The secret meeting to run Smith out of town

[Frederick]

The secret meeting to run Smith out of town

Article from:
By Phil Rothfield and Rebecca Wilson
August 26, 2007 12:00am

A SECRET meeting tomorrow of Newcastle's most powerful businessmen will put pressure on the Knights board to immediately sack coach Brian Smith.

The group, known as the White Knights and made up of the most influential movers and shakers in the Hunter, will gather over dinner to discuss the crisis that has torn apart one of the game's proudest clubs.

The businessmen, including John Singleton and Jack Newton, are working on a secret plan to oust Smith as coach two years before his contract expires. The White Knights are huge financial supporters of the club and have always carried great influence behind the scenes in the running of the outfit.

An email was circulated to each member last Wednesday, stressing the importance of attending tomorrow's dinner. With player morale at an all-time low and disgruntled fans in absolute siege mode, cracks are appearing in a Knights board under massive pressure to look elsewhere for a coach.

We've heard from reliable sources that three names have already been mentioned in discussions to replace Smith: Cronulla's assistant coach Shane Flanagan, Parramatta's assistant coach David Fairleigh and former Brisbane Broncos star Terry Matterson, who is coaching in England.

Smith has become so unpopular in the town that officials are doing everything possible to shield him from disgruntled fans. Even his weekly press conference, which is recorded and placed on the Knights' website, didn't appear this week because of ill feeling in the Hunter over his refusal to pick tackling machine Kirk Reynoldson in a side that is getting hammered every week.

One insider told us: "There is a growing feeling within the club that morale will not improve next year unless we change coaches. Everyone knows he's lost the support of the senior players. It might cost $500,000 to pay him out but you've got to consider what the club could potentially lose in gate takings and sponsorship dollars if it doesn't improve next year.''

LINK

All Singleton cares about is the money he lost on what was a pretty pathetic ad campaign to begin with (which he claimed to have pulled from all stations last week, yet was still airing at EAS on Friday :-k)

And as for the cripple...seriously, who the f**k cares what he has to say?

 

[cram]

You know I think this thing is growing legs and I believe there is every chance the board is going to start to getting jumpy. I would not be suprised to see Smith get the boot in the very near future.

 

[roopy]

Smith deserves a chance to run the team he has built - but if this bunch of bastards was able to get him sacked - well - he has already done the job we needed to be done.

 

[voltron]

i wouldnt be suprised the the telecrap organised the meeting, to be able to create a "forum" for people to talk in about the problems
and then reported on it

 

[Eelectrica]

It's not a secret anymore.

 

[fred_knight]

LINK



And as for the cripple...seriously, who the f**k cares what he has to say?

Seriously, what a bloody immature and stupid thing to say

 

[Holla if ya hear me]

Sooooo if they do get rid of smith..and get a new guy in..fairleigh for example..the first question is "will you renew kirk reynolds contract?"..and we are back to square one again..and stuck with this numpty reynoldson for another year

 

[Holla if ya hear me]

:lol: read as..reynoldson

 

[roopy]

fairleigh - the guy who went on radio saying his PL side weren't winning because they were too stupid to follow his game plans - just the guy we need to bring the club back together.

 

[The_Joey_Show]

Printed in the Telegraph... check

About the Knights... check

By Rothfield and his lapdog... check

Yep, this article scores three out of three in the 'biased, baseless piece of journalistic excrement' test.

Take it with a grain of salt, like everything else written in that 'newspaper' (boy I use that term loosely)

 

[Burwood]

If they are going to replace Smith can't they at least add some quality names to the list of prospective coaches. Seriously, is the answer to our problems some guy coaching in the second tier English comp? Or a guy that wasn't good enough for the job 12 months ago?

And how can Newton still be our #1 ticket holder? Didn't he barrack against the team when we played Melbourne a couple of months back? Get rid of him and give it to someone like Hawkins wh is a bit easier on the eye.

 

[TooheysNew]

Seriously, what a bloody immature and stupid thing to say

Followed closely by that.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

And how can Newton still be our #1 ticket holder? Didn't he barrack against the team when we played Melbourne a couple of months back? Get rid of him and give it to someone like Hawkins wh is a bit easier on the eye.

allllriiight :crazy:

 

[fred_knight]

Followed closely by that.

For real Dilmah, you condone that do you?

 

[Frederick]

And how can Newton still be our #1 ticket holder? Didn't he barrack against the team when we played Melbourne a couple of months back? Get rid of him and give it to someone like Hawkins wh is a bit easier on the eye.

I'm pretty sure when NBN news interviewed Leigh Maughan last week for his views on what's happening, they introduced him as "number 1 ticket holder Leigh Maughan"

 

[TooheysNew]

For real Dilmah, you condone that do you?

Condone what? I don't care what Newton has to say, no.

 

[shane1970]

As if they are gonna steam roll him out of town - really they sent him in there to do a job - clean out the CRAP that call themselves first grade footballers - he's done that - and now they're gonna p#ss him off before we get to see what he can create with his new signings - another thing they left up to him - AS IF - and as for the $500 thousand pay out I reckon it would be a bit more than that and I don't really think we could afford giving money away like that.

 

[RABK]

All those for sacking Brian Smith raise both hands...

Jack Newton: "Doh"

 

[Frederick]

I only just noticed this

We've heard from reliable sources

Ahh the good ol reliable, yet un-nameable reliable source :lol:

 

[fred_knight]

Condone what? I don't care what Newton has to say, no.

you know what im talking bout