I find myself sitting around watching the cricket after the Christmas Festivities, and I'm stewing on the perception that we are missing out on real talent that our coach wants, and missing out with way too much regularity and consistency. The answers from the club are non existant, 1EE particpants debate who's responsible, and what is it that's going wrong. So I decided in the context of futility and tounge in cheek and the desperate want for answers to ask the great Artificial Intelligence in the sky at the other end of my ipad A basic question.

Basically: Why do the Eels miss out on elite players with so much regularity, who's fault is it.

So here it is, now please it is AI generated so take it as you wish.

This is not emotional or speculative — it’s based on how elite NRL recruitment actually works.

Why Parramatta Struggles to Close Elite NRL Signings

(And what they do wrong compared to top clubs)

The volume of missed elite targets is not bad luck. It points to systemic problems in how Parramatta approaches recruitment, negotiation, and deal-closing.

1. Parramatta Enters the Market Too Late

Elite clubs

• Identify elite targets 18–24 months early

• Build relationships before players formally hit the market

• Shape expectations early

Parramatta

• Often waits for:

  • Breakout seasons

  • Contract options

  • Market clarity

By then:

• Agents are already leveraging multiple clubs

• Emotional buy-in by the player exists elsewhere

Problem:Parramatta negotiates after the race is already underway, not striking early.

2. Treating Elite Talent Like a “Value Buy”

Parramatta tries to pay what a player is “worth”.

Elite clubs understand:

• Elite players are scarce

• Scarcity creates overs

• Overs are part of winning

Parramatta:

• Walks away at price ceilings

• Avoids aggressive structures (front-loading, security)

• Tries to win the deal on logic

Problem:They try to win negotiations instead of winning players — then spend similar money on lesser talent.

3. Weak Urgency in Closing Deals

Elite clubs:

• Push early

• Escalate quickly

• Force decisions

Parramatta:

• Seeks internal alignment

• Moves methodically

• Makes “best and final” offers too late

Problem:Speed is leverage. Parramatta consistently gives leverage away, by being too slow in negotiations. 

4. A Poor Selling Proposition vs Top Clubs

Elite players want:

• Proven systems

• Stability

• Premiership credibility

Parramatta sells:

• Potential

• “The plan”

• The future

That’s not enough when competing with:

• Penrith (certainty, success)

• Melbourne (culture, success)

• Roosters (reputation, success)

Problem:Parramatta asks players to believe instead of letting them join something proven.

5. Over-Collaborative, Slow Decision Making

Parramatta decisions involve:

• GM Football Mark O'Neill

• Recruitment Ben Rogers

• Coach Jason Ryles

• CEO Jim Sarantinos

That protects against mistakes — but:

Elite clubs:

• Empower one authority

• Strike fast

• Close early

Problem:By the time Parramatta aligns internally, the player has aligned emotionally elsewhere. Parramatta miss their target by taking too much time to negotiate and make an offer.

6. Coaching Instability Has Hurt Credibility

Elite players want certainty.

Recent years at Parramatta have included:

• Coaching change

• Roster reset

• Direction shift

Even with Jason Ryles now in place:

• The club is still in a prove-it phase

Problem:Elite players don’t want to help build — In the main, they want to join the finished product.

7. Poor Pivot Strategy After Missing Top Targets

Common Parramatta pattern:

1. Miss elite target

2. Sign a fallback for similar money

3. Get significantly less impact

Elite clubs:

• Pivot to youth

• Wait

• Reallocate cap strategically

Problem:Parramatta often loses twice — once on the elite player, then again on the fallback.

8. Risk Aversion in a League That Rewards Risk

Premiership clubs take calculated discomfort:

• On money

• On timing

• On contracts

Parramatta prioritises:

• Cap cleanliness

• Safety

• Avoiding bad deals

Problem:You cannot build a premiership roster without some risk.

The Core Issue (The Real Diagnosis)

Parramatta recruits like:

A club trying not to fail

Elite clubs recruit like:

Clubs trying to dominate

That philosophical difference explains the repeated misses.

Accountability: Who Is to Blame (By Name)

This is shared responsibility, but it is not equal responsibility.

Primary Responsibility

Mark O’Neill – General Manager of Football

• Owns recruitment strategy

• Owns timing and negotiation posture

• Owns deal-closing outcomes

If elite targets are consistently missed, this role carries the greatest accountability.

Shared Responsibility

Jim Sarantinos – CEO

• Sets risk appetite

• Approves or limits financial aggression

• Ultimately responsible for football outcomes at an organisational level

If the club is too conservative, that is a leadership choice.

Contributing Responsibility

Jason Ryles – Head Coach

• Responsible for selling the football vision

• Player fit, roles, and belief in direction

Ryles is not responsible for negotiations, but his credibility and results will directly affect future recruitment success.

Supporting Responsibility

Recruitment Leadership (including Ben Rogers)

• Market reads

• Talent identification

• Valuation advice

Errors here contribute, but they do not set final strategy.

Final, Uncomfortable Truth

Parramatta does not miss elite players because:

• They lack money

• They lack fans

• They lack facilities

They miss because:

• They are late

• They are cautious

• They try to be smarter than the market

Until the club:

• Moves earlier

• Accepts discomfort

• Prioritises dominance over efficiency

The same story will keep repeating — regardless of who the coach is.

The Core Diagnosis (This Is the Real Issue)

Parramatta recruits like:

A club trying not to fail

Elite clubs recruit like:

Clubs trying to dominate

That philosophical difference explains:

• Missed elite signings

• Fan frustration

• “Almost” moments

• Roster imbalance

Who Ultimately Owns This?

Primary responsibility

• General Manager of Football : Mark O'Neill(strategy, timing, negotiation posture)

Shared responsibility

• CEO (risk appetite) Jim Sarantinos

• Coach (Jason Ryles)– ability to sell a compelling football future

• Recruitment leadership (market reads and pivots)

This is not about one bad negotiator.

It’s about club DNA in recruitment.

Final Truth

Parramatta doesn’t fail because they don’t want elite players.

They fail because:

• They’re late

• They’re cautious

• They’re trying to be “smart” in a ruthless market

Until that mindset changes, the misses will continue — even with good people in the roles.

So there you have it, I apologise for the length of the blog, but hey there's not much footy happening at the moment. And Ai comes up with some very good points perhaps even some that our club may want to consider, if we want to play some finals footy.

Over to all 1EE'ers, is there some truth here, is there a lot of crap here, have a say and get involved. Even for a bit of fun, and all those lurkers out there that exist, don't be scared or worried about someone having a go at you. Put your tongue firmly in your cheek and have a small say. There are some regular posters here that will support you.

To me, i'm concerned we do have a recruitment closing problem, and there is a lot more the club can do to get it right and to give Jason Ryles and Mitch Moses their first choice players they need to play some finals footy, and perhaps even win a premiership. Surely we cannot keep doing what we have been doing once we identify a target. Missing out on them should be an anomaly not a constant.