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Manly Sea Eagles Coach Geoff Toovey. Source: Mark Evans / News Limited
MANLY coach Geoff Toovey has come forward to claim his club has never breached any ASADA "protocols or procedures".
Toovey on Sunday gave The Daily Telegraph an exclusive sit-down interview where he predicted his looming interview with ASADA would be "very short".
Bulldog: What do you make of the overall ASADA investigation?
Toovey: It has dragged on for long enough. I think we should get into the meat of it. ASADA is interviewing people over the next month or so. Hopefully something will come of that, either a positive or a negative which we will deal with and move on.
Bulldog: Two of those to be interviewed are your players, Brett Stewart and Anthony Watmough.
Toovey: I know there are players at our club that need to be interviewed. The club has stayed out of that, it is meant to be a confidential issue. I would imagine everyone would respect their privacy and confidentiality until the process is over.
Bulldog: Has Manly got anything to worry about?
Toovey: As far as I am concerned, I have never been aware of Manly breaching any protocols or procedures in regards to the ASADA drug policies.
Bulldog: So you have never seen anything untoward?
Toovey: Never.
Bulldog: Do you know Steve Dank?
Toovey: I probably said four words to him over all the time he was at the club.
Bulldog: You also have to be interviewed, Geoff.
Toovey: Yes, that's true.
Bulldog: What are you expecting to be asked?
Toovey: I am expecting it to be a very short interview.
Bulldog: What will they ask you?
Toovey: I have no idea. As Sergeant Schultz says (in TV show Hogan's Heroes), "I know nothing.' They said, "Follow the procedures," so I am going along with that.
Bulldog: Will you co-operate?
Toovey: Of course I will co-operate. I've got nothing to tell them.
Bulldog: NRL CEO Dave Smith wants everyone to tell the truth.
Toovey: I can only speak on my own behalf. I will be telling the truth because there is nothing really to tell.
Bulldog: Recapping. Manly, in your opinion, will be cleared?
Toovey: Our staff are professional. We will go through the process and deal with any outcomes and move on.
Bulldog: How do Manly keep winning despite the angst at board level?
Toovey: Those matters are probably blown out of proportion, which happens from time to time. The sporting business is a competitive environment and, at the end of the day, the players and football group need to get on with their business. The other stuff, we don't need to read things in the paper because some of it is a bit over-the-top. We are sure those issues will be sorted out.
Bulldog: Do you protect your players from the squabbling in the boardroom?
Toovey: I don't think it is a major issue.
Bulldog: Manly, are you where you want to be on the field?
Toovey: I have said over the past month that we have been fortunate to have a very stable roster in regards to injuries and suspensions. The more we can get a quality group of players on the field, the better you are. But, again, that won't matter if you don't have those players available come semi-final time. The next goal is to make sure everyone is fit and firing in another month's time.
Bulldog: Did that big loss to Melbourne in the grand final qualifier last year change you as a coach?
Toovey: It didn't change me but it's funny though how you realise that you can't control everything. The players were at a loss too. If you're one per cent off in a game, against a quality team, you are going to get beaten convincingly, which is what happened.
Bulldog: That was a theory going around that, after that heavy loss, you decided to take more control.
Toovey: No, not really. I think the players realised the season had finished and they hadn't performed at their best that one time and it was all over. That's the hard thing about semi-final football ... if you're not "on" that day then you are wasting your time.
Bulldog: Is there one thing you would like changed in rugby league?
Toovey: I would like to see more resources put into the grassroots of the game. It is a tough, competitive environment out there, particularly around this area, like other areas, competing for exposure and membership.
***
GEOFF Toovey says the stress of coaching an NRL team is enormous.
Bulldog: Manly has now made the finals in nine successive seasons. Love or hate Manly, you have to respect them.
Toovey: It is a real credit to the players and coaching staff over those years. Manly has a good culture. That culture hasn't just been there for the past nine years - it has been there for several decades. It is a positive place to play football and a great environment to live.
Bulldog: I have always admired Manly's mental toughness.
Toovey: This club has a lot of history and a lot of successful history. It is a culture that has been formed over many years and many decades.
Bulldog: Some suggested - and I was one of them - that you had an ageing roster and were on the slide.
Toovey: You can't underestimate experience although you do need to develop your youth, which is what we have done. We have been fortunate in our development with players in key positions that will hopefully be there for many years to come.
Bulldog: When Des Hasler left Brookvale, many were suggesting doom and gloom. Were you ready for the top job?
Toovey: Like any successful team or club, when there is dramatic change, people tend to talk about the negatives. But there is a lot more to a club than an individual player or coach. It's important that the culture and environment remains stable, no matter what happens.
Bulldog: Is coaching at NRL level 24-7?
Toovey: It's not but it does put a lot of stress on your life. Any coach would admit that. It does become all-consuming at times but it's not something I think of - apart from a couple of coaches - that you could do all your life. It is very much a moving landscape and whilst there you have to envelope yourself in the role and do your best.
Bulldog: Do you have a social life?
Toovey: It is difficult, particularly if you have a family. It is tough on many people in your life that aren't involved in football.
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