Bennett staying at Broncos – for now
A prominent rugby league identity has slammed the Warriors for letting Shaun Johnson walk away from the club.
Former radio commentator and Manly official Peter Peters launched a scathing attack on Warriors management for letting the pinup boy of the club walk free.
The Warriors announced on Wednesday that the star halfback had been granted his wish for an immediate release from the Auckland-based club.
Johnson was contracted with the Warriors for the upcoming 2019 season.
Peters said the Warriors have stolen thousands of young New Zealand league fans’ hero and labelled the move ‘‘stunning, undignified, unnecessary, and over-reactive’’.
‘‘Thousands of kids must be waking up in New Zealand today with the No 7 jersey, wondering what the heck is going on. They’ve had their hero stolen from them – virtually kicked out of the club he’s been so much a part of,’’ Peters told Radio Sport.
‘‘He’s a special player. He’s the highest point scorer in the history of the club. He is to New Zealand rugby league what JT [Johnathan Thurston] was to Australian rugby league.’’
Peters’ outburst comes on the back of a mixed reaction from former Warriors players where some told Stuff Johnson’s exit should have come ‘‘years ago’’.
Some former team-mates, who wished to remain anonymous, were scathing in their opinions and felt the move should have been made years ago.
Peters questioned the lack of public comment from Warriors coach Stephen Kearney and reserved special criticism for Warriors chief executive Cameron George. ‘‘The coach has been significant in his absence in all this.
‘‘He hasn’t said a word. It’s all come back to a bloke who was running the races there in Auckland just 12 months Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett admits there is still a possibility he could be sacked by the Broncos after throwing a curve ball and refusing to stand down from the NRL club.
The on-again, off-again coaching swap with South Sydney’s Anthony Seibold stalled again after Bennett announced yesterday he would remain at Red Hill in 2019 following a meeting with players and staff.
Speculation was rife yesterday that Bennett would end his 25-year association with Brisbane and walk away after South Sydney had aggressively pursued a release for 2019.
Momentum toward what loomed as a swap then gathered when Bennett called in staff and players for a meeting at Broncos headquarters. The Rabbitohs and Broncos were even believed to have thrashed out financial terms for the swap to go ahead.
In another twist, Seibold was reportedly set to be unveiled yesterday afternoon as Broncos coach for 2019 with a press conference apparently planned. But the wily Bennett had other ideas. ‘‘I have been terribly consistent with it and nothing has changed today,’’ he told a media scrum at Red Hill. ‘‘I have informed players, staff and the CEO that I am staying. I will honour my 2019 contract which was always my plan.’’
Yet Bennett admitted he could still be sacked by the NRL club.
It is believed such a call would come from Broncos owners News Corp and not
ago. It doesn’t add up,’’ Peters said.
George has had a not-too-subtle farewell dig at Johnson over his lack of consistency.
Peters, an outspoken figure in Australian rugby league circles, blamed the the Brisbane club’s hierarchy.
‘‘There is a possibility. There is always a possibility. I am in that type of game – I don’t know, ask them,’’ Bennett said.
The swap had been mooted for months after Bennett confirmed he would coach at South Sydney on a twoyear deal from 2020 – the same year Seibold had agreed to mentor Brisbane on a four-season contract.
Asked why he was staying, Bennett said: ‘‘The players, staff I work with, the fans. I just felt I would be letting them down if I left a year before I should.
‘‘The [2019] Souths move was never instigated by me.
influx of Australian influences at the Warriors for allowing Johnson to walk.
‘‘From this side of the ditch, it seems the Aussie influence of Brian Smith [the Warriors’ general manager football], Todd Payton [new assistant coach], Peter
‘‘I did a contract with Souths for 2020 and 2021. We never talked about ’19.
Bennett had butted heads with Broncos chairman Karl Morris and chief executive Paul White this season, publicly criticising them over their handling of the club’s coaching transition.
But the Broncos mentor claimed there was no longer any ill feeling with the board and was committed to reporting to his first official pre-season training session on Monday.
‘‘I don’t think I have been critical of them publicly. I think I have said things the way they were,’’ he said.
– AAP
O’Sullivan [recruitment manager], and a wet-behind-the-ears in terms of being a rugby league CEO shoving the face of the game in New Zealand [in it] and Shaun Johnson out the door.
‘‘There’s no other way to look at it.‘‘