Graham Murray joins Bennett at NRL club Newcastle

[DIEHARD]

Murray joins Bennett at NRL club Newcastle

Graham Murray will join forces with NRL super coach Wayne Bennett at Newcastle next season after accepting the position of Knights coaching director.

In 2000, he took the Roosters to the grand final but lost the decider to Brisbane, then coached by Bennett, who has taken over as head coach of the Knights.

Murray - the former NSW State of Origin coach - walked away from the NRL at the end of 2008 with a winning percentage of 50.8 from 331 games.

He had stints with four clubs, including 18 games coaching the Hunter Mariners in the rebel Super League competition in 1997.

Murray's last coaching job in the NRL was with North Queensland who he took to the 2005 NRL grand final only to lose to the Wests Tigers.

Murray resigned as Wynnum Manly Seagulls chief executive on Tuesday to take on his latest rugby league challenge with Nathan Tinkler's Knights.

His role will largely involve developing young players while also acting as a link between coaches across all grades.

"We see this as a really important role and it will play a big part in our intentions to foster and retain emerging talent from the area," Knights chief executive Matthew Gidley said on Tuesday.

http://www.nrl.com

[DIEHARD]

Im happy for Graham, he is a good coach and a nice guy and doesn't get the luck he deserves.

I wonder how this would effect Stone's role as assistant coach. But with the new financial power of Tinkler, they can probably afford expanded roles.

[Chaos]

wow...Stone, Bennett and now Murray...I suppose there is no salary cap for the coaching staff.

[DIEHARD]

wow...Stone, Bennett and now Murray...I suppose there is no salary cap for the coaching staff.

No salary cap. But usually it is restricted by the club's budget. But good coaches are such a rare commodity and one that is horse traded far too soon.

[Chaos]

No salary cap. But usually it is restricted by the club's budget.

That's right...if you have money to spend on a club, there are plenty of other areas to invest other then the player himself.
Knights are upping their coaching staff...recruiting is one area worth focusing on.