So with much negativity towards our recruitment, fairly so, questions are who could be the ones to possibly helps things be different. Poppa brought Cheika up and gave me inspiration to form this discussion. Michael Cheika has been known as a coach in Union for some time, the one thing i have heard from experts and those i have been around who either had him as a coach in Rugby oversees and played park footy or just listened to him speak. He is a tremendous orator. Why has there been some sort of stigma towards him? Well it would be the Union background that would frighten some organisations. It would be risky. He has ambitions to coach NRL, he has made that clear. But would a club take a punt? Roosters, where he is currently as a specialist coach, you'd think might look at him to replace Robinson but even then would Uncle Nick take that risk. He has been linked in the last few days of either going back to Union with the Waratahs or coaching St. Helens in SL. So think fast before he could be gone.
This where i would propose him being the GM at Parramatta. Why GM? Well few reasons. Firstly, it would be a role where if he is offered he would consider leaving Roosters for. He wouldn't leave Roosters for anything less than a head coach job. But a role as a GM? A role that can have some power? Could be something that entices him to make a difference in the NRL. Some here might say "he wouldn't want a GM role", well in 2023 he nearly got the Tigers GM role before Pascoe was sacked and the club went in a different direction.
Another thing to mention is that Parramatta and Cheika have talked before, for the vacant head coach role in 2024, that eventually went to Ryles. I think Cheika then for us as HC was too much of a risk at the time of where we were as a club. Fast forward 2 years and we are in a position where i big swing could work. Cheika is highly respected in all areas of sport, not just Rugby. Parramatta having the knowledge of Cheika upon interviewing him allows the club to know already what they would be getting in terms of vision and his skills. Cheika as well knows people at the club himself. Though not close, it is not completely foreign. That can help the transition somewhat.
One thing to consider, as is the case with all GM hirings, will Ryles get a long with them? As that is the most important aspect when hiring a GM of football. From all reports, Ryles and MON get on well. Better than BA and MON. So would Cheika be more involved or would he know his place? I reckon the latter. Cheika is very intelligent. He knows his role and what i takes for a HC to work and function. I doubt there would be any white anting involved if you bring Cheika on board. Plus, Ryles has that connection to Rugby like Cheika. Though i believe they have never worked together, connection is there somewhat.
Finally, his years at the Roosters, he would of been around Robbo and Politis. Heard their discussions of the cap, recruitment, retention, their thoughts on list management etc. Does this mean he would automatically be an amazing GM? No, but it helps. Cheika is a sponge, he learns what he can to get to where he wants to be.
I will end this blog with a quick summary of my thoughts on MON and where to go with him. I give MON credit for his job from 2019-22. He built a roster that got to GF. The issue was what stemmed from the off-season in 2021, never was able to fully recover. He seemed to thrive on the moneyball approach to recruitment that worked in certain areas, but became our downfall later on. His valuations on players has seemed to have been off, either too much or not enough. Added to that is Ben Rogers, who is in charge of scouting, negotiations and relationships with managers. He is shoulder to shoulder with Ryles in getting what he wants while reporting back to MON to get the all clear and set the value in terms of cap. Rogers i feel is not doing a good job as our recruitment gets worse by the years, that also falls on MON who he answers to, while Rogers also works in the perimeters set by MON and also Sarantinos in what he can offer and what he can go for. Not saying he is not to blame, he is as he is still meant to use those perimeters to his advantage and it is not working. Both men are trying to do what is best for the club.
So yes, this is why i am suggesting this as i have always been clear all year, MON should go, along with Rogers. As they have been here long enough, recruitment is not improving and with apparent rumours that managers are shying away unless there is change, whether true or not who knows, but if it is true then action needs to be made. They are not completely inept, MON has made calls i agree with. Likes of letting Walker go and not matching Paulo's offer. I am fine with that. But missing out on targets has been the catalyst to a possible demise. Like i said with BA, maybe for both parties it is time to move on. I have been mentioned as a MON shill, but i call it like it is. The good and the bad and call out the times where criticism in uncalled for as well. But at the moment, as a whole for the job he is doing, we need new blood, ideas and ways of doing business. MON's style could be outdated, an injection of something different could work in our favour or collapse us even more.
If he is here in 2027, i will do the same as i have the whole time. Call out the good and bad as it comes. But if 2027 is a failure, i am confident that is the nail in the coffins of all involved. Do we as a club want to go through that for a last throw of the dice with this current mob? If so, i will back them but like many, the result i feel could be what many believe it will be.
So is Cheika the answer? Who knows. Is it worth the risk to find out? Where we are currenlty, why not? I see it as a chance to save Ryles' job as well. A bad 2027, Ryles goes with them, not saying he should but i feel it will be a complete knock down once again.
How does Cheika sound to everyone? I know some will disagree but so be it, something different on this site.
Replies
Well we know how the Roosters are with their assistants talking elsewhere. Cheika, seems very respectful, if he was approached would be up and honest and would wait til their season is done to talk just before the World Cup.
Someone like Ivan Cleary would suit the GM role so much better I personally feel. Has alot more respect from. Rugby league players and would attract more players and has experience and knowledge of winning primerships. Cheika hasn't had much to do with with rugby league and isn't respected anywhere like Cleary
Though I doubt highly he would do it anytime soon, yes Ivan would be a great GM.
Don't mind Chieka, very smart operator and very well respected. But, the only position we should be looking at is CEO. MON and Rogers are the scapegoats in all this, everyone is blaming them for our lack of recruitment. We are not losing out on players because of them, I bet if you asked every player we have missed out on, why didn't you sign with us, not one would say because of MON or Rogers. It's either money, or coach or both. We need to open the purse strings, and that is on Sarantinos head. No one ever mentions the signings they have made the last couple of years, Williams, Walker, JAC, Papali'i, Volkman, Kelly, Samrami, Kautoga, TDS, Smith, Ilongi, all been good for the club, half of them were only signed as back ups but, because of our horrendous injury toll have had to fill in on a more regular basis.
So MON doesn't decide on how much and long a target is offered ? This was MON and MON alone. He blocked it as Arthur scouted the deal.
Players did want to play for the last coach, but the offers were where it fell over. Take Conner Tracey as an example. Was all but done , but old mate MON only thought he was worth a 2 year deal and BA had promised him 3. That's not an isolated example.
WOW!! So it was MON's fault we didn't sign Connor Tracey 3yrs ago. Do you think there are any other GM's out there who have missed out on a signing.
Though there has been a lot this year. Not just him, the committee themselves, but MON and Rogers that's their job description more so.
How about the re-signs that were on deals we had to either amend or went pear shaped ?
Old Michael defending the indefensible on a hiding to nothing .
The fact Arthur had to go rogue to sign Lomax is all that's needed to confirm MONs needing replacing. We punted the coach , and it is more of the same .
Time for a total overhaul , MON and his Temu recruitment officer in Randy Rogers .
MON the scapegoat is the funniest call we've seen on these pages since Tony Bongo told us the Paul Osbourne was a fine upstanding gentleman who would make us the pride of the NRL .
Same as Xerri for 1 year instead of 2 years?
Though I knock Rogers, MON's field is about cap and direction of cap and that is saying in negotiations how many years and salary for a player. So yeah that's MON. He would say yes or not to an extra year based on his value.
Yup another example . There has been umpteen examples , and that's exempting the bulk of the rumours I've which you'd have to assume a small number of had legs .
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next