Richo to thank for Port's decline

[freely]

Anyone else hear them saying on Marngrook how Port's 'never say die' spirit was down to Richo? Said he was Hinkley's right-hand man - they haven't been the same since he left them and came to us.

[satchmo]

That was what we hoped when we hired him. Port were going great guns at the time.

[Bluthy]

It's hard to know. Hinkley always talks really fast. It struck me that as a young player he would get you fired up quickly but does that work long term with their development? Richo's expertise seems to be young player development which takes dad-like patience maybe Hinkley doesn't have. But then we don't know how Richo will cope with operating a top eight team that every team is studying its tactics in depth to try and undo each week and particularly for finals. Thats the acid test for a coach.

[saintsRrising]

Michelangelo Rucci stated yesterday that Richo had been a bigger loss for Port than Walsh had been to Adelaide.

[loris]

I was only saying to my sister last week. I wonder how much Port were missing Richo.

He and Hinkley started in 2013. Port had been a basket case. Hinkley took over as senior coach & Richo as Director of Coaching. Port surprised the competition in 2013. They still had the momentum going in 2014.

Remember how much Port were upset when Richo did take the Saints job at the end of 2013. Koch was really annoyed AND we even agreed to paying them $20,000 (I think it was), to compensate them being without a Director of Coaching so late - as all other coaching type jobs had well been finalised. Never before had a team paid for a coach to be released - it's always been done with good grace, pleased that the person has got a senior role.

Maybe, Richo was the strategist & brains behind the set up and structures at Port throughout 2013 & Port just continued with that momentum in 2014, as Richo would have had a lot to do with the planning for the forthcoming 2014 season as he was still with Port late into 2013.

Port started to decline in 2015 and have not seemed to tinker with their game plan when it's been exposed. Maybe, Richo was the brains behind not only developing players, but also the coaches......................... no wonder Kochie was so p!ssed off eh?

[saintbrat]

can we track his record back- how did Pies go after he left?

[Goose is king]

I was thinking about this today funnily enough.
Port two years ago were the media's love child, last year and this year it's the Dogs and we seem to be getting some love too.
Our effort is superior to Ports. Is that because of Richo? I believe Roo and out leadership control our effort as even under Watters you could never fault the effort.
I have never heard anyone say a bad word about Richo and he seems to be a wise choice as coach.
How far he can take us is anyone's guess but I'm looking forward to see what happens

[samuraisaint]

They still keep beating us though.

[samuraisaint]

I was thinking about this today funnily enough.
Port two years ago were the media's love child, last year and this year it's the Dogs and we seem to be getting some love too.
Our effort is superior to Ports. Is that because of Richo? I believe Roo and out leadership control our effort as even under Watters you could never fault the effort.
I have never heard anyone say a bad word about Richo and he seems to be a wise choice as coach.
How far he can take us is anyone's guess but I'm looking forward to see what happens

Pressure's off this year - as it should be and if we finish bottom four or five nobody will turn a hair. But next year, the expectation should be that as the list is maturing, and with Carlisle, Freeman, and another free agent, we would want to win at least a third of our matches in 2017, and then half of them in 2018. By 2019, a top 4 finish would be a success.

[Con Gorozidis]

Port's best year was 2014 when we finished last (with Richo as our Coach) so clutching at straws I think.

Richo may well be a good coach in his own right who gets to make his own history but making things up isn't helpful.

I'll play devil's advocate. Port and Richo love to play a run and gun style that can beat Hawthorn. Port always beat or trouble the Hawks. But they struggle with most other teams because they cant play any other way. Let's hope we aren't port Mark II. Doesn't mean much that Port beat the Hawks last season if they cant even make the 8.

[BigMart]

Push up, create mid turnovers and get goals out the back. That's AR.

It is a taxing style, which will have flat periods or be countered sometimes.

[samuraisaint]

Push up, create mid turnovers and get goals out the back. That's AR.

It is a taxing style, which will have flat periods or be countered sometimes.

Having a CHB (JC) and getting some outside run (NF) into the team will help. 2017 can't really come too quickly for this team.

[Wayne42]

Phil Walsh took over AR's role at Port when AR went to the Saints and they were still a good team, once Port lost Walsh to Adelaide, and they effectively replaced Walsh with Voss, they turned to Shite very quickly.

It probably means Hinkley is a dud. Voss is already a proven dud coach.

Why do we continually lose to this rabble ?

[samuraisaint]

We had the same problem with Carlton for a century - no matter where we were on the ladder they always seemed to get lucky and hit form against us. They won 100 out of the first 120 against (with two draws). That didn't change until Kenny Sheldon started coaching us.
Same with Essendon after 1980 until a couple of years ago. They had the wood on us for absolutely years and years. And if we did get lucky one year and beat them; the next year, beware.
Now, it's Port.

[Griggsy]

I take it back. Me and a lot of people here said we could be the next port with their sudden rise up the ladder a couple years ago. I wouldn't go near port with a 10ft pole after tonight game, at least until they sort their coaching. It's funny how a lot of the reporters and experts tipped them to win the premiership last year before that season started. Goes to show how fickle this game can be and not even the experts really have a clue. Hope we treat our development like how we treat Freeman's hamstring, don't leave any box unchecked.

[loris]

I take it back. Me and a lot of people here said we could be the next port with their sudden rise up the ladder a couple years ago. I wouldn't go near port with a 10ft pole after tonight game, at least until they sort their coaching. It's funny how a lot of the reporters and experts tipped them to win the premiership last year before that season started. Goes to show how fickle this game can be and not even the experts really have a clue. Hope we treat our development like how we treat Freeman's hamstring, don't leave any box unchecked.

Actually re the last part of your final sentence, 'don't leave any box un checked' - there is an article in today's sport section of The Australian titled 'Upwardly mobile Saints on track with long term plan'. It's all about the 'blueprint' handed to Alan Richardson after former coach Scott Waters was sacked in 2013 - the five year plan to be flag contenders by 2018 - the Saints should be back in the top four by 2018 and aim to win a premiership by 2020.
Very interesting how first it was to address player payments, to reflect a young and level list (not having a minimum number of top players taking too much of the salary cap). In 2011 the top 10 players took up 62% of the cap. It's now been reduced to 40%. This allows Saints to recruit players from other clubs at 'the right time' to fast track success - there is a long term approach to monitor free agency & uncontracted players with a view to luring them to the Saints as we rise and become attractive to players from other clubs. Article says the Saints are taking a cautious approach - steady improvement up the ladder is the gauge. Building on advances made the previous year with their game plan. There is mention about the cautious approach with Nathan Freeman, etc.
Joey is quoted as saying, "For us it's more about process and the way we are playing rather than necessarily our wins & losses at the end of the year. As long as we keep improving, and play the way we want to play, a brand of football that's going to take us to finals, that's what we should be aiming for.".
AR is committed to the plan, represents not only the Saints aspirations , but that they are accountable to a plan, so there are purposes behind decision that are made by the club.

So Griggsy I assume there is plenty of box checking/ticking going on with the overall development of our Club as well as the players......... which gives a degree of confidence to this supporter.

[saintspremiers]

I take it back. Me and a lot of people here said we could be the next port with their sudden rise up the ladder a couple years ago. I wouldn't go near port with a 10ft pole after tonight game, at least until they sort their coaching. It's funny how a lot of the reporters and experts tipped them to win the premiership last year before that season started. Goes to show how fickle this game can be and not even the experts really have a clue. Hope we treat our development like how we treat Freeman's hamstring, don't leave any box unchecked.

We lost to Port due to missing out on a practice match. We weren't match fit and couldn't play out four quarters. The last 2 weeks proves this theory.

[spert]

We lost to PA because Richo went defensive in the last quarter, plus Roo was on the bench when we needed some leadership in the last quarter, not a match fitness thing.

[Bunk_Moreland]

Phil Walsh took over AR's role at Port when AR went to the Saints and they were still a good team, once Port lost Walsh to Adelaide, and they effectively replaced Walsh with Voss, they turned to Shite very quickly.

It probably means Hinkley is a dud. Voss is already a proven dud coach.

Why do we continually lose to this rabble ?

If we had some condition round 1, we would have won by 5 goals.

[SaintPav]

Missing out on one practice game means that we can't finish out games nearly 2 months later. Makes sense.

[Bunk_Moreland]

We lost to PA because Richo went defensive in the last quarter, plus Roo was on the bench when we needed some leadership in the last quarter, not a match fitness thing.

Garbage

[stevie]

Port will always truggle when they rely on guys like Westhoff and Boak who won't get any better as players. Last year they tried the saem formula that worked in 2014 but sides had cottoned on to them. Add injuries to key players and no wonder they were average last year. And they are fronrunners as Geelong showed last night. they started the figh but gave up with a whimper - weak as piss

[Con Gorozidis]

The flip side to this is that we hired Richo because we were under the false illusion that Port had a good program. Reality is Port have a sh*t program. They are a joke. Hardly worth copying.