Norm Smith's Curse

Great work redlegs

There was strong concerns among many quarters about Neelds coaching style, aggressive bakes, questionable communication and views on selection.

Without wanting to brag this basically confirms what I was told and reported to a few people a month or two ago. Neeld came in and went so hard he made several players cry. Players had trouble working out what he wanted and several players were headed for the door. Moloney got the arse because he didn't buy into Neeld not defensive efforts. Neeld told Rawlings off for trying to give coaching advice and the players all confided in and found support from Craig. nice to know it was all accurate.

The champ is here!

All very interesting.

Dawesy looked like Schwarta out there today in the long sleeves!

Clearly Watts is a forward. Clearly Nicho is a run with tagger. Clearly Fitzpatrick finally has shown what he has to offer. I think the whole list has really stepped up. I see belief, confidence, no second guessing. Craig although its early does seem to be able to coach...

What a day! Hogan kicks six, we win just, Wallabies get up and now Tomic playing on the grass!

I saw signs of belief, confidence and the players enjoying their game. I took that as confirmation of what the last 18 months have been. This was a real win too - not GWS.

Spot on - Nicho works well as a tagger. because he has an endless tank

YESSS!!!!!! That is all I have to say - well other than the fact that Dawes and Rodan were good pickups, Clisby, Jones and Terlich look tidy and finally we get to see what Watts and Fitzpatrick can do!

He has been awesome - and when he talks in media pressors he commands respect.

cant make it due to being unwell. What are the radio options? Wish I had foxtel

He will be a gun. Careys first games weren't great.

To be fair on Gillies - even he expressed surprise that we were interested in him...

Small mercies Jaded

What have I told you about smoking marijuana before doing your team selections...

Good call! Will be there

What are your thoughts on how these kids are developing? Strauss has had four years in the system if I am correct and still appears to be struggling to make it into our best 22. Development issues? Tappie's aggression is always entertaining and I really always feel he is just one game from a break out but the breakout just hasn't happened after a season and a half. Any opinions on how Rory is going?

What I like about Hogan is that he will run forward and present - move up the ground to create something. Very exciting young player. I will tell him that I will mow his lawns for a year if he stays with the dees long term

I believed you until I read the last part

kasparsky are the best virus people - being Russian where most of the viruses are generally made they have their fingers on the pulse

A guy a work that used to work at the saints tells me that in his opinion Craig is still highly respected which was illustrated by the fact that six clubs were after him as soon as he stood down at Adelaide. As this guy said - if he cant get the best of those players in the rest of the season then they will have no more excuses.

I didn't hear Craig say 'its a rebuild of a rebuild' or 'it is what it is' twenty times. Other than his brutal honesty in the first round he ever coached I found Neeld in general to be a hard person to pin down - he just never really seemed to say anything of any substance ever. I thought it was his way of dealing with press exposure but he seemed almost the same in the pre game bake they telecast with him just saying 'we trust you' ten times. Saying he was surprised by how poor we were actually surprised me the most. With one midfielder and three debutants your always going to struggle.

An interesting article. Hopefully rightly or wrongly will bring people back into the fold. Persistant rumours along these lines for years.