Gary Kemble was one of the best fullbacks to play league for this country but he's likely to be better remembered for his ill-fated three months in charge of the Kiwis.
Yesterday Kemble resigned as Kiwis coach after one of the ugliest weeks in New Zealand rugby leaguehistory. In a statement, Kemble said he had the game's best interests at heart but he also fired a parting shot at the players who clearly had little faith in his ability.
"I deliberately stayed away from making any comment about the situation during the week after what Roy [Asotasi] and David [Kidwell] had said," Kemble said.
"As a former Kiwi player, it was very disappointing to see the way they handled the issue. They could have gone through other channels.
"After my trip to Sydney, I believe I still had support from a number of players and I was keen to continue as Kiwi coach through to the World Cup later this year.
"But what matters to me most is the Kiwi jersey and the game itself. I want to see the Kiwis having the best possible chance of winning the World Cup and, to help make that possible, I've decided it's in New Zealand rugby league's best interests that I should step aside.
"Family considerations were also an important factor in reaching this decision. This whole business has been difficult for them and when it affects the people close to you, there's only one choice."
NZRL chairman Ray Haffenden also said he was disappointed about the outcome. Reaffirming Kemble as coach was one of his first tasks after taking over from Andrew Chalmers and he was unimpressed last night with the players' conduct.
"This hasn't been a good week for the game in this country," he said. "As a board, we weren't at all impressed with the conduct of the players in this matter. It wasn't appropriate or acceptable."
