Apologetic Trent Barrett fails to clear up Manly mess in vague nine minute media session
IT was the nine minutes and 12 seconds that offered more confusion than clarity over the Manly coaching saga. Trent Barrett even apologised.
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IT was the nine minutes and 12 seconds that offered more confusion than clarity.
Trent Barrett even apologised.
The embattled Manly coach fronted Sydney’s media on Thursday to finally reveal his plans – problem was he didn’t reveal anything.
Barrett claimed he couldn’t elaborate on legal grounds and out of respect for club management.
It only left disgruntled fans even more unclear about the club’s future and direction.
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“I apologise – it’s out of my hands,’ Barrett said. “I haven’t enjoyed the last few days. More out of respect for the club, I want to give them an opportunity to get things right.”
Barrett offered up a few answers but rejected question after question about his future at Brookvale. He referred to CEO Lyall Gorman several times.
He did let slip that he hadn’t resigned but wouldn’t elaborate, other than to say: “As I stand here now, I’m still contracted here.”
Asked had he attracted interest from other clubs, Barrett said; “I haven’t spoken to anyone. It’s a delicate situation I suppose. I do want to be a head coach for a long time.”
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It was difficult to garner whether he wanted to leave or stay. It unfolded this way:
16 secs into press conference: “For legal reasons I can’t answer those questions today. I’d like to be able to, that time will come.”
44 secs: “Lyall is probably the one to answer these questions.”
50 secs: “Out of respect to the club, I don’t want to stand here and say too much today.”
1:02: “I won’t be commenting on that today, no.”
1:11: “I can’t go into it. I’d like be able to, I hope you appreciate that. I don’t like getting you out here at 8 in the morning when I’ve got nothing to say.”
2:03: “You’d have to ask Lyall and the club.”
2:18: “I can’t say anything at this minute.”
2:50: “I don’t feel great about standing here and not being able to say anything, it is what it is.”
3:03: “I can’t comment, it’s very speculative at the moment with what’s being said.”
4:30: “I apologise I can’t come and clarify anything today. I hope you all understand the reasons why. The club has a lot of loose ends to tie up and a lot of people to look after.”
5:06: “Again, I’m not going to comment on that today. I won’t.”
6:17: “I’ll be able to talk when we sit down and have agreed on a few things.”
7:45: “I’m not going to go into that today.”
Barrett did however refute suggestions he was off-side with Manly Immortal Bob Fulton.
“I’m fine with Bob. Bob hasn’t been here since August last year. I spoke to ‘Boze’ ten days ago, two weeks ago, he’s in Hawaii at the moment,” Barrett said.
“From my end, it’s fine.”
The coach also rejected talk the club’s new gym at Narrabeen wasn’t modern enough.
“Our gym is fine,” Barrett said. “Narrabeen is a wonderful place for us to train.”
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Barrett wanted to stress his players shouldn’t be blamed for the current drama engulfing the club.
“It’s not the players’ fault. And we have some players who are extremely passionate about the club, all of them,” he said.
“I’d certainly hate for anyone to turn on the team that is sitting in our dressing shed because this is none of their doing.
“It (coaching) is a difficult job, it’s a difficult job at any club. We all know what we’re getting into when we become first grade coaches. I have loved every minute of the coaching, loved every minute of what we’re paid to do.
“I think I’m handling everything okay.”
Barrett said he could understand the frustration of fans.
“I absolutely can,” he said. “I’ve got a game to prepare for (Friday night against Gold Coast at Brookvale). I understand the players frustrations, the fans wouldn’t be the only ones frustrated. Our focus is to win our next three games.”