Fungus
Steve Simpson
well well well...anyone still love Brian Smith?
Still do. He did what he was meant to.
well well well...anyone still love Brian Smith?
Smith's contract with the Knights finishes at the end of next season but chief executive Steve Burraston has confirmed he has requested a release.
"I don't think Newcastle was ever going to be long-term for Brian," Mr Burraston told Fox Sports.
"If he had an opportunity to get a pretty substantial position somewhere else for a long period of time, it would be wrong for us to stand in his way I think.
"Brian asked us today if he could have a release so he could take up the position with the Roosters.
"From the chairman's and my point of view, we said we would be recommending to the board on Monday that that be the case, that we do grant him a release.
"In any employment outside of footy, you wouldn't stand in someone's way if they could do something that they wanted to do in their career."
Mr Burraston said the Roosters had offered Smith a four-year deal, compared to the one season remaining on his Newcastle contract.
"I would suggest without knowing that it's probably substantially more than we're capable of paying as well and he had family reasons around that as well," Burraston said.
He said the Knights had a number of ideas regarding a possible head coach for next year, including assistants at Newcastle and other clubs.
"We're not short of options, put it that way," he said.
But he played down talk club great Andrew Johns would be the man.
"I don't think Joey would like a full-time coaching career. He has stated that publicly on many occasions that he's not cut out to be a coach," Burraston said.
Mr Burraston said he was more than happy to have Smith as head coach for the remainder of the 2009 season.
"He's a very intense coach and he's a very professional coach," Mr Burraston said.
"Brian will give us everything and he gave me his word on that and said he has got a competition to win here and he firmly believes we will win the competition."
Pretty dirty... though I have nothing against Smith for accepting the Roosters offer. He did what he was brought here to do... and that's build a team that can win without Joey and Bedsy.
Best of luck to him.
well well well...anyone still love Brian Smith?
Poor Ben Rogers must be ****ting himself.....lol
Club number 5 next mate? And he is only 24....
I hope our next coach wraps him as much as BS
Yea, thats what im fearing, another major shake-up.
It'll be impossible for who ever we sign to slot in and work with the current squad, so no doubt they will be changes... lets just hope it aint a repeat of when Brian took over.