Ricky: Why I sacked Kimmorley
ONE of my beliefs is that you play your football the same way you live your life off the field. They cannot be separated.
So what happened to the Bulldogs on Friday night?
It's no secret my problems with Brett Kimmorley go back to when I dropped him in Origin in 2005. He threw an intercept pass, we lost the game, and I dropped him.
That's how people saw it. Grossly unfair, they said, and many still believe it. The crux of Canterbury's problems on Friday go as far back as then, and possibly further.
And while the hype about Kimmorley's form has glossed over the flaws that were evident then, it's what cost the Bulldogs on Friday. If Matt Orford turned in a performance like Kimmorley did on Friday night the critics would be all over him.
Kimmorley has escaped any criticism.
For the record, his Origin sacking had nothing to do with the intercept.
Nobody ever gets dropped for one mistake. Kimmorley got dropped because four times we got in Queensland territory and, when he ran out of options midway through our sets, he kicked for himself and turned the ball over before we had even got to tackle five. Tackles three and four.
That's what put us in the position to be beaten in extra time. I also told him all week at training I wanted him standing deep to avoid the Steve Price charge-downs.
He said he preferred to stand flat, because he was used to the flat style of attack that was then in fashion. We butted heads until I finally said, do it your way. I was trying to show faith in him.
Three times he got charged down, and each time we were under pressure with Queensland starting a fresh set in good field position.
The intercept excuse is a myth and yet Kimmorley has been happy to let it run. And to be honest, I never cared either way because I knew the truth.
So did he.
I learned then that Kimmorley was not a big-match player - not the kind who can get you over the line in big games, like Andrew Johns or Darren Lockyer. And I knew that when I later moved to Cronulla. We tried our best to work together, but it didn't work.
And given his form this year, people have been saying: "How could the Sharks and Ricky Stuart let Brett Kimmorley go?''
Again I have no problem with that because the media and the fans who pay good money to go to the footy each week are also entitled to their thoughts. But I let Brett Kimmorley go because I didn't think the Sharks could win a premiership while he was here.
His performance on Friday night against Parramatta justified that.
He criticised me in Friday's Daily Telegraph, which I have copped all year.
But I did take exception to him saying he was now at a club that shared a similar "family'' philosophy to him, which is why I respond today. That deeply offended my players who, all year, played under tremendous adversity but never once whinged or dogged it.
A couple of Bulldogs players texted me on Friday asking why he would do this to them on their big day. I had no answer, but it showed me that they were distracted by it. And showed me what I know. On the day of the biggest game of his team's year, Kimmorley was about himself.
That's why my board clapped the night I told them I had released Kimmorley. One sponsor was very, very happy. Two years ago, I offered Brett one of the biggest contracts in Cronulla history over three years.
I was obviously keen for him to stay because you don't get rid of a player unless you have a better one to replace him, and at the time Trent Barrett was not an option. So I was pressing his manager George Mimis for a decision. At the same time, George was trying to do the best for his client and was in the UK shopping him around to Super League clubs. This went on for a couple of weeks and I couldn't get a decision, so I had to start thinking about other options. I kept the offer on the table for Brett - but reduced it by $100,000. He eventually signed.
Then last year he again started shopping himself around the UK. It was obvious he didn't want to be at Cronulla, so I made the call that he could move on.
He spoke to the Bulldogs and another couple of clubs before settling on Belmore. His Friday night performance just told me everything I know. From the poor kicks that failed to put any pressure on Parramatta to the lack of leadership midway through the second half when the Dogs were desperate for it.
You only have to sit and ask yourself what Johns or Lockyer would have been doing in similar circumstances. I have said all along that players can play well all season, but it's the big games at the end of the season that really count.
Let's not forget we finished equal first last year, with Kimmorley as our playmaker, and then got knocked out of the comp in the same game Canterbury did on Friday.
To win finals you need big-game players, and nothing I have seen lately has changed my mind on that. He has enjoyed his footy there and had a good season. Good luck to him.
The Bulldogs have done a wonderful rebuild this year and Kevin Moore, Todd Greenberg and the players deserve every bit of credit that has come their way.
But it was there for all to see at a packed ANZ Stadium on Friday night, the very reason I chose to let him go. Sure, his form all season has been consistently good, but in the game that mattered most, I think Brett would be the first to admit he didn't deliver what his club wanted.
