It’s well overdue that the club hears directly from its members and fans. For too long, we’ve had a Head of Football who has mismanaged contracts, missed key recruitment targets, allowed homegrown talent to walk, and overseen player acquisitions that simply haven’t delivered.
The message to the club should be clear and unequivocal: we demand better. Our recruitment and retention strategy is failing. It's failing the club, failing the Head Coach and his staff, and failing the players who are being asked to do more with less.
Matt Beach and Jim Sarantinos—how can you stand by and accept the performance of the current Head of Football?
The best time to act was years ago. The next best time is now.
Sack Mark O’Neill!
Replies
Hear hear Mutts.
I know I've also been super vocal about this for a long while now, since well before we said our farewell to BA, so feel fairly obliged to also put my stake in the ground.
I'm an outcomes person, not an effort person. Folks who have ever worked for me have all had the same conversation - I tell them openly that I don't care how they spend their day, I don't clock watch, I don't micromanage, I know they have a life, a family, hobbies and a whole lot of things that aren't work to content with in their life. So I make it very simple...outcomes.
I pay you X dollars a week to satsify Y outcomes.
If I find you spend half of your days going surfing, but you're satisfying the outcomes we agreed...more power to you. Enjoy the waves.
But the moment you're not meeting outcomes is the moment we'll be having a conversation, because then you're letting down your side of the bargain. Once is a data point, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern. If there's a pattern of not meeting outcomes, then it's time for a change.
Now back to the Eels - our R&R have shown a pattern of not meeting outcomes. I don't care about the effort, I don't care about how many they got right, I don't care about the potential, I don't care about extenuating circumstances, I don't care about what is in and out of our control.
That single bold statement is enough to mandate change. And every day of inaction is another day where that pattern will repeat again, and again, and again.
Is MON the right sacrificial lamb? I honestly don't know because this part of the Eels organisation is a black box to the outside world. But given I can't see inside the black box I'm going to hold the person who's name is on the black box ultimately accountable. But obscurity isn't a reason not to act. Change must happen because there's been a demonstrated pattern of failing to meet outcomes.
I'm not articulating what the answer is - that's not for me to decide, I'm not on the Eels payroll. What I am saying is that we must make change otherwise we will not see change.
And to be clear this goes both ways - just as I openly praise the current Eels board and administration for the incredible work they've done with the clubs finances and stability, and just as I have openly called (many times) for stability and no change when we are being led successfully in that regard. Now I am equally calling for change just as emphatically on the area of the club where there's been a pattern of not meeting outcomes.
The best time to do this was 2 years ago. The second best time to do this is now.
Well said mate. You've articulated precisely my point much better than I could. Only by openly demanding this change will the club take notice. I've back this administration to the hilt and have taken my share of slings and arrows personally because of it. They've gotten so much right. I've never see our club so professionally run. But the glaring, weeping sore going untreated is our R&R which falls under our Head of Football. I'm not prepared to stay silent any longer.
Everyone on here has been asking for MON to be sacked for a few years now - yet nothing's happened.
They should've sacked him when they took out BA and start fresh with a new coach and GM.
im not holding my breath that he will be gone anytime soon.
I'd love to see who Mark O'Neill was cheering for yesterday.
How can we expect someone from a rival club to be passionate about our club ?
Problem I'm seeing here is MoN is but a conduit for JR I think the latter will be let go before our DoF is.Its why we aren't head hunting better football brains than the mentioned even at board level I feel there a protected species.
The head coach will always be the fall guy for a failed football programme that's what I see out of all this.We just look like a cash cow as long as the books look good we are good.We want stability over winning we got it.
We all know by now what we need to compete and I'm not even talking about winning as we aren't built for that as currently constructed.I feel there a protected gulf we are creating is getting greater by the year vs us and the rest of the teams in the west.
Apparently MON was a conduit for BA too - that was the excuse back then also. So if MON is just a conduit, he's redundant and his role isn't required because he's not adding any value.
So he's either a conduit and redundant or he's accoutable and failing. Both lead to us not requiring his services going forward.
The way I understand it, which could be wrong because it's all a bit hidden, is that MON's department accountability is for:
That's the typical "GM of Football" role. The Head Coach should report to the GM of Football, same with the Head of Pathways, Head of R&R etc.
If the on field performances are failing but all other angles are succeeding, then the GM of Football should fire the Head Coach (with the backing of the admin). If multiple pieces are failing (pathways, footy performance, R&R), then the GM of Football should be on the chopping block.
If our structure isn't this simple then the structure is wrong and should be fixed. Accountability should be obvious by design.
Should be I to would have flushed them years ago we've had back 5 issues for at least 5 years depth and recruitment wise.Of course Covid will be used as an excuse as to why development isn't where it should be but what we are really missing and this is headcoach & front office past and present we don't have any championship dna across the board I think this is our real issue.
We have people that are good at some things and the club does do some things well but we don't have someone to pull it all together.JR can do but so much I dislike the fact that everyone thinks JR is doing this by himself he just isn't.We need best in class wherever possible.If we are happy where we are we'll continue to have this conversation.
Yes! He has been at the club for 8 seasons now and what has he shown for it?
Our football department is a mess and he is at the head of it!
Yes get a new General Manager Football by all means, set his responsibilities out and recruit accordingly.
MON can then get on with his duties as Manager Football Administration, looking after pathways coaching and administration and all the other things you don't want the Head of Football Managing (Gus, Richardson and Ponnissi would not want to get involved in that shit)......for a long time I have been telling everyone MON has the wrong Job Profile for the Title Allocated.
No doubt if we had a legitimate Head of Football these things would happen. Now find one!
Shane Richardson is Chiefy's choice, questions arise after his exit from Tigers....oh yes the same source as MON.
Gus Gould would be an interesting choice, as would Frank Ponissi, Matt Cameron is Mutt's choice (good luck on getting the CEO of Penrith taking a down grade). hang on, what others are available? Tigers, Cowboys, Broncs, Dogs (Gus ) Dragons, Manly, Cronulla, Newcastle, Dolphins, Perth, PNG, Roosters, anyone else I have missed to fill such a role?
Hangon, someone that is Football and Management saavy, has the respect to stand above the Head Coach?
Just to finish which of those clubs has a board structure like ours?......hmmm?
I know, Peter Sterling, Brett Kenny, Mick Cronin, Steve Ella, Eric Grothe, Ray Price, Denis Fitzgerald, Jim Saratinos, surely someone out there can do this JOB.....after all it will make everyone happy, just to have a change.
Two smartest guys on this site, HOEY and DAZ....I would not hesitate with either of them.....even Cappy could do it, but he probably wouldn't take the pay cut.
So my Choices are Hoey, Daz and Cappy...take your pick!
PS I have no doubt they could/would do a great job and I am not being fecitious! Just thought you could throw Bluey into that bunch as well.
Oh! well give MON his notice and we will find someone. Just think how good we will feel with that Elephant off our back.
Another thought, LB could do it, he maybe Green but is very active and he knows all the players out there....definately a pay increase LB. Just not sure how you would handle JR, but I would back you as well.
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