[Bullseye]

Attitude : Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:31 am  

It frustrates the heck out of me. IMO the last head coach (mainly Lowes) has to shoulder the blame. The half ar5ed attitude the team has displayed in most games since we were relegated shows a lack of professionalism. Time and again we’ve “played” for half a game or less and run out winners. That must eventually take its toll and make players set the bar lower as they can get away with doing less than they had to in SL. In the end that attitude has caught up with them and we’ve begun to lose more and more games that we would’ve won a year or 18 months ago. The squad have “become” average championship players rather than aspiring SL players.

I think we’ve lacked genuine leaders on the field that can challenge this kind of attitude when it manifests itself e.g. when we’re walking to a scrum when we’re behind or when forwards are leaving the tough carries to the backs or when there’s no organisation at the end of a set of six.

In the end it’s a human reaction to do just what you need to do unless you’re challenged to do better. A lot of this game is played in the mind and I think the current squad needs shaking out of its current mindset. It needn’t be an authoritarian approach (didn’t work under Lowes) but it should be a challenging approach. I’ve been part of teams at work that have had a half ar5ed attitude and it was a demoralising experience and easy to lose confidence. Similarly when I’ve gone to teams that are well run it is inspiring.

Can Smith sort things out? I think the clearout in the squad will help. Too many bit part players that are on the fringes doesn’t help build loyalty. A lot of players have got too used to losing. If he can harness the winning mentality and enthusiasm of the U19s and combine that with some toughness and leadership I think we’ll improve. A lot depends on the senior players we’ve got and ones he brings in. Get it wrong and we’ll be 5th again next year or lower. Get it right and top 2 is possible.

Re: Attitude : Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:41 am  

One example of the above: Lauaki. Despite being a waste of space for half the season, the fans really want him to do well, and in the later stages, he started to show what he can do. Which is, to give a lead, and show some dog. When he charges at the defence and makes extra yards, or puts it all into a big hit, t gives both crowd and team an immediate and obvious lift.

You need men on the field that can and do lead by example, and show that extra desire that knocks the opponents back.

Re: Attitude : Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:43 am  

I think this is partly the reason why Rohan appears to be going for a relatively young squad next year. Younger players will generally still have the desire to learn and improve, they'll be more impressionable and more receptive to any philosophy Rohan tries to instill in them. When you factor in any emotional ties to the club - such as the academy players - this should only help to improve the overall attitude of the players.

Compare this to older players who may be slightly jaded, cynical or just annoyed at having to play champ rugby. Those ex-SL players would certainly need to swallow some pride when making the step down and some might find it harder than others. As a coach I'm sure it must be more difficult to try and change the attitude of a player approaching the last years of his career.

Or I could be talking a load of rubbish and we might just be using a bunch of kids because it's all we can afford

Re: Attitude : Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:44 am  

Fully agree. The championship has gotten better this year, so when we weren't 30 points ahead at half time we seemed shocked.

We seemed almost surprised that we weren't just walking through teams and were suddenly in a dog fight. We lacked the stomach for that fight which for me is unforgivable. The games against Fax x2, Sheffield, Dewsbury x2, Batley, Fev, we were crying out for someone on the field just to get the team by the scruff of the neck, stop them feeling sorry for themselves and just run hard, tackle hard and we'll be ok.

The Fev game highlighted our attitude problem big time. Fev just ran hard, tackled hard and gave it their all.

All we needed to do was get in the arm wrestle, build some pressure and then the points will come. Instead we panicked and did about 5 chips over the top from our own 20m line. We felt sorry for ourselves that Fev were bullying us and with our heads bowed as we strolled to the scrum.

We are crying out for a Jimmy Lowes type player who won't allow the opposition, no matter what the score, to bully ys. And certainly won't allow any of his team mates to go hiding and anyone that does, he will hold account to.

I think our attitude was summed up by Addys and Mellors tweets after the game. Playing the sympathy card with tweets such as "we're hurting as much as you " as if somehow it wasn't their fault and they were the victims. We don't need players feeling sorry for themselves, we need players realising their performances aren't good enough and to do something about it.

A full pre-season and I think Chisholm can provide the organisation and calmness. But we really need a player who everyone will dislike because he keeps shouting at them.

Re: Attitude : Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:47 am  

Don't disagree with anything that's been said there. We have lacked the proper attitude for at least 2 years, if not more.

Regarding Lowes, isn't it odd that he is exactly the kind of player that would have done this, but seemed to not be able to do it from the coach's bench? You would think it's a trait he, more than most, would be able to instil into his players.

Re: Attitude : Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:48 am  

It's been said elsewhere on the forum but there is a strange arrogance about the team that ties in with the above. Suddenly the team would wake up against Leigh but somehow looked to other teams as inferior regardless of results clearly indicating otherwise?

You could almost see them go behind and be stood under the sticks thinking 'It's ok, we're Bradford, we'll be there or thereabouts...', That was the most frustrating thing about the season so far and for me perfectly summed up in the last minute farce against Dewsbury and the look of utter disbelief that the plan failed.

[Bullseye]

Re: Attitude : Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:52 am  

We need a Graeme Bradley type player who can get in the ear of players and get them to man up. Those tweets after the Fev game told a story.

You only get out of the game what you're prepared to put in. Players need to take responsibility and show some professionalism and maturity. I think our lack of leaders with those qualities has allowed this malaise to develop.

Lowes was a great player but he led by example. Off the field I was never convinced he was a great communicator. I never thought he could inspire players to do well for him like others coaches can.

[Bulliac]

Re: Attitude : Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:56 am  

Bullseye wrote:

It frustrates the heck out of me. IMO the last head coach (mainly Lowes) has to shoulder the blame. The half ar5ed attitude the team has displayed in most games since we were relegated shows a lack of professionalism. Time and again we’ve “played” for half a game or less and run out winners. That must eventually take its toll and make players set the bar lower as they can get away with doing less than they had to in SL. In the end that attitude has caught up with them and we’ve begun to lose more and more games that we would’ve won a year or 18 months ago. The squad have “become” average championship players rather than aspiring SL players.

I think we’ve lacked genuine leaders on the field that can challenge this kind of attitude when it manifests itself e.g. when we’re walking to a scrum when we’re behind or when forwards are leaving the tough carries to the backs or when there’s no organisation at the end of a set of six.

In the end it’s a human reaction to do just what you need to do unless you’re challenged to do better. A lot of this game is played in the mind and I think the current squad needs shaking out of its current mindset. It needn’t be an authoritarian approach (didn’t work under Lowes) but it should be a challenging approach. I’ve been part of teams at work that have had a half ar5ed attitude and it was a demoralising experience and easy to lose confidence. Similarly when I’ve gone to teams that are well run it is inspiring.

Can Smith sort things out? I think the clearout in the squad will help. Too many bit part players that are on the fringes doesn’t help build loyalty. A lot of players have got too used to losing. If he can harness the winning mentality and enthusiasm of the U19s and combine that with some toughness and leadership I think we’ll improve. A lot depends on the senior players we’ve got and ones he brings in. Get it wrong and we’ll be 5th again next year or lower. Get it right and top 2 is possible.

Fair comment. Assuming the financials are sorted -'cos this is our biggest worry currently, for me - then I agree that some new blood is badly needed.

I'm not sure about the reasons for the, 'bad attitude', and its obvious consequence, our inability to put a full 80 minutes together. Playing threequarters of the season with no proper scrum-half and, effectively, no leader on the field certainly hasn't helped. It's a clear fact that a number of our squad have under performed though and as a few of these have been decent SL players, you have to wonder why. There is often a problem with players getting used to new systems, new defensive plans for instance, when a coach comes in part way through a season, and Smith has pretty much changed the spine of the side so I suppose there can be an amount of resignation, or 'bad attitude', when going through the changes and things aren't working properly.

You ask if Smithy can sort it out but, truth is, he has to. Listening to his after match and general comments it's clear he sees building up for next season as his main job, and did so even before the top four went bye byes. Hopefully, whoever comes in, all that will be sorted by a good pre-season.

Re: Attitude : Wed Aug 10, 2016 10:02 am  

Does anyone think Chev Walker may also be part of this issue? He's the bloke who is in that role for us of spending too much time on the pitch for a non-player, but he always seems too nice? The person in that position IMO needs to be one of those inspirational backside kicking types, who gets the heads down or lazy players going and gives them some oomph. Chev comes across too much like the "It's ok, it'll all be ok, chin up" type.

Re: Attitude : Wed Aug 10, 2016 10:06 am  

HamsterChops wrote:

Regarding Lowes, isn't it odd that he is exactly the kind of player that would have done this, but seemed to not be able to do it from the coach's bench? You would think it's a trait he, more than most, would be able to instil into his players.

The problem is that when you play with the attitude Jimmy had you find it hard (when you are in charge) to understand why your players don't. You can see this all the time in soccer. Bryan Robson and Roy Keane are two perfect examples of players that you wouldn't want to play against but were unable to motivate players when they were managers.