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globalrugbyleague - Tue, 29 May 2007 00:33:00 GMTNewcastle Knights coach Brian Smith received a sharp rebuke of his coaching record on Monday. And surprisingly it had nothing to do with his current side’s 65-point loss a day earlier.
Instead it came totally out of left field on the Sydney Morning Herald’s League Headquarters website in which rising Eels forward Faleti Mateo blasted the words of wisdom shared to him by his former coach.
Speaking to a Fairfax journalist, Mateo – who didn’t play in the Eels 30-6 win over the Warriors on Monday night – said he thought Smith ‘basically’ told him he couldn’t play.
"I played one first-grade game in 2004 and I thought I went all right. But he kind of cast me aside after that, like he was annoyed that I had done something wrong.
I felt like I didn't belong - just the way he would act towards you … I have heard he did that to a lot of players. It just proves it by how many players left the club.
"When I signed [my previous] contract, he promised me the world, told me how I would be in the top 25 players and that I'd get a lot of time in first grade.”
After a failed attempt at curing his unhappiness overseas, Mateo returned only to find a spot waiting for him….in premier league.
Smith’s departure proved to be the rainbow Mateo needed in his career.
Since the arrival of new Eels mentor Michael Hagan, the 22-year-old has played in 9 NRL games, scored two tries and just recently signed a three-year deal estimated to be worth $700,000.
That’s bad news for Smith who just lost the services of Knights prop Clint Newton.
Newton – who celebrated his 100th game with the Knights in their 71-6 loss to Brisbane in round 11, asked for and was granted a release from the club on Monday.
He is now free to negotiate with ESL club London and other NRL teams.
Mateo would’ve made an ideal replacement with his powerful leg strength, disciplined ball control and a kicking game that continues to develop.
Smith has yet to make a comment on the fresh round of criticism coming out of his former quarters.
Some ghosts of history are too hard to erase it appears. - Read More, Here
Instead it came totally out of left field on the Sydney Morning Herald’s League Headquarters website in which rising Eels forward Faleti Mateo blasted the words of wisdom shared to him by his former coach.
Speaking to a Fairfax journalist, Mateo – who didn’t play in the Eels 30-6 win over the Warriors on Monday night – said he thought Smith ‘basically’ told him he couldn’t play.
"I played one first-grade game in 2004 and I thought I went all right. But he kind of cast me aside after that, like he was annoyed that I had done something wrong.
I felt like I didn't belong - just the way he would act towards you … I have heard he did that to a lot of players. It just proves it by how many players left the club.
"When I signed [my previous] contract, he promised me the world, told me how I would be in the top 25 players and that I'd get a lot of time in first grade.”
After a failed attempt at curing his unhappiness overseas, Mateo returned only to find a spot waiting for him….in premier league.
Smith’s departure proved to be the rainbow Mateo needed in his career.
Since the arrival of new Eels mentor Michael Hagan, the 22-year-old has played in 9 NRL games, scored two tries and just recently signed a three-year deal estimated to be worth $700,000.
That’s bad news for Smith who just lost the services of Knights prop Clint Newton.
Newton – who celebrated his 100th game with the Knights in their 71-6 loss to Brisbane in round 11, asked for and was granted a release from the club on Monday.
He is now free to negotiate with ESL club London and other NRL teams.
Mateo would’ve made an ideal replacement with his powerful leg strength, disciplined ball control and a kicking game that continues to develop.
Smith has yet to make a comment on the fresh round of criticism coming out of his former quarters.
Some ghosts of history are too hard to erase it appears. - Read More, Here