DIEHARD
27-09-05, 02:34 AM
By Greg Prichard and Steve Mascord
Wests Tigers will move to extend halfback and captain Scott Prince's contract as a priority after the grand final to ensure new club Gold Coast and maybe even Prince's old club Brisbane don't get a crack at him.
And Graham Murray has been offered the chance to coach North Queensland - the team Wests Tigers will play on Sunday - for as long as he wants.
Tigers chief executive Steve Noyce said last night he was confident the positive culture at the club and its new status as a grand finalist would convince Prince to stay well into the future. But he said forces were often strong in a market governed by the salary cap and the Tigers had to take note of developments at other clubs as they tried to keep their group of outstanding young players together.
Prince is contracted until the end of next year but the Tigers want to do a new deal well ahead of the start of next season, rather than take the risk that he could still be available approaching the June 30 anti-tampering deadline.
Five-eighth Benji Marshall is the Tigers' other main target for a contract extension after the grand final. He is contracted until the end of next season.
Prince says he wants to stay a Tiger but his next contract decision will take a lot of thought for personal reasons, with his fiancee, Kristy, homesick for Queensland.
Michael Searle, managing director of the Gold Coast Titans, makes no secret of the new outfit's interest in Prince should he become available. "If Scott came on the market we would love to talk to him," Searle said yesterday. "But we're obviously not allowed to at this stage."
Prince began his career at North Queensland before being lured to Brisbane in 2001. But after he broke his leg twice at the Broncos his career stalled and Brett Seymour emerged as a young halfback there.
Prince accepted an offer to join the Tigers at the end of 2003 and Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett said this month that Prince leaving was one of his greatest regrets.
There has been no indication from the Broncos that they plan to chase Prince should he become available, but the jury is still out on Seymour, whose form dropped off towards the end of this season. "We're still banking on Brett at this stage," Brisbane chief executive Bruno Cullen said last night. "But if, in the future, we needed a halfback and Scott was available, of course we would look at him."
Noyce said it was only natural that rival clubs would be admiring Prince's form. "I'm confident we'll keep Scott," he said. "But you don't give other clubs a chance, and with the Gold Coast coming in and Brisbane still having a lot of respect for Scott you are mindful of getting things done sooner rather than later."
Departing Cowboys chief executive Denis Keeffe last night said Murray had been asked to name his own terms for an extended contract. "Graham is under contract until the end of next season and we opened talks some time ago about extending that," Keeffe said. "What we have asked him to do is come back to us with what sort of terms he wants.
"The club and the board will then sit down and talk to him. 'Muz' wants to keep coaching here - he just isn't sure for how long. He once told me he couldn't see himself coaching first grade when he was 50. Well, he's 50 now and you can see in his eyes how much he is enjoying himself."
Asked what would happen if Murray wanted a four- or five-year contract, Keeffe said: "I can't speak for the board, but that would be all right with me. But Muz isn't like that, he wants to keep challenging himself."
Keeffe, who will leave the Cowboys after the grand final, said other key staff such as head trainer Billy Johnstone had also been offered extended contracts. "But it all comes down to what Graham wants to do," Keeffe said.
After a coaching career riven by bad luck and politics, Murray appears to have finally found a home at North Queensland but he was keen last night not to let speculation on his own future distract his charges and said a contract extension "hasn't really been spoken about much" of late.
Source: http://www.SMH.com.au
Wests Tigers will move to extend halfback and captain Scott Prince's contract as a priority after the grand final to ensure new club Gold Coast and maybe even Prince's old club Brisbane don't get a crack at him.
And Graham Murray has been offered the chance to coach North Queensland - the team Wests Tigers will play on Sunday - for as long as he wants.
Tigers chief executive Steve Noyce said last night he was confident the positive culture at the club and its new status as a grand finalist would convince Prince to stay well into the future. But he said forces were often strong in a market governed by the salary cap and the Tigers had to take note of developments at other clubs as they tried to keep their group of outstanding young players together.
Prince is contracted until the end of next year but the Tigers want to do a new deal well ahead of the start of next season, rather than take the risk that he could still be available approaching the June 30 anti-tampering deadline.
Five-eighth Benji Marshall is the Tigers' other main target for a contract extension after the grand final. He is contracted until the end of next season.
Prince says he wants to stay a Tiger but his next contract decision will take a lot of thought for personal reasons, with his fiancee, Kristy, homesick for Queensland.
Michael Searle, managing director of the Gold Coast Titans, makes no secret of the new outfit's interest in Prince should he become available. "If Scott came on the market we would love to talk to him," Searle said yesterday. "But we're obviously not allowed to at this stage."
Prince began his career at North Queensland before being lured to Brisbane in 2001. But after he broke his leg twice at the Broncos his career stalled and Brett Seymour emerged as a young halfback there.
Prince accepted an offer to join the Tigers at the end of 2003 and Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett said this month that Prince leaving was one of his greatest regrets.
There has been no indication from the Broncos that they plan to chase Prince should he become available, but the jury is still out on Seymour, whose form dropped off towards the end of this season. "We're still banking on Brett at this stage," Brisbane chief executive Bruno Cullen said last night. "But if, in the future, we needed a halfback and Scott was available, of course we would look at him."
Noyce said it was only natural that rival clubs would be admiring Prince's form. "I'm confident we'll keep Scott," he said. "But you don't give other clubs a chance, and with the Gold Coast coming in and Brisbane still having a lot of respect for Scott you are mindful of getting things done sooner rather than later."
Departing Cowboys chief executive Denis Keeffe last night said Murray had been asked to name his own terms for an extended contract. "Graham is under contract until the end of next season and we opened talks some time ago about extending that," Keeffe said. "What we have asked him to do is come back to us with what sort of terms he wants.
"The club and the board will then sit down and talk to him. 'Muz' wants to keep coaching here - he just isn't sure for how long. He once told me he couldn't see himself coaching first grade when he was 50. Well, he's 50 now and you can see in his eyes how much he is enjoying himself."
Asked what would happen if Murray wanted a four- or five-year contract, Keeffe said: "I can't speak for the board, but that would be all right with me. But Muz isn't like that, he wants to keep challenging himself."
Keeffe, who will leave the Cowboys after the grand final, said other key staff such as head trainer Billy Johnstone had also been offered extended contracts. "But it all comes down to what Graham wants to do," Keeffe said.
After a coaching career riven by bad luck and politics, Murray appears to have finally found a home at North Queensland but he was keen last night not to let speculation on his own future distract his charges and said a contract extension "hasn't really been spoken about much" of late.
Source: http://www.SMH.com.au