Eels board member Moss urges hard look at ownership structure

NEWS LIMITEDMAY 9, 2016 12:00AMPRINTBrent ReadSenior sports writerSydneyFormer investment banker and Parramatta board member Bill Moss says he has no interest in buying and running the Eels but agrees they must look at future ownership. Picture: Hollie AdamsFormer Macquarie Bank boss Bill Moss insists he is not the man to run Parramatta but he has urged the Eels to have an open and honest discussion about the way forward before deciding whether privatisation should be part of the club’s future.Moss, a long-time Eels supporter who almost joined the club’s board two years ago, has been linked with a bid to privatise Parramatta. While he confirmed he has received phone calls from as far afield as investment bankers and politicians, he insisted he had no desire to run the club. Instead, he suggested there needed to be a discussion about the club’s ownership structure to future-proof the Eels against their reliance on poker machine revenue from the Parramatta Leagues Club. “I have had people ring me up about privatisation,” Moss said. “I have had calls from investment banks, I have had calls from politicians, I have had calls from large companies, I have had calls from individuals who are saying what is going on.“I am not the guy to privatise the Parramatta Eels. For some reason people think I am the guy who wants to get in there and run it. I am not that guy.“What people don’t understand about this ... is that Parramatta rugby league team is the gateway to western Sydney. It has 500,000 followers, it has potential access to two million people.“It is a very valuable product. It is a very valuable product, which if packaged properly, can do great things for western Sydney.“There needs to be a discussion and a serious think-tank about what the future holds. Is it privatisation or is it not? What are the dangers of relying on a fat and lazy parent every year to get you out of jail.“Does that go on forever? I don’t think it does. You can’t rely forever on poker machines. That discussion should involve the NRL as well. The world is changing. I am a fan of the club. I want to see them world class. I want to see them winning.”Parramatta’s ownership structure has come under the spotlight following the salary cap scandal that threatens to strip the club of the 12 premiership points it has won this season.Chairman Steve Sharp along with two other directors are facing deregistration after being caught up in the NRL investigation, the continuation of nearly a decade of unrest at board level.The directors have made moves to stave off privatisation but Moss suggested the NRL had significant leverage over the club in the shape of participation agreements, which are due to expire for all clubs at the end of next year.The game’s clubs are in negotiations with the NRL over the new perpetual agreements. Moss also warned the leagues club’s ability to fund the football club could dramatically alter if Western Sydney Wanderers supporters gained control of the board.“The NRL owns the name, the brand, the contracts,” Moss said. “If you’re going to give a long-term licence to Parramatta Leagues Club, you would want to make very, very sure that agreement has what you need as a governing body of the sport that ensures it keeps going.“The real risk is that a board comes along and decides it doesn’t want to put money into the Parramatta Eels. I would hope any new board going forward would seriously consider what is the future of this club and what does the ownership structure going to look like.“The day that there are more Wanderers fans that are members of Parramatta Leagues Club than rugby league fans, is the day you have the board of the Parramatta Leagues Club run by Wanderers fans.“A proper, prudent board should have a very serious look at what the long-term future of the Parramatta Eels is and how that can be funded without relying forever on a leagues club that I think is as vulnerable as a change in legislation in poker machines.http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/nrl/eels-board-member-moss-urges-hard-look-at-ownership-structure/news-story/87790f0a5b441b4da14fc68e83d1fcf6

Bill Moss is a board member is he? Did he pass the Greenberg test? I wonder why?

I have warned many times, dating back last year, that the NRL has a long term plan to reduce the number of teams in the Sydney area, as such,the Eels were vulnerable. Forced amalgamation, taking up a Perth franchise,privatisation or losing the licence to participate in the NRL were mentioned. The response was as usual.I think we all should come to the realisation that our chief enemy is the NRL as presently constructed. I say again that the advent of Greenberg as NRL CEO is the beginning of the end of Rugby League in Australia.

Would the NRL cut he Eels from the competition? I feel that they want to. We need to establish good relations with the TV companies.We should remind them from time to time how much their ratings depend upon the Eels.

Never give up. There are ways to combat the problems ,potential or otherwise.

"If you are going to do that better off just keeping him in Cup as a break glass option. Unless he is that much of a cancer and that negative to the squad that he needs to go."

Replies

Rosemont May 9, 2016 at 5:15am

Very true Fong. Moss makes some great points. Sharpy is a genius we are all lucky to have him.
12 points may become 8 or even lower very soon.
RIDER May 9, 2016 at 5:58am

Frankie. Hes just been quoted as saying what Phil has been saying here for ages.

Nothing new for 1EE members
Robert Lloyd May 9, 2016 at 6:15am

Bill Moss is a board member is he? Did he pass the Greenberg test? I wonder why?

I have warned many times, dating back last year, that the NRL has a long term plan to reduce the number of teams in the Sydney area, as such,the Eels were vulnerable. Forced amalgamation, taking up a Perth franchise,privatisation or losing the licence to participate in the NRL were mentioned. The response was as usual.I think we all should come to the realisation that our chief enemy is the NRL as presently constructed. I say again that the advent of Greenberg as NRL CEO is the beginning of the end of Rugby League in Australia.

Would the NRL cut he Eels from the competition? I feel that they want to. We need to establish good relations with the TV companies.We should remind them from time to time how much their ratings depend upon the Eels.

Never give up. There are ways to combat the problems ,potential or otherwise.
Fuuuuuui May 9, 2016 at 7:18am

Wow suddenly Bill is a board member!!
Is there something we don't know?
Nutcracker May 9, 2016 at 7:38am

LOL - awesome fact checking there re Bill being a board member.

Before people start believing the conspiracy theories, what Bill said is really straightforward - there are some vulnerabilities facing our club and the Board needs to have a long hard think about how to handle these. People have said this many times before. It's true and not new.
Tentonz May 9, 2016 at 7:47am

Are we the only club that relies on pokies? How do the other clubs fund their NRL teams? Cake stalls? Sausage sizzles? Garage sales?
- RIDER > Tentonz May 9, 2016 at 7:52am
  
  Brown Paper bags....
- Yobz > Tentonz May 9, 2016 at 8:35am
  
  Didn't Souths want to get rid of all their pokies a few years back?
Dorki wizard May 9, 2016 at 7:51am

Phil will confirm this but I'm pretty sure the author, in this case Brent Read does not create the headline, that's the job of the editor and he/she obviously hasnt done their research.
- Yobz > Dorki wizard May 9, 2016 at 8:36am
  
  And the first line of the article?