2015 was the disaster year when the shit hit the fan, we lost points, million dollar fines, unloading of players for salary cap bungles.
It was said it will be years before Parra can catch up and adjust into being a competitive force.
Well it was addressed with the appoinment of Brad Arthur and within the confines of the resources, nobody expected us to come out so quickly from those doldrums. 2018 was a hiccup and the coaching and resources were adequate up to that stage. This was probably the step back we had to have, but it also involved change and BA misread this change. Subsequent events shows these type of changes in rules and strategies were his achillies heal.
Subsequent success basically pinacled in 2021 when the window was supposedly open, but essentially we weren't good enough. The worst thing that happened was the miracle of 2022 and a grand final and the delusion of success. It was really that 22 season where we were starting to falter inclusive of the destabilisation of the Jake Arthur scenario. At this time we were all seeing what we are saying now, we saw the signs last year and this year is shaping as a disaster. Shit happens, no need to crucify anyone, which is the mentality of a lot on here. I am sure everyone was/is doing their best. Just not good enough.
Its time now to look at that in reflection and move on. I have never thought that we had a roster that would win us a competetion, I looked at the positives and was optimistic, the pros and cons were always subjective.
The club has faltered now and lets see and give it the chance to rebalance. Taking positive steps rather than fantasy games of selections, recruitment and wishing wells.
We have done too much blaming and handwringing. We have plenty of company amongst other clubs. Penrith are now on a slight decline and powerhouses like Roosters and Melbourne whilst still out there and threatening are not what they were. Broncos are the new kid on the block and they have/are coming off the back of a horror period. They should have won it last year and the talent they have is exceptional but that came from a period not that much different to ourselves. We are not the laughing stock we accuse ourselves of being, we are no different to any other team which gets beaton by 30/40 points.
It seems to me that the asylum of fans, especially 1EE's have got a lot of confusion confronting them and a huge problem in understanding this is a professional business and not a case of sitting in the corner, putting in your thumb and pulling out a "plumb"..
There is a huge drive by fans on this site to think that with a wish the board will sign Wayne Bennett as the saviour.
Mutts has outlined as much with what he would do. Everything is fine except we have no idea if Bennett would be interested?
Lets go back to Mutts programme, he finishes BA next week (good timing the bye week) and simultanously rings (the board that is) Bennett to confirm his interest, appoints Barrett to finish the season.. Lets assume Bennett has given some consideration in the "dry laconic style he has" but is not prepared to commit untill his season with Phins is finished, why would he stop mid season and plan anything that is not in his head already. He would need to meet the board, discuss the aspects and autonomy and then decide. He then would offer an informal commitment with an undertaking that if any leaks take place he is out! Mutts wants to simulataneously advertsie for assistants, NO Bennett will get who he wants, he knows who he can work with.
Finally someone can remind me that Bennett was all ready to coach a side (I think it may have been the Roosters) and it got leaked and he closed everything down. He doesn't like big mouths and god knows that this board to date can keep its mouth shut, a positive and a negative with regard to communication when I blogged specifically about this.
Now if Bennett does not want the job 50/50 for mine, you can all start speculating over the new coach for the hundredth time. There is no doubt we need to change but we have the essence of a good side, with the exception of "speed" a fully fit side with Lomax included, a decent hooker (Matt Arthur looks the goods) a classie utility player like a Connor Watson and a running forward like Angus Chricton. Maybe a winger like Toupu from Roosters (immediate experience and say two years off retirement) and a build up back load of recruiting speed and athleticism, Coryn has been talking about grabbing 7's players for ages.
We get rid of Sivo, Harper, and half a dozen of our reserve forwards and anyone else in reserve grade that is not capable of filling into first grade when required i.e. Hands and Lussick as pure back ups but the nucleus of a good 2nd Grade side, ..........last thing a dedicated sprint coach!!!!
The board also has look at functional issues like TPA's which will allow us to fill our roster with next level players in back up and also finding a board memeber with football experience, I said the other day Sterlo would be perfect or someone like Beau Scott and finally go make an offer to Matt Cameron too good to refuse to be our new head of football. It maybe impractical to sack BA and MON at the same time but MON is also to finish this year. Once some one like Cameron was appointed then he will look after Bennett's need's and be the link back to the board.
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That maybe so "spacey" but a clever man surrounds himself with smart people and issues commands accordingly. I think the days of Benny running laps with the players is pretty well done, doesn't mean he cannot command the respect that I suspect Ryles could not do as a rookie.....Maguire is another matter, I think he could be a good alternative to Bennett given there is not a lot of "respect commanding" coaches around. Parra definately needs an authorative figure in my mind.
Regardless you can bet that this site will turn on him at a point of time. i.e. we could win our first 10 and lose the next 2 and some will want his head! Lol
Madge to me is what Parramatta need but i feel not a good fit. For the reason that he is so hard nosed it can rub players the wrong way, rightfully or wrongfully. He would lose the dressing room quickly at Parramatta, where BA is able to talk his way into getting them back onside.
Bennett, despite maybe not being as involved as in the past, he still has that man management skills. Like Caryannis said on DT podcast about Demetriou, the question was how could he get it so wrong in player managing when he was under Bennett for 3 years. But it came out that at training Bennett would get Demetriou to start the sessions, Bennett would take his leadership group and spine into the sheds where he would give them a spray for one reason or another that happened prior. Then come out of the sheds hunky dory, having Latrell under his arm and laughing. Demetriou saw Bennett with his arm under Latrell, he did not see him reprimand him earlier.
Bennett still has that skill to know when to get into a player and when to pull back. Not saying BA doesn't as much but it seems there can be some cliques around the joint where accountability might be limited.
I think BA's failures come back to his lack of strategic skill LB. He think he will always get on with his players as much as he can. I don't know much about the Tim Mannah stuff but he didn't like Sandow and to a certain extent French, he failed at handling those two, I think Bennett may have mastered both of them(?). The Nathan Brown story has seemingly been related to hanging out with Hayne. Maybe BA took the JH offences very personally..... I always felt that BA did not get on well with JH because he could not manage his hot and cold performances.
Your comments about Madge are fair enough, my view as well was he would struggle with the playing group, but after recent events he will be empowered to handle the situation (and I am sure he has learnt a few things in the people skills business after being in no mans land and coming back from the dead of Tigers).
I cannot think anybody else that could be available and have the artillery to handle the situation, I might add that getting Cameron in as HOF or at least someone that also commands respect will mean that ultimately Madge will fail, if that happens...... he needs that sort of support!
Poppa, the only thing with Cameron is he's CEO of the Panthers, promoted from GM. So, coming back to the Eels as HOF would probably be a step down, especially considering he used to be an assistant with us in between other things for 15 years or whatever it was.
Reshuffling at the top with new leadership and clout is what we really "need" but not what they'll "want" to do. Imo. We need more than a coaching change IMO.
I see change up top less likely than simply giving up BA's head and/or O'Neil's, or both. O'Neill might be starting to get antsy as well. I don't know what ONeill would do. Push for BA's head to excuse our failures?
O'Neil could argue he's been here since 2018 and instrumental in the 2019-22 growth cycle - over-seeing the recruitment of the likes of Paolo, RCG, Lane, Matto, Fergo, Waqa, etc. Then add, BA and he haven't been seeing eye to eye over time on plenty and BA has been doing whatever the feck he wants - not listening to his HOF "boss" - and now "look at the results". Despite being a Parraman, BA likes to do things his own way, one way or the other, by hook or crook , even if he gives off the impression he's a straight shooting company man. Not quite. Giving BA enough rope might help O'Neill.
The other thing is BA is the public face of the club - and it's failures to an extent - not O'Neiil as much who seems to be doing whatever he's doing behind the curtains somewhat. For now.
So, getting rid of BA would make a lot of sense for everyone upstream.
If they were to get rid of both ONiell and BA it would also represent a greater degree of fast moving, riskier change and instability - something the board seem allergic to - and their mandate has always been slow and steady stability. They might give you both if O'Neil trips up again or does something stupid again.
If we keep going as bad as we have been this year and look likely to miss the finals, again (#BApraysforMoses), then I suspect the most likely scenario will be BAs head on a pike with some nice words and a commemorative cake to congratulate BA on his tremendous service to the club. Maybe they'll give BA an option to resign to save his face as a token of respect?
But, we'll see. Dunno yet. It's a mini drama series waiting to happen.
Thanks Phil, I didn't realise that Cameron was the CEO now, a harder grab obviously (understatement not happening) LOL
It looks like I will have change my focus back to Ponnissi but I have certainly wasted some "waffle" on Cameron Lol.....
I will have to go back and ask the question is there any other aspiring people to fill such a role.
When I say aspiring of course I should paraphrase that with "inspiring" as that is what we need. Peter Parr, where is he now?
Lol. Pops, I think we both know major changes up top in the footy board are unlikely for some time.
BA will probably go first as the public face of our failures unless we miraculously turnaround.
MON maybe, maybe not. MON could argue BA isn't listening to his HOF "boss" as they don't see eye to eye and plays a game of favourites (cue Mannah as a witness) to protect his position.
Peter Parr - is still HOF at the Knights, I think? Not sure Pops.
Ponissi is the Storm"s longtime Football GM which seems equivalent to a HOF or thereabouts. But, I'm not sure he's signed on for more than 2024. He and his family seem "heavily" invested in Melbourne and he loves working with the "Storm owners" and Bellamy. The Ponisini-Belamy (and Bennett-Jauncey) is probably the best footy partnership in the game since Gibson-Massay.
The thing is neither Parr nor Ponisini would get a promotion coming to the Eels as HOF. We'd have to do better I'd say. But what?
For Ponisini, you'd think it would be a step down in a way without the support of Storm's powerful powerbrokers and Bellamy.
He'd be the Lone Ranger on foot without a horse and without a Tonto, thinking is this "the end of the world".
I wonder what more we could offer them (besides a bag full of cash) assuming the board had any desire to get them? Dunno.
Honestly I reckon it's all moot points anyways.
Yeh! you have summed it up pretty well and I think I should bow out now as I just don't have the knowledge, just the theory!
I do like the idea of getting someone like Keary as a assistant though, its a start for him and maybe it might modernise our thinking somewhat given our perceived lack of same!
Brings me to another point, Barrett seems so switched on when he speaks and his theories are good.....does BA listen to him or does Barrett blindly follow. Barrett is on record of saying Brad's a good bloke..... not withstanding some miscreants it seems that BA does have player support, but maybe that is as a good bloke, rather than a hard nosed coach.
Lol i wouldn't be surprised he didn't go to Darwin simply that he didn't want to. Remember they did a trial in Cairns or something he didn't go, 2 years in a row lol.
Brad Arthur was appointed and started with the club in October 2013
The salary cap scandal was in 2016
Good luck with everything poppa. Hope you're well.
Love the where to now blogs
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