“It's my club and if we don't win this election I have a little surprise for them. The boys are just going to tremble when they find out”.
These were more or less the words of Ray Price, following the last election. Ever since that, there has been rumour and innuendo around social media and particularly Twitter, specifically surrounding the administration under former CEO Scott Seward and what the board did and did not know about salary cap matters. Anyone who has has had an ear out, will not be surprised by what has come to light these past days, or indeed that it would eventually come to light. (And I want to make clear, that I'm not alleging in any way that Price had anything to do with the leaks, just that it indicates this information has been floating around since last year's election).
Pricey isn’t the only former Eels director/administrator to have uttered those words: “It’s my club”, either. It seems that holding the Blue and Gold chalice, has a similar effect to the ring in the Tolkien trilogy, causing the possessor to sink into some dark place where they become obsessed with retaining said chalice and claiming personal and life-long ownership.
So much so that men who claim to love the club, have no qualms about releasing damaging information with the clear intent of bringing reputational harm to the organisation. Or that holders of said chalice would seemingly abandon their principles and promises to create a better club, for the sake of retaining their positional advantage.
There are no winners at Parramatta in this shitfight we have seen played out in the media over the past two days. As a club we stand to lose points or another fine. However, more so, the reputational damage, the club is suffering is likely to be longer-term. The Eels are already poorly supported by TPA sponsors, now it’s going to be even more difficult to convince independent backers to get behind the players. We’ve already struggled for sponsors - again that task of selling the club to corporates just became more difficult.
None of which is to mention, the distraction to our playing group as it ramps up to key early season matches, in what should be a breakthrough year for the club on the field.
I have no doubt, all of this, is leading up to a no-confidence motion being raised at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. I have little doubt the motion will get up, too. Clearly, this has been a plan that has been a year in the making. While, the Sharp board has had their plate full battling the NRL in a bid not to deliver the constitutional reform they promised, rival groups will have been rallying their numbers. There will be few sympathetic to the cause of Eels chairman Steve Sharp or his deputy Tom Issa. You can’t survive this type of co-ordinated attack by continuing to be the best of a bad lot.
For while, fingers can be pointed at the ghosts of the pasts, or media conspirators, the reality is that if you don’t give the piranhas something to feed on, they’ll eventually be forced to swim away hungry. And the truth is that the board has backed itself further and further into an isolated corner, and gotten further and further away from the principles that attracted voters while making amateurish mis-steps. And it clearly, naively believed that dirty laundry would stay buried away in the clothes hamper under the stairs, despite the fact that history has proven definitively that nothing stays secret at Parramatta.
And now it has gotten itself into the position of the under-siege coach. The one where every game is a must-win game, due to the sword of damocles dangling above one’s head. And once that sword is pointed, the coach’s demise is a self-fulfilling prophecy as the pressure leads to even greater underperformance, leading to more pressure, until eventually the sword inevitably drops.
Much of what has been written over the past two days would NOT have been a story had it not been for the back-story behind Parramatta and the current administration’s salary cap history. We all know that what has been made public at our club, is but the tip of the iceberg of how all clubs skirt the salary cap restrictions and with far more success than we’ve so far managed.
Of course, the alternative to being pierced by Damocle’s sword, would be to fall on one’s own sword, but this is Parramatta. No one’s about to do that. And so, I believe, we are headed towards the last great Parramatta election. The Greatest Show of All will hit town once again, probably bigger and better than ever, for one last magnificent performance before the more sedate and measured triennials roll into town. Whoever triumphs will have a considerable advantage going forward into a system that tends to favour sitting directors.
This all could have been avoided, of course. A proper constitutional reform program. A willing and all-access review by the NRL. Robust recruitment processes for executive staff. Not shutting the door in the faces of all those who have been open and willing to contribute to the club. Not turning the boardroom into a political hive. Ensuring football members retained a vote in their club. There’s a laundry list of bad decisions and wrong turns that have led to this particularly ugly destination.
Despite all this, I remain committed and unmoved in my belief that a properly-structured membership-owned Parramatta is where we must eventually get to. I take no pleasure in accurately predicting many years ago that our club would be forced to suffer unrelenting political and administrative upheaval, until we eventually completed a comprehensive reform program. Meanwhile, privatisation replaces one set of problems with another, it’s not the answer. The NRL has forced us to move one-step closer to the end-point we need to be aiming for, but we have to continue towards separation of the Leagues club and football boards, so that the restrictions of one don’t burden the other. The greatest clubs in sport are membership-owned and driven. Joining the likes of Barcelona and the Green Bay Packers should be our goal.
Ray Price was right. It is his club. But it’s my club too. And your club. Whatever transpires over the next few months, that’s what every member and supporter has to keep in mind. We’re at a point now, where we can actually see the future we’ve all hoped for. The Leagues Club precinct, a new Stadium, better training facilities, a coach we hope is here for the long-haul and a playing group that at least on paper looks capable of delivering results. If Steve Sharp does exit, in whatever manner comes to be, he can leave hand-on-heart and say he left the club in a better place. All of those achievements represent a legacy for all involved and that fact should not be forgotten, when no doubt the next conversation turns to who is right to take us the rest of the way forward.
Replies
Really well articulated and well written blog Phil, Its sad that its not just Ray, we have many 'Rays' at our club, full of spite and hatred who just cant let go, they never will be able to deep down inside till their dying day.
I think sharpy has delivered lots of great things to the club but the writings on the wall now, i doubt he will be here for next elections, i feel for him because hes a shit load more honest and loves the club a lot more than some of he's foe but his position is becoming untenable, and its not all his fault, hes been hung out to dry by previous board members who had a personal gripe, those blokes should be ashamed with themselves.
I really had thought that, with all of the hullabaloo caused in the last election, this would be the board to make the constitutional changes necessary to fix the root cause of a lot of the problems.
Don't get me wrong, Sharp and Co have fixed some of the problems and cleaned up a lot of the mess. But as time went on it became crystal clear that they were bucketing water out of a sinking ship instead of patching the hole to stop more water coming in.
And so here we are. Self preservation mode. It never looks good on a board, and it rarely if ever works.
It looks like our hand will finally be forced. We were given every opportunity under the sun to coordinate this ourselves but self preservation and empire building proved too tempting for all to avoid.
Hopefully this is the last role of the dice before professionalism is forced upon us in a system that is less susceptible to gaming and factional powerbroking.
I only wish we had shown the leadership to do this ourselves. I want to be proud of our club like I'm proud of our team. I want to feel that the club is working towards the greater good, the same teamwork and selflessness we demand from our players. I want people with the right skills in the right positions, just as we demand from our coach.
Come what may I hope that after the next AGM everyone realises that being on the board of a member owned entity isn't a right, it isn't an empire, it isn't a mandate to build your profile... It's a responsibility to do the best by the members. All of the members. To listen, to articulate and to respond. To be accountable and visible. It's a responsibility to be the voice of many and be a servant for the greater good of the club. It's a burden you wear because you believe in the collective. It is NOT nor should it ever be a vehicle for self advancement and empire building.
As a member (club or board) every decision should be prefaced by the same question: "Am I doing this for the greater good of the club and it's members?". If you can't answer with a "Yes"...question your motives.
Spags needs to piss off or if he really loves the club come back in a humble way, like before, but no where near the admin side.
Fitzgeralds influence is huge in the media, I'd be talking with him, I'm sure something could be worked out, without having the emperor back on the throne.
Ultimately we are so close to premiership glory, but being held back by egos that love the club, but that love is more like the love of an abusive husband.
PS Sharp, pull your finger out and get Phil Sim to the table or you'll end up embarrassing yourself continuously and destroying our club!
Factions work because of our current rules, not in spite of them. As it stands destroying our club in the media works in the favour of some... that has to change.
We'll never be rid of the egos, they gravitate towards these kind of roles. What we need are iron clad rules that stop the "one ego to rule them all" mentality.
The man is a legend and someone I have always respected as a hero
But Ray if you are involved in this (I don't believe you are) I hope your statue is destroyed Like whoever is doing this is destroying this club
Traitors must be named and shamed
They must not get away with this
He should have been a legend of the club ahead of Sterlo and Kenny and the others and always will be in many fans eyes
Who gives a s--- about awards
But Price is this club and whoever is destroying this club is destroying Ray Price. So would not make sense for Price to be doing this
Ray Price is Parramattas greatest warrier bar none. He is the reason I started following Parramatta.We will never see another one like him. He is a true Immortal.
I should make very clear that I don't think Ray Price is behind leaking this information, however, I think the information that has been leaked its pretty likely the same information he would have been referring to, back just ask after the election.
The only way to clean the sables, smell and all, is to hose it out start from scratch and lay new straw. Clean the lot out, now
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