Manly coach Trent Barrett reveals his reasons for quitting Sea Eagles and the rift with chairman Scott Penn

OUTGOING Manly coach Trent Barrett has broken his silence of the bitter circumstances of his departure and the breakdown of the relationship with chairman Scott Penn. Here is the stunning list of complaints.

Barrett is concinved he made the right decision.

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MANLY NRL coach Trent Barrett had no choice but to act on continued failed promises and resign as the Sea Eagles coach.

Breaking his month-long silence, Barrett revealed to The Sunday Telegraph the bitter circumstances of his departure, his disappointment and frustration over archaic facilities at the under-resourced club and the breakdown of the relationship with chairman Scott Penn and chief executive Lyall Gorman.

Barrett believe he had not other choice. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

The split came after months of correspondence complaining about the alleged failures of the club to meet their basic obligations under Barrett’s employment contract.

At times he was operating with a full-time staff of only nine in the football department, compared to other clubs who have as many as 25.

Barrett also revealed Gorman accused him of lying about not having a contract offer from the Penrith Panthers.

But it was the outdated facilities and continual funding delays that forced his hand.

“We have a team with a club struggling to keep pace with the professional needs of players to allow them to compete at the highest level,” Barrett said. “I have complained on and off ever since I got there.

Communication between the trio broke down. (Adam Yip)

“It’s my job and responsibility to push the club to provide the best environment and staff we possibly can for our players.

“I want them to be successful. I want our players to be proud of how our club operates in every department. I want the Trbojevic brothers (Jake and Tom) to go into NSW camp and know that our club provides the same professional working environment to the other clubs and be proud of it.

“This isn’t about me, it’s about moving this club forward and ensuring its future.”

The poor financial support left Barrett dumbfounded. (AAP Image/Brendan Esposito)

It is understood that his stunning list of complaints included:

■ Barrett had to bring in his own backyard furniture for the team’s common room;

■ He had to bring a desk from home to use in his office;

■ Barrett, his wife and four kids had to clean the team’s gym on the night before he started work;

■ He had to hire chairs for the locker room;

■ Players at times had to change in the back of their cars and still have no lockers;

■ Management instability, with three chief executives in three years;

■ Three general managers of football in three years;

■ No recruitment manager for 12 months and a lengthy period without a welfare manager.

Barrett finally agreed to speak out and defend himself after Penn accused him of not acting “in the spirit of the club” in an interview with The Daily Telegraph last week.

Barrett said: “It has been tough from the get go and in the end it has become untenable.

“All I’ve wanted to do is make the place a better club and get it up to speed and in line with 15 other NRL clubs off the field.

“You know there is a lot that more goes into having a winning team than just what’s on the football field or the training paddock.”

A strong bond with the players kept Barrett on-board. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

He also revealed that he was on the verge of quitting late last year after another club approached him. But he stayed because he felt he owed it to the players.

This time there is no turning back.

“I’m doing this on principle,” Barrett said. “I know I am a good coach and you can go and ask all the players. I know what I am doing.

“I’ve tried to do everything right for the best interests of the club. This isn’t about me. I’m concerned for the players and their environment.

“The club has tried to talk me out of leaving but I won’t change my mind.”

Barrett insists a return to Penrith was not his motivation.

Barrett also reveals the club accused him of resigning from the Sea Eagles because he had a job lined up under Phil Gould at the Panthers.

He insists he has not spoken to Penrith and that he has nothing in the pipeline.

“My resignation occurred before Penrith dismissed their coach Anthony Griffin,” Barrett said.

“Lyall came to me and says ‘obviously you are going to Penrith, let’s just do this properly and, mate, we will just get through the end of the year and we will do a big press conference together’.

“I told him I hadn’t got the Penrith job, but he wouldn’t believe me. My resignation had absolutely nothing to do with Penrith.

“I actually wanted to announce my resignation over a month or so ago because I could not lie to the players. Manly chose to keep it under wraps.”

His manager Wayne Beavis, who accompanied him during the interview, said: “This is a bold and brave move by a young coach to try to make this place better for the players.

“You know I wanted him to walk six weeks ago but he refused to bail out on the players.”

Barrett also said reports of a falling out with club legend Bob Fulton were way off the mark.

“We butted heads, everyone butts head with Bozo,” Barrett said. “You can argue a beauty, but you still get along with him.

“And that’s the thing — there’s some things he does that I don’t agree with and things I do that he doesn’t agree with, but we were fine. It was a blow when he left.”

CEO Lyall Gorman thought Barrett was headed straight to Penrith. (Adam Yip)

On July 20, Barrett personally hand-delivered his 12-month resignation notice to Gorman’s office. The chief executive was overseas so Beavis emailed the letter as well.

Under his legal obligations, both parties have to give a year’s notice to terminate the contract.

“I really tried hard to make it work,” Barrett said. “There isn’t a centre of excellence there.

“I gave the club the list of the football department’s requirements, which included a need for an experienced head of recruitment, list manager, salary cap manager. We need to get the juniors in line with the senior NRL football club as well.’’

During Barrett’s coaching time he had three CEOs, Joe Kelly, Tim Cleary and Lyall Gorman, and three GMs of football, Bob Fulton, Gareth Holmes and now John Bonasera.

“We have had numerous meetings with Penn and the board, and numerous discussions with Tim Cleary, and Joe Kelly before that, about getting a development coach, getting a pathways coach, making our reserve grade coach full-time, getting a third assistant. Simple things that all other clubs have,” he said. “These discussions continued with Lyall Gorman since his arrival.

Scott Penn came our firing — but it could backfire. (Tim Hunter)

“My point to Scott (Penn) is we spend $9.2 million on players. Wouldn’t you want to invest in those players so we get the absolutely best out of them.

“The players deserve the best resources to get the best out of them for the benefit of the club and its fans.

“I went there with my integrity and my morals and I’m leaving with them intact.”

Barrett is concinved he made the right decision. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

With speculation on his future, the betting scandal, the Gladstone affair, salary cap rorting, Jackson Hastings’ fallout with Daly Cherry-Evans and even his own resignation, it was always left to Barrett to front the media himself.

“When Lyall Gorman started we were going to do this and we were going to turn this place around,” he said, “So, this is the third spiel I have heard.

“All I have ever tried to do is improve the club. Not for me, but for the players and for the fans, and the club generally.

“My resignation has nothing at all to do with where we are sitting on the ladder. Because, even if we were placed in the top eight, I’d be doing the same thing.”

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Originally published as Manly coach Trent Barrett reveals his reasons for quitting Sea Eagles and the rift with chairman Scott Penn