2015 Newcastle Knights Coach

[Jaybro]

You can never have too much money ....

 

[Hamish171]

Well the media still isn't "against" Bennett so they aren't going to write up an article saying "This man wants money". Anyone with a brain could see that and to be honest if I were Bennett, I'm not sure I would openly say that my main reason for signing with Brisbane is the money. He already has a quarter of his squad hating him at Brisbane and he wouldn't want anymore against him that's for sure.

 

[Mr Goanna]

anyone else hear that Daniel Anderson (currently coaching director at Parra), was invited to apply for the knights coaching job and that if he does get it then a few Eels would follow him up the F3? :think:...wouldn't be the worst applicant i'm sure and I wonder which players might join him if and only IF he gets the nod...

 

[ASJ82]

anyone else hear that Daniel Anderson (currently coaching director at Parra), was invited to apply for the knights coaching job and that if he does get it then a few Eels would follow him up the F3? :think:...wouldn't be the worst applicant i'm sure and I wonder which players might join him if and only IF he gets the nod...

Where you here that? I thought he was a decent coach in his time

 

[Joshhh]

The issue for me is; honesty. If that (chasing the dollar) is yr driving factor good luck to you, but be honest enough to come out snd say so.

Yes & he's already said 2 stories of why he's leaving too, hes just a bull**** artist, he said he's leaving because he's embarrassed & he takes all responsibility, making him look all honorable, then he said he's leaving because he can't commit for the amount of time he believed it will take to make the club good again. Obviously he came here for the million & obviously he's going back to the Broncos for the million. He even had the Dragons on standby to sign him up if he couldn't get a deal at the Broncos so obviously being away from his family wasn't an issue for him.

 

[Billy]

According to Toohey in the Telegraph this morning the players are very strongly in favour of Stone. Not sure if that is good or bad for his chances.

 

[ASJ82]

According to Toohey in the Telegraph this morning the players are very strongly in favour of Stone. Not sure if that is good or bad for his chances.

You would think midley would listen to his brother etc, I think if the players want to play for a coach it goes a long way towards success. Only have to look at the failure of Stewart at eels, Elliot at warriors etc that players didn't respond.

 

[Mr Goanna]

Where you here that? I thought he was a decent coach in his time

hadley mentioned it on 2gb...usually pretty close to the mark when it comes to all things parramatta

 

[jamesgould]

Daniel Anderson - definitely has skill as evidenced by his two grand finals, but there's a bit of a bad smell about the way he fell out of his players at both clubs so quickly afterwards.

And his 2002 halftime speech at the grand final for the Warriors has to go down as one of the all time shockers.

 

[Hamish171]

Daniel Anderson - definitely has skill as evidenced by his two grand finals, but there's a bit of a bad smell about the way he fell out of his players at both clubs so quickly afterwards.

And his 2002 halftime speech at the grand final for the Warriors has to go down as one of the all time shockers.

Just looked up what happened for the halftime speech, what was he thinking? A tape recorder with a mock commentary of them winning? What an imbecile

 

[jamesgould]

Just looked up what happened for the halftime speech, what was he thinking? A tape recorder with a mock commentary of them winning? What an imbecile

I've read about it in Stacey Jones' boom and he said he just ignored it, but then in Monty Betham's book he said him and Kevin Campion were both pretty much furious with Anderson and lost all focus on the game!

 

[Hamish171]

I've read about it in Stacey Jones' boom and he said he just ignored it, but then in Monty Betham's book he said him and Kevin Campion were both pretty much furious with Anderson and lost all focus on the game!

Wouldn't blame em'. That's the stupidest thing I've heard a coach do at halftime and no wonder they lost the plot in the second half.

 

[Afro Zac]

Could someone please explain this half time speech conundrum?

 

[Hamish171]

Could someone please explain this half time speech conundrum?

In 2002 at halftime when Warriors were losing 2-6, they went into the sheds and Anderson had a tape recorder in his hands and just told them "listen to this". It was a mock commentary of a fake game which Anderson thought up of between the Broncos and the Warriors and was the Grand Final (was made before roosters made it to the grand final). In the end of the fake game the warriors score a try to win the match. While Anderson probably thought it would rally the boys up to win, it backfired, HORRIBLY! Kevin Champion was the main one who got angry saying stuff like "Turn that **** off" and "What the **** is this". Many were too angry at what Anderson did for a halftime speech and responded badly in the second half.

 

[Quinny]

Really any player who claims the coaches half time speech is the reason they lost a grand final is pretty weak. They lost because they failed to step up and the half time speech may not have helped but at the end of the day the buck stops with the players who failed to perform.

 

[Jaybro]

That's very weird stuff by Anderson lol but they did make the semis the next year before the warriors went down hill and Anderson got the boot .....

Anyways back to our coach when will we hear something ???

 

[member 2299]

This ain't the Broncs, Tigers or the Sharkies.

Keep players opinions out of it. Next thing we know the players will be 'liking' the coach heaven forbid.

 

[rhugh89]

Rick Stone firms in race to replace Wayne Bennett as Newcastle Knights coach

By Brett Keeble

July 28, 2014 - 11:54PM

Former Knights coach Rick Stone has his nose in front of his one-time assistant Garth Brennan in what is effectively a two-horse race to replace Broncos-bound Wayne Bennett.

The Knights are in the process of compiling a short list of genuine candidates and hope to be in a position to appoint Bennett’s successor by late next week or early the following week.

The selection sub-committee of Knights chief executive Matt Gidley, chairman Paul Harragon and club adviser John Quayle met last Friday as part of that process, and will make their recommendations to the interim board by the end of this week.

It is understood only a select few, including born-and-bred Novocastrians Stone and Brennan, will make it to the interview stage because most of the prospective candidates do not have a strong connection to Newcastle and the Hunter.

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This has been identified as the most critical qualification for the position as the Knights try to re-establish themselves with their local community and supporter base.

As a Lakes United and Knights junior, former NSW and Australian halfback Brett Kimmorley fits that bill but he is yet to coach an NRL club.

Brennan is in the same category, but it is understood the Knights would prefer appointing someone who has had some NRL experience without importing another high-profile ‘‘outsider’’ after the perceived failure of that model under Bennett and, before him, Brian Smith.

Gidley would not comment when asked about individual candidates and their chances but told the Newcastle Herald the picture should be clearer by the end of next week.

‘‘We spoke at length about the position and the candidates and the process, so there’s probably not a lot to update at this stage other than we met again last Friday to discuss all that, and we’ll meet again later this week,’’ Gidley said.

‘‘We’ve drafted the criteria and we’re going through a process now of researching the key candidates who fit the criteria, so we’ve done a lot of work looking into the background of the coaches who we feel are best suited to our club.

‘‘We’ll report that back to the board a bit later this week then look to move things forward from there.

‘‘The plan is to confirm the candidates that have made the short list, then discuss with the board as to how they want to move forward from there and whether they want to interview the strongest candidates or all of them, so that’s where I think we’ll get to this week.’’

Though Brennan has high-profile support in his corner, including Penrith general manager of football Phil Gould and Panthers coach Ivan Cleary, Stone remains the favourite as he has been part of the Knights’ coaching system since 2006, when he assisted Michael Hagan.

Stone continued in that role under Smith, eventually succeeding the former Dragons, Eels and Steelers mentor with four rounds left in the 2009 regular season.

He steered the Knights into the finals that year and again in 2011, having been told in April that year that he was being pushed sideways to make way for Bennett.

In Stone’s favour, he did not complain when his job description changed and he returned to an assistant’s role under Bennett. He was similarly stoic in 2013 when handed the second-tier NSW Cup coaching reins when Rip Taylor was not reappointed.

While remaining in the background as one of Bennett’s assistants at the Knights, Stone has expanded his horizons by coaching Fiji’s national team, and he only augmented his resumé by steering the Bati to the World Cup semi-finals last year.

Another plus for 47-year-old Stone is his long friendship with Harragon, which stretches back to their school days and junior clubs Lakes and Valentine-Eleebana, and his close connections with the current Knights squad – many of whom have signed for next year and beyond.

When Bennett announced on July 10 that he would be leaving the Knights at the end of this season, Stone told the Herald he wanted another crack at the top job.

‘‘The longer you coach and the more experience you get, the better you are for it,’’ Stone said.

‘‘If you think about Michael Hagan, Brian Smith and Wayne Bennett, and the little bit of international exposure I had in the World Cup with Fiji, I know I’m definitely a better, more complete coach than when I had the job for those couple of years.

‘‘If there is an opportunity to go back into a head coaching job at Newcastle, that’s something I’d be really interested in.’’

Brennan’s star has also risen since he left the Knights at the end of 2011, when Bennett replaced the former police prosecutor with his own support staff.

The 42-year-old Wests Rosellas junior had been an NRL assistant to Stone and, in 2011, coached the Knights to the National Youth Cup (under-20s) play-offs for the first time.

Brennan joined Penrith in 2012, winning the NYC coach of the year award in his first season.

He guided the Panthers to the NYC premiership last year, and is currently in charge of Penrith’s table-topping NSW Cup side.

‘‘Obviously, every young coach has aspirations, and I would be interested in any job as an NRL head coach, especially in my home town,’’ Brennan told the Herald on July 10.

‘‘That would be the pinnacle.

‘‘But right now my focus is on the NSW Cup team here at Penrith.’’

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ights-coach-20140728-zxw3z.html#ixzz38nOTXJcH

 

[jamesgould]

Well I'm happy to hear that. It feels like Stone's work is only half done ... and surely he must get credit for giving his main rival for the position his break in coaching? That to me shows he really knows his stuff.

 

[Beaumont]

I'm not fussed on Stone getting the job but regardless of who it is I hope they only get a 1-2 year contract with an extension based on results. I'd just like to see a competitive team show up each week with their footy heads on.