Eels Blogs

First off, let me start by saying I couldn't really care less about Zac leaving. There's enough red flags about decsions he's made off field and on it to show he might not be the full package.  Being 1 year into a 4 year deal and letting this crap totally derail his form the back end of his first year should tell you all you need to know about how committed Zac is to fully maximising his own value and potential to a team. Some fully buy in , some don't - its their career end of the day who are we to argue. The job for us as a club is to recruit the right type of character and person to represent our club and respect the organisation, people in the organisation, fans / members etc.. which is what I feel Ryles has been making a priority since he came here. I don't think Zac ever arrives at our club in the first place if Ryles made that decsion.  Shane Flannagan didn't rate him and it appears Ryles doesn't either. That being said, his skill set is going to need to be replaced. 

That aside, let's get to Clinton Schifcofske. One must wonder how he could be still welcome in this sport by 9am Monday.

He was welcomed back after his drug ban as a player, and he's code hopped during his career to now earn a living as a player manager and rugby league commentator post career . Rugby League has been great to him. But there's no coincidence the players he managers are the ones being linked to this R360 rubbish. He's fully bought into it early and he's taken his players to discuss their futures with it.  Rugby Union has tried to totally distance itself from R360 and nations have banded together. Rugby League is trying to do the same. Then this dingbat is taking every one he can in to try and fill his own pockets. 

The argument is that its hard to say no to that sort of money and its life changing. Sure, it is. But Zac should never have been shopped to them less than a year into a 4 year deal in the first place. I find it hard to believe they head hunted all Clintons players and Zac was highest on their priority list of all players in the comp.  Stephen Crichton is a better, higher IQ version of Zac and he re-signed with Canterbury and hasn't been linked at all. There's a reason why he's had ultimate success as a player, is maximising his potential and having a club built around him. And there's also a reason why Zac underachived in his league career , never fulfilled his potential and aside from an Origin series never had much success.

Clinton Schifcofske can be argued to be doing his job as a manager but shopping guys on contract to rival codes is treating all in Rugby League with contempt. It's just like he did the Crushers when he decided to get on the gear.  Hopefully, he's out of the game ASAP, and I would love if he loses his commentary gigs on top of it. Ordinary stuff, Clinton.