The Coaching Megathread

[spiritofaslan]

Hayden Knowles is apparently looking to leave the Knights... I think he'd be a good get for us, as he's worked with Burton and Kikau before and is proven, despite whatever has happened in Newcastle. If Ciraldo is going to be our coach I could see him bringing Knowles on board.

Knights aren't exactly setting the world on fire with fitness this year though.

 

[Captain Ibis]

Knights aren't exactly setting the world on fire with fitness this year though.

Is it fitness or more of a mental thing?.. I've seen a few of their games where they have no problem rolling up field.. there's been persistent rumours that they're not the happiest playing group under AOB

 

[spiritofaslan]

Is it fitness or more of a mental thing?.. I've seen a few of their games where they have no problem rolling up field.. there's been persistent rumours that they're not the happiest playing group under AOB

Well over past few days it's become apparent somethings going down at Knights.

Ponga and Mann both "injured" and coming out of a cubicle together at a licensed venue.
Tuala and Best now stood down for being late to the team bus.
Klemmer pissed off at trainers.

 

[Captain Ibis]

Well over past few days it's become apparent somethings going down at Knights.

Ponga and Mann both "injured" and coming out of a cubicle together at a licensed venue.
Tuala and Best now stood down for being late to the team bus.
Klemmer pissed off at trainers.

I reckon the Knights were a bit stupid to offer Ponga that contract.. Not just because of his inconsistency but also because I don't think any other club was going to offer him close to that figure, not even the Tigers. He's certainly a freak talent, but if he's your marquee man you'd think he'd of been around long enough now to be doing it week in week out.

I can't help but wonder what guys like Klem and Frizzel will think of the situation.. I can see a rift forming over this.

 

[spiritofaslan]

Ponga is a strange one. Coming through before his NRL debut he looked like an absolute superstar.

But I don't think Knights are the team to get the best out of him.

If he was at Souths or Roosters or someone like that, I reckon he'd be looking like the next Tedesco.

 

[Captain Ibis]

Ponga is a strange one. Coming through before his NRL debut he looked like an absolute superstar.

But I don't think Knights are the team to get the best out of him.

If he was at Souths or Roosters or someone like that, I reckon he'd be looking like the next Tedesco.

Yeah. A Knights fan made a good point that he's really their only genuine threat, so he gets marked well particularly by the top teams. I still think he lacks that killer instinct guys like Teddy and Tommy have, but that might change as he matures.

 

[Captain Ibis]

EXCLUSIVE: How Gus recruited Cameron Ciraldo 10 years ago in a Gosford McDonald's​

Cameron Ciraldo was announced as Canterbury's new head coach this week.

But he was first recruited by Phil Gould a decade earlier, and asked to help a flagging Penrith squad get up off its knees.

The now-37-year-old drove south from Newcastle to meet with Gould at Gosford McDonald's, and left with a handshake deal to pack his bags and move to the foot of Sydney's mountains.

"Where Panthers were placed, we were in the doldrums a little bit, and it was going to be a trip down the mines," Gould told Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles with Gus podcast.

"I remember I signed a couple of players - I signed he and Clint Newton - to make sure we weren't rushing our younger blokes, and to also give the players who were out there at the time a sense of professionalism.

Panthers assistant Cameron Ciraldo. (Getty)

"I knew of Cameron pretty well.

"He walked in (to the McDonald's meeting), Cameron, I said 'this is my vision for the club and this is what I want to do, this is the role you're going to be playing and it's not going to be glamorous... I need you to train every session, play every game, show the young blokes how to train hard and play hard'.

"He said 'that sounds great', and he shook my hand and got up and started to walk out.

"I said 'we haven't spoken money', and he said 'pay me what you like'."


Ciraldo joined Penrith ahead of the 2012 season and played 32 games for the club before hanging up his boots.

And while he was no longer contractually obliged to help the Panthers, he stuck around anyway, and has been there ever since.

"We used to train our junior reps at Patrician Brothers Blacktown. One afternoon I drove down... and there's Cameron Ciraldo standing with a couple of his young children watching the junior reps train," he said.

Phil Gould has been a long-time colleague of Ray Warren. (Getty)

"I went across and said 'what are you doing?', and he said 'I'm interested in the kids coming through, I'm watching them'.

"The next week I went back and he was out helping the coaches, and helping the players, helping them train. No one ever asked him to do that.

"You could just see that he had a genuine love for it and feel for it."

Ciraldo began as an assistant coach with Penrith's junior teams, then took over as head coach of the under 20s and led the side to a premiership, before being promoted to NRL assistant.

He's been instrumental in the recent Panthers success, winning last year's title and making the grand final in 2020.

He will see out this season as Ivan Cleary's assistant before assuming his first NRL head coach role at Belmore.

https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/news-2...c_H7qDv-j1HSRUZoVAqCYnnEQMB9RZOriwfPMeYqbpp5g

 

[Captain Ibis]

It's easy to see why the journos were trying to pressure Gus into spilling the beans.. they must have had so many articles ready to fire off

 

[spiritofaslan]

It's easy to see why the journos were trying to pressure Gus into spilling the beans.. they must have had so many articles ready to fire off

He's got premiership experience too from Panthers which will do him well.