OPENING DOORS

Q With all your coaching experience you must have had some brushes with fame.

A In terms of the real superstars, we took a trip over to see the Real Madrid coaching staff with the kids we had and coming out to the bus we had to go through a security area outside the change rooms and I had two kids with me. As we were going out, two guys with suits were coming in, so I’ve opened the door, held the two lads back, we said hello and as we got outside I started cracking up laughing. The two kids had no idea who it was and I said: “We just opened the door for Zinedine Zidane (pictured).” So those sort of things happen. I met Ryan Giggs in his younger days at Manchester United at “The Cliff” training ground. I was on a professional coaches’ tour and I met him in the club room overlooking the training ground. He was great and you could tell very early on he was going to be a great player. It was good fun. Q You’ve got some ties to ALeague clubs as well. Could that be a path for some Cairns players?

A I’ve been involved in the game in a full-time capacity for the best part of 26 years so you end up on coaching courses and I’ve been a state director of coaching in two different states. You make long-term contacts. Lawrie McKinna is now the general manager of Newcastle and was head coach of Central Coast when I was in Gosford. Jean-Paul De Marigny at Victory and I played together at the AIS. I would never try to overstep the mark. I have never recommended a player I didn’t think would make it. Players work hard, opportunities present themselves and we’ll help them.