On a number of occasions this year, Parramatta has dropped a player of seniority, replaced them with one of our kids, and we’ve seen that youngster either give a superior performance or at least one that is not noticeably inferior.
It’s perhaps the biggest indicator of where our player roster has been at this year. There should be a gulf between your NRL players and your NSW Cup and NYC squads. We haven’t had that, and it hasn’t been because either of those two sides are so incredibly talented either.
The reality is Parramatta for the last number of years has fielded a team of fringe first graders. Whereas other squads are brimming with representative talent, or at least up-and-coming stars, the biggest battle within the club has been the fight of our NRL players to hold out those coming up from Wentworthville or NYC.
In the upper echelon of sport, you cannot suffer mediocrity. Ultimately, professional sport is about winning and you don’t win by doing your best. You win by being the best.
I’ll put my hand up and say in the past I’ve been as guilty as anyone, in terms of making excuses for our performance or somehow finding any bright spot amidst the darkness. It’s in my nature to focus on what is positive, but I recognised quite a while back that I was making too many excuses for my club and that things had to change, all of which prompted me to get involved with the political side of the club.
The culture that we build, has to not tolerate excuses. It must aim for the top, and when we fall short, we must pick ourselves up, fix what went wrong and go again. Those who keep falling short must be left behind.
In the past month, this club has finally held EVERYBODY to account. In the past, we’ve found any number of convenient scapegoats and essentially made those people holy sacrifices to the altar of denial. I of course argued until I was blue in the face that until the board was held accountable - as the group ultimately responsible for our group’s performance - we could not have a fresh start. Finally, the members held the board accountable.
That only left the playing group. We’ve seen twice in four years, coaches losing the dressing rooms. Senior players have seemed to have more power within our organisation than have the coaches. We’ve also had remarkably little turnover from our roster, despite the poor results.
With this very public culling of the playing group, finally, each and every segment of our club has been held to account - from the administration, to the board, coaches and now through to the playing group. I would expect there may be some additional restructuring once the board has completed a review of personnel, but for the most part, it feels like finally the slate has been wiped clean, and that we can truly start the healing process.
What I hope to see from the club now, is a public set of goals and expectations that the current collective work to, and to which they are held accountable. And I’m not talking nefarious five-year plans, I’m talking of a series of rolling milestones, from the immediate to the very long-term.
And we should never let ourselves fall into this trap of making continuous excuses and thinking next game, next year, next coach, next whatever, things will get better. Because that is the one sure fire way to make sure that they don’t.
Replies
I wish the 10 game run in 2009 had never happened because it papered over the problems with our players and staff that had manifested since Brian Smith's departure. The only positive is that he team is so bad that Stuart has a clear mandate to start from scratch.
This post is exactly why I am so pleased with the action the club has taken today.
Over the past few years, there have always been convenient scape goats for our lack of success - most notably the coaches. I find it fascinating that Parramatta has been through 3 coaches in the space of 5 years and seen very similar results.
The only group which has been consistent over the last 5 years is the playing roster and it has been clear to me for a while that this is the group that needs to change.
While I am unaware of what actually happens amongst the playing group, rumours about the tremendous amount of power that some players wielded in terms of determining the way the team played and who was coach always bothered me. In most professions, if you don't like your boss, you continue to work for them rather than complaining and working to undermine them. That has been Parramatta's problem - that they needed to simply shut up and play football and they haven't.
Accountability is fundamental - our results have been too consistently poor for too long now and we deserve better. This move was a long time coming.
The playing roster has hardly been consistent. How many players are here this year that were here even 3 years ago? Hayne, Keating, Mannah and Fui. Parramatta's problem is their inability to establish any consistency because people are always calling for players and/or coaches to be sacked. Also, there must be some kind of culture issue. How can players like Justin Horo look so average at Parramatta, yet look so strong in Manly's pack?
I think its exactly like Penrith. Its not like they didnt' retain a few players as well.
Panthers have let a few players go that have bleed for the club and I feel sorry for them. Not mentioning the culture and need for change. KK I would have in a heartbeat. Luke Walsh another one who tries so hard every week. Its a tough game.
surely POH STAYS
The smh is already running a story with the names - so we are still leaking, just a little slower.
Story
Don't automatically believe those names as gospel. It's written in pure journalist-ese.
Fairfax Media has been told that Maitua, Matt Keating, Ben Smith, Willie Tonga, Ben Roberts, Cheyse Blair, Daniel Harrison, Nathan Smith, Pat O’Hanlon and Matthew Eisenhuth are among those on the chopping block. Some of those on the list have recently re-signed or are on contract for 2014.
If you read that carefully it means nothing. 'On the chopping block' doesn't actually say they have been chopped.
And none of those players have recently been re-signed for starters (this year), so that's inaccurate in itself.
That is unfortunate if true.Remember these players are people who have just been dismissed. It is not a nice thing to have your name mentioned in that context in a major newspaper. But that appears to be the way of life in Rugby League.
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