Hugh McGahan: Cleanout should lead to respect

Thank God it's over.

The exit door can be closed to end the horror of 2005 for the Warriors. Within two weeks there has been the cleanout of the club, with both the CEO and coach dismissed from their positions.

With the appointment of Wayne Scurrah as chief executive, you'll get a bloke who is happy in the background and, thankfully, very low key.

Wayne has proved himself to the right people that he is the businessman to head this organisation and move it forward.

Knowing Wayne personally, I've seen his astute management style and admire a man who will instil confidence in the staff. Fear will no longer be the motivating factor in coming to work each day at the office. He has a passive nature and will calmly settle disputes and discuss issues.

I, like many others, look forward to hearing about football issues from the football personnel, rather than the CEO.

Speaking of football issues, Ivan Cleary will display qualities not known in coaches of the modern era - he will tell you what the situation is exactly the way it is. There will be no brushing over issues: it will be succinct and it will not be delivered with corporate jargon. Ivan is down to earth.

It will be a delight to listen to his post-match analysis of a game and hear his thoughts without rhetoric and just trying to be positive for the sake of it.

As far as his values go, Ivan is beyond reproach. He is an honest man and will give an appraisal to all, including players, media and fans. With this, he has the respect of everyone aligned with the club, especially from those under his direction and that is paramount.

This attribute is vital if players and the coaching staff are to believe and fight for the man who is now responsible for delivering a team who need to win back respect from the sporting public. His coaching credentials are always going to be questioned and only time will prove if the faith in Ivan from the board will be realised.

Man management has been documented as an essential ingredient of a coach and I tend to agree. This again is an area in which Ivan will excel.

Another major talking point after the announcement was the appointment of John Hart as executive director of football.

Contrary to popular opinion in the rugby league fraternity, I think his appointment is good for Ivan.

I have long been a fan of John, even before his days as the All Black coach.

He will provide what is needed at this level and that is someone who Ivan can bounce ideas off, ask an opinion and seek help in areas that are foreign to him as a relative rookie in the coaching ranks.

John may not know much about rugby league but that's not essential in this role - he will offer more than people realise. When times are tough or things are not going according to plan, a coach needs a sounding board and John will be that for Ivan.

There have been plenty of views expressed on both sides of the Tony Kemp argument. As I mentioned in my opening remarks, there has been a perceived cleanout by the club and this was more to publicly show that the board were not happy with the results and the image that was being portrayed; a change was necessary if they were to win back public opinion.

This has been achieved and, unfortunately, there needed to be casualties. Where does Tony go from here?

Well, I think his options are limited and he will not get another appointment in the NRL in the short term. He may have some connections in England and could possibly start with a club as an assistant or as a head coach position in the second division. Tony may wish to become involved in the Bartercard Cup competition and work his way up by coaching a championship-winning side, extending to appointments by the NZRL to age-group teams and, eventually, the Kiwi coaching job in the distant future. If he heads down this road and has success then his chances of an NRL coaching position may be more of a reality.

This season has yet to have the curtain drawn as the playoffs have just commenced but 2006 will be upon us sooner than you think. It will be better for us all to look to the summer with a view of revival rather than survival.

Time is again needed to rebuild this team, there have been too many departures and too few arrivals to think it will win a premiership in 2006. This team will not be seen as a threat by the experts in Australia which will work favourably for the Warriors, as they look to regain confidence.

On another subject, if you read my column three weeks ago you would be left in no surprise to see Stacey Jones make his comeback for the Kiwis. I don't want to say I told you so, but...

- HERALD ON SUNDAY