We all know about the factions in the club, here we are as supports watching the current episodes with our club being akin to some of the worst TV soap opera's in history, days of our lives etc.
The events we are witnessing are really a continuation of the fight for supremacy & who is going to run the club. Poppa posted the classic Abbot & Costello, whose on first base a short while ago, which also pretty well sums it all up.
We had stability for years under the emperor, but as supporter unrest gradually increased through later half of the 2000's with media & public campaigns aimed at ousting him owing to the years of underperforming teams, a ticket to oust him was formed up & won the 2009 elections. Spagnolo & his team were in part voted in & what happened? more years of turmoil, until the next elections when another change took place.
Then along came Sharp & his boys, & like Spags, & the emperor the rest is history, each step forward took us backwards so it seemed. The past few years & especially since the arrival & appointment of Brad Arthur as coach has seen the eels lifting themselves to such a point that in this year 2016 we looked very possible premiers, but what brought us down to how we stand today? or really as of midday May 3rd.
Since then the affects on all, players, coach, club & supporters has been devastating but in the main all have lifted & all want to just get on with things, we have waited too many years as it is before the next premiership, we have even lost the 9's trophy & prize money stripped from us. Can it get any worse? I was hoping not!
Without referring to the experts of the press, & other media's, I think that some of those who have been long time hero's of the club have done us proud & spoken wise words that in some ways hide their feelings Peter Wynn, Mick Cronin & Peter Sterling are three, which I would love to see come on board at least in a transition period, each are busy but would love to see it.
However! outside of those three, (I have not see others) & the mighty way the coach & players have stood up & make themselves proud again, it has lifted me, yesterday brought the back the factions in the open through the likes of legends Jnr Guru, Brett Kenny & not least the emperor himself, at least those three are all I have heard.
Yesterday, we had Guru Jnr come out on facebook with some wonderful words that endeared so many of us to his fearless years as a player here, Brett also scathing in some of the words, & not least who with wrenching wrist offers in a so generous gesture to come back to the eels & get us back on the straight & narrow.
Emperor, 3P, Parra 1st all great legends, wanting to be experts in a sport no better than tag wrestling to see who will come out on top, hopefully we have heard enough from them & I for one would like to see these ex players who I regarded in high terms to go back into retirement for the good of the club, while there is still some respect left for them.
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When I left Sydney for the bush in 82 through to 2000, I kept my membership of both clubs, went to some games as we still had children at home & money issue, I still followed the club during the whole time, only thing I ever heard was simple game reports or what I saw on the TV, rarely heard much outside of that until back in Sydney, but it wasn't until the 2nd half of that decade that it really became part of the headlines & constant media saga's.
What I have put is a pretty rough overview & perspective, & I for one do not want to see any of them back in a board capacity again. I sometimes also wonder about who we can get that may be clean, my thoughts go to some who are for mine capable at least in the interim to be part of a rebuilding stage for the club.
Sterlo, Wynn & Cronin would be the ideals to try & assist the 4 remaining board members, perhaps if Ian Schubert could also be included it could help. Each are successes in their own ways, with 3 of them in their own successful businesses, which may be a problem to be away from, but would like to see if they were interested even if the NRL or the club made suggestions would help start the forward process.
I realize that, the way I have generally heard when Sterlo has been asked has generally been for more a permanent appointment, not sure how he would react for a temporary or interim position.
Each of the three I have mentioned are possibly in similar positions Cronin & Wynn have businesses, & for Mick it would some travelling as well, but again for interim positions to steer the club to the future they may consider the option.