GCBRONCO
International Captain
- Mar 4, 2008
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http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...r/news-story/4b5f4ebfe869fa18c67889003d6501aa
WAYNE Bennett says he will not stand in the way of Adam Blair leaving Brisbane after the Kiwi Test enforcer fielded a massive $2.4 million offer to quit the Broncos.
The Courier-Mail can reveal Blair has received the biggest offer of his decorated career with the Warriors and Newcastle waging a big-money bidding war that has blown Brisbane out of the market.
Warriors coach Steve Kearney is attempting to lure Blair home to New Zealand with a four-year deal worth $600,000 annually, while the Knights met on Thursday with the veteran prop’s management.
Intriguingly, Bennett has links with both of Blair’s NRL suitors.
Kearney is a former Broncos assistant who hired Bennett as an adviser to help the Kiwis to World Cup glory in 2008, while the super coach spent three seasons in Newcastle before returning to Red Hill.
Blair, who turns 32 next March, is contracted to Brisbane until the end of next year.
The Broncos are prepared to table a new deal for 2019 worth around $300,000, but Bennett will reluctantly release his No. 1 prop for next season if Blair is chasing a bigger payday.
“If he wants to leave, we won’t stand in his way,” Bennett told The Courier-Mail.
“As much as I want to keep Adam, the money out there for him is huge. He is a great bloke, a good family man and he has this one opportunity to set himself up.
“We won’t be able to match the offers out there, I know that and Adam knows that.
“Adam is a 10 out of 10 bloke and I don’t want him to leave and he doesn’t want to leave, but I have to be honest about the situation.
“The salary cap makes it bloody tough. There’s no guarantee Adam will be here next year ... I’d say it’s 50-50 right now.”
Kearney, the former Kiwis coach, has longstanding ties with Blair and believes the prop’s work ethic and professionalism could drive cultural reform at the struggling Warriors.
The Knights have already raided Brisbane’s roster with the signing of Tautau Moga and Herman Ese’ese and view Blair as the perfect spearhead for their youthful pack.
Bennett revealed Blair is mindful of the perils of making financially-motivated decisions after his big-money move to the Wests Tigers in 2012 ended poorly.
“We have had a frank discussion,” Bennett said.
“In the past Adam went to a club (Tigers) on big money and it didn’t work out for him. He realises that and knows how important it is to be happy where you are playing your footy, rather than getting a lot of money and not being happy.
“We haven’t given up hope of keeping him, but we need to get a better balance in what we can offer.
“We’ve signed a lot of guys this year to new deals and under the salary cap, you can’t keep them all.”
Queensland coach Kevin Walters, a former assistant at the Broncos, lauded Blair’s attitude.
“I’m not surprised he is commanding big money,” Walters said. “Adam is a superb trainer and would be a great buy for any club, especially a club in a rebuilding phase like the Knights.”
WAYNE Bennett says he will not stand in the way of Adam Blair leaving Brisbane after the Kiwi Test enforcer fielded a massive $2.4 million offer to quit the Broncos.
The Courier-Mail can reveal Blair has received the biggest offer of his decorated career with the Warriors and Newcastle waging a big-money bidding war that has blown Brisbane out of the market.
Warriors coach Steve Kearney is attempting to lure Blair home to New Zealand with a four-year deal worth $600,000 annually, while the Knights met on Thursday with the veteran prop’s management.
Intriguingly, Bennett has links with both of Blair’s NRL suitors.
Kearney is a former Broncos assistant who hired Bennett as an adviser to help the Kiwis to World Cup glory in 2008, while the super coach spent three seasons in Newcastle before returning to Red Hill.
Blair, who turns 32 next March, is contracted to Brisbane until the end of next year.
The Broncos are prepared to table a new deal for 2019 worth around $300,000, but Bennett will reluctantly release his No. 1 prop for next season if Blair is chasing a bigger payday.
“If he wants to leave, we won’t stand in his way,” Bennett told The Courier-Mail.
“As much as I want to keep Adam, the money out there for him is huge. He is a great bloke, a good family man and he has this one opportunity to set himself up.
“We won’t be able to match the offers out there, I know that and Adam knows that.
“Adam is a 10 out of 10 bloke and I don’t want him to leave and he doesn’t want to leave, but I have to be honest about the situation.
“The salary cap makes it bloody tough. There’s no guarantee Adam will be here next year ... I’d say it’s 50-50 right now.”
Kearney, the former Kiwis coach, has longstanding ties with Blair and believes the prop’s work ethic and professionalism could drive cultural reform at the struggling Warriors.
The Knights have already raided Brisbane’s roster with the signing of Tautau Moga and Herman Ese’ese and view Blair as the perfect spearhead for their youthful pack.
Bennett revealed Blair is mindful of the perils of making financially-motivated decisions after his big-money move to the Wests Tigers in 2012 ended poorly.
“We have had a frank discussion,” Bennett said.
“In the past Adam went to a club (Tigers) on big money and it didn’t work out for him. He realises that and knows how important it is to be happy where you are playing your footy, rather than getting a lot of money and not being happy.
“We haven’t given up hope of keeping him, but we need to get a better balance in what we can offer.
“We’ve signed a lot of guys this year to new deals and under the salary cap, you can’t keep them all.”
Queensland coach Kevin Walters, a former assistant at the Broncos, lauded Blair’s attitude.
“I’m not surprised he is commanding big money,” Walters said. “Adam is a superb trainer and would be a great buy for any club, especially a club in a rebuilding phase like the Knights.”
