But Waite, there's more flak

Sydney Morning Herald, Friday, November 9 2001

By STEVE MASCORD

GREAT Britain’s Australian coach David Waite has been called “strange” by Brad Fittler and “complicated” by Chris Anderson - but has refused to be drawn into a slanging match In the latest signs of stress ahead of Sunday’s opening Ashes Test at McAlpine Stadium.

Waite came under fire from Kangaroo skipper Fittler and coach Anderson at a media conference on Wednesday.

“I was reading the paper yesterday and it’s strange that someone can be so passionate about coaching a country against their own country,” Fittler said.

“He’ll do a good job for them but it’s not something I would ever do.”

When Anderson was asked if he expected Waite to make late changes to his side he smiled before replying: “Waitey’s a bit complicated for me so I don’t try and guess what he’s going to do.

“He coaches some good footy but the way he puts it across is maybe a bit complicated.”

Asked if be believed Great Britain’s players would have trouble understanding the former Newcastle and St George Illawarra boss, Anderson said: “He coaches some good footy but it could be a bit hard on them yeah.”

Waite and Anderson - both former Kangaroo wingers and grand final coaching opponents in 1999 - have enjoyed exchanging barbs during the past month.

Anderson said at a media conference in Sydney last week that Waite “talks in riddles”.

But Waite has refused to bite back.

“Brad Fittler is a rugby league player and I would be disappointed if he did not think in those terms,” said Waite, who made his debut as Britain’s coach last month against France.

“He is entitled to his opinion although it is not one I share. Chris is also entitled to his opinion. He coaches good footy too.”

Asked whether he felt he was “complicated”, Waite said what was required for Great Britain was different from what Anderson had to do.

Anderson, meanwhile, said he disagreed with Fittler’s comments .

This weekend another foreign-born English national coach, soccer’s Sven Goran Eriksson, is up against the country of his birth Sweden.

“Freddie’s a player and that’s the way he sees things - I’m not as hard on that as him,” Anderson said.

He added that he would be prepared to coach a foreign country “if I thought it was good for the game”.

The Kangaroos made a pilgrimage to the birthplace of the game, the George Hotel in Huddersfield, on Thursday before training at the nearby Test venue the McAlpine Stadium.

Waite was due to name his side later in the day Anderson meanwhile has suggested he is interested in coaching both NSW and Australia next year, solving a dilemma which might have affected his national post.

“I don’t know if NSW' want me,” he said. “I’ll talk to them when I get back and we’ll see what their plans are I can’t see any reason why I couldn’t do both. I don’t think I would marginalise the players which is maybe their concern. I’d consider doing both if I could, yeah.”

The new Sharks coach said that even though the ARL had barred him from naming a vice-captain Darren Lockyer and Andrew Johns would share the responsibilities when Fittler was off the field on Sunday.

Johns has said he felt he had to justify to British fans his ranking as the world’s finest player.

In the past he has played hooker here and he told reporters: “I hate playing hooker. I haven’t had the chance to show my wares in attack and hopefully I can do that on Sunday.”

Australia will seek a meeting with referee Bob Connolly before the game.

“We just want to know what happened to the other English referees who we thought were going OK,” said Anderson. “Is he the best referee over here?”

Connolly’s performance in last year’s Emerging Nations World Cup final was rated by former Illawarra and Parramatta fullback David Riolo as “the second worst I have seen in my whole career”, resulting in what the Italian captain dubbed “prison football”.

RFL football director Greg McCallum said: “Bob had a poor game that night. He completely misjudged the mood of the game and got the biggest rocket I have ever given a referee. But since then he has gone realty well and he has earned this appointment”.

Day 27 of the Dog Days Of Posting, September 2024

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