Something that has been going around in my head lately has been how the players interact with fans and, from a wider lense, how the club interacts with its fans.
The club recently had its Easter visit to Ronald McDonald House which was undoubtedly exciting for the kids and their families. But this isn't the type of fan engagement I'm talking about. This is organised well in advance and done virtually every season, COVID excepted.
I'm talking more about how players interact with fans after games. It's something I've noticed a bit now the COVID protocols have relaxed. Our players, even prior to COVID don't often head to the stands to thank the fans. Some do, often the likes of Will Penisini and Dylan Brown, Reed Mahoney also. Junior also climbed into the stands at Magic Round last year to meet a fan. But it doesn't seem something overly encouraged with senior guys like Mitch Moses or Clint Gutherson rarely doing the rounds.
From a club perspective I feel like there could be a little more organised. There has been one fan day so far this season. Last year very little outside of an open training session was organised during the run to the grand final.
There is no doubt that players also conduct visits to junior clubs because the clubs will post about it.
However, I feel like most of the time I'm communicated to by the club, they're asking me to buy something. Whether it's tickets, merchandise or something else. Memberships aren't cheap and, credit to the club, the quality of the packs has been getting better.
I do though feel some better members communication or fan communication in general could be done. Whether that's different content with some behind the scenes access, player interviews or even some quizzes with merch giveaways.
Replies
Yes, I've noticed that other team players have a greater connection with fans after games. Souths do it well also the Roosters. Seems like the boys can't wait to get back to the sheds for a beer.
That was unfair from Buzz though. They just lost and were playing away. Why would they celebrate with fans like they'd won. They are better at Commbank but not great.
It does feel a bit business like. Almost like they want to play for this team because of each other, but not so much because of the Eels club legacy or the fans per se. I get the feeling that if it was decided tomorrow that they would play on orange uniforms and be called the Rams, as long as the players and Coach remained the same the players wouldn't care less. If I'm wrong then guys like Gutho and Moses could definitely do more interacting with fans in and around the game. Maybe mention their love of the Eels club in interviews etc.
This has been an issue with the club for some time and it's definitely an area of much needed improvement. The club still seems to lack a soul, which is absurd for a club with such a long history.
The Sharks has their Old Boys in the last game, lots of ex players watching and interacting with the players and fans. The Roosters and Souths do an excellent job of having players feel privileged and proud to wear the jersey. The Broncos do the same. Even the Bulldogs play heavily into their club culture.
If I had to scan the entire Eels team and ask who genuinely loves the club, the only names I could come up with are Brad and Jake Arthur. BA has genuine passion for the Eels as a club and a brand and a history, for some reason that hasn't translated into our player base.
More fan days, deeper interaction with die hard fans who really do bleed Blue and Gold, a focus on understanding the club's proud history and times of dominance, proud ex players getting involved with the club and the juniors. And it's not just a pride thing, think how many players you hear of who want to play for Souths, or the Broncos solely because of the culture and history of the clubs and what they mean to them - it's a way to attract and retain talent.
what utter nonsense!
Chammas is another who mirrors Buzz's views as well as some of ours.
He wrote this article below last year right after the Eels beat the Panthers 34-10, R20, at Commbank.
*****
NRL 2022: Chammas on Monday
Dated 31 July 2022
Parramatta Eels disconnect between team and club could cost team in wake of Penrith Panthers upset win (34-10 at Commbank)
There has long been a belief within the Parramatta organisation that there is a disconnect between the football team and the club.
No one will publicly admit it, but privately, for whatever reason, head office and the football team don’t sing from the same hymn sheet.
Perhaps years of being based out of different facilities has exacerbated the problem, but reuniting under one roof in Kellyville is yet to fix it.
There is no better on-field leader than Clint Gutherson, but there’s a reason Junior Paulo was handed the co-captaincy, and it’s not all to do with football.
The good teams - like Melbourne, Penrith, South Sydney (we're not a club, we're a religion)
and the Roosters - are the ones that play for the club, not just themselves.
They use that to their advantage in the pressure-cooker moments of finals football.
There’s no doubt, especially judging by their two wins against Penrith this year, the Eels care deeply about the result.
But who are they playing for?
Most of the Eels players couldn’t get off the CommBank Stadium turf quick enough despite pulling off a potentially season-defining thrashing of Penrith.
The Parramatta fan base is, by extension, part of the club.
The difference between the Parramatta and Penrith playing groups was noted after Friday night’s game.
A large contingent of Penrith’s team stayed on the field after full time to take photos and thank their fans. Brian To’o was the last player in the sheds.
The same can’t be said for the winning team.
It’s not the first time, either.
Most of the players, barring Paulo, Ryan Matterson, Reed Mahoney and Dylan Brown, usually can’t get to the sheds any quicker.
Parramatta is a club with a proud history and the most passionate fans starving for success after four decades without a premiership. It’s the longest drought in the NRL.
The Eels could do worse than embracing that, rather than running from it.
*****
As an aside to Chammas' article, it's a stark difference from a recent article on Souths: We're not a club, we're a religion.
The quipp by billionaire part owner Cannon-Brookes.
Rugby league is a tribal sport built on passion, not just money (despite all the pragmatic cynics who think it's only about money and professionalism, cmon).
I wonder though.
Assuming there's elements of truth to it for us (I think there is), then it opens a can of worms.
How can we fix it? Or can we even fix it? How big of a problem is it? Who's to blame? How'd it happen? Is it culture related?
Also, if certain senior players don't really want to engage (their hearts are not in it), do we really want them to pretend?
There's a whole Pandora's box of how's, why's, who's, when's, what's and where's...
It's probably a deeper rabbit hole than we'd like to think about.
Before Covid the team used to do the rounds after the game when ever i attended a home game.
I wonder if its got anything to do with those protocols and a hangover effect, where it hasnt been re inforced, and reinstated.
I'm assuming those death threats towards Moses last year have subsided, I know there was a lot of work behind the scenes there as well.
Whilst we are at it can we bring this back as well please.
Log in
If the Eels stayed at the fence and laughed and were jovial with fans at the end of the Roosters game, when they slumped to 1-4, Buzz would have written that the Eels had no heart and were not taking the losses seriously.
Seriously, who listens to Buzz Rothfield?
This was my first thought too.
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
of 4 Next