Mixed feelings, mainly because I think it was a bit early. It's very easy to be positive after a win like that, and this just feels a little reactionary for my liking.
The last 2 years have been awful. The spoon in 07 (with what I thought was a pretty good lineup too) was obviously terrible, and last year we put in some performances that were so diabolical that it showed a complete lack of team spirit. We looked like a team with alot of potential, playing as badly as we possibly could, particularly in the second half of the year. No well coached team should ever lose like we lost to Canberra last year (especially when we had a likely finals spot as a prize), and after that game I wanted him fired on the spot. On top of that he's had us playing a very structured attack, when we have had outside backs like Jennings, Gordon, Tighe and Rooney. Game after game I'd see the ball never reach our dangerous left side, or only reach it once it was too late (the draw with the baby Broncos last year was a good example). I've never felt Elliot played to our strengths.
Having said all that he was kind of boned by Craig Gower. We lost Wallace because we couldn't afford both him and Gower, and then Gower ran off leaving us without a real halfback (barring the very young Wade Graham). Obviously alot of our issues in the last year have stemmed from not having a half. I also think there was something of a toxic culture amongst the older crowd. It doesn't fit with what I know of Priddis, Wesser, Puletua and co, but something was very wrong with our club at the back of last year, and that seems to have cleared up without most of our premiership club. Heard some poor things about Matt Adamson (Elliot's former assistant coach) as well.
We look infinitely better this year. We're scoring points, we're defending a lot better and we have guys that can break a game open (Jennings, Sammut, Coote). The team looks to have a solid culture, and have been competitive in every game. The young players appear to have respect for him, and we'll need all the help we can get keeping these guys at the club in the next few years. There are signs that whatever ME has been planning, is finally starting to come to fruition.
Also, all thing being equal, you'd much prefer a settled coaching lineup. Without a quality replacement, this positive attitude we've finally gotten might be another couple of years, and another rebuild away.
Just wish we had waited another month or two for some more results. That was our best performance, and it's easy to get carried away with positivity, but there's a long way to go this year. If we finish in the bottom four, that to me will be a failure, and I think ME would not be justified in having another two years in that case.