Players should shoulder blame: Newman
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen 9:02 PM Sun 19 April, 2009
RICHMOND captain Chris Newman says he and his players should be blamed for the club's woeful 0-4 start to the season, not coach Terry Wallace.
The Tigers were with the Demons early at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, but surrendered the game in the second term when they were outscored eight goals to three.
Despite an improved second half, they fell eight points shy of the similarly winless Demons.
Richmond and Fremantle are now the only sides yet to win a game in 2009.
Newman said while the Tigers players should take the rap, he expected the coach to cop the public criticism.
"I think that that the nature of the beast – they always point the finger at the coach, and I think it's unfair," Newman said after the loss.
"From my point of view, I'm the captain of the club, and it starts from me. I put my hand up and I say it's not good enough.
"The players are certainly taking responsibility."
The rookie skipper said the players were solidly behind their embattled coach.
“We really wanted to come out here and put in a four-quarter effort and get the result for him,” Newman said.
"It's really gut-wrenching to not get that. Everyone's behind him. I'm behind him. He doesn't deserve that, and neither do our supporters."
The Tigers led Geelong going in the final term at Skilled Stadium in round two, and despite eventually losing to the best team in the competition, Newman said the club had to play as if every opposition side was Geelong if it expected to beat anyone.
"We're too choosy when we want to turn it on and when we're not,” he said.
"The way we played in the last quarter, and maybe the last half (today), is how we want to play for four quarters, and we don't do that.
"We need to be playing at that consistent level every week, regardless of the opposition. Until we do that, we won't get anywhere."
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