Soon after the sacking of Tony Walmsley, the Mariners Championship winning left back Josh Rose departed the club for Melbourne City.

After a long association with the Gosford side, Lawrie McKinna is now CEO of rival club Newcastle after helping facilitate the takeover of the Jets by the Ledman group. He may not be part of the Mariners but McKinna still feels strongly about why a stalwart like Rose left Central Coast.

“Fans are wanting to know why Josh Rose has gone,” he said.  

“I’m at the Jets now I’m just focusing on what’s happening here, but Josh Rose has been a great servant. Josh has got his reasons for leaving. I sent him a message just so I can wish him all the best and he got back to me.

“If that was Newcastle Jets, I’d be letting people know why people like Josh Rose has left the club. I wouldn’t be having speculation there because there is too much speculation at the moment.

For over a decade McKinna was an ever present figure on the Central Coast.

As manager he took the club to two A-League Grand Final appearances in 2006 and 2008 as well as winning the Premiers Plate in the 2007/08 season.

Bewteen 2012 and 2016 he was voted in as the Gosford Mayor for a record four consecutive years.

With Walmsley being stood down as Mariners coach McKinna says the club needs stability and believes a local replacement would achive that.

“I think there are a lot of good Australian coaches,” he said. “I don’t think they need to go overseas to get good quality coaches, but obviously the Mariners have got Peter Storrie and Mick Charlesworth there who might look to go there again. But I don’t know what they’re going to do.

“We are playing the Mariners on the weekend up in Tamworth and John Hutchinson will be in charge but I think they’ll bring in - I would think an Aussie coach - someone with experience who will come in and steady the ship.

One of the candidates who is considered a strong choice for the Mariners vacant manager’s position is Mark Rudan - who during his time in charge at Sydney United, won the NSW NPL Championship in 2013 and also leads the league this season.

“It’s quite clear that I want to continue to improve,” he said. “I’m a young coach that obviously like a lot of other young coaches out there we are all working hard for the next opportunity.

“It’s a bit unfortunate in this country there are only 10 professional A-League clubs to coach at, it’s not easy to be a professional coach in Australia.

“I take my hat off to all the coaches out there, whether it be at an amateur level semi-professional or professional because you’re up against it. The numbers stack up against you. But you need to have a dream you need to continue to work on your craft and believe in yourself and believe that one day hopefully the right people sit up and notice of your work.”