Pretorius, Dunning set to sign with Force

[slomo]

The Coach can only motivate a team so much, once they run onto the field it is up to them. Is every knock on, kick out on the full etc etc the Coaches fault?

Hurricanes game, do you think JM sent them out with instructions to keep kicking the ball away after we scored 4 tries? Not Likely

Surely you would be questioning the on field leadership as well then?

Maybe the overpaid pretty boys leaving is a blessing in disguise?

so do we really need an over paid coach then, BRUMBIES GAME 2 seasons ago, in the final game the players managed to coach themselves to victory, when JM spat it at half time...

[shasta]

mitchell is paid to coach a winning side,if this guy is such a great coach why james dont the players respond?....

A lot of them have, Slomo. It hasn't been perfect and we would have liked better results, obviously. Also very obviously Mitchell didn't handle all employees as well as he might have. I'm not privy to any details of what went wrong but he's fessed up to that and things seem to be on the mend.There are more long term future Wallabies electing to stay than to go. At least for now. If things were as bad as some like to make out they would have all cut and run and O'Connor would already be signed to an east coast franchise.

I'd rather look at things optimistically, without being overly so. For a team with such a short and troubled history we're doing OK. Despite the minority over east who wish ill on those nassty little Forceses who stole their preciouses.

[jargan83]

so do we really need an over paid coach then, BRUMBIES GAME 2 seasons ago, in the final game the players managed to coach themselves to victory, when JM spat it at half time...

Given the insipid first half we watched that night, I would have spat it as well, and I thought JM had the right to fire off a verbal barrage as well

[mudskipper]

Given the insipid first half we watched that night, I would have spat it as well, and I thought JM had the right to fire off a verbal barrage as well

But what did he say?

Really its not about one night, one game or one poor deal or shadowy administrator, its about succession planning... I think John Mitchell really with all the force troubles didn't think he was going to be there in 2010...

[slomo]

Given the insipid first half we watched that night, I would have spat it as well, and I thought JM had the right to fire off a verbal barrage as well

so mitchells coaching had nothing to do with the first half against the brumbies two years ago, but was outstanding against the 'cannes in the first half last season you cant have it both ways!! id rather have an over payed coach that players respond to rather than an over paid coach that players dont respond to....

---------- Post added at 19:16 ---------- Previous post was at 19:11 ----------

Surely you would be questioning the on field leadership as well then?

not at all, captain sharpe and v-captain giteau were both outstanding last season.....

[shasta]

so mitchells coaching had nothing to do with the first half against the brumbies two years ago, but was outstanding against the 'cannes in the first half last season you cant have it both ways!!

You know what. There's another possible option there, slomo. Maybe even with the Giteaus and Mitchells on the field, they were just not as good or as seasoned as some of the NZ or ZA franchises who have the experience and patience - yet. No mater who was coaching. That's what I think.

[slomo]

You know what. There's another possible option there, slomo. Maybe even with the Giteaus and Mitchells on the field, they were just not as good or as seasoned as some of the NZ or ZA franchises who have the experience and patience - yet. No mater who was coaching. That's what I think.

fair enough shasta.....

[travelling_gerry]

[normie]

Brumbies sucked footy socks that week....
...

Hey, that's rhyming slang!

[The Ethicist]

I don't mind Pretorius - quality and experience.

Totally agree
Pretorius is a quality player. he has and could play for the bokke. His underperforming teams have cost him higher honours more regularly.
He is very very tough. He can kick goals from anywhere. he is very fast and can curt defences to threads with front foot ball.

I'm excited

Dead wood exodus

Construction of a mighty side brimming with determination and desire

The house that Mitch built moves on........ever onwards and upwards

[BeeJay]

I for one would not be surprised if we sign Pretorius but Daruda gets more game-time at 10. Injuries notwithstanding.

[The Ethicist]

O'Connors manager is hoping to push up his price after the weekend Wallabies start at 15...

I really can't see why Pretorius would make it easier for J'OC to sign with the Force... I think he and his crew are just pumping the Force for every cent they can get...

Pretorius will be lucky to take the field more than 50% of the time... He's a 31 year old walking sack of injuries....

But perhaps JO'C can just take over and become the Forces full time playmaker... As he likely wont have a choice in the matter...

Lets hope he does well at 15 Saturday night.....

The Brumbies are broke
They can't afford the biggest thing in Australian rugby for 20 years
We can
Go and rain on somebody elses parade

[James]

mitchell is paid to coach a winning side, (no coach has even been employed to coach a losing side) since he arrived in perth hes been average at best hes recruited every player to play for the western force, hes instigated the team culture, and trainning programs, at the start of the season we had the fittest squad ever, this season we produced more wallabies than any other francise but still, mid table finish once again,.. if this guy is such a great coach why james dont the players respond?....
james when have you watched a force game and said to yourself "that was a great piece of coaching?".....

I've watched more games where I've thought "that was an awful piece of play" which is in no way a reflection of how the team is coached. Look at this season. I'd say against the likes of the Hurricanes, Chiefs and the Blues it was the team that lost the game- not the coach. Players missed tackles. Players were lazy. Players lost the game. Then again you look at a game like the Stormers one and yes Dylan des Fontein should've scored the one he dropped flat but the ref should've pulled the Stormers up on Cross' block. Our season could have been much better this year and I for one believe that was more about the players than the coach.

But my point isn't that Mitch is the world's greatest coach it is just that I don't think there were many fly-half options to pursue this year. Both the Brumbies fly-halves were contracted for 2010. Beale and Cooper were contracted for 2010. Barnes wanted to stay in Queensland. Halangahu was an option but when the Force became interested the Tahs showed him the game time and kept him. So what should we have done?

[The Ethicist]

Maybe the overpaid pretty boys leaving is a blessing in disguise?

Absolutely
Giteau/Valentine/Mitchell all sooks. The gayest of the gay
Now we have a 9 and ten as hard as the coffin nail
If we can keep JOC, our backline will still be tasty. Our pack is good.
We've lost nothing
Giteau is due for a career ending injury. I'm glad the Brumbies are paying him now

[laura]

Calling them gay and suggesting a career ending injury is hardly a mature way to deal with the professionalism that is sport...


If having Pretorius on the books for a few seasons keeps JO'C & adds to the development of Daruda, fantastic. I don't mind that he's a Saffa, if its going to benefit the team then who cares where he comes from?! Same with Dunning, so long as Whittaker can develop and get more game time, it doesn't really matter that Dunning is the one to help him plus it will add to Perth's arguement for getting a Krispy Kreme store!