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.
Replies
Pops, a great Post to bring people back from the edge and provide some calm.
I understand that this is your nature, your centre of balance when dealing with our club. You do give them one of the biggest leeway's when things are going against the plan. I admire that. I also endorse yours and Cap's Evolution not Revolution.
To take your theme a little further and be true to myself, I really believe, The Eels for numerous reasons must order an independant review on the R@R. This gets to the bottom of what's actually being done right / wrong or is even perceived to be wrong in their eyes. The review would have to include petitioning players agents that have had their players shun us, find out the real reasons why, how they were impressed or not with the clubs negotiations, what they did right and what they did wrong, etc how they could of improved , how they could of got the player over the line, players that didn't sign need to be petitioned and a true understanding of why they didn't stay or why they didn't resign, money, location, coach, reputation of the club, team members whatever it is or was needs to be understood.
We have all here at 1EE, put the cart before the horse with ideas of what is wrong, but to really improve we must know what it truely is. I don't care what it is, i don't care if we have to move the damn centre of excellence to the South of Bondi Beach, or smack in the middle of Manly Corso. Or build a new Hotel with player investment etc, Whatever it takes to change what is wrong, Our club should be up for it. To me it just makes sense !
Its time to know!
I back Ryles as well, I also back him to fix "if needed " what ever is not right with the coaching staff at years end as well.
Great read Pops, and hope the shoulder is healing well - come cricket season we need someone who can take over when Gaz retires so we need you fighting fit!
And Bluey - I wholeheartedly support your call for an internal independent review of the Football department. Internal audits aren't a bad thing, I've been audited more times than I can count in previous gigs and it always gave me clear findings of what my departments were doing well, where they sucked, and how I could improve them. I was always very upfront with independent auditors and told them that if they ever thought I was an issue, to put me on the findings and I will gladly fall on my sword. Self preservation can't be a thing in pursuit of organisational excellence.
You hit on another point worth talking about Pops - and I remember having this discussion here during the days when BA was hanging by a thread. What makes up the DNA of the Parramatta Eels? Culturally, who are we? What do we stand for, what does greatness look like to us, what makes us different from all the other clubs?
If we can't clearly articulate the answers to those questions, we can't expect players to come or to stay at our club for anything other than a paycheck.
There's the age old story of the NASA janitor in the 1960's who was asked what he does for work and his answer was: "I'm helping put a man on the moon." That is culture you can only DREAM of! Everyone feeling connected to the DNA of why we are doing what we're doing, of what binds us, of what makes us special and unique. He was helping put a man on the moon.
What's our story? What's our DNA? What makes us not the Bulldogs, or the Roosters, or the Panthers? If you had to describe the DNA of those three clubs, things come to mind, things that define them and differentiate them.
I wonder what people would say defines us as Parramatta? Until we get that, define that, and feel that ourselves...we can't expect others to.
There definitely are some plans for the future of the NRL team. We have the world Kellyville training facility already, the Leagues Club is about to be completely rebuilt with a community first focus, we've gone back to heritage bringing in old players, sponsors and jerseys. Add to that the junior system starting to produce the goods, and the club is heading in the right direction.
Does that mean a Premiership over the next few years? Probably not, but I would expect sustained success when it does eventually happen. There is still a lot of work to do, but I'm confident the club has a good idea of what's required. They just need to execute to a level that matches the new facilities in place.