Culina not a white Knight
THE Gold Coast Knights have rubbished rumours former Socceroo Jason Culina will take the coaching reins for the club’s inaugural NPL campaign, backing Grae Piddick to build on his impressive coaching resume in 2019.
As the Knights prepare to bid farewell to the Gold Coast Premier League in Saturday night’s grand final against Broadbeach, speculation has been building it could be Piddick’s final competitive fixture at the helm.
The rumour mill went into overdrive on September 1 when 58-cap Socceroo Culina, who has Croatian heritage and played two seasons with Gold Coast United’s failed A-League venture, was spotted at the Knights’ semifinal loss to the Dolphins.
A statement posted on the club’s Facebook page by president Adrian Puljich on Saturday only added to the intrigue, outlining plans for imminent coaching and player signings that would “remain true to our deeply rooted Croatian heritage”.
However, committee member Adem Poric laughed off the scuttlebutt, adamant Piddick was going nowhere.
“I’m 100 per cent behind Grae. As far as I’m concerned, Grae’s job is safe,” Poric said. “We want to show that loyalty to the manager and not be the Knights of the past where we’re changing manager every year.
“We need to make sure we’re looking after our staff as well as our players.”
Piddick has steered the Knights to the brink of the Premier League double in his first season at the club and remains the only non-A-League coach in Queensland to have reached the FFA Cup quarter-finals, a feat he achieved twice during his stint with Palm Beach/Gold Coast City.
The 37-year-old said he was aware of the Culina rumour but said it was just that.
“It is what it is. I will be coaching next year so it’s all just rumours,” Piddick said.
“We have got a final to concentrate on and that’s where all this stuff comes from, to set us up and cause trouble. That’s the way it is on the Gold Coast.”