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Message: [QUOTE="Big Pete, post: 2710221, member: 1899"] I'm happy for Hook. The NRL has granted so many ordinary coaches second, third and even forth chances that I think Hook deserved a chance to learn from his mistakes and start fresh at a new organisation. If I was a betting man, I'd bet against the Panthers and their chances but I'll be interested to see how he goes and genuinely wishing him all the best. At the Broncos, he was always in a precarious situation. He took over right as an era was about to end. In that situation, there isn't time to really build towards a future, you've just got to go for it and the Broncos gave it their best shot, enjoying their best regular season since 2000 and looking like a premiership force until Lockyer suffered his fractured eye socket. I wouldn't go as far to say that injury alone cost the Broncos the premiership, I believe Manly were always going to give the Broncos a run for their money regardless, but it certainly denied them an opportunity. His biggest problem for mine was that he was too loyal to that squad. While he wasn't alone, a better coach would have seen the writing on the wall and made the necessary changes to make the Broncos competitive in 2013 and beyond. Unfortunately, Hook barely entered the market, deciding only to bring back former players who had seen better days (Scott Prince, David Stagg, Denan Kemp) and it turned the entire season into a bust. From that point on, the Broncos were always playing catch up, throwing money at whatever available talent they could find without much rhyme or reason. When they did stumble on a winner in Milford, they went over and beyond, without an appropriate plan B, C or D if Milford wasn't available in 2014. A lot of people complain about Hoffman at 6 and how it took Hook 20 rounds to rectify the issue, but the reality is none of those options were right. Neither Hodges, Kahu, Barba, Nikorima, Paia'Aua, Strasser or Taylor should have been the Broncos 6 in 2014, they needed somebody else during the pre-season to form a combination with Hunt and get the job done. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but the Broncos had their solution in Anthony Milford. Whether Hook would have been successful remains to be seen. Personally, I have my doubts whether a Broncos squad containing Barba, Hoffman and Milford (minus Blair, Boyd, Oates on the wing) would have been as successful but I'm sure they would have improved on 2014. Regardless, his stint in Penrith will be interesting and may confirm a few theories fans had about him. [/QUOTE]

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