Interesting questions have been raised (constantly) about our club and a SCAPEGOAT to blame.
Personally I am usually quick in seeing obvious problems and when you look at the period my experience covers, I have seen most of the things that only Parramatta supporter's can lament and relate to.
This particular one is a quandry, I think MONS needs to go, but I don't actually blame him for any of the events that recognise the damage that has been outlined. I think he could be sitting back in his arm chair asking how he ended up in this mess?.......... I don't think he has ever been the final decision maker on most of the things we would like to blame him for.
The other protaganist and yes Scapegoat is Jim Saratinos? So I am going to critique both him and MON's and explain why they have been blamed
The pathways coaches are recognised for their strong roles in rescuing the situation post Covid and I see no blame evolving there (unless it is still evolving).....the fan base tend's to overate them (our juniors) because we should be so strong in this area, yes we are a Development Club and we do provide a lot of players.....we would it seems not be overly good at bringing through the ones that we would like to claim. Maybe we are just victim's of that process as we have struggled to obtain balance with juniors and recruitment and in endeavoring to satisfy that equation.......Fcuked up Both!
Reverting to MONS you need to go back to his recruitment, he probably was never the right guy to table as General Manager Football whereas the reality is that the first grade coach in both BA's and JR's terms have been the final arbitar in almost all decisions outside of the financial impact of cap and policy. I think MON's has probably done a fine job in structuring and recruiting pathway coaches, even the women's coach.
So this leads me to the final "scapegoat" Bernie Gurr! What!! you say....the guys the best thing to happen post the renaissance!.... yes that's true! he did a great job...but did he finish it?
I blame Bernie because he recruited MON as a General Manager Football, a role that he showed was pretty toothless because BA's power was at its peak and he (BA) really was the guy, making the decisions on recruitment and retention. Yes the position (GM) was part of the review, but a more constructive process would have allowed the person to grow into the role where the structure allowed it to.
MON's went about his business developing pathways and faciltating people in lower level's behind First and Second Grade and executing signings made for him. Never really empowered in the primary sense..
Jim Saratinos inherited Bernie's role, Jim is obviously a fine administrator and financial manager.....as a CEO empowered to be much more decisive about football matters, he simply wasn't !
Based on his inexperience in that role which he basically stayed out of and during the initial period that he came in, he saw/ recognised that BA had things under control and was content to leave it at that.
Intelligent people do quickly learn just the same and all the time this was happening Jim was learning heaps about the football side and I can only presume making judgements of the relative incumbents. He never had the football background or experience that Bernie had, who would have maybe acted very differently if he chose to stay on.....he left for greener pastures in the states, but is to this day still a passionate Parramatta supporter.
So we were left with our primary scapegoats and to evaluate the thoughts that come through this forum, we need to understand better than we do that things are not as Black and White to just go out and attack individuals for the perception of their failures.
Too many people on here put themselves in a position of decision makers, whereas they have no real understanding of how business works or things happen, everyone is entitled to an opinion, not saying that, just saying that the intelligence and actual judgement of making these things happen are stuffed up in a lot of busineses without thinking the guys have no fcuking idea!
I can only think of our politicians in comparison, but just remember, you put them there as well!!!
I don't have the answers BTW but Iam writing this so an understanding of the pieces that make up the "Parra Lament" are understood better. Everyone seems to have the answers by "sacking MON and JS" without understanding how pieces fit and what needs to be done......My initial reaction is that MON needs to go, because his credibility has now got huge question marks and that JIM needs to stay as I think we need a CEO like him but with the understanding of having proper GM Football who reports through him.....the GM Football needs a lot of thought because I would actually have Ryles also reporting to him, with a clear defintion I might add. Obviously that person needs to be very "powerful" to command such a role!
An after thought by the way and not a recommendation, is that Jason Ryles could be a great GM Football and he appoints a coach to work under him! Early days for such a move, but I think that's where a lot of these processes need to head in the sense of how a coach is perceived......Foz's example of a coach and what he is achieving is an example that the modern day coach can keep it simple and the GM does the slogging!
An heirachel structure at Parra could be GM Football runs all Football Matters.....reports through CEO for Finance & Administration Matters...... . First Grade Coach reports through and appointed by GM Football,........ Manager Pathways and Administration reports through GM Football.
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What the Eels didn't account for was Peter O'Sullivan that's the game changer here.If you recall before DB resigned to that 8 yr deal the mentioned above tried to land DB then to get him back at the Warriors.Then O'Sullivan went to Redcliffe and I have no doubt DB was on the hitlist there before signing the 8 yr option laden deal with us in 23.By this time OSullivan has moved to Newcastle and sold his recruitment plan to everyone who'd listen there.Now it's was third times a charm and closed the biggest deal in nrl history to get DB out of Parra which he has and with the one two third attempt he's helped turn all of the mentioned clubs he's been involved with around.
To me this is the factor in recruitment the club needs and is the bigger reason imo why DB left.Everybody talks about why DB left I'd suggest he left because Peter O'Sullivan is a persistent farker a dog after a bone and he got his man we just left the door ajar just far enough to allow this to happen.
The worst thing about this move is DB by the length of the street was the best prospect the club has developed in over a decade we had him now we won't see him again.When's the next time we see another talent like him I don't know but recruitment and retention blunders like this only exasperate fans anti club rhetoric.
Thanks NOS and Coryn, both those posts lay value to this blog and bring out further discussion that needs to be said.
I have said through out this blog, that I do not have answers, only the demonstration of scapegoats and excuses why it is no ones single fault.
NOS has been very strong on his views and I have probably understood them more after his point by point evaluation. I think I have been somewhat blindsided by my view at the time that DB was being burnt out and or burning out by the way Parra was treating him in terms of the answer to everything gone wrong with MM fitness and concerns.
For this reason after being one of if not his greatest supporter that his leaving us could be a blessing in disguise.....Subsequently I have been totally wrong given his form for NZ and Knights....that said I could form a reasonable defence for feeling that way with him playing with a torn ACL etc. I might add in hindsight I am not totally convinced that JR actually saw DB in the same light as some of us long term fans. Yes in his case I was a fan, not just a supporter.....God knows how many blews I had with Snake, Fong and Wiz defending DB. I also have had them with MON as well but in his case I saw myself as a supporter, never a fan! lol
Carrying on from this thread and the points being raised, maybe its time to pay BIG dollars for Peter O'Sullivan to become an Eel and take over this responsibility that people like me are crying out for in a leadership sense....i.e. it is maybe not a new leader but a talent scout of undeniable proportion to the problems people on here have identified.
I am very open to the discussion heading that way!
We could do worse Pops we could do worse.
Thing is here is there a will from the higher ups to look farther afield or just stick with the status quo is the real issue.I continue to mention looking for better and searching for the 1%ers in multiple places that add upto being the difference.
In the end as mentioned there has to be a will for something like hiring a Peter O'Sullivan as an example if the will isn't there if they think there plan is on schedule then I guess there's no need and we are just spit balling.
Sorry Pops, meant to say, great blog & lots of great discussion. Nice work as always.
Your always a Gentleman NOS ..........I am actually proud of this blog because it allowed a lot of discussion, rather than the "rabid" situations we could see developing.......in turn I learnt something to make myself understand the issues better and hopefully other's saw it that way as well, even if they don't agree with the thrust.
Makes me think what was the thrust and it was basically to say the faults do not line up in one basket.....notwithstanding learning to do things better going forward.
There is no doubt we have lots of improvements to undertake in the whole R&R arena.
Absolutely Pops, you've enticed good discussions as always, & doesn't need to be emotional.
How is the shoulder?
Shoulder's great.....come out of the Ultra Sling in 2 weeks time.....but unofficialy past that stage already.
If MON truly is just basically an EA / receptionist to the Head Coach as you describe Pops, then I hope he's on sub $60k/year because we could go grab someone straight out of Year 10 who would happily do that function for that pay.
MON is regarded by the agents as intelligent and approachable but with no final say or power. he is actually well respected.
That's not respect then Pops, that's indifference. This genuinely sounds like he's being treated like the receptionist. If MON has no power or say, I guarantee the Agents pay him the same lip service that you do the kid who takes your Starbucks order - smile, be nice, and forget them two minutes later.
From your description Pops it sounds like if we let MON go tomorrow, literally nothing of value would be lost (just forward his email, job done).
Cappy, you of all people are being disingenous.....receptionist/sub 60k/ year 10
Do you know a bus driver gets in excess of 100k a year now.....my guess would be that MON is probably on around 500k.....after that you could be expecting something more for a guy who acts no more than a conduit for all things football in the club but responds through to a coach who makes final decisions on the most important part of his activities.....I did say in the post how I was told it works, so I am not going repeat that.
Of course Cappy I would take a different stance and said I would not have placed him in that job, I won't repeat myself again because that was what the "scapegoat blog" was about.
"MON is regarded by the agents as intelligent and approachable but with no final say or power. he is actually well respected. " thats not respect Pop's that's indifference..... i.e apathy,unconcern, detachment, disregard, not caring. On that basis I don't think we are in aposition to make that judgement, if I thought he didn't care I would sack him tomorrow. Of course you are summising from what I said is the indifference comes from the agents....I didn't feel that in the communication.
One of the words alternatively to indifference could also be aloofness....I think my blog could be aloof and your commentary rhetorical..... does it change anything to the meaning of what i am trying to say in the manner of scapegoats not resting on single thing, but a combination of arriving at these conclusions with an alternative, which I admitted I don't have the answer for.
See I can sound like a politician and baffle brains with bullshit as well LOL
Lol, fair call. Showing my age Pops. With inflation nowadays I'm surprised if we could get a large pizza for $60k.
Hope the shoulder is healing well! Read my response to Daz below too - I think that hits the nail I was trying to hit. I agree Mark isn't solely responsible, but he is solely accountable as per his job description.
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