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Message: [QUOTE="theshed, post: 3237153, member: 2290"] We all knew this year would be tough, how are we rating Kev so far? There’s no doubt he has a better rapport with players than Seibold but I do wonder how long that will last if we get belted until the end of the season. Our defence does seem to have improved but that being said, the completion rate of teams during those periods of decent defence has been woeful - and you could argue that is due to pressure from good defence. However, when opposition teams have been able to hold onto the ball for any periods of time the points have piled on. The Eels were atrocious the first half of round 1 and once they found their timing they put on 20+ unanswered points. We started okay last year too and our defence got exponentially worse as morale was broken from countless closer losses. Time will tell if a few thumpings don’t see a similar result this year. I’m definitely not saying Kev should be on the chopping block yet, this was always going to take time and a lot of things are out of his control. But I have not been impressed with many of the things that are in his control. I want Kev to succeed as much as anyone, from a team perspective and because I like the guy, but early signs of not being up to the task are showing in my opinion. Maybe he will find his feet but I think he needs help and I think the club should throw barrels of cash at Bellamy or Bennett to come on in some form. I was impressed with Kev’s preseason talk and even the seeming logic behind his round 1 line up. Dearden needed to develop( and Milf needed to be completely backed as he is a confidence player. He also dropped Oates to Q Cup - big ticks all round, Kev well done. Too many injuries made it impossible to get a good gauge on his bench tactics but the fact that we were down to 1 sub and Bullimore only got 14 minutes was confusing - especially given his preseason form. His halves fell away in the second half but despite this he held strong with his position and kept Dearden in Q Cup and backed his halves in the media. Round 2 the heat was applied but he picked the right team by resisting the urge to bring Dearden in early or moving the struggling Isaako. Things did not go well. Kev gave the player who he harped on about building his confidence back up all off season a historic public spray - along with his partner Croft who has his own confidence trauma. To me this was the first mismanagement of the situation. There was no need to publicly do that to his halves who were already crumbling under pressure. It lead to as predicted, Milford trying way too hard against the dogs and completely botching it. Milford’s confidence are looking more shot than ever. Now on to Dearden. Dearden either needed to be dropped and left to develop for an extended period to build confidence in Q cup and develop his game, or be picked from round 1. Kev had to make a firm decision and stick to it to avoid mixed messages. Instead he didn’t pick him - which tells Dearden Kev doesn’t think he’s ready for first grade but then brings back into the side before he has a chance to rebuild that confidence and learn anything from the experience. On top of that, he is brought in on the bench where he is only entrusted with 7 minutes once the game was already over. This turned out looking better than it should have because Q cup was unexpectedly canned due to covid. Then against Storm he brings Dearden in but dangles Croft over his head by wasting a bench spot on a half. Now Dearden has being hooked looming over him with every decision he makes. The forwards get completely fatigued and would’ve benefit from a forward instead of Croft, and Kev drags Dearden off, who played well enough, to give Croft a token run in an already destroyed team. Unless Dearden off the bench would bring some excitement, what would Croft bring? Nothing as predicted. Kev bangs on about reducing Haas’ minutes but on his first game back and obviously floundering under fatigue Kev plays him for 70 minutes - contradicting himself and sending the player mixed messages yet again. He plays TPJ for 31 minutes. Yet Alex Glenn gets to make 50m in 80 mins and no talk of being dropped. We have the forwards to compete but Kev’s bench usage has been very questionable. I hope Kev learns from all this and gets the hang of NRL coaching. Being successful under Kev would be a fairytale but I see a coach who is already out of his depth. [/QUOTE]

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