Maybe it seems like to some that I am in Brisbane so let me just go back into my personal observations from the club.
While sitting in the Novatel Tainui the Saturday after the game, The Majority of players were mustering to go out, to the Bank. All sitting around Coach's Smith, Sharp and Taylor, as all watchied the end of the Sharks Broncos Match, most players went to the bank accompanied by Craig and Hayden.
Watching the coaching staff interact during the next game (Manly vs. Cowboys) was very interesting considering JT and Sharp have links with Manly. No signs or bitterness between all of them as they sat next to each other and drank together for the entire game.
PJ and Fui were the only players not to go out to the Bank, but they did go out to the Bakery down the road for a bite to eat.
Before Brisbane I was at the Premier League game against West’s when I spoke with coach smith about his future and one thing I can tell you from the conversation is that the coach has his mind on the here and now and is not thinking about 2007 or anything after the end of the season yet.
In Brisbane while I was selling shirts for the club and watching open training there was again no ill will between the coaching staff or any sort of pompousness from coach smith with the only problem for the day being that PJ forgot his Training shirt so he swapped it with Craig, on whom it looked like a muscle shirt.
I was lucky enough to be at Dinner with the club after training and while Coach Smith was not there the rest of the club was and no problems could at all were observed between the coaching staff and the players or management. The team looked like one big group of friends.
After the Broncos game, I was lucky enough to once again speak with coach Smith and other members of the staff after the loss. The only problems coming out of that day was Coach Smith's bad neck and Hindy and Morro walking around like old men with Ice all over them.
I was lucky enough to speak with coach Sharp before the Cowboys game while waiting for a lift to the ground (to spare the walk on his hip) and we commented on how close things were to being right with the club. We spoke about Timana and the fact he was one week away and Coach Sharp’s hope that he would have been ready for the Cowboys game.
Now I am sure things can change in the 2 weeks since that happened but nothing I have heard here is direct observation of the problem, but more sources whom are clouded in secrecy and knowing the way this club works some times that is a good thing, but from my recent observations these stories appear to be outside pressure. In anyway there are in direct opposition to my personal observations of the coaching staff and players this year.
Is she retiring?
