Newcastle Jets sack Branko Culina

One joy of living in Melbourne is you don't have to put up with Rugby snobs.

I think Merrick would be a good solution, he did a good job with Melbourne, Paul Okon needs more experience before taking a role like this, Steve O'connor would be another good option for us and would have worked with some of the players. What a start to our season!

This is why i am not a fan of single owner clubs, or franchises. Community clubs where members decide on a board and approve financial designs is a better model. Single owner clubs represent dictatorships and conflict of interest within whats best for a sport soccer or any sport. And if the heat gets tough the owner may leave if loses the motivation for example or runs into financial trouble. And often the owner is a bussnessman who comes form other industries and knows nothing about the sport, in other words is not a football man. And starts to make all sorts of bad recruitment designs, and gets rid of the right people and employs the wrong people. Roman Abromavich of Chelsea has done a decent job and seems totally committed. But i think we will have to rely watch clive plamer and nathan tinklier with close interest. Especially Nathan tinklier. He owns the jets and now i am not 1000% sure the newcastle knights, plus his other businesses. That is a lot on one man's plate to deal with. Will the time and motivation stay and what if these single owners get health problems then what, if they pull out the club is in tatters and back to square one. The ex newcastle boss i think his name was Con not 100% sure was in other business but he was a 100% football man with a background in the sport. Clive Palmer and Nathan tinklier had nothing to do with football, they are the new football. Will they have the will and motivation to stick with the game in 1 or 2 years. Time will tell, and also there inexperience in football administration to is a worry .

There are a lot of assumptions here in relation to the reason's for Branko's dismissal. I think I'll wait for both parties to provide their version of events to the public.

Apparently a Jets Advisory Board decision, with Tinklers backing. Members don't have a say as per community club model. Just when exactly all this went down remains to be seen, but Branko had a meeting with Tinkler and Palmer late this morning. In the official press release, Middleby is sighting medical advise for Jason's contract. Whether Branko didn't agree with that, or was more involved with the decision than he let on, or Tinkler walked in to the meeting and told him to pack and go within 5 minutes remains to be seen.

+1 Bernie - I'm hoping for Okon...

Who is Matt McKay? Has he proven himself against quality week in, week out? Who is going to hire Culina now he is injured and been playing in a backwater league since 2009? Have you even watched Super Rugby?

Culina was in the national team, thats where he got injured. Kewell and Emmo will figure in the national team. There are many international quality players playing in the league and with about 5 times as many people playing Football as Rugby in this country, the a-league is obviously going to be as strong as the local Rugby competition, even if there are only a handful of professional Rugby competitions around the world.

Matt McKay alone proves you wrong. That is the sort of drivel that euro snobs use to bag the local League and is a very out dated idea.

If you want to kill your career go back home. The A League is a development league/retirement home. Pro Rugby players in Australia play in one of the toughest competitions big difference. If you want to keep your football career going with International aspirations stay in Europe than move to Asia. Dutch Eredivisie plus UEFA competitions or get used as a tool back home. Tough choice. Culina is only 31 same age as Tim Cahill he shouldn't be wasting away in Australia. Lets hope Tim doesn't make the same mistake

Good to know A-League players don't have "Proper" careers

That is an extraordinary dismissal. I wonder if the board and the rank-and-file members of Newcastle Jets had a say in the sacking of Branko & Jason Culina. Don't be surprised if this is played out in court.

As a Jets supporter from day one I sincerely hope that the rumours about Merrick are wrong. He is yesterday's coach. Okon has been developing his coaching credentials for a number of years now and I would be happy to see him get the gig. Barcelona is one of the places he has spent time studying coaching techniques. He will bring modern coaching methods to the Jets. McKinna must be a rank outsider but I was always impressed with what he did with the Mariners (Note : I did not say I liked the Mariners). IF GVE has learnt that there is more than one system then I would welcome him back. He refused to change his system in our wooden spoon year even though it was clearly not working.

Rugby players can have a proper career in Australia and the wages are comparative to what most clubs offer. Aloisi and Culina's careers were killed by coming back home which further validates Schwarzer's point.

lol because ARU threaten them with taking their national teams spots if they leave.

I don't know, why don't all Australian Rugby players play in Europe where the game is taken seriously?

Why did he come back to Australia when he had a gig at a good club in Europe?

I hope time is taken already to sound out a suitable coach but getting someone in quickly to stabilize the team and get the season back on track will be high on the list. I would like to see how Paul Okon would go - great experience at top European level. Just depends if he wants to give up the national scene with the Olyroos and try out day-to-day club management. Being ex-Jets marque doesn't hurt either.

Would be a terrible end to a fantastic career for Jason, lets hope he still has something to offer the local game in the future.

man management a strong point??? Marcello Fiorentini facebook page: "‎..wake up this morning reading about that **** sacked?? Priceless.." perhaps wont be missed by the players