Canberra boss Don Furner has launched a stinging attack on Brett Kimmorley, while warning the NRL “the next Laurie Daley” will be lost to rugby league unless more is done to reward junior development.

Kimmorley stirred a hornets nest in the nation’s capital last week when the former Raiders assistant coach told Fox Sports NRL Market Watch podcast teenage star Brenko Lee was “unhappy” and wanted out.

With the Bulldogs reportedly chasing the 19-year-old Junior Kangaroo centre, Kimmorley, who is a regular on the podcast said: “I spoke to Brenko about four weeks ago when I was in Canberra.

“I’ve coached the kid and think he’s a very talented person that was a little bit unhappy down there.

media_camera Brenko Lee scores a try for the Junior Kangaroos.

“He had confirmed to me that he asked for a release before June 30 but was knocked back.

“Normally if a player asks for a release they are unhappy.

“He’s contracted to the Raiders next year. It’ll be interesting to see if Ricky (Stuart) releases him.”

To hear Kimmorley’s comments in full, click on the Fox Sports NRL Market Watch podcast below and listen from the 38 minute mark!

Furner fired back: “That makes me laugh. I think he did coach him but he always viewed him as being too soft and not tough enough for first grade.

“So it amazes me that he has now changed his opinion. “That is what his view of (Lee) was. That is not our view.

“Rick and the coaching staff rate Brenko highly and that is why we are not letting him go.

“And I think it is inappropriate that (Kimmorley) would be talking to our players and then going out there and telling everybody about it.”

But Furner said the situation exposed a bigger problem. That is the NRL’s continued lack of reward for the “millions of dollars” clubs like Canberra and Penrith invest annually in junior

development while other clubs rely on “buying” the best established stars.

The NRL’s new head of game and strategy Shane Richardson visited the Raiders last week as he puts together a blueprint for the game’s future.

But unless that blueprint includes incentives for junior development, Furner said his club would have no alternative but to cut costs which currently extend to about $2.4 million annually.

media_camera Brenko Lee poses for a picture in his Queensland under 20s gear.

“If you got some money back for what you did at least you would have some money to put into the next kid,” Furner said. “We get a lot of kids from the NSW country areas.

“It could be the next Laurie Daley.

“And that unbelievable talent doesn’t get fostered or picked up. You know what, if clubs like us don’t do that elite development work, a lot of those kids don’t get developed. Full stop.

“(The NRL) don’t realise how much time and effort and money goes into the elite development.

“Brenko has been with us since he was 14. (Anthony) Milford 16.

“We have had discussions with the NRL and Shane Richardson and we are keen to see the outcome of his review because that will have a bearing on what we do going forward.

“We could just do what we did this year, buy Blake Austin at 23 ready to go.

“We haven’t done any development on him, Penrith and Wests have done that.

“And we can do more of that if that is the way it is going to go.

“At the end of the day it is not my money, it is our stakeholders.

“The costs of running a footy club go up all the time. You look at areas you get a return on. It is hard to justify that on a pure commercial terms.”