Granty
12-02-2006, 04:10 AM
http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,18113090%255E2764,00.html
The boys are back
MICHAEL WESTLAKE
12feb06
NEW Queensland rugby league coach Mal Meninga will implement a "mentor" coaching system involving some of the state's greatest players to help lift the Maroons out of the Origin mire.
With Queensland staring at its fourth consecutive series defeat, Meninga has called in a host of legends to help with specialised coaching for his squad in the lead-up to the first Origin match, in Sydney on May 24.
Along with the record-breaking former Maroons captain as head coach, Meninga's off-field staff reads like the basis of a Queensland all-star team.
Kerry Boustead will work with the back three, Mark Coyne with the centres, Allan Langer with the halves and hooker, Trevor Gillmeister with the back row, and Greg Dowling with the front row.
Kevin Walters and North Queensland's Neil Henry will be the assistant coaches, Billy Johnstone the conditioner, while the great Bob Lindner and Steve Walters will be team managers.
But it is the addition of the former stars to work individually with players by position that is the first major change of direction for the Maroons, with Meninga hoping relationships forged between current and former players will be on-going.
"This is a great resource for our players to use and they should respond to it in a positive way," Meninga said.
"These former players are all passionate Queenslanders. They were all winners on the field, but they are also winners in life.
"They are people that I trust enormously, and I hope that the players take advantage of it. And I would hope it would be on-going.
"What we have here is a rugby league fraternity. We are all Queenslanders, and we are all part of a very exclusive club – the FOGS (Former Origin Greats).
"I want the players to use this to build relationships and friendships with the blokes who did the job for Queensland before them."
Meninga said he understood concerns from Queensland fans that the Maroons had lost their legendary team spirit after insipid performances like the one dished up in the deciding third game of last year's series when they were smashed 32-10 at Suncorp Stadium.
"I have been thinking about it a fair bit, and it would be easy to come to the assumption that some of the passion has gone out of playing for Queensland.
"There are two scenarios we can look at this year. The first one is to ask the players what it means to wear the Maroon jersey, and I bet the answer I get is that they would do anything to get their hands on a Queensland jersey.
"So the second one is to look at NSW, and I think that is where the landscape has changed. The Blues have come along in leaps and bounds in recent years.
"I don't think it is a matter of Queenslanders losing passion in the jersey. It is just that the NSW blokes have started to match us.
"There is no doubt (NSW) are a very capable football side, and they have built momentum over a number of years. They have also played with a high degree of self-belief and self-confidence.
"After 20 years, they have worked out what Origin is all about. Phil Gould and Ricky Stuart have done a great job instilling that into their players, and they have received a tremendous amount of support from the NSW Rugby League and from their past players.
"The key for us is to raise the level again. We have been at this level of passion and commitment for a long time, and I think now is the time we take it to a new level.
"It is not about getting it back to like it was in the past. It is about improving on what we have had."
The boys are back
MICHAEL WESTLAKE
12feb06
NEW Queensland rugby league coach Mal Meninga will implement a "mentor" coaching system involving some of the state's greatest players to help lift the Maroons out of the Origin mire.
With Queensland staring at its fourth consecutive series defeat, Meninga has called in a host of legends to help with specialised coaching for his squad in the lead-up to the first Origin match, in Sydney on May 24.
Along with the record-breaking former Maroons captain as head coach, Meninga's off-field staff reads like the basis of a Queensland all-star team.
Kerry Boustead will work with the back three, Mark Coyne with the centres, Allan Langer with the halves and hooker, Trevor Gillmeister with the back row, and Greg Dowling with the front row.
Kevin Walters and North Queensland's Neil Henry will be the assistant coaches, Billy Johnstone the conditioner, while the great Bob Lindner and Steve Walters will be team managers.
But it is the addition of the former stars to work individually with players by position that is the first major change of direction for the Maroons, with Meninga hoping relationships forged between current and former players will be on-going.
"This is a great resource for our players to use and they should respond to it in a positive way," Meninga said.
"These former players are all passionate Queenslanders. They were all winners on the field, but they are also winners in life.
"They are people that I trust enormously, and I hope that the players take advantage of it. And I would hope it would be on-going.
"What we have here is a rugby league fraternity. We are all Queenslanders, and we are all part of a very exclusive club – the FOGS (Former Origin Greats).
"I want the players to use this to build relationships and friendships with the blokes who did the job for Queensland before them."
Meninga said he understood concerns from Queensland fans that the Maroons had lost their legendary team spirit after insipid performances like the one dished up in the deciding third game of last year's series when they were smashed 32-10 at Suncorp Stadium.
"I have been thinking about it a fair bit, and it would be easy to come to the assumption that some of the passion has gone out of playing for Queensland.
"There are two scenarios we can look at this year. The first one is to ask the players what it means to wear the Maroon jersey, and I bet the answer I get is that they would do anything to get their hands on a Queensland jersey.
"So the second one is to look at NSW, and I think that is where the landscape has changed. The Blues have come along in leaps and bounds in recent years.
"I don't think it is a matter of Queenslanders losing passion in the jersey. It is just that the NSW blokes have started to match us.
"There is no doubt (NSW) are a very capable football side, and they have built momentum over a number of years. They have also played with a high degree of self-belief and self-confidence.
"After 20 years, they have worked out what Origin is all about. Phil Gould and Ricky Stuart have done a great job instilling that into their players, and they have received a tremendous amount of support from the NSW Rugby League and from their past players.
"The key for us is to raise the level again. We have been at this level of passion and commitment for a long time, and I think now is the time we take it to a new level.
"It is not about getting it back to like it was in the past. It is about improving on what we have had."