Warriors owner Mark Robinson has hinted strongly at a cleanout of players on the books of deregistered manager Isaac Moses, although he says the sacking of coach Stephen Kearney was for “personality” reasons.
Robinson told TVNZ off-contract backs Blake Green and Gerard Beale won’t be re-signed by the Warriors next year.
That pair, and Kearney, were managed by powerful player agent Moses, who had his NRL accreditation cancelled for breaching his obligations, an integrity unit investigation found.
Moses is free to continue acting as an NRL agent while any appeal process runs its course.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart this week said the Warriors and Broncos were two clubs that had been “ruined” by roster manipulations from “certain managers”.
Those comments came after Moses-aligned forward John Bateman said he won’t remain in Canberra next year.
Robinson, whose company Autex Industries took sole charge of the club late last year, said Moses’ influence would diminish under his watch.
“There’s a few of the other boys going,” he said.
“Green and Beale and a few of them are going, and we’re gonna be really, really cautious of how we approach any other players.”
In his first interview since Kearney was suddenly dismissed two weeks ago, Robinson said he didn’t regard the long-serving coach as the right fit.
“I think it was just the wrong personality for the people that we have, the club that we’ve got and where I want to go,” he said.
“I need someone with some personality.”
Robinson has placed no deadline on replacing Kearney but has indicated he is aiming high.
He said an approach to the manager of Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy had been declined.
“There’s nothing wrong with asking, is there? You never get unless you ask.”
Robinson has joined the team at their Terrigal base in NSW and wants to speak to any players who are considering returning home.
Some have voiced anxiety at the NRL’s inability to get a compassionate exemption across the line for families to join the team and could depart as soon as July 19.
Second-rower Leivaha Pulu was the first to fly home on Thursday after his pregnant wife was involved in a traffic accident in Auckland.