Our CEO Jim Sarantinos was generous enough to give 1EE some of his time and clarify a sometime misleading misconception that the Eels' Recruitment and Retention Committee interfers in some way with our coach's desired roster.
"It’s Jason’s roster, just as it was Brad’s before him, and everyone at the Club is there to support him to deliver the roster he wants," Jim told 1EE.
"The roster always has been, always will be and always should be the coach’s roster."
Jason Ryles: No player joins or leaves the roster without his sign-off.
"That’s how it always was under Brad and that’s how it is and will continue to be under Jason - and frankly that’s how it should be. "
"No player joins the roster without the coach’s sign off and no one leaves the roster without the coach’s sign off."
It's far from the first time Jim has had to clarify this point.
"The coach sets the strategy. The Coach, the GM of Football and Head of Recruitment then work together to secure the talent," he explained.
"The CEO and Chair are a sounding board and make sure all the checks and balances are right and the right cultural fit criteria are considered," Jim added.
"Since Jason signed we’ve retained Bailey, J’Maine Hopgood, Richie Penisini and Saxon Pryke (Charlie Guymer was already signed) and we’ve signed Iongi, Hawkins, Williams and there will be more," Jim added.
Add Zac Lomax into the mix and a healthier Mitchell Moses with the possibility of more good news and the roster is looking more promising than the doom and gloom we had during the season when the media made it seem everyone wanted out of the club.
From the interactions 1EE and I've had with Jim he has been an utter gentleman, respectful, and giving of his time to fans and members - above and beyond - and cares deeply for our club and knows we need to improve. He hurts just as much as us when we lose.
We have had two challenging seasons and have struggled defensively over 80 minutes - in 2024 leaking the second-most points in a season in the Eels' history.
As an Eels fan since 1981, seeing more bad times than good, it's challenging to remain overly optimistic. But there is hope. And it seems the club is willing to do everything in its power to unify and support Ryles and the team.
Regardless of whether we agree or not with some of the Club's decisions, or how we feel about the club, about individuals in the club, players, as fans we need to make our own individual decision: to hop on the bus in wild hope or not. Even if we don't know what will happen.
Like many of us, I have not agreed with everything either. I wanted Brian McDermott as the head coach. I disagreed with a rookie coach. We emailed Jim a lengthy 28-page document pushing it. And he respectfully thanked us for a wonderful document. Like most here, I too was frustrated with some of the attitude of our players and our lack of resilience over 80 minutes. With the DNA. But the club has to do what it believes is best for the club, regardless of what fans, the media, old boys or anyone else believes.
There is no right or wrong to it - just in or out.
It's a lesson learnt from Ryles' former mentors in Craig Bellamy and Frank Ponissi: "Sometimes I'll disagree but I'll commit to the cause."
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Bravo HOE - awesome writeup - and thanks Jim for the comms, the clarity and the directness of answers.
How many NRL CEOs would give you this kind of direct answers through fan forums? This is a really positive way to engage and helps us all understand the club much better.
With some of the roster changes of late I'm really looking forward to see what vision Ryles has for the team composition...it's already making sense piece by piece and he's already made some of the moves than many of us were calling for throughout the last years of BAs tenure.
Thanks, Captain. Absolutely. Brilliantly said as usual.
Our heirachy cops a lot of flak in some quarters of the media, but Jim cares deeply for our club, its future, and is a "relationship builder".
Here's hoping for a better future.
A few people with their heads up their backsides on other sites remain adamant that the roster was not Brads and Brad's only role in roster management was to show the desired players around the kellyville facilities, but no more.
That's how they role. That's how these clowns made every excuse to keep ba at the club. It's no wonder we almost won the spoon with those types of fans, with their own self interests
Nice work hoe..
Thanks, Chief.
Like Matty Johns said we kept Arthur for too long, and the players got stale, complacent, couldn't lift - whatever the reasons.
As much as some players "loved him" that didn't translate on-field & we had vulnerable systems.
Denan Kemp said similar at the start of the year. He said it seemed to him making the GF in 2022 was a goal ticked, something that they felt was a career achievement and now can sit back and take it easy collecting a pay check.
This is where the "Parramatta Person" comment has come in from Ryles.
Good point LB. Kemp, M Johns, Graham & former players all suggest similar things.
You look at the Broncos, Souths & us flopping after grand finals. It's no coincidence. It's telling of mentality, on-and-off field habits.
I like Gus' mantra: talent wins games but systems prevail.
That "Parramatta Person" catchphrase is simple and catchy: a DNA-brand and even tribalism. Kudos on that one.
Ultimately, it about unity and climbing mountains as one.
I love how Ryles has identified it straight away though, unless the board recognised it and Ryles sprooking it go him the job.
But the mantra of a Parramatta person, working hard and playing for the team, fans and community. What we have lacked for years, even decades. That identity. We will soon see what it means to be a Parramatta Person.
It's laughable really.
As if Brad had NO say on the squad.
It has his finger prints all over it and now Ryles needs to clean up.
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