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'Drunk' duo have their say

May 16, 2006

PARRAMATTA chief executive Denis Fitzgerald will meet players Tim Smith and Mark Riddell today over reports they turned up to training drunk.

Video: NRL Scoreboard dicsusses Smith's decision

Smith and Riddell were reportedly sent home when they arrived yesterday worse for wear, just hours before coach Brian Smith announced his shock resignation.

Asked today if he could confirm the incident, Fitzgerald told a Sydney radio station: "I've been told that.

"I'm having both those players in this morning to hear what they have to say."

Fitzgerald said that it would be a "very serious breach" by the pair, if correct.

"We will see what they've got to say before we discuss any penalty."

Fitzgerald defended the decision to announce the club would not retain Smith as coach next year, saying it was the right thing to do because of the need to make decisions on players around the June 30 anti-tampering deadline.

The Eels board was last night forced to install assistant Jason Taylor as caretaker coach for the rest of the season – before Newcastle's Michael Hagan takes over – when Smith quit, admitting he was no longer the man to lift the slumping team which has won just two of nine matches.

It was put to Fitzgerald that the move to replace Smith a year out was touted at the time as eliminating uncertainty and providing stability – but appeared to have failed in that regard.

"Certainly there are changes in personnel, but I don't think we're unstable as a club," he said.

"I think we're very solid as a club, and it's been one of the hallmarks of Parramatta for a long time.

"I think what we did in regards to making that decision (on Smith) at the beginning of the season was the best way to go.

"Wait till end of season, well you can't do that because of the current rules. What is the best time to appoint a new coach if you decide with the current coach that you're not going to extend his contract?

"Given that with the players, the anti-tampering date is June 30, you've got to be in a position July 1 to determine what new players you're going to get.

"Prior to that you have to determine what players you're going to retain among your ranks, it's obviously got to go back to before this time, before May, it's best to do it before the season starts."

AAP