THE stand-off at the Kangaroos between the board and the coach is at flashpoint.
Eleven days after the Roos completed their 2007 season, the club and coach Dean Laidley remain at odds over a new contract.
The situation has deteriorated in recent weeks to the point where those reasonably assumed to be in the know are fearful of an irreconcilable split.
Laidley, who defied all expectations this year by taking the Roos to the top four, is understood to be confused and distressed about the breakdown, and considering his future.
While the board is believed to have agreed to a three-year agreement, the term would be conditional on performance — specifically, playing finals in the first two years.
If that’s the case, it’s effectively a one-year contract, with provision for an extension if he meets tough incentives.
The real issue, though, is the amount the club is willing to invest in its football department, including player payments, a long-running concern for the coach.
He has argued privately and publicly that it is increasingly difficult to compete with the other clubs if the Roos continue to pay an estimated 90 per cent of the Total Player Payments ($6.94 million this year) and persist with an under-manned and under-resourced football department.
He has told officials he wants nothing more than a level playing field in financial terms, regardless of the term of any new contract.
The coaching situation is believed to have caused major tension at board level a week ago, as directors wrestled with the dilemma of acceding to Laidley’s pleas on spending in the football department and the growing prospect they may be left without a coach.
Observers say Laidley might be regretting his decision to turn his back on overtures from other clubs seeking coaches only a few weeks ago.
It’s reasonable to assume he would have been front-runner at both Melbourne and Essendon, which appointed untried coaches, while Carlton chief executive Greg Swann is known to be a close friend and admirer of his coaching.
The issue has been simmering for several weeks, perhaps as long as three months, since the president Graham Duff and Laidley first explored a new contract.
Laidley’s manager Ricky Nixon was in no mood to talk last night. "I’m on holidays," he said.
Roos chief executive Rick Aylett played down the situation.
"There’s no problems. Ricky and I have been to-ing and fro-ing a bit, crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s," Aylett said.
"I emailed some stuff off to Ricky last night and just a left a message on his phone tonight. Ring me tomorrow because I think we’ve put a very good proposition to him and I’m just waiting for him to come back to me now. It’s a very fair and reasonable offer and he’s just working through that."
There is a school of thought several directors went into the season believing the club would finish near the bottom again, Laidley’s contract would expire and a new coach would be installed.
Laidley, though, lifted the team from 14th with seven wins to fourth with 14 wins, seemingly guaranteeing his future.
Sadly for him, the Roos lost two of their three finals by a total of 30 goals.
That may have hurt him at the board table.
Source: foxsports.com.au
