Former Eels stars Mick Cronin, Bob O'Reilly and Peter Wynn consider rebel ticket

By Dean Ritchie From: The Daily Telegraph October 12, 2010PARRAMATTA legends Michael Cronin, Bob O'Reilly and Peter Wynn have held private talks about running on a rebel ticket at the club's upcoming board elections.The sacking of coach Daniel Anderson, coupled with a season of high drama, is behind their possible push for board positions. All admit a desire to help the club but are also aware of their current commitments, with Wynn owning a high-profile sports store in Parramatta and Cronin running the Gerringong Hotel.Wynn and O'Reilly are travelling south on Friday for the Gerringong Rugby Leagues Club's presentation night where they intend to discuss their plans with Cronin.One source said: "It would be one in, all in. If one of the three drops out, this may not happen. But they will be discussing it at Crow's pub before the presentation evening."Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar..End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.Pressed on his interest, Wynn said: "There is certainly an opportunity there. I haven't made a decision just yet. I will probably do that in the next week or so."Parramatta will hold their football club elections in December and their Leagues Club elections next April.The Leagues Club board runs the Parramatta Eels. Former CEO Denis Fitzgerald, who left the club after a rebel 3P ticket won power nearly two years ago, has denied he is behind the push for Cronin, O'Reilly and Wynn to run.Cronin would not comment publicly but conceded he was prepared to have further discussions with O'Reilly and Wynn about the logistics of running for the board.A close friend said Cronin was unhappy over Parramatta's terrible year but questioned whether the former Test centre would be prepared to travel to Sydney a number of times each year for board meetings and matches.When asked whether he would consider running, O'Reilly simply said: "I'll consider it."Fitzgerald said yesterday he was not behind the development. "But I will be a very interested observer," he said.Ray Price, a former teammate of the trio, remains on the opposite side as a board member of the football club.Parramatta experienced a turbulent season which culminated in the early-season premiership favourites missing the semi-finals.http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/new-eel-palace-coup/story-e6frexnr-1225937368826

This is interesting. I was at the AGM for the football club when 3P got voted into power (I was one of the few to have gone through the trouble of being a member for 3 years before being able to vote, before they changed the rules to what they are now). I started talking with Peter Wynn and the Bear, and got them to second a whole bunch of nominations for other 1eyed eelers. We got to talking about which way I was going to vote, and I said I was keen to see a change, so I was leaning on the 3P side of things. They weren't really impressed by my choice, and said that just because people had been on the board for years it didn't mean they should be voted out just for the sake of change. Of course they still respected my opinion ;)
I would actually like guys like the Crow and Peter Wynn on the board, since they are successful on the business side of things but also have passion for the club. It's a shame I can't do an absentee vote from Germany!

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Replies

seCtion eiGht October 12, 2010 at 12:14am

We cannot support this, we need to make the place stable and the only way to do that is keep the guys who are there now for a whoile at least, they have brought the money back, and now with Kearny they may have brought the professionalism back in our grat colours
Jpav October 12, 2010 at 12:16am

yeah theres has been enough fighting this year, i dont think they would oust the board anyway.
Ringomitch October 12, 2010 at 5:57am

This is interesting. I was at the AGM for the football club when 3P got voted into power (I was one of the few to have gone through the trouble of being a member for 3 years before being able to vote, before they changed the rules to what they are now). I started talking with Peter Wynn and the Bear, and got them to second a whole bunch of nominations for other 1eyed eelers. We got to talking about which way I was going to vote, and I said I was keen to see a change, so I was leaning on the 3P side of things. They weren't really impressed by my choice, and said that just because people had been on the board for years it didn't mean they should be voted out just for the sake of change. Of course they still respected my opinion ;)
I would actually like guys like the Crow and Peter Wynn on the board, since they are successful on the business side of things but also have passion for the club. It's a shame I can't do an absentee vote from Germany!
PESC October 12, 2010 at 6:41am

Private talks? if the apparent leaks in the club are a part of the platform they will be running on, well this isn't a good start for their ticket.
Please lets give the current board time, they are doing a great job to turn this place around. Rome wasn't built in a day, but it took the last Emperor 30 years to burn it down.

Stability and peace! let us all concentrate on being united and supporting our team.
Craig October 12, 2010 at 7:11am

I was thinking the same thing, already leaking info !!!!!
PESC October 12, 2010 at 7:53am

And to that miserable excuse of a newspaper, The Daily Telegraph!
PESC October 12, 2010 at 8:03am

These three greats of our club, are amongst the most revered and respected of our former players, but surely they can see that a push from them for the board can only cause massive upheaval within the club at a time when we need to be bunkering down and displaying a united front, before we go into battle for the 2011 premiership. The story above states that the Crow would have to be prepared to travel to Sydney a number of times each year. I would like to think that a sitting member of our board would be in the club a lot more often than just when they are having a board meeting. Peter Wynn would have too much on his plate to run his business and be a board member at the same time. I'm not sure what the Bear is up to these days, but he would need to be highly involved in the day to day running of the club.
Gronk October 12, 2010 at 8:31am

I am flabbergasted why you would see the need to discredit these guys. Why would they not be a great addition to the PNRL/PDFC boards ? Why do you need Saad Wallace or Libertini anywhere near the footy team ? Let them run the pokies den and let people with football knowledge be more involved with the football club.
Parra-all-the-way October 12, 2010 at 8:46am

bu tthis leak is to get people thinking i reckon, that way we have some time to think about the other options, better than walking in to vote and surprise, Another group!
PESC October 12, 2010 at 9:01am

I'm not discrediting anybody. I'm merely suggesting that now is the time we should be united, not putting up with this constant upheaval. Rebel this, coup that, stop all the crap and just get on with running the club and the team playing football.
I actually think these guys would be good for the board, just not at the moment. Sick of hearing all the supposed dramas when in comes to our club. Most of it is just beat up bullshit from the media anyway. Parra sells papers!

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