coach
Guest
- Messages
- 1,431
By Andrew Webster
July 05, 2009 12:00am
SOUTH Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson has taken the extraordinary step of apologising to club members for the diabolical defeat against the Wests Tigers - but he insists coach Jason Taylor's job is safe.
The nature of their fifth straight defeat - a 54-20 loss to the Tigers - and the avalanche of points conceded in the second half at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night meant the acid is being applied to Taylor like never before.
While Richardson conceded the result was "unacceptable", he dismissed claims Taylor was about to sacked and rubbished talk of a player revolt.
"I can't make it any clearer, we are not going to sack the coach,"
Richardson said. "We are all in this together, from the players to the coach to the chief executive. His job is safe.
"There's no doubt we are in a terrible position, and we're all under pressure. For that, I would like to apologise to our members. But the last thing we need to do is sack JT and start cannibalising and back-stabbing one another. We've been in worse positions than this."
Taylor was handed the job in 2007. In his first season, he elevated Souths to seventh and their first finals appearance since 1989. But last year, they finished third last.
As foreshadowed in The Daily Telegraph last week, it is understood there is growing unrest among players over a strict alcohol policy and Taylor's decision to sack assistant coach Mark Ellison after this season.
Privately, some players were miffed about the decision to bench five-eighth John Sutton early in the second half, as well as Taylor's description that the performance against the Tigers "wasn't up to NRL standard".
There is also simmering tension about the future of Craig Wing at the club. "That's absolute rubbish," Richardson said when asked if Taylor had lost the faith of his players.
Taylor yesterday dismissed claims of a tough week, when he told The Footy Show: "It is if you read the papers."
Meanwhile, the club is certain to lose mobile front-rower Michael Greenfield, who has agreed to terms with St George Illawarra after Souths failed to make him an offer.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25737224-5001023,00.html
July 05, 2009 12:00am
SOUTH Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson has taken the extraordinary step of apologising to club members for the diabolical defeat against the Wests Tigers - but he insists coach Jason Taylor's job is safe.
The nature of their fifth straight defeat - a 54-20 loss to the Tigers - and the avalanche of points conceded in the second half at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night meant the acid is being applied to Taylor like never before.
While Richardson conceded the result was "unacceptable", he dismissed claims Taylor was about to sacked and rubbished talk of a player revolt.
"I can't make it any clearer, we are not going to sack the coach,"
Richardson said. "We are all in this together, from the players to the coach to the chief executive. His job is safe.
"There's no doubt we are in a terrible position, and we're all under pressure. For that, I would like to apologise to our members. But the last thing we need to do is sack JT and start cannibalising and back-stabbing one another. We've been in worse positions than this."
Taylor was handed the job in 2007. In his first season, he elevated Souths to seventh and their first finals appearance since 1989. But last year, they finished third last.
As foreshadowed in The Daily Telegraph last week, it is understood there is growing unrest among players over a strict alcohol policy and Taylor's decision to sack assistant coach Mark Ellison after this season.
Privately, some players were miffed about the decision to bench five-eighth John Sutton early in the second half, as well as Taylor's description that the performance against the Tigers "wasn't up to NRL standard".
There is also simmering tension about the future of Craig Wing at the club. "That's absolute rubbish," Richardson said when asked if Taylor had lost the faith of his players.
Taylor yesterday dismissed claims of a tough week, when he told The Footy Show: "It is if you read the papers."
Meanwhile, the club is certain to lose mobile front-rower Michael Greenfield, who has agreed to terms with St George Illawarra after Souths failed to make him an offer.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25737224-5001023,00.html
