Chris Rattue: Warriors leader on erratic course

Mick Watson not only elicits strong, if often hushed, opinions about his character, but such a range that you might think you are dealing with at least two men.

Affable. Engaging. Frenetic. Streetfighter. Bully. Scary. These are all descriptions applied to the Warriors chief executive by people who have had dealings with him.

"He's erratic, to say the least. One minute he's all nice, the next minute he's playing the heavy boy, getting abusive and throwing his weight around," said one source.

During two days of interviewing those who have dealt with Watson, most did not want to be quoted.

However, Auckland Rugby League chairman Cameron McGregor bucked the trend.

"It's the old story: you can tell an Australian but you can't tell him much," says McGregor, who believes Watson's Warriors have been too aloof from the local game.

"I think he's still in a learning mode and the Warriors are going through different phases. It's the mettle of the man that he's prepared to learn.

"Warrior CEOs get built up and can't believe the publicity. It's hard to keep your feet on the ground. I think Mick let it get to him a bit."

Others are far less generous.

"It's going to be very interesting when some of these players retire and start writing books," claimed one insider.

Those on the Warrior fringes talk of Watson yelling at people in his office, boasting that he rules the media, trying to get players to drop their agents, and harassing out-of-favour players. Then, of course, there is the busted friendship with ex-coach Daniel Anderson.

And events involving Mick Watson often don't quite add up, even by his own telling.

Take the controversial departure of Ali Lauitiiti last year.

The second-rower wasn't performing and admitted he didn't have his heart in the Warriors anymore.

A confidant of Lauitiiti told the Herald the player told him that he was called in to Watson's office last April - while coach Daniel Anderson was with the Kiwis - and told that he was useless and that the club wanted him to depart. Lauitiiti was then marched off the premises.

The confidant said Anderson's return influenced Watson to turn up at Lauitiiti's house in a conciliatory mood, to be told by his wife there was no going back.

Watson told the Herald this week the story was completely untrue and directed us to a Christian newspaper where Lauitiiti had put the record straight.

Yet in that story, Lauitiiti reveals the hurt he felt at being escorted from the premises.

"They could say, 'It's been good to have you but we would like to ask you to move on' - something along those lines," said Lauitiiti, who has no animosity towards the club.

What emerged after Lauitiiti departed was staggering. Monty Betham, who with Awen Guttenbeil is viewed as a Watson chief lieutenant among the players, bagged Lauitiiti in a press release for not showing the right commitment. It's widely believed he was following Watson's orders.

Last week, Watson told a radio reporter that Stacey Jones was not keen on the media, but had decided to talk to a Sunday newspaper journalist about his decision to leave the club because that writer had collaborated with Jones on a book.

This was after a nervous Jones had chosen not to field questions at the press conference where he announced he would leave this year.

Yet Jones told the Herald that while he chose not to speak at the conference, he did not dislike the media and had spoken to the Sunday News at Watson's suggestion.

As a media footnote, Watson and his management sent their communications director, Richard Becht, two white rats for his birthday. Watson named them after two journalists he does not like (one being former Warriors chief executive and current Fairfax newspaper sports boss Trevor McKewen). Humour, maybe, but with an edge.

Watson emerges as a domineering character.

It has to be acknowledged, though, that under his leadership the Warriors have enjoyed more success than at any other time.

And, as ARL chairman McGregor states, the business side of the operation has also never been better since Cullen Sports took over.

But the Warriors' NRL performances have descended to the poor and erratic following a 2002 grand final appearance that was supposed to announce the arrival of the Auckland dynasty.

If insiders are right, more problems are coming as Watson's erratic behaviour creates a player climate of nervousness and insecurity.

So what does a Warrior loyalist think?

Faith Lee, as committed a Warriors fan as you could find, said: "There is a general feeling about the Warriors that you are not being told the truth."

That doubt applies to the reasons given for Jones' departure. But Lee's real concern is whether there is any depth to the operation.

"The legendary sports clubs, like Liverpool soccer, had Paisley and Shankly but also all the backroom staff. It's the whole culture which makes clubs great."

This is echoed by McGregor.

"Mick has come from a corporate background and although he has some league experience, he needs to build a league culture there as well. That's what they've struggled with. "I think they've got a bad rap over some of the player losses and it's affected the public. If nobody fronts up with answers, then everybody thinks the worse. If you tell the truth, you can't go wrong.

"They have to be careful they don't alienate themselves from the public."

As former Kiwi Dean Lonergan - a board member in a previous Warriors administration - said: "The only thing that matters is if they win or lose. If they win, the people will come. If they lose, the people will look for scapegoats."

The question now is, are Watson and the Warriors building the right culture to bring those victories, or are they dominated by a cult of Mick Watson that will end in tears?

Any defence of Watson's realm now has to be answered with the criticism that the erratic nature of the team appears to reflect the personality of its central force.