League: Watson to stay on with Cullen Sports

The New Zealand Warriors' management company Cullen Sports says Mick Watson will remain with the company to work on its international ventures.

Watson, 39, announced his resignation as the Warriors chief executive yesterday after five years in the job.

His departure follows another poor season for the Warriors, who lie in 14th place in the National Rugby League (NRL).

"Mick has done an outstanding job for this club since coming into the role," Cullen Sport chairman Maurice Kidd said.

"But after five years in the job he has told us he wants to look at new challenges."

Watson said he wanted a challenge after five years and he had made up his mind to move on at the start of this season, regardless of where the Warriors finished in the NRL.

There was speculation that coach Tony Kemp would follow Watson out but Watson declined comment on the coach's position at the club.

Warriors majority owner Eric Watson said Mick Watson had helped rebuild the club.

"When we had problems in 2004, Mick had to remove himself from Cullen Sports projects and come back into the rugby league business," he said.

"He has now identified that he needs a change. That will see him working on international ventures."

Under Watson's leadership the Warriors made the finals three years in a row and were minor premiers and grand finalists in 2002.

But the side slumped in 2004 amid some heavy losses which saw coach Daniel Anderson resign as coach in favour of Kemp.

Mick Watson will stay on for several months to take part in the season review process of the coaching staff and players, among other work.

As the review was conducted his position would be as a commentator and observer, rather than decision-maker.

Watson came on board quickly after Eric Watson picked up the club following the collapse of Tainui's management in 2000. Eric Watson had been advised by Matthew Ridge, who knew Mick Watson from his days at Manly when Mick Watson represented sponsors Pepsi.

Mick Watson brought Daniel Anderson in as coach and in 2001 the Warriors made the playoffs for the first time.

The following season was their best year, making the grand final, but by 2003 things were unravelling and a poor performance against Penrith in the semis saw them eliminated.

Since then there have been a number of messy departures, Ali Lauitiiti, Thomas Leuluai, PJ Marsh, Vinnie Anderson and coach Anderson among them. The speculation over Stacey Jones' position also affected stability at the club.

Continued departures such as that of Jones, wing Francis Meli and 23-year-old prop Iafeta Paleaaesina, who was off contract, did not suggest a happy camp.

The Warriors management said yesterday that Watson's departure had come so suddenly that no process was in place to appoint a replacement and work would start from scratch.

Around the Auckland and New Zealand rugby league scene his departure will not be greeted with any sadness. Watson's focus on the club has not endeared him to the Auckland Rugby League or the New Zealand Rugby League.

- NZPA