To understand Newcastle Knights you need to live in Newcastle.
On countess occasions during my time in that great place someone would welcome me and tell me how much I would love living there, followed by “it’s the best place in the world”. I would respond with “I have loved every place I have lived in” and followed with “where else have you lived?”.
Generally it was “nowhere else but Newy”!
The criteria the Knights board apparently used for appointing the coach following Wayne Bennett had a similar policy line to my welcoming committee. They believed and wanted to get back to someone who understood the Knights fans and their culture so that meant a home grown coach.
I would like to think Rick Stone would have got that job under any criteria. He has great coaching qualities. First hand I can guarantee that is without a doubt.
So why did it go so wrong?
Firstly the thought that Wayne Bennett wasn’t home grown so had lost his talent while in Necastle is absurd. Secondly the club’s two standout coaches, Alan McMahon (inaugural coach) was from Wollongong and later Sydney, and Englishman Malcolm Reilly was the other, and the man who delivered the club’s first premiership.
Even their other premiership coach Michael Hagen is a Queenslander via the Bulldogs.
Go figure!
Rather than any criteria used to select Rick Stone let’s look at what he inherited in his second shot at the position after doing pretty well in his first. Rememberm this is not the Knights team full of stars but:
– Specifically A. Johns-less
– A team being rebuilt after losing almost all their stars oven the previous few seasons
– Changed CEOs multiple times
– Changed coaches four times
– Operated on a very skinny budget causing all sorts of debt issues
– Taken over by a maverick spender with no experience in sport club management
When Mr Tinkler rang ker-ching, coach Bennett strode into town so coach Stone stepped aside.
Not much changed in terms of results, but more ker-ching resulted in more veteran players via recruitment. The appointment of a brand spanking new everything possible kept the hope of the promised “three premierships while Wayne is coach” alive.
That recruitment of veteran players to the Knights on expensive and extended multi-year contracts was the most telling, and something coach Stone is paying for.
Please, people wondering what has gone wrong, give coach Bennett some credit.
He left Brisbane when they no longer had stars dripping from the chandeliers, he left the Dragons after they had recruited similarly to the Knights – expensive vets with extended multi-year contracts to get them in – and left when it was not looking so flash for the future.
Steve Price paid a real price as that salary cap bit and is still munching on the bone of a club with ongoing difficulties in that department. Wayne is no dummy.
But it’s not all about Wayne, at least not in Newcastle’s case.
The Knights had their most productive time from 1995 until the mid-2000s. They won two comps, and in Andrew Johns words to me “we should have won five”. I agree completely, such was their talent pool. They also should have set their club up forever.
The success was largely based on young, home-grown players but the work, for that talented crew to become that wonderfully skilful team was done in the late 80s and early 90s when David Waite and Peter Sharp, and many other tremendous developers of footy talent, built the base.
They laid the foundations and ultimately reaped the rewards with bucket loads of young blokes busting their gut to represent their local club. So many they filtered everywhere across the footy landscape – every NRL team had at least one and some had a few.
So somewhere way back in that golden period someone, or a group of them, went to sleep at the wheel. There was a lot of partying in that decade from 1995. The phrase “everyone in Newcastle was dining out on A. Johns’ credit card” was coined by someone who did the most dining I believe.
So where to now for the Knights? What path do the decision makers follow from here?
If they listen to those highly parochial fans who know that Newcastle is the best place in the world and want the home-grown days to return, they will need to do one of two things.
Either mount a very strong PR campaign to explain why that can’t happen (and throw in their resignations very soon after) or start the process of development of locally-grown players only (and batten down the hatches while the team loses for some seasons to come – those resignations will still be needed).
As a city and proud sporting region, Newcastle itself needs to take a look at the rest of the world of pro sport.
They will need to search hard to find a winning franchise with a locally grown-only philosophy. And an independent internal study will show they probably don’t have that same depth of talent that those pioneer Knights coaches had to get the whole winning thing going way back, when they were the most admired team in the world of rugby league.
Newcastle and the Hunter is a terrific place, but as I have found out having lived in 33 different houses in my life and enjoyed every place I have ever resided in, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
But the winning scoreboard at your home ground, whereever it may be, is the most wonderful sight of all.
Don
Roar Rookie
It's not as if any of the clubs replaced Bennett with an acknowledged winning NRL coach. If anything it shows being an understudy to a successful coach and having some of that success attributed towards the assistant doesn't always make for a winning first grade coach. I'd be looking towards guys who have had NRL coaching experience at some level as well as some success at least in Superleague or Q Cup / NSWRL, rather than only being the assistant to an NRL coach.
Don
Roar Rookie
Yep. For all trhose saying that all they need is an Andrew Johns to get the current side up to a GF. Well, I think they'd probably need a Ben Kennedy type as well. Those 1997 and 2001 premiership sides had terrific forward packs. This 2015 side doesn't have anywhere near the same calibre pack.
Jamieson Murphy
Roar Guru
The Knights' are missing that "busting their gut to represent their local club" attitude. And as for this constant talk of a Newcastle way - the only people who believe that are the Knights' board members. Most fan these days realise to have success, you can't just use local people. The Knights were lucky that when they had their most successful period, the best players/staff also happened to be local.
Don
Roar Rookie
To be honest Patty I almost deleted my comments when I saw how long they were. I really admire the guys that write on this site like Brett, Harry, BB, Digger, Sheek, Alanthus and others on the Rugby page in particular. And as I said, I normally like Brian's stuff as well. I have a lot of respect for him as a coach. Wish he had got that elusive premiership when he was at the Eels...
Patrick Effeney
Editor
You should write articles Don!
PGNEWC
Guest
Well Said!
zim
Guest
2 GFs in 3 years is good in anyone's books.
Don
Roar Rookie
Gregg, despite your own ratings of the players; They had 13 of their 2010 GF Premiership 17 squad still playing in 2012 and only 3 of those guys were over 30 in 2012 (Cooper 33, Hornby 32 and Fien 33.) Boyd, Smith, Saffy and Costigan left. Only Boyd and Smith would you call "top notch." Cooper still played in 2013 retiring mid season. What happened with form and injuries in 2012 after he had left is not Bennetts doing. But to only have 3 blokes over 30 in the whole club squad of 29 players used in 2012 isn't an old roster either.
Nervous Kiwi
Guest
As a Warriors fan, I completely agree
Nervous Kiwi
Guest
except for that couple of Premierships part
zim
Guest
The dogs have seemed to manage ok.
Julian King
Roar Guru
The difference between Bennett at the Dragons and Bennett at Newcastle is that he won a premiership with the Dragons after a 30 year wait. I think we need to temper our criticism of him during his time at the Red V. At least Saints have something to show for their recent lean years. As a Dragons fan, if I was given the option of a premiership followed by 3 years out of the 8 and in need of a roster revamp, I'd take it any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
zim
Guest
The dogs have seemed to manage ok.
Gregg
Guest
Dragons 2012 Cooper Last season past it Creagh, solid no superstar DeBellin, Solid Gower Fringe first grader Hornby Last Season Past it Hunt Solid at best Merrin NSW Player B Morris Star player Nightingale International Prior Solid at Best Rein Solid at best Beau Scott Injured for large part Soward Average Season Weyman, Injured and too slow Vidot, Average winger Dean Young Last Season knee was falling to bits Nathan Fein last Season fill in half back. A team hardly ever going to compete for a premiership.
MAX
Guest
The Roar has some formidable forensic analysts on the books and Don's head on with Smithy left me in awe. I thought this maybe Don Furner, the person responsible for Wayne's first (?) chance on the coaching scene. Poor Smithy, if only he had re- phrased one paragraph. Wayne admitted to his extreme disappointment and embarrassment at the Knights. " It's time to move on...it's up to someone else to take it forward from here" Wayne is a genius. Whatever he wants he gets. Hope the Cowboys or the Roosters can deny him.
Julian King
Roar Guru
Interesting read. Nostalgia for bygone eras is always an impediment to progress. Some generations produce deep talent pools. Some don't. It would bee foolish to stick to a homegrown policy if it fails to produce results. Put Andrew Johns in the current Knights setup and I place them in the 8. First and foremost you want the best people for the job. If they're local, all the better, but if not, you'll soon forget someone's origin if they produce results for your team.
GD
Guest
That cycle is inevitable regardless of club or coach - it's the reality of the salary cap, and it's the same in every competition around the world that has one.
zim
Guest
Spot on with the Bennett comments. Look for him to do the same thing with the current Broncos team. Build it up, win a premiership or 2 and then retire with the salary cap in a shambles. I'm sure most fans wouldn't care as they'd love the premiership.
Arnold Krewanty
Guest
Many Knights fans perceive a "jobs for the boys" appointment of Rick Stone and his support staff. Many Knights fans point the finger squarely at Matt Gidley for the current club climate. All Knights fans just want a team that has a go, as the current squad should be winning. The amount of excellent juniors coming through the Knights grades thanks to Wayne Bennet's club influence & Tinklers (borrowed) money is scary - get a 1/2 decent coach in, and the Knights will consistently be in finals footy within the next 3-5 years (if the Roosters don't pillage them!)
Omott91
Guest
I find it more than just a coincidence that when Bennett leaves a club, the following coach has been sacked. Ivan Henjak at the Broncos, Steve Price at Dragons and now Rick Stone at the Knights.