saying Foran has not yet signed. Also read Kearney is in. Not sure about Kearney. He makes weird Kiwi selections so I am not holding my breath.
Even as someone who pays fuck all attention, Kearney would seem to be a terrible selection.
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@canefan It's hard to know how good Kearney really is without Bennett in his corner. He wasn't a success at the Eels, and his Kiwis stint has been mixed.
If Doyle can't find a marquee replacement Kearney would be more acceptable to the RL public, and to the players, than another no-name coach.
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I tend to think Kearney to the Warriors is high risk for Kearney and the kiwis ,
Too many eggs in one basket
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@kiwiinmelb I think he'll have to resign the Kiwis job first. Kearney hasn't won anything without Bennett close by, and I worry he'd be too close to many of the players to kick their butts the way they need to be
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Appointed. Cappy stays on as an assistant?
Kearney new Vodafone Warriors head coach
Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney has tonight been confirmed as the Vodafone Warriors' new head coach on a three-year deal.
Kearney new Vodafone Warriors head coach
Richard Becht | Images: www.photosport.nz
Mon 12th September, 09:22PM
A AVodafone Warriors managing director Jim Doyle last night confirmed long-serving Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney is returning to the club as its new head coach on a three-year deal.
The appointment headlines a major revamp of the club’s NRL coaching staff which sees current head coach Andrew McFadden remain as one of Kearney’s assistants, Vodafone Warriors legend Stacey Jones promoted to add further depth in a new role and another experienced international coach set to be signed to join the coaching team.
Kearney (44) will finish his assistant coach’s job with the Brisbane Broncos when their 2016 campaign ends to rejoin the club he made 79 appearances for as a foundation player from 1995-1998.
McFadden has had 67 matches in charge since 2014 while Jones will step up from his current role as Intrust Super Premiership coach to provide additional support to the NRL squad in specific specialised areas.
Current assistant coaches Andrew Webster and Justin Morgan are finishing up with the Vodafone Warriors.
“We’re delighted we’ve been able to bring Stephen back to Mount Smart Stadium,” he said.
“He was outstanding during his playing career with the club and then with the Melbourne Storm before moving into coaching.
“Stephen has taken the Kiwis to a new level with their successes in the Rugby League World Cup in 2008 and twice in the Four Nations in 2010 and 2014.
“During his coaching career he has also worked alongside two of the best coaches the game has seen in Craig Bellamy at the Storm and Wayne Bennett at the Broncos.
“Our review identified changes needed to be made and, in Stephen, we have a coach who has a reputation for demanding the highest standards.”
Kearney is now helping to prepare the Broncos for their sudden-death NRL playoff against the North Queensland Cowboys this weekend but said he was looking forward to returning to Auckland.
“While I’ve got a job to do here I’m really excited about coming on board at the Vodafone Warriors,” he said from Brisbane last night.
“The club means a lot to me from my time there as a player and this a great opportunity to take the football department in a new direction.
“I’ve been speaking to Cappy about his role and I’m thrilled he’s staying on. He has so much to offer with his knowledge about the club and I’m really looking forward to working with him.
“It’ll also be great to have Stacey involved to a greater degree with the NRL squad so we can really maximise the expertise he provides.”
In nine seasons as Kiwi coach, Kearney has led the national side to unprecedented success. As well as winning the World Cup for the first time in 2008 followed by the Four Nations victories in 2010 and 2014, Kearney guided the Kiwis to a breakthrough Anzac Test win last year to complete a run of three consecutive wins over the Kangaroos.
Apart from assistant coach roles with Melbourne (2006-2010) and Brisbane (2013-2016), he was head coach with Parramatta in 2011-2012. He’s the second former Vodafone Warrior to become head coach following Ivan Cleary (2006-2011).
While Doyle confirmed the coaching changes, Vodafone Warriors owner Eric Watson has endorsed Kearney’s appointment.
“I’m thrilled the Vodafone Warriors have secured a coach of Stephen’s calibre as well as building a coaching team of the type and quality we’ve never seen before,” he said.
“Stephen brings so much experience to the club and has the added advantage of knowing so many of the country’s best players through his long association with the Kiwis.”
Watson also announced a new initiative with the formation of a football advisory board to oversee the club’s football operations.
Among the members are former Rugby World Cup-winning All Black coach Sir Graham Henry, experienced NFL coach Eric Mangini, club great Awen Guttenbeil and director Owen Eastwood.
Watson said the advisory board filled a void which had existed in the club’s board structure for many years.
As well as Watson, Henry, Mangini, Guttenbeil and Eastwood the other members of the new Football Advisory Board are Doyle and board director Les Archer.
Watson said he and Doyle had been discussing the concept of a football advisory board for some time.
“We were well aware that our board has been made up of directors who all bring strong commercial expertise to the table,” he said.
“However, we have been lacking sporting knowledge so we have moved to improve that with the formation of this Football Advisory Board.
“We met recently and will meet monthly covering all football responsibilities.
“The full board will continue to be responsible for the governance and commercial areas of the business.
“As well has having directors on the advisory board, we’re especially thrilled to have the services of Sir Graham, Eric, Awen and Owen. They provide exceptional knowledge and experience from the professional sporting world as we strive to improve our standards throughout the club.
“I’m really excited about what we’re creating for the Vodafone Warriors, giving the senior players better coaching support than they’ve had before.
“The formation of the advisory board together with Stephen’s appointment and the other coaching roles are all part of a comprehensive overhaul of how we do business.”
Sir Graham (70) coached Auckland, the Blues, Wales and the British and Irish Lions before serving as All Black coach from 2004-2011, ending his term with victory in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final at Eden Park. He has since worked as a consultant.
Mangini (45) has been involved in NFL coaching roles since 1995. He was head coach of the New York Jets from 2006-2008 and the Cleveland Browns in 2009-2010. He has also worked with the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers (when NRL star Jarryd Hayne was on the roster). He was a guest at the Vodafone Warriors this season when he took in the club’s 26-10 win over St George Illawarra on May 1.
Guttenbeil (40) became Vodafone Warrior No 33 when he made his first-grade debut in 1996. He overcame multiple injury setbacks to make 170 NRL appearances for the club from 1996-2006 before finishing his playing career with Castleford in the English Super League in 2007-2008. He also played 10 Tests for the Kiwis between 2002-2005 and represented Mate Ma’a Tonga at the 1995 and 2008 Rugby League World Cups.
Southland-raised Eastwood also brings a strong sporting background to the board. He is a consultant to teams and organisations on developing high performance team culture. He has been associated with the All Blacks through sponsor adidas, the Chelsea Football Club, the South African cricket team and the military command group of NATO.
He has also been retained by the City Football Group (working with Manchester City, New York City and Melbourne City), the Scotland rugby union team, the executive committee of Investec and the Football Association (working with the England national football teams).
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I like this hire a lot - appeases most sections of the Warriors fandom. Kearney is a born Kiwi, but as coach he pretty much bred as an Aussie.
The Eels as we now know is a total basket case and Kearney will be better for the run.
Interesting to see Mangini involved too - he was circling around earlier this year, he is from the Belichick tree. Hopefully SK's career takes a similar path - Belichick washed out at the Browns (another basket case not unlike the Eels) and then found a modicum of success at the Patriots...
Will watch games next year at least until we are 2-6 after 8 rounds and get beaten by 40 against the Storm.
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The funny thing with Kearney, despite the criticism ,
A modest win loss over australia of 28 percent makes him the most successful kiwi coach ,
No idea how he will go at club level ,and the warriors is a graveyard for coaches,
but ive found the kiwi team to be pretty well drilled in more recent times, particularly when they have been rocked by injuries
