Warriors still in the race for Bellamy and Sheens
Ben Stanley
EXCLUSIVE
THE Warriors' chances of landing a ''super coach'' have dramatically increased, with revelations overnight the club could have its preferred coaching choice installed at Mt Smart Stadium as early as next year.
With the cash-rich Roosters signing rookie coach Trent Robinson to a three-year deal on Friday, the Warriors are now positioned as the only club in the market for the Storm's Craig Bellamy, and the Tigers' Tim Sheens.
In recent days a $4 million bid for Bellamy's services was tabled for a three-year stint at Mt Smart. It is not known whether that figure included a buy-out of the final year of Bellamy's contract with the Storm, due to run out at the end of next season.
Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah declined to comment on the possible contract offer to ultimately replace the sacked Brian McClennan.
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But with Scurrah, recruitment boss Dean Bell and club chairman Bill Wavish in Sydney during the week, it is believed they had a meeting with Bellamy's agent John Fordham after the Dally Ms on Tuesday night.
Bellamy is regarded as one of the NRL's top coaches, after creating a formidable record at the Storm, and earning a reputation as a tough, uncompromising leader.
The services of Sheens, who is also the Kangaroos coach, are however, emerging as potential leverage for the Warriors' desire to land Bellamy. Despite re-signing with the Tigers for three years in 2011, Sheens, who won a premiership with the club in 2005, is understood to be unhappy, after surviving an alleged boardroom coup this season.
The Tigers board attempted to sign Ricky Stuart, now the Eels coach, and would welcome a buy-out of the last two years of Sheens's contract.
With Warriors co-owner Owen Glenn understood to be willing to provide big money to land the top coaching talent, a potential buy-out of either Bellamy's or Sheens's contracts can't be ignored.
Sheens certainly fits the bill of ''super-coach'' having won three titles with the Raiders in 1989, 1990 and 1994, in addition to his Tigers premiership. The Kangaroos coach is well liked and respected by players at the Tigers, with Kiwis skipper and Tigers playmaker Benji Marshall defending Sheens in his
Sun-Herald column today, imploring his board to keep him at the club.
Sacked Roosters coach Brian Smith has also been suggested as a potential option for the Warriors, and would cost a lot less than Bellamy and Sheens, given he is without a job.
Smith's sacking could have future ramifications for the Roosters, as he was understood to have been an important part of luring Sonny Bill Williams to the club for a one-year deal next season.
Williams is understood to be considering a return to rugby in 2014 due to Smith's axing.
Scurrah declined to comment on any questions about the pursuit of Bellamy, Sheens or Smith.
He did not wish to be drawn into speculation that the club was to appoint a football general manager in addition to a new coach, either.
''We're looking at different options on our structure,'' he said. ''We haven't resolved anything and we're not going to resolve that until we know what our coach looks like.
''Certainly we're adding a lot more resources to football, and that was two or three months ago. That was with Brian [McClennan] as well.''
