NILINAW kahapon ni Barako Bull team manager Raffy Casyao ang isyu tungkol sa biglaang pagkasibak ni Rajko Toroman bilang consultant ng Energy Colas.
Sinabi ni Casyao na maiksi lang talaga ang trabaho ni Toroman at talagang si Bong Ramos ang head coach ng koponan.
“We chose to stick with the old system. We feel disrupting or adapting a new system with just two weeks to go before the opening might be challenging for us in terms of adjustment,” wika ni Casyao bago ang PBA Rookie Draft kahapon sa Robinson’s Place Manila.
Inalis si Toroman sa kanyang trabaho kahit hanggang Pebrero 2014 pa ang kanyang kontrata.
“Since he took over as our team consultant, he knew that the partnership will not last long,” ani Casyao. “We gave coach Rajko him a few months of allowance. He knows one year lang talaga s’ya with us. So we gave him three months of leeway kaysa naman itali pa namin sya hanggang February. That would’ve been unfair.
“Bong Ramos is the best coach to carry out the plays shared to us by coach Rajko. And he is respected by our players.”
Pinabulaanan din ni Casyao na inalok ng Barako si Leo Austria para maging head coach at mananatili si Ramos sa kanyang puwesto.
Ilan sa mga manlalarong kinuha ng Barako para sa bagong PBA season ay sina Dylan Ababou, Denok Miranda, Robert Labagala, Mark Isip at Magi Sison.
Mananatili sa Energy Colas sina Danny Seigle, Dorian Pena, JC Intal, Elmer Espiritu, Mick Pennisi, Mark Macapagal, Keith Jensen, Ronjay Buenafe at Enrico Villanueva.
“We have a lot of veterans and experienced players in the team. It won’t be hard to put ourselves together on one page. Matatalino na ang mga yan,” ani Ramos. “It’s just the continuity of our old system. Except for the newcomers, who we are still working on, wala kaming gaanong adjustments. We have the right mix of talent.” (James Ty III)