Eels Blogs

Priceforever made a post on a blog about Parramatta attractiveness as a district and location for players to come to and also referenced our lack of recognition of TPA's.

I believe he raises some good points and this as a discussion on alternatives to meaningless and destructive petitions which will only create further disenchantment for players to come to us.

This my response!

I think about that Pricey, but I also think about Penrith in terms of location....I reckon I could sell our location when we train at Kellyville in a state of the art environ and play at Com Bank.

The hills district out to the Hawkesbury is as good an upmarket area as it gets with not having a beach.

Now that said I haven't lived in the area for 45 years, but being born in Epping and living my childhood at Ermo and Kellyville and also at North Rocks, I have a fair understanding of how I would go about selling it. Yes I could organise a Helicoptor Treat (club sponsored) for any player and their family that would shock the shit out of them.....so there maybe a perception of negativity about Parra but I could definately make a case for selling the location. The other thing is the socio economics of Rugby League Players ares probably not that snobbish, I would add though that beachside suburbs are by nature attractive. This would mainly only be influenced by interstate perspectives, plenty of players from the Nothern Beaches have made the trek.

Islander player's live in communities and many families cannot live on the beach in today's society, the source of our junior players endorses that. Living close to families is important!

Ryles is a coach that I admire because he has a vision of what we could be, getting a name coach with out a vision is a waste and so I support Ryles. I have spent my whole life following Parramatta and that vision Ryles has I have shared forever about this sleeping, now slumbering giant.

I would like to see our juniors following the current path, its working, just not fine tuned yet.  I accept we should by needs pay over's for the talent we want to identify. We now have no short term alternatives but to do that!

It seems to me we probably lack an entrenpenaur to bring commercial packages of interest to those identified players we want.This is a management discussion for a vision and a corporate plan, the coach can have a vision but cannot deliver a cultural directive from his position, he can never the less encourage it and therefore be a force in helping it happen.

My further understnding is that a lot of things behind the scenes are that TPA's are being explored and are being attractive to interested parties. Another reason not to have rabid piss weak petitions floating around that will potentially take those opportunities away. Captain made a reference just the other day that evolution is much more effective than revolution. If you have joined any such petitions, stop and think for a minute that it can only cause disruption and turn potential sponsors away.You can delete your posts if you can rationalise that. The media could make a mess with the story if it got that far.

MY guess and I stress guess is that some planning is happening on the lines for a vision statement, that can be so easily undermined by good intentions and poor logic. If someone is going to be sacked, leave it in the hands of the people best placed to do so.

All this said I can visualise where we are coming from and the "truth" of Rome not being built in a day definately has application.....who spends the money (non cap issues), whether its the Leagues Club or the Football Club, ideally both, there needs to be a catalyst, and exercise the required enthusiasm, not just playing standards but also the people that make our club more livable and desirable for players to come to.

We have the money and resources to do that, so if we can adopt a plan to do so, talk about it and then make it happen, we will get the players we want if we learn why we have previously not been able to get them!

Contrary to all that I believe that Parra has a stigma about it as a club over the years of being unsuccessful. It was only 10 years ago that we were put in administration, this and our now inconsistent performances means we are tainted and the last 3 years means also that we/will have to pay overs. There is a perception that nothing is glamourous, but Penrith set a standard that says, successful players want to play with successful clubs. We need to not only be successful but to look succesful. I would love to see an educational doctrine to help players, young and old in education needs, post football, financial planning and school scholarships. This starts at the junior level and a condition of playing/sporting scholarships can apply to the total package.

Maybe some of that time that Jarryd Hayne was playing playstations in his spare time could have made him a much better person in his post football career. My last point here is that all Rugby league players can achieve a lot more with the right sort of education and media understanding.

Becoming succesful doesn't happen over night and the evolution required is one of patience and foresight, not sacking people when there others well placed with all the circumstances to undertake such happenings.