Stephen Kearney has been axed as Warriors coach following the thumping the team received by the Rabbitohs. Video / NRL
The Warriors will reportedly spend millions of dollars getting rid of sacked coach Stephen Kearney, according to reports from Australia.
The Daily Telegraph has reported Kearney is in line for a $2 million payout as he has more than two years remaining on his contract.
In a show of support from the team, the Warriors players did a haka as Kearney broke the news to them in a meeting room at the Star of the Sea resort in Terrigal on Saturday afternoon.
The Telegraph reported an emotional Kearney fought back tears as he addressed the players.
Stephen Kearney during Warriors training at Mount Smart in February 2018. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Kearney was fired by the club yesterday after a little more than three years at the helm, on the back of the side's 40-12 thumping at the hands of the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Friday night.
The Warriors have been a mixed bag throughout 2020, with a 2-4 record through the opening six rounds and a 2-2 record since the competition restarted following the Covid-19 enforced hiatus.
Gotta feel for Stephen Kearney... team performing not too bad considering all they are up against.
With the Warriors being based in Terrigal on Australia's Central Coast because of Covid-19 travel restrictions, Kearney did not have a face-to-face meeting to learn his fate, but was instead told over the phone and tasked with sharing the news with the playing group.
George said he would have liked the opportunity to have the conversation with Kearney in person, and said the playing group was not consulted at any point in the decision-making process.
Thinking back to the Stacey Jones press conference on Thursday.
He said that he had been rooming with Stephen Kearney but Kearney had moved out into another room because his partner had just come over from NZ.
Think it shows he had absolutely no idea it was coming. #NRL
"None of this just pops up overnight. We as a club constantly review and evaluate; we understand where we're going in the future and understand what's been happening in the past. Over an extended period of time we constantly review performances of all staff and players.
Stephen Kearney during Warriors training at Mt Smart Stadium in 2017. Photo / Jason Oxenham
"We obviously have had a bit of a challenging year on and off the field, and that's off the back on a challenging year last year as well. So it's a compounding effect that we need to make decisions in the best interests of the club, and this we believe is the right one."
Kearney joined the Warriors in 2017, replacing Andrew McFadden on a three-year deal. The club struggled in his first season in charge, finishing the year 13th on the ladder with a 7-17 record.
However, in 2018, Kearney led the side to their first playoffs berth since 2011, finishing eighth at the end of the regular season before being eliminated by the Penrith Panthers in the opening round of the post-season.
The campaign earned him a contract extension, signing on until the end of the 2022 season in February 2019. But with the side failing to reach similar heights – again finishing in 13th with a losing record – pressure came on for results.
Stephen Kearney during Warriors training at Mount Smart in February 2018. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Assistant coach Todd Payten will take over at the helm in the interim as the club looks for a permanent replacement. George said the club was yet to identify certain individuals, but would now begin that process.
While the team holds a poor record this season and was battered in their last match, the timing of the decision to release Kearney raises some questions.
The Warriors have two good wins since returning to action last month, which has them sitting 12th on the ladder, and are heading into a very winnable stretch of games. Excluding the Melbourne Storm – who they will meet next weekend – the Warriors won't face a team currently sitting in the top eight until they meet the Sydney Roosters in round 11. Between the Storm and the Roosters, the Warriors will meet the Brisbane Broncos (13th), Gold Coast Titans (16th) and Cronulla Sharks (14th) over the next month.
"There's never a right time," George said of making the call now.
"Where do you draw a line? We've got to look after the club's best interests. It's not ideal timing, absolutely not, because of the situation we're currently in, but that doesn't negate my core principles around decision making which is the club's interests first and the future of the club.
"We haven't put the white flag up on this season at all. In fact, it's the opposite – we've got to chase what's in front of us, we're dealing with, and we'll come out the other end."
