‘Why are we discussing it?’: ‘Brave’ O’Brien’s victory amid nasty Knights coaching rumors
Following the Knights’ stunning upset victory over the Storm on Saturday night, Adam O’Brien’s renewed perspective on coaching has been revealed in the aftermath of speculation about his future.
Newcastle won 26-18 in Round 21, their third consecutive victory, bringing the Hunter club within two wins of the top eight with six games remaining.
Veteran rugby league reporter Phil Rothfield revealed that the tragic death of his mother, Maree, in April has helped O’Brien cope with a difficult period.
Rumours have circulated in recent weeks that Knights executives were discussing the possibility of taking over as head coach with four candidates.
That move would have seen O’Brien removed from his position, with the drums beating for his dismissal at the end of the 2022 NRL season.
Following three convincing victories, including a 66-0 thrashing of the Bulldogs, Rothfield questioned why O’Brien did not have the support of club officials.
“That was one of my favourite games of the year to see Newcastle like that… weren’t they pumped?” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“I spoke with Adam O’Brien because there was a rumour last week that Des Hasler turned down the Knights before taking on the Titans job.”
The week before Michael Maguire, Paul McGregor and Peter Peters announced on air yesterday that John Morris had been approached.
“If this is true, why aren’t the Knights doing more to support him?
“So I called him, and it was a really lovely interview… because it was his late mother’s birthday yesterday, and he had this sense in his voice that his mother would have been very proud of that victory and the way he had rallied the troops in the last few weeks.
“He stated that the tragic death of his mother three months ago has taught him to deal with the less important aspects of life.
“The rugby league is a business, but he has learned to deal with the week-in, week-out speculation because what he went through earlier this year was extremely brave.
“I was so happy for him, and I hope the rumors are false.
Rothfield also described how dire the situation was when O’Brien arrived in Newcastle before the 2020 NRL season.
The Knights won the wooden spoon from 2015 to 2017, then improved to 11th place in 2018 and 2019.
But as soon as he arrived, O’Brien propelled the Knights into the top eight and has a surprisingly high strike rate in qualifying for finals.
“He got to that club, they won three wooden spoons in five years, and they finished 11th twice before getting there,” Rothfield explained.
“If he can get them to the finals this year, which is possible, that will be three out of four years.
“I’m not sure why we’re talking about it; he was under pressure at the beginning of the year, but I think he’s done enough to keep his job.”
Newcastle’s chances of making the finals in 2023 are slim, but if they can repeat their performance against the Storm, they may be able to keep their winning streak going.
