My philosophy is while we’re in this situation, put more kids in and keep playing them until we get things right.
The situation TW is confronted with is not an easy one. It does take time to bring through young players and you don’t want to throw them in the deep end when they’re clearly not ready for the big time. But, are we just supposed to sit and wait for the future to arrive, before we see evidence that things can and will change in the future?
The reason I ask is because, for those players who do get the opportunity to play senior footy now, how does this generation get to make their mark if they’re not in the driver’s seat? How can you ever engender a different and better culture amongst players if the past is driving the future? Sure they have a lot to learn, but how does that promote and instill confidence in players coming through now?
In a nutshell, how does the current approach make it possible for the now and next generation to feel they are being shown faith in and that what they have to offer the team is good enough, given their level of experience and that it’s ok, necessary even, to make mistakes, if you’re prepared to learn from them?
Rightly or wrongly, it seems to me that TW’s greatest strength is in implementing a game plan, and planning for the future. The question is, does this approach allow us to see something different from players that’s not just based on following instructions and sticking to the game plan? Not sticking the boots in, just asking the question.
As I’ve said numerous times before, it can’t always be the coach’s fault, or down to the coach to do it all. Somewhere, somehow, RFC has to recognise that coaches don’t necessarily have all the tools that go to making a successful team. When they stop thinking this is the case then we might finally get somewhere. Other clubs know that and work with their coach to ensure they have all areas covered.
If these bases are already covered then what concerns me is that, because TW places so much emphasis on the game plan, and whatever else, I wonder how players can bring anything more to a game than what’s been drummed into them? This sort of approach only goes skin deep and can only bring limited results.
If any of this is mildly the case then there needs to be some depth added from somewhere, because as things are, where’s the faith in the players and the freedom for them to play to their strengths and even enjoy what they’re doing? And how do players ever get to feel that it’s their efforts, and not the game plan, that brings them results? How do they develop confidence in themselves and their teammates if it’s the game plan that brings results anyway? And how and when are the effects able to flow on to players coming through now, which can help them develop into good team players?
So many questions, so few answers.
