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Illness forces Lowe to quit as Manly coach
SYDNEY: An emotional Manly
rugby league coach Graham Lowe
stood down yesterday because of the
serious illness that has threatened his
life for the past two years.
Lowe, who late last year quit his
part-time job as Queensland State of
Origin coach to reduce the workload,
said in Sydney yesterday the after
effects of a brain hemorrhage in 1991
had caused convulsions and slurred
speech.
; "I've had some speech problems
arid I was concerned this might tum
out to be long term," said Lowe, who
was close to tears throughout a 30
minute soliloquy.
"I've got a situation which is not
life-threatening, [a situation] that
can more than likely be controlled
with drugs. But to give myself every
chance of it coming right, I've decid
ed to pull out."
Lowe said his daily medication,
which includes anti-convulsants to
prevent seizures, made him drowsy
and not alert enough to continue
coaching.
He said he found it increasingly
hard to communicate with the play
ers, and decided to quit after seeing
his doctor yesterday.
"Being a first-grade coach requires
you to be on the ball physically and
mentally," Lowe said.
"When you coach a football side,
what you say and do affects the play
ers.
"You've got wide-eyed players lis
tening and hanging on to everything
you say, you have a lot of lives and
careers at your fingertips."
However Lowe, who had just en
tered his fourth year at Brookvale,
said he was not forced to resign.
"The club hasn't put me under any
Lowe: medication. Help
Lowe: medication.
pressure to make a decision one way
or the other," he said.
Lowe said he would still be able to
work for New Zealand television as a
commentator.
Manly chief executive Frank Stan
ton said Australian coach Bob Ful
ton had been offered the job of
director of coaching, sharing the
first-grade duties with assistant
coach Mark Graham.
But Stanton said Lowe would not
be lost to the Manly club altogether.
"He's a quality coach and a quality
bloke," said Stanton.
"Once he gets over his current sit
uation, he'll be used in some consult
ing capacity."
Stanton said Lowe's loss was a
cruel blow for the Sea Eagles, who
already have four key players - full
back Matthew Ridge, utility player
Giff Lyons, half-back and new cap
tain Geoff Toovey, and hooker Da
vid O'Donnell - in doubt for the
season opener because of injury.
"It is a hurdle, particularly when
you've got a lot of young blokes who
rely on experience," Stanton said.
"That's why we've sought out Bob
Fulton."
Toovey, a local junior, said Lowe's
loss would affect the Sea Eagles.
"It will take a week or two for it to
all sink in," Toovey said.
"He has had such a great influence
on such a number of players that
he'll be sorely missed."
One of the players to benefit from
Lowe's coaching was Manly prop
and local junior David Hosking.
Hosking said Lowe had been in
strumental in turning his career
around since being cut by South Syd
ney in 1989.
"He's brought a lot of unity, har
mony and discipline to the club."
Hosking added that Lowe's em
phasis on a junior policy and youth
development had changed the per
ception of the Sea Eagles.
$