The Duell Report - Dissecting Tony's interview and the departure of G

I was about to go for lunch on Monday when Mitch at work dropped me a work message. "Mark, have you seen the news?" was his opening gambit. Of course I hadn't so I told him firmly in the negative. Then he sent me the link. I was like er, what the heck? In fact, I spent my lunch break wondering what I had just read and trying to make head or tail of sense of it. Then the more I thought about it, the pieces started to click and they definitely started to emerge in a clearer picture once I heard Tony's interview on BBC Radio Sheffield.

The decision has split a number of us, and that's to be expected. Let's try to explain why I think this is the right way forward. My thoughts won't please you all, but then again this is my view from my soapbox. I give you two reasons off the top of my head, but we all know there could be more.

Reason number 1: Results and Performance

Yes we won the Elite League for the first time in 4 seasons, but by gosh we were very fortunate to do so. Nobody should go and win this with 13 losses on their record; to win the league with 74 points and that amount of regulation defeats shows how bad the league was. Everyone had a freak result or two in their record and although some say it proved how competitive the EIHL was: I digress. I mean come on, Hull winning 6-1 in the NIC? That's a prime example of a freak result.

G also was out thought on numerous occasions by opposing coaches, and when you struggle to find a Plan B then it reflects in a bad performance. Two of these notable occasions came in two massive games, namely the Challenge Cup and Play-Off Finals. For 40 minutes in both games, we were given a lesson on how to play from start to finish. We had to play desperate hockey to catch up, and in both cases - fell short.

Reason number 2: The impending Under 20 team

Tony cited this has something that is happening soon, and that the job of Sheffield Steelers Head Coach has expanded beyond the original remit which G was appointed on. He feels G cannot take the team further based on the abilities he has and what Tony wants. I foresee that the new coach will probably have to have a great background in developing promising talents and making them better hockey players. So who does this mean? It's certainly not going to be Peter Russell; the GB coach; as Tony has ruled him out already. Could it be a return to the Elite for Paul Thompson? That's an interesting thought. Guess he'd have to sever his Coventry ties completely if he was appointed.

Or is it someone else? We will know before the Champions Hockey League draw takes place in Prague on 13 May. One thing I ask of you all: we have to stick together through this latest decision, and give whoever succeeds G - our backing.

Another couple of things that struck me listening to the interview was the subject of the Steeldogs connection and the steps back and forward comment. I guess I wasn't alone with this. Looking at both objectively, it seems like Tony has a plan in mind to make Sheffield the new hotbed of hockey talent. Yeah the first announcement was met with some derision from current Dogs fans on Facebook. One claimed this: "Yawn, heard it all before. Seriously would be a good idea, but would have been a good idea for the last 10 years. Still waiting." whilst another said: "They want EVERYTHING and they want it NOW!!!"

Jesus, what are they on? All Tony is wanting for Sheffield hockey to be united under one umbrella instead of the split which currently exists. We're not wanting you to turn your back on the Dogs; if you want to watch them then that's your choice but wouldn't it be good to have a bit of continuity like they do down the road from juniors to semi-pro to full time pros? That's what I reckon Tony's after. Is that too hard to stomach? I don't think it is.

Finally, the "We might have in fairness have to take one or steps back to take three or four forward" comment. This strikes me that Tony is prepared to see the new plan be a work in progress and isn't a quick fix process. After Gerad did admit after the Final that in his eyes we had "overachieved" in 2015; and the League title was a surprise when considering the last 6 weeks of the season, we played two imports down. Do you remember that? Next season I can see being a bit of transition year especially with the CHL happening too. But then again who can predict what will happen next? Nobody has all the answers, not even Tony, so just swallow your pride and keep supporting the team (whoever is in it). That's what I am doing, are you?

See you in a few weeks. Time Out called!


Mark

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Steelers Welcome A New Sniper!!

Steelers have unveiled their latest addition to the 2014/2015 roster in the shape of American born Mike Forney.

The 6’2 left winger joins the Sheffield Steelers at 26-years-old from the Arizona Sundogs in the CHL. Forney, who is a right-handed shot was drafted back in 2006 by the Atlanta Thrasher (#80 overall) but never made an appearance for the Thrashers as he spent four or five years in between the AHL and the ECHL, playing 26 games in the AHL.

We Are The Adams Family

Right, no telling me off for that headline. It encapsulates the whole feeling that has hit the club since G signed his 6 week deal in February, and today's signature is the icing on what has been a very nice cake.

I think if I'd been writing last year, I could pretty much copy and paste what I'd have written about Doug Christiansen into here. The signature of Gerad Adams on a 2 year deal is a signal of intent from the Steelers. Adams has great experience in this league, and has been in charge of some very good sides in the past.

Where the two differ though, is the obvious changes in the style of coach.

So Its Nearly The End!!

Were near the end of March which can only mean one thing its nearly the end of the elite league hockey season a part of the season that lets be honest no one likes. It been a strange season not a season that everyone expected! Before the season started and with the appointment of Doug Christiansen in charge we all thought we'd be on for a championship and with the players recruited we probably should have had one but how was we supposed to know we'd have injury after injury and we was struggling to keep players fit from pretty much week one of the season. I remember from really earlier on in the season we had the likes of Chad Langlais, Danny Meyers and Dustin Kohn all out injured for weeks and having a team that usually consists of 6 D men suddenly became 3 and we was looking stretched. The season started brilliantly with a 4-2 win in Coventry on the opening night but we was soon brought back down to earth on the Sunday by them lot just down the road. Our team didn't really start well and people had a lot of doubts at the start of the season I mean take Frank Doyle for example he didn't look all that at the start of the season but if you look at him now he is the stand out man every single night and gives us the opportunity to win every single match night.

It took the team awhile to pick up a four point weekend as the players just didn't seem to making the scratch and that showed after just 6 weeks when Rylan Galiardi was released from his contract and I think that was down to the fact he just wasn't better than anything we already had or could replace him with it would however be interesting to find out what went on with Galiardi! Sheffield fans have seen several players come and go this season and it was a pleasure to see the likes of Ilpo Salmavirta put on the orange jersey despite only being in Sheffield for a month and we unfortunately wasn't treated to a goal we did see him show what he can do with the puck and that was countless assists on match nights and how good did he look with DiCasmirro and Sirianni? those three were dangerous on the same line and that's another player that has since left and that's Robert Sirianni who had a clause in his contract which eventually meant he left to return to Italy! but does anyone remember Sirianni's debut?? a hat trick against the Cardiff Devils and it was that night I think everyone saw what a player we had and during his time at the club he certainly put up his fair share of points.

So its been a mixed season with players coming and going which saw Sirianni leave and Steelers sign Chris Blight who had just been released from Cardiff at the end of January but the end of a small era was coming and it came after the 1st leg of the challenge cup semi-final, Sheffield lost to Nottingham and it saw the end of Doug Christiansen despite the recent good league form with a good winning streak in December and January including three wins v Panthers in a row but it just wasn't good enough and it had been prove that Christiansen was the wrong man for the job and Tony Smith took the blame for that and admitted the appointment was wrong and both parties separated on good terms in which since then Christiansen has became the bench coach at Dundee but before his sacking also saw Marc LeFebrve leave for the head coach job at Coventry. Captain Steven Goertzen took charge of the team but unfortunately suffered a concussion in Cardiff which also meant he couldn't full fill his duties and Sheffield went out of the cup after a defeat in the second leg as well and within a couple of weeks ex Sheffield player and ex head coach of the Cardiff Devils Gerad Adams was appointed head coach of the Steelers and what a difference we've seen and in his short stay so far we've seen some fantastic games and performances and has only lost two of his games in charged which were both unfortunately in the Hull arena obviously not a happy hunting ground at the moment.

Gerad has a cracking playoff record getting Cardiff to the final four weekend for 10 successive seasons but unfortunately wasn't able to win it for the Devils. After two years away Sheffield are looking to make it this year and I think Gerad Adams is not only the person who can get us there but who can end our trophy drought. Bring on Coventry in the quarter-finals!.

So really what can we say about the season players were unaware how important the league was over here but eventually stepped up their game, we struggled to put a winning streak together and I think the slow start to the season is what really cost us. Just the number of injuries we have had throughout the season is damaging as I think we had suffered up to a 100 injuries before Christmas alone but we wasn't the only team as Nottingham and Coventry had injuries after injuries and then when you look at Belfast who have been so consistent throughout the entire season and have had very few injuries compared to the other teams and it just makes you think though what was it about the Giants that made them so great during the league season. Belfast won the elite league championship as well as the Erhardt conference with Dundee winning the Gardiner conference and Belfast did have a chance to make it 3 out of 4 trophies with the playoffs still to be played when they faced Nottingham in the challenge cup final but Nottingham created an impressive comeback in the second leg of the final to win the challenge cup for fifth successive season to take away any chance of a grand slam for Belfast. Next up is the playoffs one of the best parts of the season and were guaranteed to be in for a roller coaster ride for the final two weekends :).

So good luck to all eight teams in the playoffs and may the best team win!

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Keep Supporting The Boys!!

Let's Go Steelers!

Tom
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Adams Signs On - Will He G Them Up For The Playoffs?

So we all awoke this morning to the news that nobody in the hockey fraternity had any idea about in the slightest...in no way...it was a secret right?

Anyway yes, Gerad Adams is back in Sheffield, signing up as coach until the end of the season. Steven Goertzen will be his assistant, and together their intention is to make a charge for the playoffs.

(Btw, I make no apologies for the headline. Puntastic)