May 12th, 2019

May 12th, 2019

Lachlan Coote has slammed the Cowboys for the manner in which the club terminated his career at the end of last season, forcing him to move to England to continue his top flight career.

Coote fell out with coach Paul Green and wasn’t offered a new deal, seeing him move to St Helens.

Ironically, the Cowboys have struggled for a fullback this year in the wake of Ben Barba’s contract termination and Coote hit out at the club in today’s issue of the respected British magazine Rugby League World.

”I was trying to hang onto that NRL career. Why wouldn't you? I've got a family over there with two young kids. I've already moved away from my mum and dad once and didn't want to have to do it again, especially out of the country and to the other side of the world,” Coote told the magazine.

Lachlan Coote playing for St Helens (AAP)

"At the end of last year I was seriously contemplating just going to a Q Cup team and playing out whatever footy I had left in me. I was pretty disappointed with how things ended at the Cowboys. In another sense, it happens all the time to players. I've seen it happen to other players before me, it was just my turn I guess.

"The way they approached it was poor, I guess, and it could have been handled better. For a coach to just lose respect for someone for no reason, that's what I didn't understand. That was pretty disappointing to see.

"It just wasn't being upfront with things. It felt like from the start of the season, going to a grand final, there wasn't much chat from the coach. When I did get injured at the start of the season. there was no chat there. You'd think when your first string fullback goes down, there'd be chat there. But I don't want to come across as I'm whinging about things and stuff like that. I've been around a long time and that's how things are.”