Knights Using GPS Technology/Wests Deal

[knight-no-7]

Keeping track: Knights using GPS technology to help stars shine By ROBERT DILLON


JARROD Mullen receives the ball on the move and immediately sets his sights on a retreating defensive line.

He probes across-field, his speed accelerating from 20 kilometres an hour to almost 30, like a Ferrari changing up through the gears. His heart rate zooms accordingly and is hammering away at almost 200 beats per minute.

He spies a gap and, with precise timing, explodes through it with a left-foot step to hit maximum velocity: almost 34kmh.

At that moment his body is experiencing nine times the force of gravity similar to a fighter pilot putting his jet into a turn and he hasn't even had a hand laid on him.

Sitting on the sidelines, glued to their laptop computers, are members of the Newcastle Knights physical performance staff.

Thanks to the GPS satellite tracking device that Mullen is wearing, they can monitor and analyse virtually every drop of sweat he expends during the training session.

The Knights bought five of the devices in mid-December, at $3000 apiece, and they are the latest high-tech tool in helping prepare their players for the 2008 season. Eventually they hope to have one for each player.

The technology has already been embraced by several other NRL clubs, most AFL outfits and more recently by the Australian cricket team.

Before each field session, a selection of Newcastle players, representing a cross-section of positions, are fitted with the devices.

In the early weeks, Mullen, Kurt Gidley, Ben Cross, Zeb Taia and Cooper Vuna have been used as human guinea pigs to build up a data base.

As the players train, head coach Brian Smith's staff watch the statistics unfold before their eyes on a live feed.

They then return to the office and upload the data into a periodisation chart to identify trends.

Some of the information has reaffirmed what coaches already knew about their athletes; some of it has been a revelation.

Newcastle's brains trust were surprised to learn, for instance, that a player such as Mullen can register as high a G-force reading with a routine sidestep as other players do in a heavy tackle.

"The G-forces are basically the acceleration and deceleration forces on the body," Newcastle's Toyota Cup coach, Trent Robinson, said yesterday.

"Whether that's stepping off your left or your right foot, or whether that's accelerating in a run or decelerating after a run. And obviously the other cause of G-forces is contact.

"We can equate how much a tackle costs on the body.

"A big impact is around 10g, which is quite a force.

"What we do is measure anything above 5g. We say that is a significant body load, and we have a figure at the end of the session on the body load."

From the data compiled so far, young winger Akuila Uate has established himself as the fastest player in the club, hitting a top speed of 34.5kmh. Cooper Vuna (34.1), Mullen (33.95) and Kurt Gidley (33.5) are not far behind him.

Even heavyweight forwards such as Danny Wicks (33) and Ben Cross (32) can motor along.

As a comparison, Olympic sprinters reach top speeds of slightly more than 40kmh and average about 36kmh over a 100m race.

Marathon man Gidley has covered the most turf during a single training session, racking up 8.4km in 100 minutes, while back-rower Zeb Taia has reached the highest heart-rate reading of 217 beats per minute.

Surprisingly, the GPS system indicates that outside backs experience as many heavy impacts in a game as front-rowers.

"You'd think the outside backs do less tackling, hit-ups and wrestling," Robinson said.

"But it's because they're so explosive that it takes more out of them. They do a lot of accelerating and decelerating, and that is a costly exercise."

Robinson said eventually it was hoped such data would allow Newcastle's coaches to tailor training sessions and help players avoid fatigue and injuries.

"It's too early for us to say we can change a session because of what we're finding," he said. "We're not that far down the track yet.

"But what we're finding is what kinds of sessions impact on the body.

"We're not allowed by the NRL to wear them in games, but that's our goal. If we can watch a game and monitor players on the GPS, then training can become even more specific."

Unrelated article:

$1million question: Wests play hardball with Knights over bailout
By BRETT KEEBLE


THE once-happy marriage between the Newcastle Knights and Wests Group is on the rocks.

The Herald has been told Wests have baulked at contributing any of their promised $1 million towards covering the Knights' estimated $1.2 million financial loss last year.

That agreement, in return for Wests holding the catering and green-keeping and, ultimately, management rights at EnergyAustralia Stadium, was the key component of their two-year-old commercial partnership designed to ensure the Knights' long-term financial future.

When that union was announced in December 2005, Wests agreed to underwrite the Knights to cover football operational losses of up to $1 million annually.

But as the Knights close in on finalising their new lease with the Hunter International Sports Centre Trust to continue as major tenants at EAS, Wests have allegedly threatened to withhold paying any of that $1 million unless the Knights agree to an amended version of the lease.

It is understood that in the past few weeks Wests have added several new clauses to the lease agreement, which the Knights have refused to sign off on for fear the new clauses would impact even further on their financial wellbeing.

It is understood crisis talks between Knights and Wests management and the Hunter ISC Trust are planned for Monday, then the Knights have a board meeting scheduled for that night.

One source close to the process said: "The agreement between the Knights and Wests is the issue here, not the agreement between the Knights and the [Hunter ISC] Trust."

Another described the impasse as "something to be expected because this was always going to be a relationship that would take some time to develop and mature through trial and error".

The Knights reported a profit of $813,255 in 2006 but face an estimated $1.2 million loss after a disastrous year on and off the field in 2007. Sources say that likely $2 million turnaround has rung alarm bells in the Wests board room.

Wests has held the catering and green-keeping rights at EAS for the past two years but, according to the new lease, will assume total management rights.

The Knights and the Hunter ISC Trust signed a heads-of-agreement document to that effect on January 7 and hope to formalise that lease by the end of next week.

The breakdown in the Knights-Wests alliance was discussed yesterday when NSW Treasurer, Minister for the Hunter and Knights patron Michael Costa met in Newcastle with Knights chief executive Steve Burraston, chairman Peter Corcoran and Jets owner Con Constantine.

Sources close to the negotiations say Wests believe it is legally within its rights to hold out on reducing the Knights' deficit because Knights management did not file a budget estimate on time early last year, among other "technical breaches" of their agreement.

Burraston was reluctant to comment when asked about the predicament last night but was confident of resolving the stalemate once Wests were presented with an audited bottom line.

"There are a few issues that we're trying to work through," Burraston said.

"Until we have our accounts audited this month and we present that set of accounts to Wests, we can't determine what number, if any, will be paid by Wests.

"The sooner we can get our numbers audited, the sooner we can present them to Wests and sort the situation out, but I expect we will sort all this out in an amicable manner."

Wests Group chief executive Phil Gardner did not return calls or messages from The Herald last night.

Gardner told The Herald in December that it was his policy not to comment on issues regarding his club's association with the Knights.

"One thing I've been really strong on is making sure there is only one voice for the Knights and that is Steve Burraston," Gardner said in The Herald on December 19.

Hunter ISC Trust chairman Ted Atchison said he would not comment until after he met with the Knights.

 

[U23]

The GPS system sound's pretty flashy. It's amazing what technology can do these days. And if it's helping us in training, then I'm all for it.

With those running times, I didn't realise Mullen was that fast. (Though I do recall his run from the Manly final in 06 and the try he scored against NQ sometime, where he did show a bit of pace.)

 

[~knights1~]

that's really interesting about the GPS

just goes to show how much sport relies on science & technology these days

 

[U23]

On the Wests deal..

Knights money deal in trouble
By Barry Toohey

February 02, 2008 12:00am

IT was touted as the life-saving financial partnership that secured the Newcastle Knights' long-term viability in the NRL.

But after just two seasons, the marriage between the Knights and Newcastle's biggest licence club organisation - The Wests Group - is in grave danger of falling apart.

In a deal signed before the start of the 2006 season, Wests agreed to underwrite the Knights for up to $1 million a year in return for taking over the marketing of the club and management rights to EnergyAustralia Stadium.

But after a disastrous financial result last season - which is rumoured to have left the Knights over $700,000 out of pocket - Wests are giving no guarantees they will meet the shortfall unless a new stadium agreement is reached.

According to a well-placed source, the proposed new stadium lease agreement is slanted heavily in Wests favour and amounts to Wests "holding a gun" to the head of the Knights.

Knights chief executive Steve Burraston was tight-lipped when asked about the new deal earlier in the week.

"We are working through it and it's just a matter of getting the wording right," he said.

But other sources have told The Saturday Telegraph the club is split down the middle in relation to signing any new agreement with Wests.

"If the Knights can find another way to secure their future long-term without getting back into bed with Wests, they may well take it," a source said.

It is understood millionaire businessmen Con Constantine and John Singleton have been touted as potential saviours for the Knights.

Constantine's Newcastle Jets have been fighting for a better deal at EnergyAustralia Stadium since the A-League began and would join forces with the Knights if made an offer.

 

[knight-no-7]

that's really interesting about the GPS
just goes to show how much sport relies on science & technology these days

Yea, we are on of a few clubs to do so. And good on the Knights for going out and purchasing units worth $3000 each.

On the Wests deal, wow if it collapses we could be in real trouble. And i damn well hope we dont join with the Jets!

 

[knight-no-7]

Playing team game a risky business for Wests
By ROBERT DILLON
Herald

IN hindsight, it was perhaps naive to expect that the Wests Group would subsidise the Newcastle Knights for up to $1 million a year with no strings attached.

Wests may rate as one of the more generous organisations in Newcastle their proud history of donations to charitable and sporting bodies stands as testimony to that but for a long time they kept at a wary arm's length from their neighbours on the eastern side of Turton Road.

Over the years Wests have provided the Knights with various levels of financial support, but it was not until December 2005 18 years after Newcastle began preparing for entry into the NSWRL premiership that a major commitment was forthcoming.

When former Knights chairman Mike Tyler announced a partnership with Wests, who agreed to underwrite the NRL outfit for $1 million a year, he said the New Lambton-based juggernaut "are to be congratulated for their foresight and their community spirit".

Wests chief executive Phil Gardner expressed a sense of civic duty.

"We think that if the Knights are successful, the community is successful, and that will come back to us in other ways," Gardner said.

For many fans it seemed a natural and long-overdue union.

The Knights were perennially on the poverty line and had no leagues club of their own after the spectacular and costly failure of their venture in Adamstown.

Wests, based just a decent torpedo punt from EnergyAustralia Stadium, are the richest licensed club in the region and benefit from increased patronage before and after Knights' home games.

But for years such a liaison seemed unlikely, as Wests were unlikely to commit to a significant level of funding unless they received something in return.

But if the feelgood factor played some role in the 2005 deal, the real clincher was Wests securing management rights at EAS until the end of 2017.

Now there is a dispute over those management rights, and mutual goodwill has been replaced by a pre-occupation with the bottom line.

Business is business.

There might yet be a peaceful resolution, but the possibility of the merger collapsing will no doubt be causing Knights officials to lose some sleep.

Their team, after all, train at state-of-the-art facilities owned by Wests.

Wests executives have their own cause for insomnia.

Few Novocastrians will forget Wests' attempt to set up a Super League franchise in Newcastle, in direct opposition to the Knights, that was eventually torpedoed when irate members voted overwhelmingly against it.

Several members of the Wests board of directors were serving back in 1995 when their club bought into the Super League war.

Snubbing the Knights a second time around would do little to enhance their public image.

Burraston hopes meeting can resolve impasse with partner


KNIGHTS chief executive Steve Burraston is keeping the club's options open regarding a long-term financial partner but hopes to make peace with the Wests Group as early as today.

The future of the 26-month-old commercial alliance between the two iconic Newcastle organisations is in doubt because Wests have baulked at contributing any of their promised $1 million to help the Knights cover an estimated $1.2 million loss for the 2007 NRL season.

That partnership is separate to the impending new lease agreement between the Knights and the Hunter International Sports Centre Trust, in which the Knights will continue as major tenants at EnergyAustralia Stadium with Wests as stadium managers until 2017.

But The Herald understands the lease and the Knights-Wests corporate joint venture are intrinsically interwoven. It is understood Wests are holding out on reducing the Knights' deficit unless the Knights agree to several clauses in an amended version of the lease.

Burraston would not comment about other options, but a new collaboration with Newcastle Jets owner Con Constantine has emerged as a possibility.

"Our first priority is to solve the Wests situation, but like any manager of any organisation, you've always got Plan B and hopefully Plan C in your pocket," Burraston said.

"I've been talking to various people to see what those options are, but I think it's a bit premature to speculate on those outcomes. Our priority will be to have discussions with Wests this week and see if we can work things out."

Burraston will meet today with Wests Group chief executive Phil Gardner and HISC Trust chairman Ted Atchison to discuss the stadium agreement.

The Knights and the trust signed a heads-of-agreement document on January 7, but Burraston said a formal lease must be ratified this week a more pressing issue than how much money Wests will give the Knights.

"The other agreement revolves around us providing the right numbers to Wests," he said.

"We are talking through the various issues, and in all honesty, we can't define a final number until we have audited figures, which we expect to happen some time this month. We closed off our accounts at the end of December, but we need to finalise our numbers and bring the auditors in to make sure we've made no mistakes.

"Once we've got a sign-off from the auditors, we can then present the true and accurate numbers to Wests and they can make a determination on whether or not they'll provide anything under the agreement, so I think we're all getting a little bit ahead of ourselves."

Gardner said his organisation would respond when the Knights presented their bottom line.

"Everything we've said we'd do, we've done; and more," Gardner said.

"At this stage, the Knights haven't made a claim on us under our guarantee. Everything else at this point is conjecture."

Apart from the lease and their financial partnership, a third agreement exists between the Knights and Wests regarding the Knights using the $16 million Wests-owned Balance gymnasium, fitness centre and adjacent field and facilities at Mayfield as a training base.

It is understood that partnership has not been affected by the breakdown in relations regarding the other two agreements, though players are not using the training field at Balance because ground renovations have taken longer than originally anticipated.

Players have been training at other grounds, including Dangar Park and Newcastle University, but continue to use the gym, pools, weights room and meal facilities at Balance.

Speculation that John Singleton remained a potential Knights saviour was off the mark, according to sources close to the millionaire businessman and racehorse owner, but his association remains through his Bluetongue Brewery sponsorship.

Burraston believed the publicity of the past 48 hours "could strain negotiations a little bit, but I hope Wests don't take it the wrong way".

"These things sometimes leak out from time to time and people find various pieces of information out, but I hope it doesn't interfere with our negotiations as we go forward this week," he said.

Con happy to bail out Knights

NEWCASTLE Jets owner Con Constantine said last night that he would be "more than happy" to step into the breach and financially support the Knights if the NRL club's partnership with the Wests Group collapsed.

The Knights-Wests liaison is in danger of suffering a terminal breakdown just two years after they announced a partnership.

Waiting in the background is Constantine, who has stated many times that he believes the city's two sporting flagships should merge and who expressed interest in buying the Knights before Wests threw them a lifeline in December 2005.

Constantine reiterated his desire to forge a Knights-Jets union during a meeting with Knights chairman Peter Corcoran and chief executive Steve Burraston and NSW Treasurer and Minister for the Hunter Michael Costa on Friday, at which the EnergyAustralia Stadium sharing arrangement was discussed.

He also offered to provide a financial safety net for the Knights should Wests withdraw.

"If Wests can't handle a relationship with the Knights, the Jets will always always be there for the Knights," Constantine said.

"I made it very clear to the Knights chairman and chief executive and the minister that if the Knights have a problem with finances in the future, I'll be there for them . . . .

"I want Wests to know that if they don't want to support the Knights and the Jets and give them a fair go, and they [Wests] want to walk, let them go.

"Now is the right time for us to make the hard decision. The Knights and the Jets should unite to take it to the next level.

"They are a winter sport; we are a summer sport. United together we'll go forward."

Asked whether he would be able to underwrite the Knights, as Wests have done, for $1 million a year, Constantine replied: "Definitely."

And there is little doubt that Constantine has the cash to back up his promise. The Parklea Markets owner is estimated to be worth more than $100 million.



Constantine's support has helped keep the Knights afloat in the past.

He refused to disclose figures, but it is understood he gave the Knights close to $1.5 million over the course of three or four years in the late 1990s.

Constantine said Wests "want to have their cake and eat it too" with regard to EnergyAustralia Stadium, where they will hold management rights for the next decade if the Knights agree to sign a lease extension.

The Knights have baulked at signing, amid suggestions that Wests are using their funding commitment as leverage.

"I think at the moment Wests are putting too much pressure on the Knights," he said.

"They would love to get the Knights to sign [a new lease] under duress because of the disability the Knights have with finances . . . if Wests come to the party and give the Jets and the Knights what we really deserve, I've got no problem with Wests holding the management role.

"But if we do all the work, why should they be getting all the benefits?"

Constantine said Costa had guaranteed the Jets a better deal at EAS, irrespective of whether Wests and the Knights resolved their impasse.

"According to the minister, we definitely will be getting our part of the deal which is our share of naming rights, catering and pourage," he said.

"The minister made it very clear that the Jets have to get their share of the deal regardless of whether or not Wests are involved."

Asked how the privately owned Jets could merge with the Knights, a public company, Constantine replied: "Where there's a will there's always a way.

"If the Knights and Jets want to join forces, there will be no problems at all, whatsoever.

"And to the average person in the street, it's going to look better that every dollar they give will go towards the clubs."

 

[Jonno]

jesus this con bloke is making it sound like the jets are the knights big brother, there to lend a helping hand. They have been in Newcastle 3 years, compared to the knights 21 years. Sure he can make a donation if he wants but dont make it sound like the knights cant survive without his help.

On the other hand it does sound like this "wests" group is trying to take advantage, and it looks like they wont bail the knights out until they got what they want and that is for the knights to sign the contract

 

[bigdan]

I don't see an issue with the Knights and Jets working together. They play at the same stadium, so stadium management issues would be reduced with both teams taking a direct interest in looking after EAS. It could even land us a better stadium!

But they need to sort out whatever it is they're having issues with Wests over. Especially with regards to training facilities.

 

[knight-no-7]

Peace looms after high-powered talks
By ROBERT DILLON

THE Newcastle Knights and Wests Group appeared to have kissed and made up last night after a day of high-powered meetings eased fears of an imminent divorce.

Knights chief executive Steve Burraston and his Wests counterpart, Phil Gardner, both allayed concerns that the two organisations were about to part company after a much-publicised impasse had threatened to torpedo the alliance they forged in December 2005.

The cause of the dispute was the Knights' lease at EnergyAustralia Stadium, under which Wests were to assume management rights at the stadium until 2017.

But the Knights objected to several clauses Wests wanted to add to the management agreement, and Wests in turn indicated they may not be in a position to help the Knights cover an estimated $1.2 million financial loss last year despite their 2005 commitment to underwrite the NRL club for $1 million a year.

But last night it seemed an amicable resolution was on the horizon.

Representatives of the two organisations first held a three-hour meeting yesterday morning with officials from the International Sports Centre Trust and the state government at the NSW Premier's Department office at Honeysuckle.

Gardner, Wests chairman Owen Kilpatrick and their advisers then attended a board meeting last night at the Knights' Turton Road offices.

"I think both meetings were extremely positive," Burraston said last night.

"It was a good outcome for everyone for the Knights and Wests and the trust this morning, and for the Knights and Wests this evening.

"Certainly we're getting rid of our differences and we're discussing a way to ensure that we keep the Knights afloat and work out what's best in the stadium for the Knights and the Jets."

Gardner was also confident any lingering queries would be resolved.

"With the issues we discussed today, I think we've all come to an agreeance on that," he said.

"There might have been some areas of grey before. Now there's a clear understanding."

ISC Trust chairman Ted Atchison said the stadium lease was effectively "finalised" at yesterday morning's meeting.

Atchison said the trust's solicitors would complete formalities within the next few days and send copies of the agreement to the trust and the Knights by the end of the week.

Under the new agreement, Wests will manage the stadium, the Knights will remain as major tenants and the Newcastle Jets will again have to sub-let the facility for their A-League commitments.

Burraston was not quite so definite.

"Regarding the stadium agreement, we met this morning with the trust, representatives of the government, Wests and ourselves, and we're working through that," he said.

"We're certainly working our way through that document . . . we may be able to get some resolution to that this week."



With regard to underwriting the Knights, Gardner said that: "Everything we've always said we'd do, we've done".

"The way our underwriting works is very clear," he said. "It hits a certain level the Knights can spend anything they want to spend, but that doesn't affect our underwriting . . . so there's an agreement to a budget. If they run to that budget, then our underwriting kicks in.

"If they go outside that budget, then that's their responsibility.

"But it needs to be made absolutely clear that, in all this, there is absolutely no profit for Wests. It is all costs for us."

Burraston said he hoped to have audited figures for Wests by the end of the month, at latest, to provide a clear picture of how far in the red the Knights finished last year.



"We've discussed another of things, from the agreement and how it's interpreted," he said. "There's a number of things about the agreement what sort of things we do have provide for Wests, and we have a better understanding of that.

"I think Wests have a sympathetic ear to us at the moment. Even though there may have some technical breaches in the document, they're quite happy to overlook those providing we give them the right information.

"So I think we'll come to some resolution, certainly by the end of the month."

Burraston said yesterday's developments would not negatively impact on the Jets in any way.

"It was no different to what we discussed with [Jets owner] Con Constantine and the treasurer [Michael Costa] on Friday," Burraston said.

"We're still discussing the same sorts of issues. But certainly we understand that we need to involve the Jets as best we can under the arrangement."



Gardner said speculation that the alliance was on the verge of collapse had "certainly taken us by surprise".

"That's one of the reasons we're here today, wondering where all this is coming from," he said.

 

[bigdan]

Good to see it's sorted. Now on with season 2008!

 

[knight-no-7]

Knights, Wests save battered relationship

CRISIS talks between Knights chief executive Steve Burraston and Wests Group counterpart Phil Gardner have saved the previously fragile relationship between the two landmark Newcastle organisations.

Burraston and Gardner met for three hours yesterday to patch up a partnership that had been in steady decline for the past year, due largely to a lack of communication from the Knights to Wests about their parlous financial state.

After a disastrous year on and off the field, the Knights face an estimated loss of $1.2 million for the 2007 National Rugby League season, a $2 million turnaround on their profit of $813,255 the previous year.

Gardner said the Knights owed Wests more than $1.5 million at one stage last year and still owed the group, which operates Western Suburbs Leagues Club, about $900,000. The Herald understands this relates to staffing and catering costs incurred on game days at EnergyAustralia Stadium last year.

It is understood Wests are now prepared to absorb that debt under the banner of a sponsorship deal as part of a reworded and restructured business agreement, provided the Knights are more vigilant in their financial management and in reporting back to Wests with monthly budget estimates, as outlined in the original deal signed in December 2005.

"We've carried the Knights from a cashflow perspective for the last two years. At stages during the last year, the Knights have owed us in excess of $1.5 million," Gardner said.

"Today, they still owe us more than $900,000, so any talk about us not living up to our obligations is quite erroneous.

"All through this process, we've done everything we can to support the Knights.

"The key thing for Wests in our relationship with the Knights is there is no return for Wests other than reputational support.

"We feel that our reputation has been damaged by what has been reported in the media, which is completely erroneous, and we were very concerned about that because what we're doing is supporting the Knights."

Any new agreement will include a clearer explanation of Wests' financial commitment. That is currently an underwriting capped at $1 million if the Knights do not meet their annual budget, but Gardner said Wests wanted to clarify that.

"The Knights have told us they need some certainty, and underwriting doesn't give them any certainty. They've got some issues around that and the way in which they frame their budgets and their business runs," he said.

Burraston would not comment about the figures Gardner mentioned but acknowledged Wests were and still are supporting the Knights "with some cashflow issues".

"We had some cashflow difficulties in that we had some funding from some of our sponsors and suppliers that should have been in and wasn't, then the further we got into the competition we had less and less revenue from our home games," Burraston said.

"I think we've worked through all the issues on both sides and we have a much better understanding where both of us sit and how we interpreted different things.

"I think there had been a lack of understanding and a few grey areas, but rather than get into any debate, Phil and I have worked very much towards the future.

"Wests have been very understanding of the situation that we're in at the moment, coming off a very poor season and about to post a huge loss.

"Wests have offered their assistance to us, and we're trying to work through that in the best way we can to benefit both organisations.

"I'm pretty confident we will, but that's at a CEO level, and we have to report to our boards to get the support we need to take this forward.

"In all honesty, there is goodwill from the Wests Group.

"Where we've got mixed up in this contract, we want to get rid of any ambiguity within that agreement and structure an agreement that is the best thing for the Knights and for Wests."

Gardner and Wests chairman Owen Kilpatrick addressed a Knights board meeting on Monday night but only Gardner and Burraston were present for yesterday's talks. Burraston and Gardner agreed there could have been better communication from both organisations.

"The Knights have had a change of chairman and a change of CEO in the past 12 months, and this chairman and CEO deserve some support and the opportunity to rectify any of those issues that have come up in the past so we can move on together," Gardner said.

"A lot of stuff got lost in the transition, and there has been a lot of stress in that organisation . . . Steve has a big job to do, and he's picked up an organisation that has some issues, but he's putting the hard work in and we want to support him.

"But if we're going to go forward, we need to redraft where we sit and how the corporate governance of this organisation is going to work."