Morrison wants to find new level in Super 8s

[Tom Coates]

"We've done well so far, but it's important to kick on and find a new level now we're getting into the Super 8s"

 

Dewsbury Rams Head Coach Glenn Morrison believes his side are well set for an assault on the Championship Shield, with the Super 8s' big kick-off just days away.

 

Read Oliver Roby's full interview: http://www.dewsburyrams.co.uk/article/44513/morrison-wants-to-find-new

[Therein73]

If what we've seen so far is 'finding a new level' then what had happened up to that point couldn't have been very good.......and, in fact, it wasn't !! This has to go down as a disappointing season, at best, even if we do reach and / or win the final of the "Also Rans" Shield. Already there's talk of Thackray and Grady moving on (two of our best players against London yesterday) and off we go again on the merry-go-round of recruitment for 2016...............recruitment that seemingly doesn't end throughout the actual season. We keep bringing in loan players to replace the has-beens who don't perform and, for reasons best known to Coach and player, leave out someone with the class and experience of Godwin............yet, when a young 'un goes out and has a beer or two more than he should do, it's all over the website. Hardly the first time that's happened is it ?? (Stevo's book refers to happenings before the 1973 semi vs Bradford)  

If the players have not stuck to the gameplan as often as our coach would have us believe this year, then doesn't it worry him that they're still not listening this far in to a season ?? And is it really written in stone that we must replace props after 20 minutes..... even when they're tearing holes in the opposition defence.....or, as we did against Whitehaven, replace the entire front three whilst we're defending on our own line ?? I believe that we have some very, very good players at the Rams currently....... what I'm not believing any more is that we have the right coaching set up to get the best out of these players....... Not a very positive first post, I'm afraid. And to finish, if anyone thinks London will play that badly against us in the semi-final they are sadly deluded..... London have a heck of a lot of potential (witness their hammering of Sheffield at Blackpool) and they played well within themselves yesterday................ Perhaps with an eye on the likelihood of coming back to Rams in the semis ????

[coolie]

If what we've seen so far is 'finding a new level' then what had happened up to that point couldn't have been very good.......and, in fact, it wasn't !! This has to go down as a disappointing season, at best, even if we do reach and / or win the final of the "Also Rans" Shield. Already there's talk of Thackray and Grady moving on (two of our best players against London yesterday) and off we go again on the merry-go-round of recruitment for 2016...............recruitment that seemingly doesn't end throughout the actual season. We keep bringing in loan players to replace the has-beens who don't perform and, for reasons best known to Coach and player, leave out someone with the class and experience of Godwin............yet, when a young 'un goes out and has a beer or two more than he should do, it's all over the website. Hardly the first time that's happened is it ?? (Stevo's book refers to happenings before the 1973 semi vs Bradford)

If the players have not stuck to the gameplan as often as our coach would have us believe this year, then doesn't it worry him that they're still not listening this far in to a season ?? And is it really written in stone that we must replace props after 20 minutes..... even when they're tearing holes in the opposition defence.....or, as we did against Whitehaven, replace the entire front three whilst we're defending on our own line ?? I believe that we have some very, very good players at the Rams currently....... what I'm not believing any more is that we have the right coaching set up to get the best out of these players....... Not a very positive first post, I'm afraid. And to finish, if anyone thinks London will play that badly against us in the semi-final they are sadly deluded..... London have a heck of a lot of potential (witness their hammering of Sheffield at Blackpool) and they played well within themselves yesterday................ Perhaps with an eye on the likelihood of coming back to Rams in the semis ????

Hey my kinda guy

Refreshing to hear someone else banging the gong instead of me for a change

Good post

[graham fisher]

If what we've seen so far is 'finding a new level' then what had happened up to that point couldn't have been very good.......and, in fact, it wasn't !! This has to go down as a disappointing season, at best, even if we do reach and / or win the final of the "Also Rans" Shield. Already there's talk of Thackray and Grady moving on (two of our best players against London yesterday) and off we go again on the merry-go-round of recruitment for 2016...............recruitment that seemingly doesn't end throughout the actual season. We keep bringing in loan players to replace the has-beens who don't perform and, for reasons best known to Coach and player, leave out someone with the class and experience of Godwin............yet, when a young 'un goes out and has a beer or two more than he should do, it's all over the website. Hardly the first time that's happened is it ?? (Stevo's book refers to happenings before the 1973 semi vs Bradford)  

If the players have not stuck to the gameplan as often as our coach would have us believe this year, then doesn't it worry him that they're still not listening this far in to a season ?? And is it really written in stone that we must replace props after 20 minutes..... even when they're tearing holes in the opposition defence.....or, as we did against Whitehaven, replace the entire front three whilst we're defending on our own line ?? I believe that we have some very, very good players at the Rams currently....... what I'm not believing any more is that we have the right coaching set up to get the best out of these players....... Not a very positive first post, I'm afraid. And to finish, if anyone thinks London will play that badly against us in the semi-final they are sadly deluded..... London have a heck of a lot of potential (witness their hammering of Sheffield at Blackpool) and they played well within themselves yesterday................ Perhaps with an eye on the likelihood of coming back to Rams in the semis ????

was you at the same game as me yesterday? Thackeray & Grady our best 2 players,really!! Thackeray's definitely going to fev,on a contract that we can't match & too right as well,nothing definite with Grady,I really hope we can keep him. As Mark Sawyer says we're not prepared to bankrupt the club by trying to match what some of these clubs are offering our players,do you want to back to early 2000's when we were a matter of hour from going out of business? I was talking to Godwin other week,I asked why he wasn't playing,he said he was waiting to see a specialist about his knee. Don't you think these players that have come in on loan have strengthened us? Seymour,Conroy & Uaisele for me have. By the way even though Grady had a good game my 2 best players were Rob Spicer & Ryan Fieldhouse.

[Therein73]

if it was the game that Dewsbury won 25-16 against a below par London side then, yes I was at the same game as you......... and I said that Thackray and Grady were 2 of our best players -- not necessarily our best 2. and the point was that it's disappointing to hear that they are likely to be moving on.Did I at any point advocate paying over the odds to keep them??? I would agree that Conroy and Seymour have generally improved things ..... for me, the jury's still out on Uaseile -- I think his defensive frailties have already been exploited. Again, my point actually was, that despite a very aggressive and comprehensive recruitment campaign pre-season, we still found ourselves having to bring in replacements for the non-performers............and those non-performers were recruited by Glenn Morrison...... so, I question the judgement of our coaching set up...... there's a heck of a long list of players that Morrison has brought to our club who haven't made the grade or lived up to the hype........ Spiers, Wright,Lillycrop,Crookes,Wildie,Godwin (and surely he couldn't have been not fit enough to play for Dewsbury yet turn out at Super League level??) to name but a few off the top of my head.          I wouldn't disagree that Spicer and Fieldhouse were amongst our best yesterday, in fact I think it was Fieldhouse's best game for us, but that only papers over things as London clearly were not firing on all cylinders..... I hope I'm wrong but we'll have to be a heap better than yesterday if London come to town again for the semi...... because they won't be as bad 

[Tom Coates]

If what we've seen so far is 'finding a new level' then what had happened up to that point couldn't have been very good.......and, in fact, it wasn't !!

 

Christ.

 

What would you rather he have said ahead of the Super 8s?

 

We're second and on course to reach the Shield Final. We've lost one game.

 

This has to go down as a disappointing season, at best, even if we do reach and / or win the final of the "Also Rans" Shield.

 

So to recap... if we finish the season having beaten London four times, Featherstone twice, Sheffield once, come within inches of beating Leigh and Bradford - and win silverware - you'll still be unhappy?

 

The top four would have been a staggering achievement given the relative budgets that the teams at this end of the table are working to. The next best thing we can do is win the Shield.

 

We've nearly twice as many points as the teams in the bottom three and have headed in to games against every team in the league with a belief that we can win.

 

How many seasons in the pre-Morrison days have we been able to say that at this level during the last 15 years?

 

Already there's talk of Thackray and Grady moving on

 

...and your solution to our players being poached by clubs offering silly amounts of money is......?

 

 

and off we go again on the merry-go-round of recruitment for 2016...............recruitment that seemingly doesn't end throughout the actual season.

 

Indeed, how dare we strengthen our squad when there are players available?

 

 

We keep bringing in loan players to replace the has-beens who don't perform

Which "has-beens" haven't performed? Given that Jason Crookes is only 25 I'm sure you don't mean him...

 

We keep bringing in loan players to replace the has-beens who don't perform and, for reasons best known to Coach and player, leave out someone with the class and experience of Godwin............

 

Tell me, where would you put Godwin in our pecking order at hooker? Do you think we've suffered from an under-performance at hooker in recent weeks?

[Tom Coates]

yet, when a young 'un goes out and has a beer or two more than he should do, it's all over the website. Hardly the first time that's happened is it ?? (Stevo's book refers to happenings before the 1973 semi vs Bradford)

 

But this isn't 1973, is it? Players can't drink before a game any more. James did, and he got suspended for it.

 

It was "all over the website" because the club made a decision to explain to fans why he wasn't picked. Controversial, I know...

 

 

If the players have not stuck to the gameplan as often as our coach would have us believe this year, then doesn't it worry him that they're still not listening this far in to a season ??

 

I don't think a failure to follow the game plan has been the sole reason for every defeat this season. We could always discuss those reasons in more depth, but why bother when it's easier just to blame the coach?

 

 

And is it really written in stone that we must replace props after 20 minutes..... even when they're tearing holes in the opposition defence.....or, as we did against Whitehaven, replace the entire front three whilst we're defending on our own line ??

 

Did you follow the interchange patterns on Sunday? I thought GM got the interchanges right.

 

Maybe he did get them wrong against Whitehaven. Maybe the players he brought off were blowing out of their backsides.

 

Chris Chester got it wrong picking Kieran Dixon in front of Ben Cockayne on Saturday. I expect the KR fans are already demanding that he is replaced.

 

 

I believe that we have some very, very good players at the Rams currently....... what I'm not believing any more is that we have the right coaching set up to get the best out of these players.......

 

Who attracted these players to the club? The ones who came here for less money than they could have got elsewhere?

 

 

Not a very positive first post, I'm afraid. And to finish, if anyone thinks London will play that badly against us in the semi-final they are sadly deluded..... London have a heck of a lot of potential (witness their hammering of Sheffield at Blackpool) and they played well within themselves yesterday................

 

"They played well within themselves" !? What does that even mean?

 

London do have a heck of a lot of potential. They're a full-time team, with a budget at least 5x ours and we've beaten them three times this season. What does that say about us?

 

 

Perhaps with an eye on the likelihood of coming back to Rams in the semis ????

 

Again, you're going to have to explain this one. Are you saying they played poorly intentionally just to lull us in to a false sense of security?

[Tom Coates]

if it was the game that Dewsbury won 25-16 against a below par London side then, yes I was at the same game as you......... and I said that Thackray and Grady were 2 of our best players -- not necessarily our best 2. and the point was that it's disappointing to hear that they are likely to be moving on.Did I at any point advocate paying over the odds to keep them???

 

Nice back pedal on Thackeray and Grady there.

Any thoughts on the reasons why Shane Grady's played the best rugby of his career during the last two years, and why Anthony Thackeray is now regarded (by most) as one of the best half-backs outside Super League, despite being discarded as surplus by Halifax two years ago?

 

Any thoughts on that at all?

 

 

Again, my point actually was, that despite a very aggressive and comprehensive recruitment campaign pre-season, we still found ourselves having to bring in replacements for the non-performers............and those non-performers were recruited by Glenn Morrison...... so, I question the judgement of our coaching set up......

 

We've also had a very aggressive and comprehensive injury list: Zach Johnson, Ryan Fieldhouse, Greg Scott, Toby Adamson, Brett Seymour, Shane Grady, Karl Pryce, Callan Beckett, Rob Spicer, Stephen Nash, Sam Wood - all out with medium to long-term injuries at different stages of the season.

 

And we had Tommy Gallagher and Jobe Murphy leave due to changes to their work / personal circumstances.

 

Is that down to poor judgement by the coaching set-up? Maybe we should have just forced Glenn to stick with what he's got, though, yeah? Remember, we've got 20+ Championship standard players kicking their heels in the Reserves........

 

 

there's a heck of a long list of players that Morrison has brought to our club who haven't made the grade or lived up to the hype........ Spiers, Wright,Lillycrop,Crookes,Wildie,Godwin (and surely he couldn't have been not fit enough to play for Dewsbury yet turn out at Super League level??)

 

Russ Spiers and Tom Lillycrop - from that list - I'll give you. Two players in three years, and both have gone on to carve out reasonable careers in the Championship. Hardly disasters.

 

Ryan Wright spent the best part of three years here and his departure wasn't down to not making the grade or living up to the hype, was it?

 

Matty Wildie has come in for a lot of stick this year, mainly because he isn't Anthony Thackeray, but anybody who knows anything about the game will know that he was never going to be. He's a good organiser, an excellent passer of the ball and a good reader of the game.

 

And in his recent run at stand-off he's shown off those attributes, no?

 

In your previous post you said Wayne Godwin has experience and class - but now he's on the "haven't made the grade / lived up to the hype list" ? Make your mind up.

 

Jason Crookes came here at 24 years old, following a good season with Featherstone, and having played a decent amount of games in Super League as well as in a Challenge Cup Final. The lad made a few errors in the game against Halifax and has struggled for form, thus he's out of the team and plying his trade mostly in the Reserves. Not sure what you'd rather Glenn have done with him?

 

 

but that only papers over things as London clearly were not firing on all cylinders..... I hope I'm wrong but we'll have to be a heap better than yesterday if London come to town again for the semi...... because they won't be as bad 

 

Aaaah, the old "we only won 'cause they were ######". Five posts in and you're already clutching at ridiculous intangibles to try and back up your agenda.

 

You may have been 'ThereIn73' but judging by these posts you're certainly not all there in 2015.

[Tom Coates]

Hey my kinda guy

Refreshing to hear someone else banging the gong instead of me for a change

Good post

 

coolie - Therein73

 

Therein73, this is coolie

 

coolie's only been to handful of games this year - what's your excuse?

[Wilsden Ram]

Plus you can add Tom Hemingway to the Injury List.

As for Godwin, didn't he state publicly that he wanted to be in a full time environment i.e.

Salford. Since he 'left' Salford, he has not been involved - at least Dick Turpin wore a mask!

[DewsburyRams4ever]

Some 'fans' will always look for a reason to complain. Either get behind the coach, players etc or go and watch Batley........oh I forgot someone already has!

[Rambo]

Is Godwin still getting paid by Dewsbury or just on match terms?

[Ramite]

Tom I wouldn't bother with these pop up posters. They will just have an incoherent rant then disappear.

[coolie]

coolie - Therein73

Therein73, this is coolie

coolie's only been to handful of games this year - what's your excuse?

Oh guilty by association now I'm I now

Guilty until I'm proved innocent

Just because thru choice I've not attended as many games this season..does not invalidate my opinion nor my passion for my team

Just because I think the coach is a egotistical megalomaniac with disillusioned grandeur... That's my opinion

People can and deserve to be able to think for themselves and draw their own conclusions without you making personal attacks if they do

Head out your a.rse time young man

I don't know Therein73 and have no connection to him personally

Just because we share the same views that evidently are opposed to your doesn't make us less of a supporter or gives you the right to disrespect individuals views

[grumpyoldram]

Tom I wouldn't bother with these pop up posters. They will just have an incoherent rant then disappear.

So you don't think opinions that don't fall into those expressed by the pro Morrison camp should be given credence then ? Here we have the two diametrically opposing opinions of the GM reign - those who think he can turn water into wine, and those convinced he's better suited to turning guiness into p##s. There are some of us though that fall somewhere in the middle of those two camps. Glenn Morrison has done some great things for the club. He has raised it's profile, brought in a previously unheard of level of professionalism, and attracted some very good players (with the help of Mark's very generous chequebook). As a coach though, the jury is still out for some. Don't get me wrong - he's far from the worst coach we've had, but he's not the best (yet). As I see it, we will still finish around the same position as last year - maybe as good as we can expect given relative budgets -  so not huge progress then. Yes we have put in creditable performances against Leigh and Bradford, and beaten clubs we might not have expected to in Fev and London, but we've been embarrassed by Hunslet and Haven, and scraped through some matches we deserved to lose. In fact GM himself often tells us "we won ugly" and " we played badly but still won, which is the mark of a good side" - so maybe he himself recognises the fact that there is still work to be done. At the beginning of the season, my minimum expectation was for us not to be in the position that the dogs supporters now find themselves, and my biggest realistic hope to top group C - so job nearly done. I would however have preferred us to win at least a few matches with style - something I don't believe we have done. Let's hope that we can achieve that in the last few matches, and then carry that into next year. Just a last comment to Tom (a well intended one) - I know you wear your heart on your sleeve, and you are rightly a staunch defender of all things concerning the club, but treating  posters who's views are at odds with your own like their heads button up at the back, lacks style and respect.

[Ramite]

I think people should be allowed an opinion , it struck me as odd for a new poster to start off with such a post. As long as the posts(whichever side they fall on) make sense then yes I would give them credence.

I think of GM like yourself a good coach but not a megalomaniac nor a super coach. We've made steps in the right direction but it feels like baby steps. If I'm honest I don't really see why GM splits our support so much. Maybe it's just on here.

[DewsburyRams4ever]

Oh guilty by association now I'm I now

Guilty until I'm proved innocent

Just because thru choice I've not attended as many games this season..does not invalidate my opinion nor my passion for my team

Just because I think the coach is a egotistical megalomaniac with disillusioned grandeur... That's my opinion

People can and deserve to be able to think for themselves and draw their own conclusions without you making personal attacks if they do

Head out your a.rse time young man

I don't know Therein73 and have no connection to him personally

Just because we share the same views that evidently are opposed to your doesn't make us less of a supporter or gives you the right to disrespect individuals views

 

We all know you've watched Batley through choice, even when Dewsbury have been playing at home on the same day!

[grumpyoldram]

We all know you've watched Batley through choice, even when Dewsbury have been playing at home on the same day!

Which he is entitled to do without criticism - although it seems a waste of a season ticket, particularly given that the lot over the valley would gladly trade places (and coaches) with us.  

[coolie]

We all know you've watched Batley through choice, even when Dewsbury have been playing at home on the same day!

And that my ex friend is where your talking doo doo

We was away on every occasion or not playing

If your going to criticise and attempt publicly to mug me off

Get your facts right

Batley vs London June 10th(midweek) in aid of Danny Jones

DEWSBURY NO GAME JUNE 10TH

Batley vs Doncaster July 5th

DEWSBURY AWAY AT FEATHERSTONE

Batley vs hunslet July 19th

DEWSBURY AWAY AT WHITEHAVEN

As I've just proved

You talk c.rap

But hey nowt fresh is it

[Piggy's mate]

Which he is entitled to do without criticism - although it seems a waste of a season ticket, particularly given that the lot over the valley would gladly trade places (and coaches) with us.  

After watching Austin in the reserves a couple of weeks ago I'd gladly have him in a Bulldogs shirt, wasted in the second team and I'll go on Thursday just to watch him play...

I hope he is playing now I've said that and committed myself to spending £6

[grumpyoldram]

After watching Austin in the reserves a couple of weeks ago I'd gladly have him in a Bulldogs shirt, wasted in the second team and I'll go on Thursday just to watch him play...

I hope he is playing now I've said that and committed myself to spending £6

Would have done a job for us this season, if he'd been allowed to - we have regularly played players carrying injuries rather than give him the shirt, and  if he isn't still a better player than Crookes on current form I'll eat my own Aristotle.

[Therein73]

RAMITE: What exactly is incoherent about either of my posts ?? If you don't understand, tell me what you don't understand and I will endeavour to portray myself more succinctly.

Mr Coates: I don't think I have long enough left to live to retort to every one of your points, but let me try and respond in brief to some of them: I have nothing against what Morrison said -- where do i say that i do ?  I initially said that I thought Thackray & Grady were 2 OF our best players, NOT the best 2 and I am disappointed that they may both be moving on.... I did NOT say that we should pay over the odds or what we cannot afford, to keep them. I believe (and of course, it's only my opinion) that GODWIN is a damned good player, but the number of times he's been picked for the first team would suggest he "hasn't lived up to the hype". Crookes is an ex Super League player at 25, Wildie is a self-confessed Super League 'wannabe' which is why he only signed a one year contract apparently -- and, yes, he has looked much better recently (NOT SL quality though)but we've only 5 games left (at most) this season and Karl Pryce has NOT set the world alight in his time with us....... Do I think London gave a restricted showing on Sunday -- YES, I do in exactly the same way that we rolled over for Warrington in the Cup and put out a much weakened team against Batley, and if you want to go back a number of years, in exactly the same way we lost at home to Workington in the play-offs when Andy Fisher was coach.... yet tonked them in the Final. All supposition, really, but that is what I believe.  And, finally, do I think Morrison has made Thackray a better player -- Hell NO !!!   He was a damned good player in his career before coming to the Rams and he's been outstanding for us in his time with us.............. Cream will always rise. But his talent, spirit and whole hearted endeavour may in part be FOR Morrison but I don't think it's because OF Morrison. I have never shouted insults or derision at Morrison and I do want him to be successful with the Rams....... but how long do we have to tolerate inept performances such as those at Hunslet and at home to Batley, Halifax and Whitehaven before being 'permitted' to post on here WITHOUT receiving disrespect and derision from a  very visible club representative.???? 

[Shipley Ram]

After watching Austin in the reserves a couple of weeks ago I'd gladly have him in a Bulldogs shirt, wasted in the second team and I'll go on Thursday just to watch him play...

I hope he is playing now I've said that and committed myself to spending £6

It would be a great move for him. As you say, he is wasted in the reserves

[reg gasnier]

Without a doubt in my opinion Morrison is the best coach in the championship , just wish my grandson had shown a bit of past ions forgive the spelling, give him time he'll get you promotion doesn't get everything right all the time but hey the guy knows what he's doing, and in my opinion he's got the talent to take super league

[coolie]

Without a doubt in my opinion Morrison is the best coach in the championship , just wish my grandson had shown a bit of past ions forgive the spelling, give him time he'll get you promotion doesn't get everything right all the time but hey the guy knows what he's doing, and in my opinion he's got the talent to take super league

Well he won't be getting any promotion with dewsbury

Not on our agenda

Think marks words was

Best run club outside super league

And I'm happy with that