Neil Henry - Titans Coach

[DIEHARD]

New coach, new thread.

[DIEHARD]

Departing Gold Coast Titans coach John Cartwright believes deputy Neil Hendry should be new coach

DEPARTING Titans coach John Cartwright has endorsed Neil Henry as his long-term successor.

Henry will be installed as interim coach for the remainder of the season following tonight’s game against the Roosters when Cartwright leads the Gold Coast for the final time.

But Cartwright believes the *former North Queensland and *Canberra mentor is the perfect *candidate to lead the club forward, saying his experience is key to *helping the club regain a position as a title contender.

“He’s been a great help for me this year and he’s been around, he knows the highs and lows of footy,’’ Cartwright said.

“There’s one thing I do know, it’s really tough to come in without a lot of experience.

“And I think the 12 months he’s had here helps him to see what the landscape of the club is. It’s a very hands-on role here, probably more so than a lot of other clubs … we’re probably behind a little bit compared with a lot of other clubs.

“But you know that it is what it is, it can’t be fixed in one fell swoop, it’s going to take time for the club to get back on its feet and reinvest in the football team itself. So you’ve got to have an understanding of that going into the job, there’s no wish list, you’ve just got to find what works for you and run with that.’’

While his knowledge of the club is one bonus, Cartwright said Henry’s experience in having led the Cowboys and Raiders to the *finals during his tenure showed he had the skills to lead the Titans back into the eight.

“There’s no doubt Neil can (do that),” he said. “He’s got sides in semifinals with the Cowboys, he’s done it here, he did it with Canberra. To make that final step, so much has got to fall into your lap, you’ve got to get a lot of luck and it’ll be the same next year.

“We need to stay injury-free, we need to stay healthy, it’d be nice to have a year with no controversy.

“The board and the club are trying everything they possibly can.’’

Cartwright will see out the final two years of his contract but will fill a non-football role – and stay out of Henry’s way.

“That would go without saying,’’ Cartwright said.

“It’s only fair that I step back and let him or whoever is going to take over, set things in place for them to move forward.’’

Henry has won the trust of the players, with senior members including co-captain Nate Myles and foundation forward Luke Bailey singing his praises.

“He doesn’t hold back. He lets you know if you’re doing something wrong,’’ Bailey said.

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/

[mup23]

The king is dead. Long live the king!

[Bayside Titan]

IMO it doesn't really matter at the minute who coaches the Titans going forward it could be Bellamy or Bennent. But unless there is an injection of funding to employ extra staff around the coach it really won't make a difference who the coach is. It's been reported an John Cartwright has said that other clubs have extra staff to assist the footy team and those clubs have success. I would suggest that the Tians coaching staff that we have now have not been paid market value for many years due to the Titans Financial position. Just at a quick guess the football department would need an additional $300k per year to fund 2-3 extra staff in the hope that it makes us competitive.

[Coaster]

#SACKHENRY

[DIEHARD]

#SACKHENRY

You are bad man, very bad man.

[DIEHARD]

Henry confirms: I want Titans job

He's only hours into the role and has a game to prepare for against the competition leaders on Sunday but interim Titans coach Neil Henry has expressed his desire to become just the second coach in the club's eight-year history.

Henry took the reins from foundation coach John Cartwright at the conclusion of Monday night's 26-18 loss to the Roosters in Sydney and will oversee the closing four weeks of the regular season in an interim capacity, a role he hopes to assume full-time from 2015.

Dally M Coach of the Year with the Raiders in 2008, Henry was appointed as head coach of the Cowboys in 2009 but was dumped six games before the end of the season last year despite taking North Queensland to the finals and after a season as Cartwright's assistant on the Gold Coast says he is ready to step up to the top job.

"I aspire to be a head coach, I've said that all along, and I'd like to stay on the Coast so we'll just wait and see what the board decide," said Henry, who had also been linked with the vacant coaching position at St George Illawarra.

"We've just talked about the interim coaching position and I said I was more than happy to do that. I expect I'll sit down with the board sometime this week, towards the end of the week, and have a bit of a discussion about my future.

"I don't know if there are other jobs floating around, that's for other people to make those decisions, but I certainly like being on the Coast, I've had a year with the team so I'm a bit more familiar and I'd like to be a part of the future of the club.

"I'd be excited and it would be a great challenge to take on the role."

With little time to prepare for the Sea Eagles, Henry doesn't expect to make any significant changes to the 17 that will take the field or to alter their playing style and suggested that over the next month he will continue to lean on Cartwright for advice.

"It's the nature of the beast. Every year there seems to be three or four coaches [who lose their jobs]. It is a bit of a merry-go-round really and it's unfortunate but it's just the way it is in a results-driven business," Henry said.

"The fact is every year, eight teams don't make the eight so you've got teams under pressure straight away and expectations are high at every club. It's been a difficult period of time, Carty's the foundation coach and he's got a very strong connection to this area and he wants to maintain that as well.

"He won't be lost to the club in the interim and certainly I'll be looking to use him even in the last four games. He's going to have a bit of a break now but he'll be around the place.

"It's a bitter-sweet way to get a job. I feel for 'Carty', I've been in that position before and he's left a tremendous legacy at the club and he's handled it really well and he's a mate of mine.

"It's sad but we move on and we have to try and get some results at the end of the season."

Monday night's loss rules the Titans out of finals contention for the fourth consecutive season and leaves them with only pride and the support of their fans to play for over the closing month of the season.

Only the Sharks have a worse record at home in season 2014 than the Titans' 2-8 and with games against the Sea Eagles and Bulldogs at Cbus Super Stadium in the next four weeks, Henry says the response of the players will provide an indicator as to their commitment to turn their fortunes around.

"It will be a real test of character for the team moving forward given who we have to play, starting with Manly and the Warriors away, Dragons away and finishing with the Bulldogs for our last game of the year," said Henry, who has an overall winning percentage of 46.2 per cent from 173 NRL games in charge. "Some quality teams and we need to try and get some results.

"My attitude is that they're paid to play football as professional footballers and I'm paid to coach. I think you should be able to take some of that emotion out of it and get on with the job and at times this year we've been able to do it but not consistently enough."

http://www.nrl.com/

[karnage]

#SACKHENRY

LOL

[Bayside Titan]

#SACKHENRY

You disappoint me Coaster. Thought that you would be a happy boy now with all the changes that have happened??

[shamus]

You disappoint me Coaster. Thought that you would be a happy boy now with all the changes that have happened??

Just a little sarcasm in there me thinks BT..

[Coaster]

Just a little sarcasm in there me thinks BT..

Maybe a little

[Coaster]

You disappoint me Coaster. Thought that you would be a happy boy now with all the changes that have happened??

Not really sure anything has changed has it?
Searle still has his majority shares. And John is still collecting 300k a year for doing SFA.

[DIEHARD]

Gold Coast Titans ‘good, not great’ in caretaker coach Neil Henry’s first game at the helm

IT was nearly the perfect audition.

Caretaker coach Neil Henry couldn’t have asked for much more in his first game in charge of the Gold Coast Titans.

They lost 15-12 to Manly, a team many believe will win the 2014 premiership, but the performance was close to what Henry would have dreamt of as he strives to stitch up the vacant head coaching gig for next season.

The Titans never gave up in front of 11,940 at Cbus Super Stadium but ultimately slumped to their eight consecutive loss at home.

It was one of the better performances in what has been a horror three months.

Foundation coach John Cartwright fell on his sword as the club faced a fourth straight season without a finals appearance, leaving Henry to salvage something from the last four games.

The 53-year-old made some minor adjustments and while a left-footed Daly Cherry-Evans drop goal sealed their 11th loss from the past 13 games, there was plenty to like about the Titans.

But that wasn’t enough for Henry.

He wielded the selection axe before the game, omitting the underperforming Kevin Gordon, and afterwards said he wasn’t satisfied with just a good effort.

“You can be satisfied with that effort aspect of the game but our execution with the ball wasn’t good enough to nail some points,” Henry said.

“You’re never satisfied with a loss. We’re not sitting in there happy about that.

“We tinkered a bit with our attack and we looked okay at times.

“You need to be on your game 100 per cent against sides that can attack.

“We needed to be a bit better.”

It was an uncharacteristically good start compared to recent times by the Titans, who didn’t make an error in the opening 11 minutes.

They tackled and scrambled and were unlucky to be scored against in the 33rd minute when Kieran Foran was clearly offside chasing a Cherry-Evans kick.

A poor missed tackle from Brad Takairangi on Jamie Lyon was saved by the video referee before the sensational James Roberts chimed in with his personal brilliance to level scores at half-time.

Manly couldn’t pierce the Gold Coast’s defence until Foran brushed aside Daniel Mortimer midway through the second half to break the deadlock and a late try to Kalifa Faifai Loa ensured an exciting finish.

But it was the same story which has plagued the Gold Coast for most of 2014 - close, but no cigar.

They head to Wollongong on Sunday to face St George-Illawarra and co-captain Nate Myles said he’d seen some positive signs since Henry took control.

“The players responded really well,” he said.

“Our training sessions were really sharp and positive. Our footy and attitude was a lot better.

“Our training was a lot better and that’s something we need to improve.

“We’ve got to want to be in the 17.

“I don’t think enough of our players are holding that with both hands and really relishing the opportunity to play first grade.

“It was a step in the right direction.”

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/

[Titan4Life]

Gold Coast Titans ‘good, not great’ in caretaker coach Neil Henry’s first game at the helm

IT was nearly the perfect audition.

Caretaker coach Neil Henry couldn’t have asked for much more in his first game in charge of the Gold Coast Titans.

They lost 15-12 to Manly, a team many believe will win the 2014 premiership, but the performance was close to what Henry would have dreamt of as he strives to stitch up the vacant head coaching gig for next season.

The Titans never gave up in front of 11,940 at Cbus Super Stadium but ultimately slumped to their eight consecutive loss at home.

It was one of the better performances in what has been a horror three months.

Foundation coach John Cartwright fell on his sword as the club faced a fourth straight season without a finals appearance, leaving Henry to salvage something from the last four games.

The 53-year-old made some minor adjustments and while a left-footed Daly Cherry-Evans drop goal sealed their 11th loss from the past 13 games, there was plenty to like about the Titans.

But that wasn’t enough for Henry.

He wielded the selection axe before the game, omitting the underperforming Kevin Gordon, and afterwards said he wasn’t satisfied with just a good effort.

“You can be satisfied with that effort aspect of the game but our execution with the ball wasn’t good enough to nail some points,” Henry said.

“You’re never satisfied with a loss. We’re not sitting in there happy about that.

“We tinkered a bit with our attack and we looked okay at times.

“You need to be on your game 100 per cent against sides that can attack.

“We needed to be a bit better.”

It was an uncharacteristically good start compared to recent times by the Titans, who didn’t make an error in the opening 11 minutes.

They tackled and scrambled and were unlucky to be scored against in the 33rd minute when Kieran Foran was clearly offside chasing a Cherry-Evans kick.

A poor missed tackle from Brad Takairangi on Jamie Lyon was saved by the video referee before the sensational James Roberts chimed in with his personal brilliance to level scores at half-time.

Manly couldn’t pierce the Gold Coast’s defence until Foran brushed aside Daniel Mortimer midway through the second half to break the deadlock and a late try to Kalifa Faifai Loa ensured an exciting finish.

But it was the same story which has plagued the Gold Coast for most of 2014 - close, but no cigar.

They head to Wollongong on Sunday to face St George-Illawarra and co-captain Nate Myles said he’d seen some positive signs since Henry took control.

“The players responded really well,” he said.

“Our training sessions were really sharp and positive. Our footy and attitude was a lot better.

“Our training was a lot better and that’s something we need to improve.

“We’ve got to want to be in the 17.

“I don’t think enough of our players are holding that with both hands and really relishing the opportunity to play first grade.

“It was a step in the right direction.”

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/

Surely Myles isn't saying this. He is one of the players who don't put in 100%.

[DIEHARD]

Neil Henry favourite for coaching role but Gold Coast Titans keep options open

NEIL Henry’s rivals for the Titans coaching job will be presented to the club’s board on Wednesday but the “full review” into is operations is taking longer than expected.

The Gold Coast’s three-person board will meet on Wednesday morning to outline a process to appoint a successor to foundation coach John Cartwright, whose eight-year tenure ended last week.

Henry is the leading candidate but the Titans have received expressions of interest from other coaches with NRL experience.

The board — which now consists of Rebecca Frizelle, Paul Donovan and Darryl Kelly following the resignation of Michael Searle — must decide on how they will go about finding Cartwright’s replacement.

One of the major issues they must address is time.

With just three rounds remaining in the season-proper, the incoming coach will want plenty of time to get cracking on plans for the 2015 season.

Henry has been at the club since October last year, when he signed on as an assistant to Cartwright after being punted by North Queensland, and has a clear view of how he wants to break a four-year finals exile.

The 53-year-old would prefer a three of four-year contract and Titans CEO Graham Annesley said the board would cast its eye over a number of applicants.

“There’s a number of people who have contacted us putting their hand up,” he said.

“The board will have a look at the expressions of interest we’ve received and determine how we’ll proceed going forward.”

Sports administration academic Dr Dave Arthur commenced his independent review into the club on July 25 and was hoping to present a report at Wednesday’s meeting.

But he has been given more to complete the full report and will instead present interim findings.

Annesley said the review was unlikely to affect the coaching appointment process.

“He was always trying to get to a point where he could at least give the board some initial information (on Wednesday),” Annesley said.

“He’s going to attend the board meeting and give a bit of a presentation on his findings so far.

“He’s still got a couple more weeks’ to go to finish it all off.

“Had there not been a change in coach then that may have been part of the outcome.

“I expect it to focus more on our administrative structure and where there might be opportunities for us to improve the business side of the business rather than football.

“There will be some stuff about football but it won’t be as focused on that as it would have been otherwise.”

Henry, who coached the Titans for the first time in Sunday’s 15-12 loss to Manly, said the Gold Coast was a nursery for league talent.

“The board are going through a process. Whether or not they interview coaches or shortlist, I’m not sure,” he said.

“You’d like to do a job and have a crack at the head coaching job.

“The club is looking at a whole range of things with this review process that’s about ensuring the Titans will be around and financially viable moving forward.

“The NRL are backing a team to be on the coast. We also need to get our own backyard in order.

“Hopefully I’m a part of that.

“I’d like the challenge. I think it’s a great nursery here for rugby league and we need to have a successful team here.”

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl