Zen
SGI Jersey Flegg
I'd like to see a citation or two here.But I have seen so many instances of new coaches coming into a team where the fans were ready to sack every single player because of the way they've been playing and suddenly improve things. I'm not saying win games by big margins but actually see meaningful changes across the pitch because of the coaching ideas he gives them on the training field, the systems and structures he puts in place, the confidence he gives them, the positions he plays them and the players he selects from the whole squad. I've seen disjointed and hopeless looking squads suddenly become more organised, more cohesive, more motivated. I've seen hopeless looking players improve 100%
Recent coaches sacked mid-season:
Brad Arthur (eels). They were 14th when he was replaced in May. Finished 15th.
Justin Holbrook (Titans). 9th when he was replaced in June. Finished 14th.
Anthony Griffin (Dragons). 16th when he was replaced by Ryan Carr in May. Finished 16th.
Jason Demetriou (Souths). 17th when he was replaced in April by Hornby. Finished 16th.
Anthony Seibold (Broncos). 15th when he was replaced in August. Finished 16th.
Nathan Brown (Warriors). 14th when he was replaced in June. Finished 15th.
Paul McGregor (Dragons). 12th when replaced by Young. Finished 12th.
Paul Green (Cowboys). 12th when he was replaced in July. Finished 14th.
I'm not saying this in defence of Dean Young, I'm just saying that this "instant new coach bump" trope is a bit of a myth. Kieran Foran this year is a complete outlier, mainly because he was taking over a quality squad who all hated Seibold. Another outlier is Mick Potter taking over from Trent Barrett at the Dogs, which really only proves how bad Barrett was.
I just don't think the lack of instant success is a dealbreaker, because it almost never happens, at least not in the NRL which is all I care about