Hey guys, it's been a few years since I've been posting, when things get to where we are now I feel like it's the only place that makes any sense.
I've been thinking about how a head coach of any sport anywhere in the world can hold a job for so many years. When you think about it on averages, 11 years is around 2 to 3 lifetimes for a coach at a club. To hold 11 years and counting you would have to be the best there ever was or somewhere in that conversation.
A coach like like Phil Jackson who stayed 9 years with the Bulls and 11 with the Lakers won 9 rings just to put this into perspective.
So the question is how can Brad Arthur hold a job and prolong his tenure for 11 years and counting? Especially when all we have done is make a single grand final appearance. How does this happen? 11 years and going strong into his 12th? Who does he think he is or who do we think he really is.?
Do you honestly think he will be remembered when he finishes with 12 and zero?
The only logic that makes sense is the long term employment ability that has stood the test of time. How the establishment can allow for this circus to go on with zero success is the biggest mystery and can only come down to one obvious conclusion.
BA, Elduff, O Neil, Jimbo are all in this together and their only aim is to make the semis every year to protect their jobs. That's all that they are aspiring to do. Sure they will take more but when you have invested everything over 11 years with all the control and authority, you have clearly reached your limit to what you can achieve and your simply not good enough.
So the only goal left is to maintain and prolong employment via staying competitive, make the semis and put your selfish goals ahead of the club and fans.
It is more and more likely we will look back on this and realise we have been dudded, what a waste of decent cattle and opportunity. This boys club needs to be shattered. 11 years and counting, it's seriously beyond belief.
Replies
It's a head scratcher. I think BA is a smooth talker.
Well a few things i believe.
He came to the club when they were abysmal, wouldn't touch them with a broom. He made us somewhat competitive and got to top 4 in 2017. 2018 was a disaster and was year 5. It was a miracle he survived 2018 but i think the juniors he blooded is what saved him. Then there he made 4 finals in a row including a GF. The GF saved him in 2023 of course. So it is not a massive surprise he made it this far as the first 4 years or so was leinient as how bad the club was when he took them over. But even if you say 2019 was his second stint, even then it's year 6 since 2019, that is long for a coach also. It does make sense how he got to 11 years. Would a club that expects excellence of sacked him years ago? Maybe to get a Bennett or Hasler in. But although i do not think he should have gotten 11 years, i can see how he got that long.
In 2018, he laid out perfectly what the issues were and how he can get them out of it and he did. That gave him respect and time at the club. Plus also i think he toes the line a lot to the board on various things. He is the longest serving head coach at a single club without a premiership. Only one coach in NRL history has coached more games and won a title and this is Ivan Cleary.
Hey ParraNutta.
Great blog and I agree with all of your sentiments.
I mentioned this quite a few times that these fuckwits are all colluding to protect each others arses - it's the only thing that makes sense.
Most will be unemployable once this farce comes to a head and is unceremoniously ended. Personally I cannot wait for this day and I'm certain I'm not the only Eels fan hoping and waiting.
The tide is turning, pressure is mounting and those at the top will eventually sacrifice BA to buy themselves more time. Our only hope is that they do it sooner rather than later.
He earned a lot of goodwill with the way he conducted things during the salary cap debacle. Particularly amongst the senior playing group and staff. A lot of those players have moved on now but he is a bloke who the players like generally.
I can see why the players like Arthur. I don't mind the bloke either. Despite what some people say I think he makes more sense in the press conferences than most of the coaches. He says it how it is. Even his comments after the dolphins loss were spot on in my opininon.
The issue is I think his coaching methodology and tactics have become stale. 11 years is very long for any coach to be around and that's for a reason
Couple of things I'll add.
He times his contract renewals to that of some of the Marquis players like Moses and Gutho, so that always is good leverage. As he is so chummy with them, our weak board worry they will walk if BA isn't renewed.
The other thing is he cultivates a good relationship with most of the media and the NRL. He never bags out the way the game is run or the reffing. His pressers are always about the collision and effort etc etc etc. He is a very uncontroversial coach and always makes himself available for the media. NRL 360 were nearly gushing over him a few weeks back even after that loss to Canberra. Look at their treatment of other coaches in underperforming teams and compare it to BA.
But reality is it's 11 years. You don't just need to be a nice guy to be a NRL coach, you need consistent results. The journo's are finally talking about it.