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Now this is good sports journalism, the Sunday Star Times (SST) is simply tearing into that dodgy prick Mick Watson!

As mentioned before on this blog, Watson is ripping the heart and soul out of the Warriors and he must be axed before we lose any more.

Anyway, here are some extracts from the SST story and sport editorial:

An Australian, Watson is an interesting customer.
He appears to relish playing games with the media, which he seems to regard as an inferior being, despite covertly courting several of its members who obligingly present his spin on all matters on a weekly basis.
Those who co-operate are "rewarded" with "exclusives". Hence Stacey Jones is only made available to compliant media rather than those who are asking the tough questions on behalf of the fans.
Instead, those media outlets are now being blamed for Jones's departure.
Supposedly, the reporters who follow the Warriors' rollercoaster fortunes are actually the real reason why he doesn't want to stay in New Zealand. Others aren't so sure. Unfortunately, because of a ban on questions directed at Jones last Thursday, we haven't been able to ask him to elaborate on the reasons he gave in his prepared statement - a statement coincidentally issued on a day when the bulk of the country's rugby league media were in Brisbane covering the build-up to the Anzac test against Australia.
And nailing jelly to a wall is easier than getting a straight answer from Watson.
There's a smell coming out of Ericsson Stadium and it is becoming more repugnant with the exit of every Kiwi player from the club, increasingly for Australian players. As the straight-shooting ex-Kiwi Dean Lonergan said on radio during the week: "What is it about the culture of this club that their franchise players all want to get out?"
Club sources in England have told the Sunday Star-Times they have fielded calls from other players who want out of the NRL franchise.

How good is the 'nailing jelly to a wall' quote?
Here's more from reporters Michael Donaldson and Steve Kilgallon:

The Warriors came in wearing black. Stacey Jones, Monty Betham and media man Richard Becht were dressed for a funeral.
Nathan Fien was in his training kit, looking lost and uncertain of what was going on.
Chief executive Mick Watson wore a dark beige jacket - a colour that wouldn't show too much dirt.
Becht spoke, Watson spoke, Jones read his script.
Uncertainty was revealed with the downcast eyes, the bitten bottom lip, the dry swallows.
Occasionally, as he read, a tight smile spread across his lips - embarrassment at reading aloud in public, or embarrassment at what he was reading?

But wait there's more:

Warrick Anderson, a noted coach whose son Vinnie was marched out of the south Auckland club earlier this year, can't fathom the decision-making at the club which has allowed the likes of Ali Lauitiiti, Vinnie Anderson, Thomas Leuluai, Logan Swann and now Jones to leave the club.
"A logical person would not be able to figure it out," Anderson told the Sunday Star-Times. "To let someone like Ali go and then let someone like Vinnie go when you've got no back-up centres - there's no rhyme or reason to it.
"Obviously I've got connections with Vinnie but if you step back and have look at it from a coaching perspective it's just such a dumb move for this season. They're struggling for halfbacks and yet they're going to let Stacey go.
"Some of the decisions Mick Watson is making are over the top."
Jones said in his statement it was his choice to go to France.
Anderson, for one, is not so sure. "They get shoved, mate, for sure. There's definitely a shove in there. Ali was shoved big time."

What are Steve Kilgallon's chances of getting an exclusive now?

Interestingly in the print edition - not avaliable online - the SST also took the piss out of Warriors PR slut Richard Becht, who continues to write match reports and provide league commentary without disclosing his vested interest, and just one year ago was the Sunday Star Times league reporter.

Smokin!