NRL: Newcastle ends Hagan rumours

[DeeGan]

Newcastle ends Hagan rumours
By Brent Read
January 11, 2006

NEWCASTLE officials are ready to talk to Michael Hagan this week in an attempt to head off continuing speculation the premiership-winning coach has agreed to join Parramatta in 2007.

Knights chairman Mike Tyler said yesterday the club was likely to seek clarification of Hagan's situation before the weekend.

Hagan has been strongly linked with Parramatta, where Brian Smith has been told 2006 will be his last season in charge.

That link has only been strengthened by Newcastle's failure to offer Hagan an extension to his contract, which expires at the end of this season.

Hagan denied last night he had signed to coach Parramatta next year, but Tyler is clearly fed up with the rumour-mongering.

"We'd certainly like to know because if that's the case we will move much more quickly then we might have," Tyler said.

"Our position at the moment is Hagan is a nice bloke, we want to do the right thing.

"The rumours are running thick and fast. We have a football committee meeting on Thursday. We will discuss lots of things."

Hagan and his manager Peter Tracey held talks with Parramatta chief executive Denis Fitzgerald last month.

Tracey was unavailable for comment last night while Fitzgerald was reluctant to discuss the situation, although he said the Eels were on target to name Smith's replacement before the start of this season.

Tyler reiterated the club's decision not to offer Hagan a contract extension was purely results-driven and nothing to do with comments last season in which the coach criticised the club's facilities and financial status.

"Hages has a year to run on his contract, he will be coaching the team for this season," Tyler said. "We were concerned with winning the wooden spoon for the first time. The motivation of the board is results."

Meanwhile, Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens has named 13 members of last year's grand final-winning side, including captain Scott Prince, in his squad for a tune-up game against a Group 4 representative side in Gunnedah on January 27.

The 21-man squad includes the club's four major recruits, forwards Sam Harris, Keith Galloway and Ryan O'Hara, and utility back Jamaal Lolesi.

However, there was no room for former Cronulla and NSW Waratahs centre Ryan McGoldrick, who is at the centre of a tug-of-war involving the Tigers and English club Castleford.

Five-eighth Benji Marshall and utility Dene Halatau are unavailable after undergoing off-season surgery, while fellow premiership winners Pat Richards and Mark O'Neill have joined English clubs.

Sheens is using the game to prepare his side for its World Club Challenge match against Bradford at Huddersfield's Galpharm Stadium on February 3.

The Australian

For Newcastle's sake I hope this is sorted out quick smart. Whilst the players (barring Johns) have been pretty quiet about the whole issue, it will be playing on their minds and is a distraction not needed for a team looking to rebuild after winning their first wooden spoon in 2005 since entering the competition in 1988.

The WCC is nearly up on us and whilst the task in beating Bradford at home will be huge, I like the chances of the Tigers who are quietly confident in their squad despite missing Marshall, Richards, O'Neill and Halatau from 2005.

DeeGan

[Eel 33]

I hope Parra don't sign Hagan because there's already rumblings that Tahu, Morris and a few others may want to jump ship if he gets the job. :box:

[Luke]

i hope they come to newcastle