DT: Newcastle rift widens

[Hurriflatch]

Newcastle rift widens

By Barry Toohey
August 08, 2007
THE ROCKY relationship between Newcastle Knights coach Brian Smith and senior players has reached breaking point as the club battles to avoid the wooden spoon.
Captain Danny Buderus admitted for the first time yesterday Smith's decision to cut a swathe through the playing ranks for next season had caused widespread dissent and left morale at the club at an all-time low.

Buderus described the wholesale changes - which has seen long-serving players such as Adam Woolnough, Clint Newton, Josh Perry and a host of others shown the door - as "two much, too soon".

The latest moves to try and unload back rower Kirk Reynoldson, two games shy of activating a retention clause in his $200,000 contract for next season, was the "straw that broke the camel's back" according to Buderus.

Smith admitted last night he is not surprised at the player unrest because he knew it was coming.

"No one is feeling great at the moment because it is tough times," Smith said. "I'm feeling the same way myself. When the decision is made to move people on, and that is what I was hired to do as coach if it was necessary, there is no nice way to do it.

"I can understand them being upset about it.

"That is not going to change overnight. It will take some time (for the bridges to be mended)."

Buderus said the uncertainty over the future direction of the club had to be addressed.

"The players are upset, I won't deny that, and club management is aware of it," he said.

"We just want someone from the club to tell us where the joint is headed -- what ... he (Smith) is trying to do.

"This club has always been a unique club and the closeness of the playing group is what has made it so special.

"But we are getting away from what we are about. They can't just keep on wanting the boys to keep turning up each week if we don't know what is going on."

Buderus described the relationship between Smith and most of the players as "professional".

He added the playing group was aware there would be changes when Smith was appointed.

"I guess he is doing what the club brought him in to do," he said. "He is here to do a job but we were already a pretty good club. We had some good things in place that didn't need to be fixed."

Asked did he feel Smith's job may be under threat given his failing relationship with the players, Buderus replied: "It's not up to us. The people who make those decisions must want this to happen, I guess."

Knights senior executive officer Steve Burraston said: "There is no question when you make some tough decisions on players that it is going to affect things and with the injury toll we've had and the fact we have lost some games on the trot now, it all affects the morale in the place."

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22208088-23214,00.html

 

[aqua_duck]

its abit like a rock and a hard place situation. Smith really can't win either way.

I mean Kirk reynoldsen, how many people think he's worth 200k a year?
The bloke is potentially behind 6 younger backrowers for next season (simpson, paterson, taia, houston, abraham, bailey), not to mention a few rookies

In my opinion, the club are trying to do the best for themselves and kirk. I'm sure kirk doesn't want to be known as the guy who got paid 200k a year to play park footy, the club have offered him a downgraded contract, and if he is such a good clubman as buderus claim then he'll take it. Its not Smith's fault that the previous regime decided that a journeyman fringe first grader like reynoldsen was worth nearly a million bucks over 4 years.

the culture of the club is under threat but seriously the culture should have been changed long ago. People (myself included) thought things were fine because in the past we had joey johns to pull us out of tight situations, and when he was on fire he could almost single handedly win a game on his own. Unfortunately Johns' brilliance also hid away alot of the problems, and when he wasn't there those problems would arise, resulting in big losses, however people often would forget because he'd come back a week later and lead us to a good win.

For too long the club has been an old boys club, for too long underperforming players who supposedly loved the club were being overpaid. I mean how many clubs would pay over 200k for blokes like newton, woolnough, reynoldsen, perry, etc?

For too long the club lost its best juniors, the likes of greg bird, anthony tupou, etc, and replaced them with journeymen like craig hall, george carmont, reynoldsen, todd bates, tim maddison, etc

I'm not saying all agree with all of smith's decisions to date, but atleast he's trying to fix the problem

 

[Johns Magic]

The bloke is potentially behind 6 younger backrowers for next season (simpson, paterson, taia, houston, abraham, bailey), not to mention a few rookies

Hilder

 

[Canard]

"Two much"

What grammar school did this hack go to?

 

[hindmarsh4pm]

Smith will do to newcastle what he did to parra. come in get the players he wants, get rid of some. he will have his favourites at the club (matt petersen when at parra). he will build newcastle to a strong successful club and then never be able to finish the job off

 

[Dr Crane]

"Two much"

What grammar school did this hack go to?

That was an awful mistake.

 

[badav]

I think smiths done a good job with what hes had at newcastle this year. they were in with a shot at the 8 until a few weeks ago when injuries killed them. lets face it you probably cant build a premiership winning side around guys like perry, woolnough, carmont and reynoldson. no disrespect to them, they would all have roles at other clubs.
its would be a bit concerning that the players dont seem to realise that footy is a professional sport, and not just about playing with your mates every week.

 

[big pat]

who would you rather have, brian smith a tosser who puts everyone offside, and only lives by his rules, or nathan brown who is mates with everybody and gets no where, and has won f**k all.

 

[Dr Crane]

who would you rather have, brian smith a tosser who puts everyone offside, and only lives by his rules, or nathan brown who is mates with everybody and gets no where, and has won f**k all.

Craig Bellamy
Ivan Cleary
Brad Fittler
John Lang
Wayne Bennett
Neil Henry
Jason Taylor

to name a few

 

[big pat]

i was only refering to brian smith, because thats who this thread was about, also you forgot to mention tim sheens.

 

[eels_fan_01]

I used to like Brian Smith when he was at our club and defended him but why is it that he grabs so many headlines apose to other coaches? He must be a bit of a wank.

 

[drake]

This place is starting smell like New...castle.

 

[hindmarsh4pm]

how about hagan, is a good bloke who gets along with the players, gives them all a go and is a smart coach

 

[Ice777]

who would you rather have, brian smith a tosser who puts everyone offside, and only lives by his rules, or nathan brown who is mates with everybody and gets no where, and has won f**k all.

Personally i'd rather have neither. By that i'm not referring to those two coaches specifically, i just mean i'd rather not have a coach who used either of those methods if that's the right word. While i know the coach has to be the coach and be professional first and foremost, i also believe that the players will respect a coach and get more out of them if there's some sort of friendship there as well.

Craig Bellamy and Cameron Smith are said to be very close yet he never gave the sole captaincy to him to him before last week as he said he wasn't ready and he had to work on certain things on and off the field before he took over the role. I think that's an example of separating the professional side of coaching from the personal.

 

[The Colonel]

Newcastle, which ever way you look at it, needed a clean through. The best time to do that was after Johns has left and Smith was presented with that opportunity earlier than he probably expected it to be. It had to be done at some point in time, that much was easy to see.

Smith has been employed to do a job and that is exactly what he is doing, however putting senior players offside like Buderus and Simpson is hardly going to help make that transition an easy one.

I'd be a little concerned that the captain and the next most senior player in the club aren't exactly aware of what direction the club is taking - sure there are probably things they don't need to be made aware of but they still would require some sense of what is happening.

Smith's man management skills or lack thereof have always followed him regardless of the club he is at however he has usually had the support of the senior players within those clubs. Burraston needs to work quickly to mend what ever bridges need to be otherwise they are going to be in a position that is unworkable from both sides of the coin from an outsiders perspective.

 

[Mr Saab]

who would you rather have, brian smith a tosser who puts everyone offside, and only lives by his rules, or nathan brown who is mates with everybody and gets no where, and has won f**k all.

Frank Curry

 

[JJ]

:lol: it's almost worth paying Reynoldson 200K to leave

What's up with this sh*t - he's offloaded a fat overrated prick (Perry), some decent triers (Newton and Woolnough), and wants rid of a nuffy (Reynoldson)... Buderus can f**k off too if he's going to whinge to that extent - seriously, if anyone thinks this is the wrong thing to do moving forward has rocks in their heads...

 

[Y2Eel]

:lol: it's almost worth paying Reynoldson 200K to leave

What's up with this sh*t - he's offloaded a fat overrated prick (Perry), some decent triers (Newton and Woolnough), and wants rid of a nuffy (Reynoldson)... Buderus can f**k off too if he's going to whinge to that extent - seriously, if anyone thinks this is the wrong thing to do moving forward has rocks in their heads...

It probably the best way to move forward but its a bit too quick and making the players unsettled... They must be going after some big names next season with all the money they are unloading...

 

[big pat]

what do you expect buderus to do, after all he is the captain you would expect him to come out in support of his fellow players, he and some of those players have been together for a long time, smith has just walk in to the club, maybe they need a bit more time.

 

[JJ]

why, which of the players that have gone/are going are integral to Newcastle's future?

Smith's the coach, Buderus should shut up and play.