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LINKThe club backed us into a corner
Article from:
By Barry Toohey
August 26, 2007 12:00am
AFTER being forced out of the club he loves, Kirk Reynoldson is facing the prospect of being ripped away from the love of his life as Newcastle's decision to sack him reverberates around the Steel City.
Reynoldson's wife, Katie, is studying to become a dietitian at university in Newcastle and fears who her husband will be taken away from her by the callous actions of coach Brian Smith and chief executive Steve Burraston.
Katie and Kirk have even discussed giving football away and getting a normal job so they can stay together. But Katie refuses to let her husband give up his dream even if it means they have to separate for 12 months.
"One of the reasons we came to Newcastle in the first place was because they wanted to sign him for four years and I had the opportunity to do a four-year university course here,'' Katie said.
"Whatever happens to Kirk, I have to stay here and finish my course.
"I know we will handle whatever that is, even if it means spending 12 months apart. But I just feel sad about the whole thing. It's just not right.
"Going to court is not the most pleasant thing to do. But at this stage, we have got nothing. Nothing at all. I don't work, so it is really hard.''
Reynoldson needs to play one more game to activate a retention clause for next season worth $196,500. But he hasn't been named in any grade over the past fortnight. While he holds out a glimmer of hope, his chances of being named in the side to meet Wests Tigers in the final round next weekend appear slim.
It's the culmination of a horror seven weeks for the Reynoldson, who has received strong backing from of his team-mates in the face of Smith's stance.
Katie will never forget when this sad story started, the moment Kirk walked through the front door and dropped a bombshell.
"It was my 28th birthday and we were going out to dinner with friends,'' she said. "Kirk just walked in and told me what had happened. I was dumbfounded. I couldn't believe it.''
Reynoldson had just been told his position at the club was in the balance. He had gone into the club's offices to talk to Knights operations manager Steve Crowe about the welfare of another player. He came out deeply worried about his own.
"There were tears and we were a bit late for dinner on the night,'' Katie recalled.
"It just rocked us both. We didn't see it coming at all. And it hasn't got any better since.''
That was July 2 and seven weeks later the drama has escalated to the point where there is a real chance it could end up in court. Katie knows her husband better than anyone, knows his feelings for the club and for the city. She knows he doesn't want to go down the legal path, but she also recognises he has been backed into a corner.
But when Reynoldson spoke to about quitting the game so he could stay with his wife, Katie stopped him in his tracks.
"I just said to him, 'You're not going to do that','' she said.
"He still has a lot of footy in him and, like me with what I want to do, he is ambitious about it.
"I know we can make it work.''
There has been talk of other clubs being interested. But it has largely been lip service. There have been no offers.
The support for Reynoldson rolls in from everywhere - from team-mates, from supporters, even players from rival clubs.
"Our families have been amazing as well. We really have had awesome support, which helps you get through it,'' Katie said.
Reynoldson is one of the most popular players at the club. Last year, he was clubman of the year and he has done more than anyone to look after the interests of team-mates and their families. To find himself on the scrapheap eight months after accepting the clubman award has shattered him.
"He has been a mess,'' Katie said.
"He is usually the more level-headed and stable one. But he goes to bed exhausted and wakes up exhausted. He's lost weight and it's really sad to see him gutted like this. He's usually this happy, easy-going person but this has broken him.''
Asked for her feelings about Knights coach Brian Smith, Katie bites her tongue.
"I don't want to say anything,'' she said.
"My energy is focused on supporting Kirk.''
:-({|= Cry me a f**ken river, bitch. This 12 months apart from him could be the best thing to ever happen to you. You might actually meet someone who isn't a complete no-hoper
