It has not been an easy few years for Eels supporters. Ever since that absolutely glorious run in 2009 (only to be beaten by a team significantly over the cap), Eels fans have had precious little to celebrate. The Club has been through 2 separate coaches, changed boards and lots a lot of key players which have gone on to be successful at other Clubs (think of men like Feleti Mateo, Krisnan Inu, Kevin Kingston and Todd Lowrie).
2 weeks ago, members of the Club were sent an extremely frank email from Ken Edwards detailing the recruitment and retention process for 2014. It was the most open communication I have ever received from the Club. The most shocking part of the email was that a significant number of players had been told that they were no longer required beyond the end of the 2013 season. Some of these players were off contract at the end of the season, while others were contracted for longer.
While no players were named, the media has suggested names like Reni Maitua, Ben Smith, Nathan Smith, Pat O'Hanlon and Matt Keating.
This email was received with mixed emotion.
Some fans were outraged - particularly in that some more senior players were being shown the door following their names being paraded through the media. Some fans felt that these players deserved more respect.
In the past I have been labelled an apologist for our team. I always try to look on the bright side and can often find excuses for why we are not performing and I often make excuses for players who I think are treated too harshly by other fans.
However, over the past few years, there have always been convenient scape goats for Parramatta's lack of success - most notably the coaches. I find it fascinating that Parramatta has been through 3 coaches in the space of 5 years and seen very similar results. I particularly found a comparison of Seasons 2010 and Season 2011 interesting.
Season 2010 was Stephen Kearney's first year as a coach. He had a fairly mediocre roster, yet in that year I saw Parramatta play with more commitment than I had seen in a long time. The losses we had that year were heartbreaking and often came in the last 5 minutes of games. The players fought hard that season with poor results. In 2011 however, with a very similar roster, I saw none of the grit or determination shown in 2010. It was extremely disappointing.
It has to be said - the only group which has been consistent over the last 5 years is the playing roster. We have changed coaches and boards.
While I am unaware of what actually happens amongst the playing group, rumours about the tremendous amount of power that some players wielded in terms of determining the way the team played and who was coach always bothered me. In most professions, if you don't like your boss, you continue to work for them rather than complaining and working to undermine them. That has been Parramatta's problem - that they needed to simply shut up and play football and they haven't.
I, of course, will miss many of the players who will no longer be with the Club at the end of the year. Some of them are my absolute favourites and I will be very sorry to see them go. However, at this time, accountability is fundamental - our results have been too consistently poor for too long now and we deserve better.
Your thoughts?
Love,
P.S. One interesting question will be how our salary cap will be impacted by the loss of so many players!
Another question which has been raised is whether the situation could have been handled better and whether players could have been shown more respect.
ReplyDeleteThe Club I think showed tremendous courage in being so up front with its members and making sure they knew the news first. No players were named by the Club either - it was only following the announcement that the media began playing guessing games.... I think that was always inevitable.
Well said Mary, I particularly like the following two quotes ... "they needed to simply shut up and play football and they haven't." & "our results have been too consistently poor for too long now and we deserve better."
ReplyDeleteOur great club has been in a mess since Brian Smith left, while Smith ran the show at Parramatta we made the semi's Eight out of the Ten years he was there. Since Smith left at the end of 2006 we have had one and half good seasons.... wow That's one and half good season in seven years (They were in 2007 and that great run in 2009)and in that time our board changed three times (Fitzgerald, Spagnolo and now Sharp)and our Head coach four times (Hagan, Anderson, Kearney and now Stuart) and through so many changes our club has suffered badly. Every board challenge being played out in the media and each one blaming the one before them for the mess we are in and every new coach looking to start over and rebuild the team. The area that has suffered the most is Recruitment and Retention.
Recruitment and Retention: As you touch on it players like Feleti Mateo, Krisnan Inu, Kevin Kingston and Todd Lowrie have been very successful at other clubs but unfortunately that is only the start of it, you can add Tony Williams who we later try to buy back for big $$$, James Maloney and young gun Daniel Tupou while all along trying to go for the big superstar signing of the likes of Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Quade Cooper. In the end we signed up Casey McGuire, Chris Hicks, Paul Whatuira, Carl Webb, Jordan Atkins all with their best days behind them as well as Reni Maitua Justin Poore, Shane Shackleton and more recently Chris Sandow, Willie Tonga and Ben Roberts. This comes with having so many new coaches each with a different idea on what they want and what direction the club should head in.
Ricky Stuart now has a new batch of young players coming through and a clean out of the top squad is exactly what is needed IMO with Hopoate, Norman, Hock & Mossop to join our squad mixed with our young guns coming through hopefully we can start to climb back to being a top 8 team.
But with that said I do feel for some of the players that have tried their guts out for the club for a many years such as Ben Smith and Matt Keating but tough calls need to be made and the way it was done I guess is questionable but at least everything was out in the open and nothing was said behind anyone's back.
Fantastic comments Mike!
DeleteYour sencond paragraph was really interesting - because as I said, while we have changed boards and coaches multiple times, the one group that has stayed fairly consistent is our playing roster.
The hardest part about all this is in regard to players like Benny Smith and Matt Keating. It is shattering for guys like this, but I think it's about time we started taking a harder approach.
For mine the club was already in strife after Michael Hagan's tenure as coach. Our recruitment stalled and for the first time our players started to become involved in unsavoury off field incidents culminating in Hagan leaving mid year after admitting he wasn't up to the job.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Anderson's appointment was the right choice at the time. He was well credentialed, had learnt his craft under Brian Smith at Parramatta and was very familiar with the fabric and culture of the club. Under DA the club was once again headed in the right direction although he admitted himself there was plenty of work to be done with our roster and depth back in 2009. I believe if Anderson was still the coach of the Eels we would have been a regular Top 8 side these past few seasons.
But with the 3P Board's appointment in early 09, Anderson's tenure as coach was doomed. This is where our club truly spiralled out of control to the depths we now face.
Changing coaches is a monumental thing to do. It is not something that should be entered into lightly as it completely disrupts the entire fabric of the club and he playing roster. Where we sit today is the culmination of different coaches in 6 years. And for that, I lay the blame squarely at the feet of the 3P Board. Hopefully now the new Board will stick solid and allow Ricky Stuart the time and space to rebuild the club from the foundations up.
Great comments Matt!
ReplyDeleteI don't think people really consider how big a thing it is to change coaches.
When a coach changes the new coach has ideas in terms of recruitment, retention and playing style so inevitably the first year of their tenure is always seen as rebuilding. This is one reason that Parramatta hs been 'rebuilding' for so long.
Another issue I have is that Parramatta have set a really dangerous precedent in regard to sacking coaches. When the Club is not doing well the first scapegoat is often the coach and they are gotten rid of. How long does Ricky have before people start asking questions of him? Hopefully the new board recognises how important consistency of coach is.
Also.... if Parramatta were to get rid of another coach, who would want to come and coach us after that? I wouldn't exactly say that the job title of Parramatta Head Coach brings with it great job security.
Hi Mary, I agree with you whole heartedly especially when you say how big of a change it is for a club when they appoint a new coach or when there is a change of boards. So it's no wonder our beloved Eels is a club in disarray. Tough changes had to be made & like Ricky said on the footy show tonight these changes should of been done 2 or 3 years ago.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I am a passionate loyal member/fan of this great club it has it's moments where it is really hard to go to game's but we are always there to support the Eels & we hope for a committed performance for the full 80mins. The key word is hope, where fans of other clubs like Storm & Manly know that they are going to get a devoted performance. Us fans deserve better & I believe Ricky Stuart, Ken Edwards & co are working hard to recruit some tallent to our great club while discovering awesome young guns in our own backyard.
I think Parramatta are very fortunate to have Ricky Stuart as head coach as there isn't many coaches out there with the credentials like Ricky has. I am pretty happy to hear that Ricky along with his coaching staff have a plan & that Peter Nolan & Ken Edwards is on board with it.
I don't have a problem with the way Parramatta told the under performing player's they are not in the long term plans, in fact I think it was very gracious the club has given them ample time to find a club or for them to start playing good footy to change the minds of the coach. I am excited to see Hoppa, Norman and the poms next season with hopefully some more signings soon.
I look forward to the day we become a premiership force again & as much as I love the glory year's of the 80's I'm really ready to talk about a new era.
Go Parra
Thanks so much for your comment Mark - I completely agree with you.
ReplyDeleteSome tough decisions have had to be made by coaching administration. Undoubtedly, these decisions are hard for players and for us as fans (especially when some of our favourites leave the Club).
However, we need to stay strong as a Club and have faith in the current coaching administration.
I'm hoping that this rough period is just the start of our club finally starting to move forward again.