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Brian Smith’s reputation and the prospects of the Roosters 2010 season are unravelling before the “pre” pre-season has even concluded. Nick Politis, as Brian Smith’s annointer, is equally culpable.
Neither man has shown any propensity to accept the ramifications of their actions in the past. I do not expect this to change.
Brian Smith has presented himself to both the Newcastle Knights and the Roosters as a clean sweeping broom that then follows up with the signing of young players who can meet the required standards on and off the field.
He promises that these high calibre hand picked players will become the dynasty that takes the club forward over multiple seasons to glory.
Newcastle and the Roosters bought this pitch. There is no evidence to support this and much evidence to the contrary.
This last week has exposed the reality of the situation for clubs who hire Brian Smith to do the job he has promised to do.
During his tenure as coach of the Newcastle Knights, the Police conducted an eight month investigation into Danny Wicks and others, including the Gladiators Bikie gang.
Then Sunday papers announce that other Knights players are implicated have been caught buying or attempting to buy gear from Wicks.
Yet, when asked for his response to Danny Wicks being charged with possessing and supplying drugs, he replied “Stunned,” and “shocked”.
This in bizarre in the extreme.
Wicks and other players were hand picked by Smith, often at the expense of competent incumbent players.
It is extraordinary that Smith was completely unaware of what was going on in his playing roster. Only the most naïve believe that Bikie gangs have anything to do with motorcycles. They are illicit drug distributors.
At the Roosters, with Smith fully in charge, it has been another week for forget as they continue to plumb new depths for this once proud and historic club.
Rather than find new and more acceptable codes of behaviour under the supposedly strict, former school teacher, Brian Smith, Jake Friend has again troubled the Constabulary and rumours continue to abound of Roosters with prior off field form returning to or continuing with their old ways.
Of more relevance, the desperate Roosters, face the 2010 season without the foundation for any serious rugby league team, a forward pack who can create a momentum.
Then they exacerbate the situation by signing Jason Ryles, once a very good front rower, but now well and truly past his best. Ryles’ signing up repeats the mistake made with Danny Nutley, O’Meley and Mason while at the same time not having sufficient funds to retain Shillington or Tupou.
Smith then gave the erratic Willie Mason a sabbatical that does not even include fitness training.
Mason’s best performances are also behind him, but, if managed cleverly, with a combination of discipline, structure and stroking, he has some good, even inspirational, performances to offer in 2010. For the Roosters, this is a simple case of “bird in hand.”
As Mason’s prospects of gaining a comparable contract anywhere else in the world recede, so do the prospects that he will spend the season defining, first phase of the 2010 season making up the ground lost by missing pre-season.
Without a forward pack creating “go forward”, the pressure to make things happen will filter through to the Roosters halves and in particular the fragile Todd Carney. Only the very best halves, and Carney, even at his best, is not in this category, can win games without a forward pack.
Carney, like Wicks, Ryles and the relaxing Mason, are Smith appointments/decisions. The only thing they share in common is that they are examples of very poor judgment on behalf of both coach and chairman.
One can only conclude that the Roosters party times of last season will continue and that if you ever want a party organised, speak to Brian Smith.
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