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Only Elliott drives Green Machine - Players want coach to stay put
[font=Verdana,Arial]By Peter Fitzgerald Rugby league [/font]
[font=Verdana, arial]Thursday, 18 August 2005[/font]
[font=verdana,arial]Leading Canberra Raiders players have thrown their support behind Matt Elliott a day after he publicly announced his desire to extend his coaching contract with the NRL club.
Stand-in skipper Jason Croker and Josh Miller, who recently signed with the club until the end of the 2009 season, yesterday backed the coach to remain at the helm of the first-grade outfit despite a disappointing end to the season.
Canberra has lost 10 of its past 13 matches and is unlikely to make the NRL finals.
Should that expectation become reality, it will be the first time since Elliott single-handedly took over coaching from Mal Meninga in 2002 that the Raiders won't be playing finals football.
Elliott's contract ends at the end of next season and on Tuesday he announced his desire to stay beyond.
Croker has been with the Raiders for almost 15 seasons, playing under multiple premiership-winning coach Tim Sheens, Meninga and Elliott.
The 32-year-old has one more season on his contract with an option for 2007 and backed Elliott in his bid to remain as senior mentor.
"He's definitely been good to the club," Croker said yesterday.
"I've obviously been involved with Sheensy and he was a great coach and so was Mal but Matty is a good coach as well."
Despite a disappointing winning strike rate as coach this year, Elliott was strong in leading the senior side to the finals in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
While that was unlikely to continue in 2005, it hadn't affected Miller's opinion of his coach.
Miller recently signed a new four-year deal with the Raiders, making him the longest committed player at the club.
Miller could think of nobody better to lead the side into the future.
"Matt's helped me so much with my game and he's definitely a coach that would continue that for me," he said.
"He's a good mate and I'd love to have him here because he's also a great coach.
"He knows how to get the best out of his players and he tells it how it is."
Elliott admitted yesterday he did not feel his position at the club was under threat, despite having a 45.8 per cent winning strike rate. He coached Bradford to the 1997 British Super League Championship and Challenge Cup before returning to Australia in 2001.
Despite the Raiders' poor recent form which has almost ended their finals aspirations, Elliott remained excited about the future.
"I really believe the club is in a great position now, especially with all the young players coming through," he said yesterday.
"I didn't feel vulnerable at all that that support wasn't there [from management] but it's certainly nice to have that out publicly."
General manager Don Furner said club management hoped to discuss Elliott's coaching future early next year. [/font]
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=sport&subclass=local&category=rugby%20league&story_id=417052&y=2005&m=8
[font=Verdana,Arial]By Peter Fitzgerald Rugby league [/font]
[font=Verdana, arial]Thursday, 18 August 2005[/font]
[font=verdana,arial]Leading Canberra Raiders players have thrown their support behind Matt Elliott a day after he publicly announced his desire to extend his coaching contract with the NRL club.
Stand-in skipper Jason Croker and Josh Miller, who recently signed with the club until the end of the 2009 season, yesterday backed the coach to remain at the helm of the first-grade outfit despite a disappointing end to the season.
Canberra has lost 10 of its past 13 matches and is unlikely to make the NRL finals.
Should that expectation become reality, it will be the first time since Elliott single-handedly took over coaching from Mal Meninga in 2002 that the Raiders won't be playing finals football.
Elliott's contract ends at the end of next season and on Tuesday he announced his desire to stay beyond.
Croker has been with the Raiders for almost 15 seasons, playing under multiple premiership-winning coach Tim Sheens, Meninga and Elliott.
The 32-year-old has one more season on his contract with an option for 2007 and backed Elliott in his bid to remain as senior mentor.
"He's definitely been good to the club," Croker said yesterday.
"I've obviously been involved with Sheensy and he was a great coach and so was Mal but Matty is a good coach as well."
Despite a disappointing winning strike rate as coach this year, Elliott was strong in leading the senior side to the finals in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
While that was unlikely to continue in 2005, it hadn't affected Miller's opinion of his coach.
Miller recently signed a new four-year deal with the Raiders, making him the longest committed player at the club.
Miller could think of nobody better to lead the side into the future.
"Matt's helped me so much with my game and he's definitely a coach that would continue that for me," he said.
"He's a good mate and I'd love to have him here because he's also a great coach.
"He knows how to get the best out of his players and he tells it how it is."
Elliott admitted yesterday he did not feel his position at the club was under threat, despite having a 45.8 per cent winning strike rate. He coached Bradford to the 1997 British Super League Championship and Challenge Cup before returning to Australia in 2001.
Despite the Raiders' poor recent form which has almost ended their finals aspirations, Elliott remained excited about the future.
"I really believe the club is in a great position now, especially with all the young players coming through," he said yesterday.
"I didn't feel vulnerable at all that that support wasn't there [from management] but it's certainly nice to have that out publicly."
General manager Don Furner said club management hoped to discuss Elliott's coaching future early next year. [/font]
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=sport&subclass=local&category=rugby%20league&story_id=417052&y=2005&m=8
