Wayne Bennett is set to become the jewel in the crown of the Tinkler sporting empire, but what could this mean for the Tinkler vision?
The vision, of course, is Newcastle becoming a sporting capital of the country, with an A-League and NRL team, as well as athletic centres of excellence with a budget which could turn a town into a breeding den for Australian athletes for years to come.
One of the lesser jewels seems to have dropped off the crown and washed up-shore to the Gold Coast, in the form of Jamaal Idris. Idris is the sort of player that Tinkler wants more than anything in his squad; young, talented but most importantly, Novocastrian.
Indeed, one of the biggest gripes Tinkler had with Newcastle management was their seeming inability, or lack of motivation, to make sure that Newcastle juniors stayed in Newcastle, to walk in the footsteps of the Johns brothers, Harragon and captain Kurt Gidley.
That Snowden left without being offered terms, then went on to represent New South Wales, would make any red-and-blue-blooded fan livid.
Tinkler wants Newcastle premierships, won by men from Newcastle, for the people of Newcastle. But Idris is headed for Surfers Paradise, and recent reports claim that the Snowden deal is far from a done one.
One thing remains certain, Wayne Bennett wants success, and while he would revel in building a club from the bottom up like his Brisbane Broncos, winning is his habit, and old habits die hard.
Darius Boyd has made no secret of his desire to follow Wayne wherever he goes, and one would imagine when Wayne had a decision whether to employ Idris or Boyd, the decision would have been immediate.
The Newcastle outside backs would have been the farthest thing from his mind as he looked to lead the Knights’ charge into Premiership contention.
Sau, Lulia, Naiqama, McManus, Uate, these boys don’t need another outside-back to win a Premiership. They need big forwards with Costigan to get them to the opposition red zone.
Most importantly they need a man to partner Mullen in ripping the last vestige of a defence away with vision and space-creating footwork.
And there’s no one hailing from the Hunter who could do it like Boyd.
What does this mean for Tinkler’s dream of a Newcastle production line, spitting out coal to your left and Kangaroos, Socceroos, horses and swimmers to the right?
Is it over, or is it on hiatus until Wayne puts the Knights back on the round table of rugby league?
You’d have to say Tinkler would have shelved his plans for immediate Novocastrianisation of the Red and Blue, to assist his crown jewel in resisting the allure of the famous mob from Redfern.
Tinkler’s vision is a grand one, but Wayne’s world is simple: stuff any possible candidate for greatest league coach in history into the back of a sock drawer, by winning a Premiership with three different clubs.
Bennett will ensure that the diamonds are picked from Tinkler’s coal, and polished into Jamie Sowards, Karmichael Hunts, and heaven forbid, Darren Lockyers, but he’ll need time.
Billionaires have a reputation for being impatient with their dreams, and Bruno Cullen will tell you, Wayne Bennett wants to control his own team, without interference.
Even from the vision of a magnate with an eye for jewellery.
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