Neil Henry reveals Gold Coast Titans face Wests Tigers-like NRL salary cap mess
Nathan Ryan Exclusive FOX SPORTS July 30, 2015
GOLD Coast coach Neil Henry admits there is going to be some heartache around their playing squad for the next few years, revealing they face a similar situation to that of the Wests Tigers and could take up to three years to produce a competitive roster.
Having taken the reins from John Cartwright at the end of last season, Henry is tasked with rebuilding the Titans.
But sitting second last, the club is set to miss the finals for the fifth straight year.
In a wide-ranging interview with foxsports.com.au, Henry opens up on salary cap constraints, the pressure for results and the effect Daly Cherry-Evans’ backflip has had on the club’s recruitment strategy.
PRESSURE FOR RESULTS
The Titans have won just six games this year.
Their last loss was a 34-0 drubbing at the hands of big brother Brisbane.
Henry knows the fans expect better but that’s easier said than done.
“This game is that ruthless that I know as a coach that you still need some short-term results,” Henry said.
“We need to be competitive and we need to build a roster, and it’s going to take its time.
“Were not dissimilar to (Wests Tigers) in our cap and in contracts and what’s been done before.
“We are limited to some movement in contracts that are already done and we need to try and accommodate that and see if we can accommodate movement of players still contracted.”
The players he speaks of accommodating are the likes of Dave Taylor.
Taylor is on big money, one of the highest paid players at the club, and the back-rower is being shopped around to help and alleviate some salary cap pressure.
The Tigers are doing the same thing by releasing veteran forward Keith Galloway to move to England.
Robbie Farah is the Tigers’ top paid player, while the Titans have four hookers on their books in Matt Srama, Beau Falloon, Chad Redman and Kieran Moseley but lack a player who can push out 80 minutes.
Losing Aidan Sezer to Canberra, the club could be forced to run out rookie halves in 2016.
With that in mind, Henry believes a rebuild could take until 2018 to complete.
“It could take that long,” he said.
“If you’re a realist it’s probably going to take that, but you’d like to think it wouldn’t.
“Wests Tigers are also finding that having two rookie halves is hard to get consistency. (Mitchell) Moses and (Luke) Brooks are quality halves, they have Farah sitting there and (James) Tedesco. The halves, hooker and fullback — the main men with the ball aren’t too bad when you look at it that way.
“We have a young rookie hooker as well, and that’s a role we haven’t nailed. We have young halves and some experience at fullback with (Will) Zillman and (Josh Hoffman) and experience out wide.
“But we are going to need some young guys to step up to be competitive that’s for sure.”
SALARY CAP
Albert Kelly still sits in the Titans’ top 25 cap, while Maurice Blair is in the second-tier cap.
Neither has played for the Titans since 2014, when they were released from the final year of their deals to join Hull KR.
Managing your salary cap is a complicated process many clubs have difficulty with.
Successful clubs like the Storm, Cowboys, Roosters and Rabbitohs have built their rosters over time and continually make tweaks accordingly.
Henry said the Titans won’t be making any rash decisions. He intends on taking his time to reshape their roster with some short-term pain the sacrifice for a successful future.
“It’s difficult to manage,” he said of the cap.
“A more strategic view needs to happen because we are results driven; we need a quick fix and you buy players and get yourself in trouble.
“If clubs are willing to let a coach buy a roster and know it’s going to take time and not put pressure on wins, they are taking a more practical and realistic view of how difficult it is in this competition.”
RECRUITING
Daly Cherry-Evans’ decision to backflip on a lucrative four-year-deal to join the Titans has seriously hurt the club.
Although they were prepared to pay him more than a $1 million a season, the club had a plan to shape their entire roster around their marquee signing.
Thinking they had signed the 26-year-old, they were unable to produce an attractive enough offer to keep Aidan Sezer, while letting Nate Myles move to Manly was supposed to help pay for their new halfback.
When DCE had a change of heart and decided to stay with the Sea Eagles, the Titans’ plans fell to pieces.
“We’ve had to rethink where we want to put our money,” Henry said.
“Back row, front row and outside backs and a centre in particular, so we’ve had to rethink that money that Cherry-Evans was allocated and how to best strengthen our squad.
“We were quite willing to load up a substantial amount of the cap on Cherry-Evans, and he is a marquee player and you can build your club around that sort of player.
“We were really happy to entertain keeping Aidan Sezer here but that was when we thought we had a deal done (with Cherry-Evans) and that’s impacted on our recruitment, and we didn’t have a Plan B because we didn’t think we needed one.
“It’s unfortunate for us.”
FINDING A HALF
The Titans are on the verge of announcing they have signed Brisbane U20s halfback Ashley Taylor on a two-year-deal.
Henry is reluctant to declare they have the youngster in the bag but is confident that after missing out of Daly Cherry-Evans and Trent Hodkinson they will finally get their man.
“Were hopeful of getting his signature,” Henry said.
“We’d like to think we’ve got the inside running.
“We’re hopeful he stays in Queensland, being a boy from up here, but there is a bit of interest for him down south.”
Speaking hypothetically about the possibility of playing with two rookie halves in 2016, Henry is optimistic.
Elgey has made 11 appearances since making his top grade debut earlier this year, while Taylor boasts an impressive resume, although he’s untested at NRL level.
“You have to look at what’s available and what fits in our cap constraints as well,” Henry said of the halves.
“Kane came in around round three and exceeded expectations in some regards, but in his own mind he’s saying ‘I want to be better’. He’s proved he can play at that level.
“He will get a few more games out of this year and that will be experience for him next year.
“Ashley Taylor’s unproven, but then we need to see who else in on the market who has some expertise as well.
“There’s a little bit of movement behind the scenes in players in these positions as well.
“We haven’t got that marquee player or 150-game seasoned first grade player on the books.”
DAVE TAYLOR
It’s no secret the Titans won’t stand in Dave Taylor’s way should he be able to secure a deal with another club.
Taylor has been on the outer for quite some time despite having another year left on his contract.
Linked with Super League and Japanese rugby, the 123kg wrecking ball’s NRL career has been killed by inconsistency.
“I know there’s been some talks overseas,” Henry said of the back-rower.
“He’s had permission to look, which is widely known.
“With the marquee allowance there should be some genuine interest in him over there.
“That change might be the catalyst for him to play some consistent footy.”
MESSAGE TO THE FANS
With a rocky road ahead, what is his message to the fans desperate to see their club doing well?
Henry believes there is light at the end of the tunnel and revealed there is a renewed emphasis on local production, with the likes of Ryan James, Ben Ridge and Kane Elgey all Gold Coast products playing for their hometown.
“We thank you for your patience so far because it’s been a lean period,” Henry said.
“We are about local talent as well and that’s a real focus for us.
“We need to be a development club, not a recruitment club.
“There’s going to be some heartache around our roster, getting it right, and that’s going to take a couple of seasons.
“What (fans) should expect is a team that gets out there and wears their colours with pride and competes.”