Rules of engagement for Smith and Hagan to stamp out player pillage
By Brad Walter
March 10, 2006
EELS and Knights officials will meet tomorrow in Newcastle to draw up parameters aimed at ensuring rival coaches Brian Smith and Michael Hagan aren't involved in any anti-tampering breaches ahead of their swap of clubs next year.
With Parramatta's Smith this week agreeing to coach Newcastle next year after losing his job in 2007 to Hagan, both coaches are placed in the difficult situation of being responsible for recruiting players to their new clubs while still working for the other one.
Already, the Herald has already heard of one Eels star linked to Newcastle, and Channel Nine last night reported that Ben Smith and Dean Widders might also be headed to the Knights.
Despite the NRL's anti-tampering laws preventing clubs from negotiating with rival players until July 1, more rumours are certain to gather momentum in the coming months of Smith and Hagan wanting to take players with them - and players being keen to follow their coach.
"It's an unusual circumstance and I will have a meeting with [Parramatta general manager] Greg Mitchell to put in place protocols so that both coaches know what they can do and what they can't do, and we can all get through the year without any undue pressure being put on our coach or Parramatta's coach," Knights chief executive Ken Conway said.
"Both clubs have a great interest in making sure that we are both as comfortable as possible this year, and Greg Mitchell will be here on Saturday at the footy so we will work out a happy way for us to both deal with the situation."
Before signing Smith, Conway had already expressed concerns about Hagan being involved in determining the 2007 playing roster at Parramatta - a club where 16 of the top 25-man squad are coming off contract - and planned to raise the matter with the Eels.
"Now the situation has doubled with Brian Smith coming here, so we will be having a meeting to ensure both coaches can get on with their jobs this year," Conway said.
Eels chief executive Denis Fitzgerald said the club had already begun speaking to players about extending their contracts but they would not be able to discuss with Smith whether there was any interest in them joining him at Newcastle next year.
"In that case, Brian would have to say, 'I can't talk about that with you until after June 30'," Fitzgerald said. "It would be anti-tampering if Brian Smith was talking to our players before June 30 about going elsewhere and obviously it's going to be the same with Matthew Elliott going from Canberra to Penrith."
NRL chief executive David Gallop said the coach swap was a unique situation that was unlikely to be repeated, but he warned both clubs to be careful not to breach the anti-tampering rules.
"Neither Brian Smith or Michael Hagan would be silly enough to find themselves in a position where they were going to breach the NRL rules," he said.
"Obviously both clubs are going to have to be careful in the way they conduct their player negotiations."
Meanwhile, Smith's assistant Peter Sharp - an unsuccessful applicant for the Newcastle job - is understood to have been asked by Hagan to stay at Parramatta next season and the Eels training staff of Craig Catterick and Hayden Knowles are also expected to remain on.
"It is a normal situation for coaches to determine who they want to have on their coaching staff and there is no anti-tampering rule for coaching staff, so if Brian decided he wanted to take some of our coaching staff to Newcastle he can just talk to them and there is nothing we can do to prevent that," Fitzgerald said.
From:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/r...smith-and-hagan/2006/03/09/1141701635534.html
