December 3, 1998, Thursday
SECTION: Nationwide General News; Sport (Domestic)
LENGTH: 391 words
HEADLINE: RL: Economidis in twilight zone
BYLINE: By Chris Herde
BODY:
GOLD COAST, Dec 3 AAP - Phil Economidis is used to living his rugby league
career on the razor's edge after coming to the Gold Coast four years ago.
First as the Seagulls reserves coach and then in the head position with the
renamed Chargers following the Australian Rugby League's 1996 takeover of Jeff
Muller's failed private venture, he has had to face the end of each season
with doubts over the club's future.
This year there was no reprieve - the slow talking 45-year-old today
informed by ARL chief executive David Barnhill that he and his team were out of
a job.
"Once again I'm in the twilight zone," said Economidis, who was voted ARL
coach of the year in 1997 for steering Gold Coast to the finals for the first
time.
"It's been a continuous saga down here and over the last four years we've
been on the cutting edge.
"Whilst I'm not breathing a sigh of relief, I'm very disappointed and
shattered; but at this stage it's too late to do anything so I'm in limbo."
Economidis revealed to journalists that he had received offers to coach
elsewhere a few months ago but was committed to the Chargers, having signed a
contract for 1999 and an option in 2000.
The north Queenslander promised he would seek a legal opinion on his
position.
In his future career, wherever that will be, the lessons learnt with the
Chargers won't be lost on Economidis, who has been continually frustrated to see
quality players like Ben Ikin, Marcus Bai and Scott Sattler slip through his
fingers.
"I've learnt that the head coach should have unfettered control of player
movements both incoming and outgoing," he said.
"That seems to be the main problem in the demise of rugby league on the Gold
Coast that we've lost a lot of players to the Sydney clubs."
After the promise of 1997 Economidis conceded this season was his worst,
with the team coming second last in the National Rugby League competition.
Injuries and a lack of cohesion brought the team and Economidis to earth
with a crash.
Now he and most of his players will face Christmas without a job.
"It's not as simple as picking up a bag and hopping on a plane for these
blokes," he said.
"They are residents of the Gold Coast; they have kids at school and they
have homes here so they have to relocate and it's going to be a traumatic
change."
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: December 3, 1998 |
