Gould pumps up Kimmorley
By Brad Walter
June 9, 2004
NSW coach Phil Gould began the Blues' first team meeting by producing two flat footballs and a pump. "Brett Kimmorley reckons that I think I put the air into football," Gould told the assembled players.
Like the time he handed Ben Elias a football with his name on it and told him that whenever he had that ball he could do what he liked with it but any other time he had to listen to the calls, the gag was Gould's way of getting across a message to the team.
Despite having been highly critical of Kimmorley in a newspaper column this season, Gould wanted the team to know that he had full confidence in the former Test halfback, whose return to Origin after a three-year absence had been overshadowed by Brad Fittler's decision to come out of representative retirement.
"People talk about Danny Buderus being the captain and Freddie being back, but at the end of the day Brett Kimmorley is running the football team," Gould said after training at Wentworth Park yesterday.
"We'll play to his strengths, we'll play the football that he likes to play, and both Freddie and Buderus excel when they've got a dominant halfback. Buderus plays with Andrew Johns [at Newcastle] and Freddie has always gone better when the No.7 can take control of the game."
By Brad Walter
June 9, 2004
NSW coach Phil Gould began the Blues' first team meeting by producing two flat footballs and a pump. "Brett Kimmorley reckons that I think I put the air into football," Gould told the assembled players.
Like the time he handed Ben Elias a football with his name on it and told him that whenever he had that ball he could do what he liked with it but any other time he had to listen to the calls, the gag was Gould's way of getting across a message to the team.
Despite having been highly critical of Kimmorley in a newspaper column this season, Gould wanted the team to know that he had full confidence in the former Test halfback, whose return to Origin after a three-year absence had been overshadowed by Brad Fittler's decision to come out of representative retirement.
"People talk about Danny Buderus being the captain and Freddie being back, but at the end of the day Brett Kimmorley is running the football team," Gould said after training at Wentworth Park yesterday.
"We'll play to his strengths, we'll play the football that he likes to play, and both Freddie and Buderus excel when they've got a dominant halfback. Buderus plays with Andrew Johns [at Newcastle] and Freddie has always gone better when the No.7 can take control of the game."
