Andrew Johns Sacked from Knights

[Johns Magic]

Andrew Johns sacked from Knights in 2011

NEWCASTLE legend Andrew Johns has been forced to walk away from his part-time coaching role at the Knights after being told the club couldn't afford him.

In a move that will leave Newcastle fans stunned and provide further ammunition for supporters of mining magnate Nathan Tinkler's takeover bid, Johns and the Knights have parted company after failing to reach agreement over a new contract for 2011.

It comes less than a fortnight after the Knights rejected a $10 million offer from Tinkler to buy the club.

The split effectively ends Johns' 21-year direct association with Newcastle.
It will be the first time since 1989, when he joined the Knights as a fresh-faced teenager, that he will not be at the club in some capacity.


Incredibly, the halfback of the century will be working with rival clubs Melbourne, Canberra and Manly next season as well as new Super 15 rugby franchise Melbourne Rebels, but not for the club where he won two premierships and was lauded as the best player in the world.


Johns was reluctant to discuss the issue yesterday, but he did confirm there had been a parting of the ways.
"I'm not going to be there next season but I don't want to say anything, mate. You're better off talking to someone at the club about it," Johns said.

Those close to Johns claim he is devastated at having to walk away.
It is understood he had been negotiating with the Knights for close to two months but was finally forced to make other arrangements just over a week ago after the club failed to meet a deadline.

"They didn't want to pay him the money and he had other offers ... so that's where it ended," a source close to Johns said.

Knights chief executive Steve Burraston said he wasn't made aware of any deadline during negotiations.

"Joey asked for an increase which we were finding hard to justify within our football budget, but I was under the impression negotiations were on-going," Burraston said.

"We had a meeting during the week and were looking at asking him what he would charge us per session and taking it from there.
"I can assure you we didn't want to cut him off."

Since Johns' forced retirement in 2007, he has worked in a specialised part-time coaching role, mentoring the likes of Kurt Gidley and Jarrod Mullen and a host of the club's young halves under coaches Brian Smith and Rick Stone.

He was expected to play a major role next season in the development of the club's new halfback from St George Illawarra, Beau Henry, a player Johns recommended to the Knights.

Johns' manager John Fordham said all lines of communication regarding negotiations with the Knights ended last week.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/n...-knights-in-2011/story-e6frfgbo-1225957322805

 

[roopy]

We should have sacked Dunneman and Johns and signed Kimmorley for one year as a player and as a long term halves coach (to train up his replacement).

 

[Spot On]

Can't comment on the article unless I know how much Johns and Fordham were asking for. Our halves have been ordinary for some time now as have the other halves at the clubs Johns has been working at.

 

[Alex28]

The headline is pretty misleading - he wasn't sacked, his contract has not been renewed and I would have to suggest based on how our halves have gone over the last few years he isn't worth a pay rise to the point where management are questioning his worth.

It should also be worth noting that John Fordham has quite the relationship with the Telegraph and that whilst the article isn't really anti-Knights, it is pro-Johns and appears to be planted to guilt the club in to not losing such a long standing relationship...

 

[Jobdog]

The headline is pretty misleading - he wasn't sacked, his contract has not been renewed and I would have to suggest based on how our halves have gone over the last few years he isn't worth a pay rise to the point where management are questioning his worth.

It should also be worth noting that John Fordham has quite the relationship with the Telegraph and that whilst the article isn't really anti-Knights, it is pro-Johns and appears to be planted to guilt the club in to not losing such a long standing relationship...

I was about to say that. It's a bit disappointing that Joey won't be around the club, but I suppose he hasn't done a great deal with our halves of note in recent years.

 

[Dr Crane]

i've always thought the best coaches - especially for halves are not the ones who were born knowing how to play, but the ones who weren't as skilled or talented but still produced really good careers. they had to learn, whereas halves like joey may struggle to teach what they've always known instinctively.

 

[Rusty]

I was about to say that. It's a bit disappointing that Joey won't be around the club, but I suppose he hasn't done a great deal with our halves of note in recent years.

Funny, you could say that about Stone...and with the likes of Mullen in our team who decide to kick into gear 2 games out from season end, are you really that surprised? Joey's not a miracle worker. :sarcasm:

 

[fred95]

I wonder if the reason for John's dismissal, might be for Johns' out-spoken comments in the media for the Knights sell the club to a private buyer. Why would the club be interested in selling? and what business is it of an ex-player.

 

[Alex28]

I wonder if the reason for John's dismissal, might be for Johns' out-spoken comments in the media for the Knights sell the club to a private buyer. Why would the club be interested in selling? and what business is it of an ex-player.

Johns and Tinkler are pretty tight from all reports. I don't think that would be the case...

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

Can't comment on the article unless I know how much Johns and Fordham were asking for. Our halves have been ordinary for some time now as have the other halves at the clubs Johns has been working at.

I completely agree, try someone new I say........

 

[RHCP]

That title is really stretching the truth.

Nothing much going on in this story, typical off-season 'news'

 

[Newie is God's Country]

I think the club and joey needed to part ways some time ago. It would be nice to not be associated with him in just about every article we appear in. I think he is a genius and a legend footballer but as a club ambassador he needs some serious re-think time. He has been quite happy to lend his services to anyone who asks. Could you see Locky doing that? I doubt it. I think the club has got sick of that very thing personally.

 

[roopy]

Johns is a good coach, which is why he still has plenty of clubs giving him work, and still has plenty of guys saying how much help he has been for them.
But we don't need him because we have a fulltime halves coach in Dunneman.
If we had two halves coaches and an overall coach we would have Henry and Stig getting as many mixed messages as everyone else we have had at half in the last year.
I don't think much of the results Dunneman has got so far, but if he is our halves coach, let him do the job without every man and his dog chipping in their 2 cents worth.

 

[Burwood]

He isn't "every man and his dog". He is Andrew Johns, arguably the greatest league player to have ever played the game. It's a shame that he looks to have severed ties with the club- the players need someone like him around that lives and breathes success.

As for the success of our halves over the last few years, it's hard to polish a turd...

 

[Alex28]

Has a club won a premiership yet that has used him as a coach?

 

[roopy]

He isn't "every man and his dog". He is Andrew Johns, arguably the greatest league player to have ever played the game. It's a shame that he looks to have severed ties with the club- the players need someone like him around that lives and breathes success.

As for the success of our halves over the last few years, it's hard to polish a turd...

whooosh - the sound the point makes when you completely miss it.

 

[Burwood]

Has a club won a premiership yet that has used him as a coach?

In the entire 3 years that he has been a part-time specialist coach? Not to my knowledge.

 

[Burwood]

whooosh - the sound the point makes when you completely miss it.

I just don't see too much validity in your point. The "every man and his dog" that you refer to is 2 people- Dunneman and Johns. It isn't like the players have 5+ people all chiming in with their $2 worth.

And when the 2nd person that is offering advice is a person with the experience of Johns, I think our halves will be much worse off not to have him here next year. I can imagine that Henry wouldn't be too impressed with the decision- working with a player of Johns' stature would have been a big carrot to him joining our club.

 

[roopy]

I just don't see too much validity in your point. The "every man and his dog" that you refer to is 2 people- Dunneman and Johns. It isn't like the players have 5+ people all chiming in with their $2 worth.

And when the 2nd person that is offering advice is a person with the experience of Johns, I think our halves will be much worse off not to have him here next year. I can imagine that Henry wouldn't be too impressed with the decision- working with a player of Johns' stature would have been a big carrot to him joining our club.

You didn't get my point.
You still don't.

My point isn't about how good or bad Johns is.

My point is about how many halves coaches we should employ.

If his name was Johns - good - go with him.

If his name is Dunneman - good - go with him.

If his name was Fred Bloggs and he learnt to play halfback for the Dora Creek swampies - he would be the bloke we employed, so he should be the bloke we let do the job.

 

[Burwood]

You didn't get my point.
You still don't.

My point isn't about how good or bad Johns is.

My point is about how many halves coaches we should employ.

If his name was Johns - good - go with him.

If his name is Dunneman - good - go with him.

If his name was Fred Bloggs and he learnt to play halfback for the Dora Creek swampies - he would be the bloke we employed, so he should be the bloke we let do the job.

I just don't see too much validity in your point. The "every man and his dog" that you refer to is 2 people- Dunneman and Johns. It isn't like the players have 5+ people all chiming in with their $2 worth.

I do get your point, I just don't agree with it in these circumstances. It isn't as though at each training session our halves/hookers have two or more different guys telling them to do different things.

Johns isn't a full-time specialist halves coach- he only drops into training occasionally (perhaps Pika can confirm how often- weekly? fortnightly?). I can't see Johns ever tying himself down to one club, so why shouldn't we make the best of the situation? Hire Dunneman full-time, and then get Johns in to offer his little bits extra whenever we can. Surely that sort of arrangement is of more benefit than harm?