By Barry Toohey
May 30, 2007
AS many as nine top-grade Newcastle Knights players could be shown the door at the end of the season as coach Brian Smith prepares to cut a swath through the playing ranks.
The player purge has already claimed new Melbourne Storm signing Clint Newton while props Josh Perry (Manly) and Adam Woolnough (Penrith) are set to announce in the coming weeks they will part with the club at the end of the season.
The futures of Daniel Abraham, George Carmont, Brad Tighe, Milton Thaiday, Riley Brown, Reegan Tanner and David Seage remain under a cloud and there is every chance most will be looking for new clubs.
Despite levels of player unrest brought on by the contract speculation and accusations he is "ripping the heart out of the club", Smith is prepared to ride out any backlash in a bid to bring about significant changes to his player roster.
"Change is tough and it brings with it a certain about of pain - pain for somebody," Smith said yesterday.
"I knew when I came here there were tough times ahead both on and off the field in managing all the changes that need to take place here.
"I'm not enjoying it but the business aspect of the game is tough and you just have to deal with it the best you can.
"I've been on the butt end of it myself on a couple of occasions (as a coach)."
Smith received the backing of the club yesterday with acting chief executive Steve Crowe claiming the coach was given a clear mandate to bring about changes when he was appointed.
"We've got a new coach and we gave him a very clear brief that we needed to change some aspects of the club," Crowe said.
"We knew the dynamics of the club would change dramatically post-Andrew Johns and that's all been fast-tracked unfortunately.
"We need to ultimately change the way we play, the dynamics of the team and the physical profile of the team.
"We are determined to do that.
"There is no other way that we can see ourselves as an ongoing premiership force year in, year out which is what Newcastle people have come to expect."
While he did not say as much yesterday, it is understood Smith sees the fallout from Newton's decision to quit the Knights on Monday as the crisis the club had to have.
The situation had been festering for some time and while there remains disquiet from many players who are on the outer, there is a feeling that a lot of the heat has been taken out of any potential uprising.
Smith did not shy away from claims yesterday that player morale is low, with the club organising a team barbecue yesterday as a way of bringing the players together on a day off from training.
But he put that down to Sunday's 71-6 loss to Brisbane Broncos as much as any unrest over player contracts for next season.
"I think morale is a bit shaky," he said.
Smith's trump card in his plans to bring about a significant make-over for the club is the fact the Knights are rumoured to have around $1.5 million to spend on new players for next season under the salary cap.
