Secret clause allows Raiders coach to move north

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Heading north ... Raiders coach Neil Henry is expected to announce a deal with North Queensland today. Photograph: Kym Smith / The Daily Telegraph

By Steve Mascord | April 01, 2008 12:00am

CANBERRA chairman John McIntyre last night expressed outrage at a get-out clause that has allowed Neil Henry to become the Cowboys' new coach.

Former Raider David Furner will be offered a three-to-five-year contract as replacement for Henry, who will replace Graham Murray at North Queensland after a dramatic night in Canberra and Townsville boardrooms.

Green Machine patriarch McIntyre admitted he had no idea about a clause in Henry's contract until the coach sought to exercise it yesterday morning.

McIntyre also revealed to The Daily Telegraph the board discussed axing the Queensland assistant immediately.

"I wasn't aware of the fact there was a mutual get-out - I think that's unfortunate," McIntyre said.

"But that's a management item. The one thing to come out of it is that there won't be any of those ever again in Canberra Raiders contracts."

Henry's successful request for a release came despite assuring players just three weeks ago he would not do so.

He will sign a five-year deal with North Queensland as soon as today, while McIntyre said Furner should be offered a contract of three years "at a minimum".

The clause, which allowed Henry to leave this year if it was "mutually agreeable" with the board, was first made public in newspaper reports yesterday.

"This has been the most difficult decision I have had to make," Henry said in a statement. "I am grateful for the opportunity that the club has given me.

"I'm relieved the decision is out of the road, and we're now focused on beating the Titans this weekend."

Speaking to the ABC late yesterday, club CEO Don Furner said: "It was my toughest day and it was difficult for Neil, tough for him to talk to the players.

"There was a clause in the contract which he could have exercised and gone into a legal fight which would have been in no one's best interests. He told me he was feeling physically sick because he couldn't have foreseen there would be this much interest in him in his first year as a first-grade coach."

McIntyre said if the drama had erupted at State of Origin time, Henry may have been sent packing immediately.

"Sending the bloke north now would only be helping what we call the enemy, our opposition," he said. "We're not in the business of doing that. Somebody did mention it but, for the club, you can't do that.

"You might consider one of those things if it happened halfway through an Origin series and Neil was away looking after the Origin team with Mal (Meninga).

"You can do it if you have a couple of weeks between your games, but you don't do it with a game coming up.

"It came up 20 years ago, my dad (chairman Les) wanted to get rid of Wayne Bennett. I said 'hang on', and he stayed and we made the grand final."

Of Furner, McIntyre revealed: "When Matthew Elliott decided to go elsewhere, I spoke to David and he said he wasn't quite ready yet.

"I'm sure if you ask him, he'll say he's ready now.

"There will be a lot of support for him within the board to be the coach into the future."

http://www.news.com.au/dailyteleg.../0,26799,23463399-5012653,00.html

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