KNIGHTS | Knights player list manager Troy Pezet made redundant in football department shake-up

Pezet is officially "on leave" but is set to accept a redundancy following another restructure of the club's staff by Wests Group.

It is the second time within the space of 12 months the Knights have parted company with their recruitment boss after Darren Mooney left at the end of the 2018 season.

Wests Group and Knights CEO Phil Gardner confirmed the club's restructure included Pezet's position.

"He has been offered a redundancy and is on leave considering his future," Gardner said.

"We are restructuring - we did one at the end of last year and we are doing another one this year. Under that restructure, a few people are taking redundancies because it's in their best interest to do so and that is where Pezzy sits.

"Rob Vanderveer, who has been with the club a long while, is gone and left with our very best wishes and there are a number of others who have moved on as well.

"The business is forever evolving and it's about getting the right structure first and foremost and then getting the right people in those positions and over the past two years since we took over, it's been about working out what is the right structure."

Gardner indicated McKinnon, the club's junior recruitment boss, will step into the senior role vacated by Pezet.

"That's to be determined," he said. "But my personal belief in this is Alex is better suited to senior recruitment - you've got high character, great knowledge of the game, great connections - so I think he is better suited to that and we'll put some support people around him to make sure we have boots on the ground.

"Then it's a matter of making sure we have everyone's opinion valued within the organisation and that has not necessarily happened in the past."

Pezet's departure comes after he copped plenty of criticism for his role in the demise of ex-coach Nathan Brown and the club's handling of the negotiations that led to the appointment of Adam O'Brien.

Club legend Andrew Johns took aim at Pezet when he criticised the club on Channel Nine for its handling of Brown's demise.

"The way it's been handled is, for me, really confusing and disappointing. The politics which has gone on behind the scenes ... you hear whispers of what's going on and you've got to shake your head," Johns said at the time.

"The name that keeps popping up is Troy Pezet. I don't know what qualifications he's got or where he's come from, but his name keeps popping up in this.

"Someone has to come out publicly and be accountable for what's happened, because they were on the verge of making the semi-finals. That has been sabotaged. There's no chance now."

The Newcastle Herald could not contact Pezet.

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