Folkes' plea to Bulldogs board

parragirl · Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 2:11 pm Post subject: Folkes' plea to Bulldogs board

Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes has urged the new board not to go behind his back in any appointment of a new coach. Picture: Brett Costello.

By Dean Ritchie and Steve Mascord
February 20, 2008 12:00am

BULLDOGS coach Steve Folkes yesterday implored his new-look board not to do a deal with Wayne Bennett behind his back.

The Daily Telegraph yesterday revealed that five new rebel directors were keen to open discussions with Brisbane's Bennett as early as this week.

Bennett was still not commenting yesterday while North Queensland CEO Peter Parr confirmed his club's interest in securing Bennett.

But Folkes, in his 11th season as Bulldogs coach, said he expected to be informed about any secret move to lure Bennett to Belmore.

"I would think that would be the case. Yeah," Folkes said. "I think they (the board) would. It's only speculation that they have approached Wayne Bennett.

"I congratulated all the new board members Sunday after the election. I know them all pretty well. I have played a lot of games with most of them. We get on with things.

"I'll get on with coaching and they get on with administering and the players get on with playing."

Folkes was angry that his coaching position was under review still five days before his club's first trial match of the season.

"Every coach is under pressure to perform. Every club is built on the success of their NRL side," he said.

"The decision will be made on how successful we are this year. We haven't kicked a ball yet. It's ridiculous to be talking about what's going to happen in '09 when '08 isn't under way yet."

Bulldogs chairman George Peponis said he had received assurances from directors that Bennett would not be approached behind Folkes' back.

But Peponis said the previous timetable for consulting Folkes was not set following the successful takeover of the club by a rebel ticket.

"I said a week ago that we wouldn't be speaking to anyone else until we gave Steve the courtesy of speaking to him first," he told The Daily Telegraph.

"And they all agreed with that, to the extent that some of the new board members went and spoke to Steve this afternoon."

But when asked if the rough estimate of late April to early May for Folkes' reappraisal may come forward, Peponis said: "No comment on that."

The chairman remained confident his promise would be kept that Folkes would be informed before negotiations opened with anyone to replace him.

But when asked when that would happen, he said: "The newly-elected board has to decide that. We're not meeting for the first time until Monday night. That may or may not be on the agenda.

"At this stage it's not something we have discussed.

"We will speak to Steve first. I would hope the board would fully support that and I've got no doubt they will."

Bennett, aside from Belmore and Townsville, has also been linked to St George Illawarra should coach Nathan Brown fail this season.

"I guess there is always going to be speculation whenever there is someone of the quality of Wayne Bennett off contract and my contract obviously is finishing at the end of this year as well," Folkes said. "I think if you let all that stuff worry you then you're looking at going downhill. There's been a lot of talk and a lot of speculation."

Parr, when asked about Bennett joining the Cowboys, said: "I think Wayne is a bloke we will discuss when we start talking about potential coaches. That's as far as I'm willing to comment."

North Queensland will start their search for a coach to replace Graham Murray later this week.

http://www.news.com.au/dailyteleg.../0,22049,23241802-5006066,00.html

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