Dear Ricky, perhaps you misunderstood my comments during the week about your predicament at Cronulla.
Your invitation to have me come to training and talk to your players about attacking football is quite flattering, however, I didn’t actually offer you any assistance.
First, I’m retired.
Second, even if I were motivated to coach, you’d be the last person I’d help.
To be honest Ricky, you are the most pig-headed and ungrateful person I’ve met in football. I discontinued my association with you four years ago because I could no longer tolerate your petulance.
As for your childish comments I somehow cost you your position at the Roosters 18 months later, perhaps my lawyers should ask you to explain that rubbish in court. People are sick of your continually trying to rewrite history. These feeble attempts to erase the real factors behind your sacking and blame others for your demise are embarrassing.
Football clubs don’t terminate coaching contracts lightly. Managements agonise over such decisions for months. History will show your team was underperforming and you’d lost the confidence of those who count. End of story.
Sure it hurts, but there’s no shame in being sacked. We all get sacked. That’s part of being a coach.
Remember, Ricky, two coaches had to be sacked to provide employment for you at the Roosters and Sharks.
Stuart Raper must be scratching his head at why he was removed to make way for you, given your current position on the premiership ladder. Do you ever spare a thought for him?
It’s time you stop this ridiculous charade of being hard done by.
Roosters management did you a favour terminating your contract. It provided you with a perfect opportunity to start afresh at another club and save your reputation. Meanwhile, your replacement, Chris Anderson, had to come in and try to mop up the mess you left behind. Sadly, the enormity of the task cost him his health and his job.
You should also note, Ricky, that I didn’t make these latest comments about your coaching in the normal course of my work with Channel Nine or my newspaper columns.
I was asked for comment by a journalist from The Daily Telegraph. This is the organisation for which you work. Perhaps you should be directing your dummy spit at that newspaper and asking why it pursued me for comment, given I have no relationship with your employer whatsoever.
The journalist who contacted me said it was about time someone questioned your performance at the Sharks. He highlighted the fact that your Sharks started this season as third favourites to win the comp but are now favoured for the wooden spoon.
He noted the Sharks scored fewer tries than any other team last season. He watched a weakened Melbourne beat the Sharks 26-0 in the preliminary final last year. Only a week later, Manly thrashed the Storm 40-0. The Sea Eagles obviously knew how to attack them. He’d witnessed your Australian team, full of the most talented players in this country, lose the World Cup final on home soil to an under-strength New Zealand.
He mentioned your purchase of four new players this season – three of them internationals – to bolster your team’s attacking potency.
He noted you had released players such as Brett Kimmorley (Bulldogs) and Isaac De Gois (Knights) to make way for these purchases.
I guess we’ve all noticed their outstanding form for their new clubs and, in particular, what creative attacking players they’ve proven to be.
The journalist asked me if you should be under pressure to lose your position. I got the distinct impression your own newspaper was about to recommend your sacking. My reply was simple. “No. He can coach. He just needs some help. He’s always needed help.”
I’ve made similar comments about several young coaches over the years, but none of them reacted the way you did. Did I touch a nerve?
I’m in a position to make these comments because I know your style of coaching better than anyone.
In your time at the Roosters you received plenty of quality assistance. Certainly more than you’ve ever acknowledged.
Assistant coaches such as Dean Pay, John Cartwright and Ivan Cleary were tremendous.
Both Cleary and Pay won lower-grade competitions with the club. Cleary and Cartwright are now outstanding coaches at the NRL level with the Warriors and Titans respectively.
These people contributed enormously to your success and the success of the Roosters.
My comments this week merely suggested you’ve always relied heavily on the contributions of others and perhaps you should seek similar assistance to help the Sharks’ players realise their full attacking potential. Perhaps I’m guilty of expressing the bleeding obvious.
Your emotional reactions to my rather tame comments this week speak a thousand words. Is there something you don’t want people to know?
In the end, The Daily Telegraph journalist made a very compelling argument; however, I suggested the Sharks’ problems could be rectified without sacking the head coach.
During your time at the Roosters I continually praised your work ethic and promoted your coaching ability to the public.
I was also instrumental in your securing coveted positions such as the NSW State of Origin and Australian coaching jobs. I made strong recommendations on your behalf.
It was unfortunate you lost the prestigious position of Australian coach due to your temper and inability to accept responsibility for your own losses; but, to be honest, this came as no surprise.
If it makes you feel any better, Ricky, you are a better coach than I ever was – but that doesn’t mean very much.
You have a quality team there at the Sharks. There are also plenty of knowledgeable people around who can assist you. I expect things to turn for the better soon.
In the meantime, trust your players. Help them build confidence in their own ability. Don’t read the papers.
Other than that Ricky, I have no advice for you.
