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You painted a lovely picture Hoe of the importance and value loyalty can bring to a club all would agree.
Your mention of the wiley one delivering his mesage, "Dont end up in the Brig" was.nicely delivered.
Reminds me of the "sixty miler" colliers going thru Sydney heads headed up to Newcastle to load, and the message given by the 2nd Mate to the poor bastard at the wheel, "Keep her heading North and keep her out of the breakers."
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We have made an artform out of patience.....40 will soon be 50 years....waxing lyrical about the essence of what in recruitment is needed to bring a premiership is fine but ...the game has moved on and the Parramatta Eels Rugby League Football Club....is a club still living in the past....The 80s maybe was the worst thing to happen to us....
This current recruitment holding pattern and our lack of being able to recruit elite talent ...has not gone away...As many have said we are a slow moving club slow to react slow to decision making and slow to respond to the environment. As the old fans die off...what lays ahead in 20 30 years irrelevance and the illawarra of the Western Sydney Panthers maybe ? very sad
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Parra G, the idea of "living in the past" to describe the "club" is highly ambiguous. Fans live in the past, because being starved of success breeds nostalgia for past success. But the club is financially very stable, has one of the largest membership bases in the league, plays out of a modern stadium and has a cente of excellence. How is any of those things "living in the past"?
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Great blog HOE!
For me it's this identifying talent/people, hard work, resilience, luck, injuries, searching for the pursuit of perfection.
"If you think you have reached perfection. Then it's time for you to retire "
Billy slater ch9 circa @ 2025
"Ray price didn't want to tackle you he wanted to bury you"
"He would fight for every centimetre:
Fatty vautin on face to face
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Darren, thanks mate.
Great quotes. That's the only Way.
I love your way of thinking mate. Kudos.
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I think Darren should be taking those quotes to the people that pick the immortals, can't think of any immortal with that desire.....even the most skilful. Fatty Vaughton knows a lot of the modern era players, he should be taken note of.
PS I am probably denigrating some of the recipients, but none of them when you go through their records had that simple desire of Ray Price. I can go through that list, as I saw most of them, Norm Provan, Mal Meninga, Graeme Langlands,Ron Coote, Joey Johns were all great players that I did see, but none of them had the instincts of Ray Price. Its about time that the "pickers" figured out what makes some players different.
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Twidle, Brown, Talagi, Khafusi, Russell, Sanders. Utokimanu were talked about for years, just as those in the lower grades are talked about right now.
Twidle was an absolute stand out at half last weekend. He tore the opposition to shreds on a few occasions and kicked diligently. As soon as he was replaced the flood gates opened for an absolute thrashing. He single handedly controlled the match.
Then we have our best to and coming prop since Utokimanu or Jnr Paulo in Sam Tuivaiti soon to be allowed to negotiate with the bears or the chief's or whoever, and fans are asked to be patient and trust in building from within? Sorry but, how can fans have faith in how the club is run, when history suggests we are wasting out time waiting for the day when Parramatta’s development finally makes the club successful. History suggests otherwise full stop.
I have absolutely zero faith in the people running Parramatta. It seems like Ryles is hamstrung by the decisions of those above him. Its a nice dream but where's the evidence??
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That's great mate. Instead of discussing our development position let's just trade stupid cartoons. Seemes like you have no answers
Im not against what Horo and Mason are saying, just saying those in certain positions haven't the capacity to carry it out. The proof is in the pudding
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Popa they talk about my memes signifying me turning 37, but you're memes are honestly from the 1920s haha
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This reply was deleted.
More stuff to read
"Thanks Prof Daz. I think Poppa is just a tad slow of picking things up. Old age related I think 😉"
"No I'm trying to help you old fella"
"If I didn't need it I would, if I was really committed to my club and putting their interest first I would"
"Popa they talk about my memes signifying me turning 37, but you're memes are honestly from the 1920s haha"
What Wins Premierships? Talent, culture, systems, pathways, or belonging and connectedness?
For some, the answer is simpler. Who cares about the why? Sack as many as possible. Sign sexy names. Job done.
One thing is for sure: premierships rarely happen overnight. Clubs need patience: the exact opposite of what many fans need.
The theme of recruitment, usually strong criticism of Parramatta's recruitment and retention, has been a constant topic among Eels fans as we've struggled this season. After forty years without a premiership, and struggling this season unfolding, it's understandable why many are frustrated and crave a few sugar hits. Now.
In this week's Levels podcast, Willie Mason and Justin Horo discuss the Eels "tricky predicament" when it comes to recruitment and competing in that space. And what really matters in the end.
Many look enviously at the Dragons' buying spree. Yet so far it has produced not much beyond a last-placed finish and one win.
"You can't just go buy, buy, buy because have a look what St. George did in the last couple of years," Mason argues.
"They don't love St. George."
"I'm not saying that they're not putting in, but you have to have a pathway... and Penrith hit the jackpot," Mason says.
"You need that half a dozen that have a genuine love for the club."
"Everything else is manufactured," Mason concludes.
"Here's now where it [Dragons' huge recruitment spree] can become problematic in two years' time," Scope adds.
"Is it going to improve their play next year? Yeah."
"But could they potentially lose some good homegrown talent because of it? Yeah."
So, that's the balance. The Faustian Deal. The short-term sugar hit versus the long term. Building a team of champions and marquees versus building a champion team.
"Most clubs are manufactured trying to buy, buy, buy and thinking that you're going to win a comp because you don't have these kids who would genuinely die for that club."
Scope and Mason point to Penrith. They point to Brisbane's homegrown core. Mason points to what the Dogs are building. Even Melbourne, despite being different, have long recruited players into their pathways and culture from a young age.
Mason and Scope's common thread isn't just home-grown talent.
It's growing up together. Playing together. Connection.
Even the Panthers recruit despite losing a galaxy of stars that could fill a stadium. The difference is that they tend to do it selectively rather than chasing the biggest or sexiest names. They can afford not to.
Jason Ryles has overseen one of the biggest roster turnovers in the competition over the past season and a half. The club knows there are gaps to fill and I expect Parramatta will continue targeting quality signings for 2027 and 2028, with Jaydn Su'A likely only the beginning.
But if Mason and Horo are right, we're still only at the earliest stages, even if we recruit well.
If Parramatta had paid enormous overs to secure Keaon Koloamatangi, many fans may have celebrated the recruitment victory. But would it necessarily have been the right long-term decision? Apparently not according to Souths or Wayne Bennett. Like us, they weren't prepared to pay through the roof for him.
Interestingly, despite some of the fan pessimism surrounding Parramatta, Mason sees hope.
"I've seen their reserve grade. I've seen their 21s. I've seen their Flegg and SG Ball."
"They've got about six, seven of the best Australian school boys in the country. They're coming through. They're like 18. So, give them two years."
"They're the ones that you think can make the difference to the club."
Their argument is that the Eels' future may depend less on winning recruitment battles, cautioning against the Dragons approach, and more on developing the next generation already inside the system over the next few years.
The Broncos are evidence of a mystery beyond that.
Elite talent. Enormous resources. Strong pathways. A two-time premiership-winning coach. A roster packed with Origin and representative players. Recruitment comes easy. The result? Only one more win than us at this point of the season.
What do you think ultimately turns a club into a contender and then a premiership winner? And do you agree or disagree with Mason and Scope, and why or why not?