Eels Blogs

This blog emanated from a post on another blog where I was asked about a view of what we can do in salary cap and player management.

Ok the question was put by Bluey as to what we could or should do based on some egalitarian system of payments.  Adam said he was rubbished for a similar view. Essentially it is a system that never works in a market economy. The current situation is there is an imbalance between quality players and some clubs. It is a another debate how to get round this with a popilar view on a draft, culturally it won't work with NRL because of the style of management that exists. Another discussion somewhere else for another time.

This discussion debate has further centered around Dylan Brown with the thought of whether he is a 5/8 or not.

I can go there but it is opinion subjectively held in what sort of team he is in and how he compliments same. Again another discussion already with blog of its own. Whether we have paid too much or not and what sort of options he has now irrelevant. What I am is proposing what can be done now going forward.

I want to go back a step and ask what is the difference between this current side, injuries aside and the one's we have had for the past 4 years. 2 of those years being succesful culminating in a GF and the last 2 years as failures, this last one abject. Now the answer's are rhetorically and essentially known.

The real issue was how that was allowed to happen?

My view is that BA crertainly had not grown and evolved in the same direction of the game over this period. The writing was on the wall even in the 2 successful periods. Personally I think it was fortunate we made the grand final. We were good enough for top 4 and thats about it...... subjective opinion from me..... doesn't matter if you dont accept the view. The real problem was/is deeper.

This problem was there was no planning with regards to developing a roster and balance. This was the responsibility of the the Head of Football MON and regardless of my positive view of him from before this time the buck stops with him.

My GUESS is that he was not allowed to assert himself with BA and in turn the board executive. This doesn't negate his responsibity and the reason for him being removed. He has rightly or wrongly proven weak and part of the problem.

Of course we can say the same about the board exec and the culpability sits there as well. Finally the biggest mistake was BA himself, he made poor decisions in not covering key positions and allowed this whole process to develop and put us where we are.  He was a classical autocrat out of his depth with a wonderful loyalty to the club. Not good enough!

The correction process has commenced, BA is gone (cancer 1 removed) 2nd cancer is MON and we dont know what is happening there because that is in the hands of the third cancer which also cannot be removed at this point of the illness.

I am not going into more detail because it will become an imposible read, only to say that until this process is complete things such as wether DB is a 5/8 are irrelevant (i will stick to the Gibson view) he gets picked and you play him where the balance that is required fits.

The salary cap is a budget issue, everyone needs to prioritise the expenses for the value received and balance the outcome.

The one thing they cannot do and this is where Cancer 3 needs to react and find out and annoint a head of football, assuming MON is gone and the incoming coach (this is now done). The new head of football is then to develop a plan for the roster, player grouping in terms of times, remuneration and planning.

Will this take a long time, not really we know we are behind in the speed stakes for some key backline positions and equally for say two working class edge forwards. So we can be very competitive very quickly with the right resolve. The pathways are all ready addressing some of these issues, Charlie Guymer being a major part of those two forwards we need. Talagi also offers potential but does not help the speed stakes.

This is a broad overview but us planning and detailing of switching player position's is a semantic until we get the cancers beaten and we go from Macro management to Micro. We badly need the right person for HOF.

I might add the perenial whingers on here talk about MON's recruitment, it came from the same people that externally did our review. It may have been a mistake but shit happens, we move on.

Summary, everyone wants answers, the only people at this point of time are the executive of the board and until they move we will have no answers. I believe the fan base needs to deliver this message.

What's happening on the field is irrelevant untill this direction is taken!