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The Warriors have sacked coach Stephen Kearney following the heavy loss to South Sydney on Friday, immediately drawing criticism from league legend Mal Meninga.
Warriors CEO Cameron George confirmed the axing yesterday, revealing that Kearney ‘‘took it on the chin, but was certainly shattered about it’’.
Assistant coach Todd Payten will take charge as the interim coach as the club starts looking for a full-time replacement for Kearney.
But as news of the sacking broke, Meninga told Fox Sports: ‘‘I feel it’s a bit premature considering the challenges the Warriors have had to confront. It’s a bit harsh.’’
Warriors management decided to dump Kearney following the 40-12 loss to the Rabbitohs, and George conceded ‘‘there’s never a right time’’ to cut a coach.
‘‘We’ve got to look after the club’s best interests, moving forward and it’s not ideal timing, absolutely not, because of the situation we’re currently in,’’ George said.
‘‘But that doesn’t negate us and my core principles around decision-making at the club which is: club’s interests first and the future of the club.’’
Kearney had been given a three-year contract extension at the start of 2019, but George stood by that decision.
‘‘I never doubted that was the right decision for the club at the time,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve had three different owners in two and a half
years and we’ve all got a different vision of what the future looks like.
‘‘We’ve made a decision on our future and that’s where we stand right now.’’
Kearney was informed of the decision yesterday morning, and then told the squad that he was on his way.
George acknowledged that
Kearney had shown commitment, a work ethic and concern for the wellbeing of the club, players and their families in a challenging year.
The Warriors have a 2-4 win loss record in 2020, but have had to contend with the enormous complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
They are playing out the rest
of the NRL season away from home and face challenges that no other side has to deal with.
Kearney signed on as Warriors head coach for the 2017 season, guiding the club to the finals in 2018.
The Warriors struggled to find consistency last year, finishing 13th on the ladder and were again blowing hot and cold in 2020.
However, wins against the Cowboys and Dragons over the past month showed that the Warriors had plenty of fight left in them.
George also insisted that Kearney had never lost the dressing room. He had a great relationship with the players.
Former Wests Tigers prop Payten joined the Warriors’
coaching staff last season after working with the Cowboys.
He was a member of the Cowboys’ coaching staff when they won the NRL grand final in 2015.
Asked if Payten was a longterm option, George said: ‘‘He’s keen to take on the opportunity and I really appreciate he’s stepped up to help us out through this unfortunate scenario.
‘‘It is what it is. He’ll be there until we find the right person to come to the club and coach long term.’’
The Warriors will now begin the tough job of finding the right coach to lead the club forward in difficult circumstances, and George said the club had not yet identified a list of candidates.