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Or stand down. At least that's my hope.
To be fair last pre season wasn't much better
Is there a link to this?
Strange, preseason screwed yet our better/best games we’re rounds 1-3
Are we still counting that Round 2 win against the Tigers as one of our better/best games? We did everything in our power to lose that one.
I heard it during sport on 2GB
He said it in the press conference yesterday.
www.newcastleknights.com.au
O’Brien’s explosive dressing room blow-up; Roosters’ bid to stop rival raid: Jimmy Brings
The divide in the Newcastle dressing room has been simmering for the past few months with Knights coach Adam O’Brien telling the playing group after a recent loss: “I know what you blokes are saying about me. I’m going nowhere.”
The point blank message from O’Brien can be revealed as the Knights go into damage control in the wake of the coach’s loose carry press conference last Sunday.
O’Brien fronted the media again on Tuesday to try and walk things back off the cliff but by that stage the cracks in the Newcastle dressing room had been prised wide open.
The David Klemmer situation has only driven a further wedge into the struggling club which has only managed five wins out of 19 games this year.
The Knights started this season full of optimism after back-to-back wins over the Sydney Roosters and Wests Tigers before going on a run of seven losses leading into Magic Round.
It’s been slim pickings since with Newcastle now having the worst defensive record in the NRL having leaked 522 points at an average of 27.47 points per game along with currently having the worst differential in the competition of minus 238 points.
There’s no question O’Brien’s penchant for a blow-up is wearing thin with elements of the Newcastle playing group.
The problem for O’Brien is in 2022 it’s so much easier to get rid of a head coach than it is to completely try and turn over a roster.
The old saying goes you’ve never really been a head coach until you’ve lost four games in a row and the heat is on - which is exactly where O’Brien finds himself now.
The Knights are adamant O’Brien will remain as the head coach next season but the biggest immediate challenge the Newcastle coach faces is getting the playing group all back on the same page.
New Director of Football Peter Parr has arrived at Newcastle and could only be shaking his head at the bun fight he’s walked into.
O’Brien is signed with Newcastle until the end of 2024 which if the Knights stay the course would mean he’s had a five-year tenure at the club.
After the events of the past week it’s now become blatantly clear the Knights coach needs a fast start to next season to ensure his own job security.
Let’s call the Klemmer play from Newcastle for what it is – the Knights are clearly trying to free up some money to try and go in a different direction next season.
Klemmer is on $800,000-plus which would give Newcastle some serious money to go to the open market with.
Plenty of ex-players are happy to tell you middle forwards often protest against being dragged from the field.
Newcastle have clearly identified they no longer want the ex-NSW and Australian prop at the Knights and so have started the process of steering him towards another club.
O’Brien’s explosive dressing room blow-up; Roosters’ bid to stop rival raid: Jimmy Brings
O’Brien’s explosive dressing room blow-up; Roosters’ bid to stop rival raid: Jimmy Bringswww.foxsports.com.au
It’s from James Hooper so it’s pretty unlikely.
