Brian Smith -> Roosters?

[Chook Norris]

The anger on here ( aimed mostly at me ) yet none thrown the way of Brian Smith whose own Knights players were the last to know, while his new players at the Roosters knew about it before the Knights staff and players found out from the media...

It truly baffles me how Brian Smith gets a free pass from some of the Knights fans..
.

It was revealed in the Herald that Smith was furious that the news was leaked before he could even tell the team

 

[Karmawave]

It was revealed in the Herald that Smith was furious that the news was leaked before he could even tell the team

But what the hell was Smith going to expect when the Roosters knew?

He is hardly a rookie coach. He knows how the media work.

The media find out all this kind of stuff, and the fact Smith couldn't pre-empt it shouldn't be thrown back at the media - who only did their jobs.

 

[cram]

It would have been preferable for this to have unfolded at the end of the season however, coaching and player changes never go that way.

The Knights gave Smith permission, in fact its is reported they gave him three week opportunity to explore other options. (http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/smith-to-replace-fittler-reports/story-e6frexni-1225751715174)

For Smith, he knew he had one more year left on his contract. He had to make the top four to trigger a longer extension. I guess the option of having a secure future on paper was a better option then hoping that a team of footballers could win games to secure your future.

On another note Smith and the Knights management have appeared to secure most of the players coming off contract this year. Smith would have known for some months he was going to try and head off. With this knowledge in mind the recruitment situation could have gone haywire.

I am not sure what $$$ we have left in the players contract bank but it is now imperative the Knights name a replacement coach so that any impending player signings can be secured.

There is never a good time for a coach or player to announce their departure.

Smith has done his job. He got rid of the dead wood, and in fact this policy assisted Josh Perry in becoming the player he always had the potential to become and he has brought some lesser known players to Newcastle who are performing well.

How will Smith be remembered at Newcastle.... well history will finally determine that and the rest of this year will know doubt have a major impact on the lasting memory of one Brian Smith.

 

[Pika]

Yes, some of my comments were ridiculous, and way over the top. I was wrong to go over the top like that, and I apologise. I let my emotions get the better of me, but Smith has always angered me in the way he handles his players, and his lack of ' people skills '.

As a tactician, Brian Smith is a brilliant coach. I've only ever been critical of the way he seems to handle the way he communicates with his players with people management skills. If we could somehow merge Brian Smith's tactical genius, with Phil Gould's player management skills, we'd have the perfect coach.

As for my dumb comments, they've been said now, but I have to admit I was pretty fired up when I learnt about all of this and found out that it was dropped like a bombshell on most of the players and staff.

Personally , did it come as a surprise to you Pika?! The staff meeting last night you had, was that hastily thrown together?!


Anyway, I apologise for the over the top stuff, but I maintain the rage that the Roosters found out first - a day before Knights players ( who then received a TEXT off Smith )

All good mate. I gave you a bit of a serve and got it all off my chest.

As always, you are cool with me mate.

I found out last evening when I was at dinner through a text from someone not involved with the Club who was watching the news, so yes, it came as a massive shock.

 

[Pika]

Fitler just said he was told yesterday, lunch time.

he would find out when the players did you would think.

This would make the time line of the story being leaked Saturday afternoon.

Are you sure the players were told Friday Karma? The Coach somehow did not find out until lunch yesterday?

 

[Gaba]

When i heard this i thought the knights and roosters made a coach swap, fitler to knights :lol:

 

[Angry_eel]

Guys I feel for your club. Smith seems to be turning the club around yet he gets head hunted by the Roosters. Once again they have pulled out their chequebook. I don't know why else anyone would leave a successful club.

 

[keeney]

I believe he's earning twice the amount at the Roosters than he would be here.

It provides him with the opportunity to be close to his daughter whilst she studies at Syd Uni.

He has been given 4 years.

There are your reasons right there. It's terrible the way this has panned out. And I have grave concerns for next year due to the lack of a ready made replacement, and the difficult task of coming into a system that Smith would have set out with extreme particularities and methods.

 

[Karmawave]

Are you sure the players were told Friday Karma? The Coach somehow did not find out until lunch yesterday?

Yes. Some Roosters players were aware of it late Friday afternoon.

Isn't too much of a surprise if Fittler was the last Rooster to know, given our own players were THE last to know.

 

[darkness]

Karma, are you a former student of mine, I like your evilness. PIka is just a bit precious, don't worry about him. Truth be told he is actually a 9 yr old kid with great keyboard skillz. A big 9 year old , like 110kg big,but that's normal in Samoa and Tonga!!

 

[cram]

How do you know Karma is not a big nine year old kid? Maybe you are too? Maybe we all are, perhaps we are not even humans but rather just bots looking to take over the world............

 

[Hanscholo]

Disgusted.

I mean being without a coach when we had a good, proven one signed for next season is f**king disgrace. Its Round 19, its not as though we have a lot of time to think things through or weigh up our options. I had come to the realisation that Smith would leave at the end of next year anyway, money was always going to see to that and the total lack of coaching talent in the NRL. So why did it have to be for next year, have we been compensated or did we write some stupid contract that allowed this to happen....These questions need to be answered, because having a coach poached late in the season when they are signed for the subsequent one is totally unacceptable to me.

What i also cannot fathom is why when it was obvious to anyone with a brain that Smith was being successful in Newcastle, even as early as mid season last year that he wasnt signed to another three year deal, with a pay rise to what a coach of his calibre should be earning. If you pay peanuts you get monkeys, and if you keep writing contracts for a coach that extend one season ahead, expect to get what we got today.

This is an utter failing of the Newcastle back office to manage their talent.

 

[Hanscholo]

It would have been preferable for this to have unfolded at the end of the season however, coaching and player changes never go that way.

The Knights gave Smith permission, in fact its is reported they gave him three week opportunity to explore other options. (http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/smith-to-replace-fittler-reports/story-e6frexni-1225751715174)

For Smith, he knew he had one more year left on his contract. He had to make the top four to trigger a longer extension. I guess the option of having a secure future on paper was a better option then hoping that a team of footballers could win games to secure your future.

On another note Smith and the Knights management have appeared to secure most of the players coming off contract this year. Smith would have known for some months he was going to try and head off. With this knowledge in mind the recruitment situation could have gone haywire.

I am not sure what $$$ we have left in the players contract bank but it is now imperative the Knights name a replacement coach so that any impending player signings can be secured.

There is never a good time for a coach or player to announce their departure.

Smith has done his job. He got rid of the dead wood, and in fact this policy assisted Josh Perry in becoming the player he always had the potential to become and he has brought some lesser known players to Newcastle who are performing well.

How will Smith be remembered at Newcastle.... well history will finally determine that and the rest of this year will know doubt have a major impact on the lasting memory of one Brian Smith.

Cram, the thing that makes that impossible is that you cant sign a good coach at the end of a season, physically it just isnt possible, which is one of the reasons i am so f**ked off that we now find ourselves in this situation where we have to do so. The way to change coaches is to pick one out and have them signed ready to go well in advance of the next season...having a coach taken from under you is a rare thing in the NRL, so rare in fact i cant recall it happening other than in super league days. We now find ourselves without direction for 2010 something I am still unable to come to terms with given that suposedly we had this organised.

 

[Jono078]

I actually think we are in a decent position right now to sign another coach though.

Usually it's always a few teams without coaches and all trying to sign that big one, but we have the whole pool to ourselves to pick from now.

The only thing im worried about now is if this dramatically affects our performances for the rest of the year.

 

[The Smokey]

the thing i can see that might hurt us will be the players... i hope he does not take any with him. There is half our squad of contract next year and he has favourites like Taia and Wicks. I will be filthy at him if he took our players!!! I am fine with the fact he is leaving and he has done a great job but if they steal our coach and players i will be pissed off!!! I just hope the players all stick together and stay

 

[Hanscholo]

I am worried about the rest of the season too. I have little doubt that they will manage however.

From what I understand Tew gave smith a three week window to look at other options...why in gods name would we allow that to happen? Is there something going on here that i am missing? Did certain people at the club want him out? I just cannot fathom the logic of allowing a late season window for him to look elsewhere, when there are nothing but rookies or failures available for us to look at for 2010. If brian wanted to go, fair enough, go in 2011 when we have a full year to weigh up the options and make our move. He has been resigning players ffs, as late as last week, how are we supposed to be organising for next season when we cant even pin down the coach. I dont buy the argument that Smith wanted out, so you let him go...no...the bloke is a professional and i have no doubt if he had stayed next season he would have done his very best. There is little point keeping a bloke that doesnt want to be here, tew stated. Well, for mine. There is little point cutting your own throat for next season because someone put a move on your signing....what a pathetic way of managing the club, are we going to go to water everytime a player wants to go elsewhere, or future coaches. We have just opened ourselves up to be poached for the next 20 years whenever someone feels as though they want one of your people.

To me, you have a coach that hasnt won a comp in 20 years, he is pretty close to making that a reality in Newcastle and all of a sudden, with a top four finish on the cards he wants to leave??? Its astonishing really.

 

[macavity]

more informed people than me will be making the call.

but on what I know, what I would like to see:

head coach: Rick Stone
Assistant: Matty Johns
Assistant: Trent Robinson
U20s: Rip Taylor

Brian, take Rohan with you.

 

[cram]

Disgusted.

I mean being without a coach when we had a good, proven one signed for next season is f**king disgrace. Its Round 19, its not as though we have a lot of time to think things through or weigh up our options. I had come to the realisation that Smith would leave at the end of next year anyway, money was always going to see to that and the total lack of coaching talent in the NRL. So why did it have to be for next year, have we been compensated or did we write some stupid contract that allowed this to happen....These questions need to be answered, because having a coach poached late in the season when they are signed for the subsequent one is totally unacceptable to me.

What i also cannot fathom is why when it was obvious to anyone with a brain that Smith was being successful in Newcastle, even as early as mid season last year that he wasnt signed to another three year deal, with a pay rise to what a coach of his calibre should be earning. If you pay peanuts you get monkeys, and if you keep writing contracts for a coach that extend one season ahead, expect to get what we got today.

This is an utter failing of the Newcastle back office to manage their talent.

Well at the end of the day Tew has been quoted as saying something along the lines of, I have given up trying to make people do things they don't want to do.... so in short Smith went to them made it clear he wanted to move on...yes they could have forced him to stay but what damage may that have caused for the club and the team....

That is why we will probably end up with Stone in the short term because he can easily keep going with Smiths plans....

I wonder if Rhonan will get a job at the roosters....:sarcasm:

 

[Karmawave]

Did anyone see the live press conference with Roosters NOYCE today, when he was asked how long he and Smith been in discussions?!

Noyce replied " 7 or 8 days " or similar, yet it looked like the biggest load of bullsh*t ever said at a live press conference.

If the Knights are saying they gave Smith a few weeks to sort out his future, it's probably more along the lines of a few weeks of discussions.

Also, Brad Fittler's facial expression said it all - he was not a happy camper.

Fittler probably won't last the season out.

 

[antonius]

Why does every thread on here turn into a Karma v everyone else discussion????