Eels face uphill battle to rebuild

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Struggling ... Parramatta Eels face an uphill battle to rebuild. Source:FoxSports

JUST this week rugby league legend Tommy Raudonikis rated the Parramatta Eels side that plays the Tigers on Friday night as one of the worst sides of the modern era.

There's no doubting the Eels are on their knees at the moment. The political in-fighting and turnover of senior executives is symptomatic of an organization that's lost its way.

I've no doubt the current Eels board has much love for the Club, but despite best intentions, appear to have been consumed by the blue and gold political beast.

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Since Steve Sharp and co. came into power, the highly regarded Ken Edwards has resigned and league's club boss Bob Bentley was sacked. Senior director Sid Kelly also stepped down while in the background former chairman, Ray Spagnolo, is angling for a seat on the board and the shadow of former CEO Denis Fitzgerald looms large.

Truth be told, this latest boardroom drama and churn of key staff, is just history repeating.

In the last six years there have been five CEO's at the Eels - Fitzgerald, Andrew Hill, Bob Bentley, Paul Osborne and Ken Edwards - and three coaches – Daniel Anderson, Steve Kearney and Ricky Stuart (I have not included Brad Arthur).

It also seems that every time a new board or administrator rolls into town, promises of a brighter future soon follow.

The current Eels administration has recently been promoting to the Parramatta faithful a 'turning of the corner' in 2015. Yep, you heard right, the club have boldly predicted slightly better times 18 months down the track!

This means that even after getting the wooden spoon last year, and almost certainly this year, Eels supporters can expect more mediocrity in 2014.

This 'short term pain, long term maybe gain' philosophy from the Eels begs two big questions.

Firstly: is it fair that a club take the long term view but still expect fans to cough up their hard earned cash to buy memberships and corporate facilities in the interim?

The vast majority of season members across our 16 NRL clubs live on the average wage, fighting tooth and nail to invest in their team. The reasons they buy are many, but one thing is for certain, they all expect a return.

That return usually comes in the form of a weekend escape, a chance to forget their troubles and be entertained by a group of young men chasing goals that excite.

By telling your fan base that another below average season is what they'll be buying next year, I'm wondering how you could expect them to buy at all.

Perhaps the Eels marketing machine is just being realistic? Hopefully their members don't return serve with a dose of reality themselves!

Secondly: why should fans ever have to expect that lean times can't be turned around quickly?

See, in rugby league we have a free trade system that allows a player to go to the club of his choice should that club be able to afford his services. No restrictions on movement except the term of the players current contract (most times) and the financial constraints of the salary cap (nearly always).

The issue therefore is not in the availability of these players but rather your ability to attract them to your organization.

If we're to learn anything from the Sydney Roosters 2013 season, surely it's that clever senior recruitment in the playing and coaching ranks can bring instant success.

After finishing 11th in 2011 and 13th in 2012 the tri-colors appointed Trent Robinson as coach and signed marquee players Sonny-Bill Williams, Michael Jennings, Luke O'Donnell and James Maloney.

Forget how or why these people arrived at Bondi, they're there, and that's all that counts. And because they arrived, the Roosters are now short odds to win a premiership in 2013.

(Note to all: I tipped the Roosters to finish in the bottom four this year because I believed a premiership couldn't be manufactured over one pre-season. Medicine taken!)

This is why Ricky Stuart went so hard for Australian front rowers Matt Scott and James Tamou while Phil Gould made a huge offer for the brilliant, Jonathan Thurston. Great players win comps and make clubs.

Remember the roster when last Parramatta won a grand final?

And herein lies the issue for the Eels; with all the rubbish going on at the top, how the hell do they expect to attract quality talent to the club?

Players are very perceptive and their managers rat cunning, both can smell an unstable working environment a mile off. And while the stench around the Eels politicized administration drifts through the game, getting the right people may prove difficult.

I find this current mess terribly disappointing for Parramatta fans, but where there's light there's hope.

If this current board can show itself to be competent and stable heading into Christmas then a good start has been made.

On top of that, Steve Sharp needs to get out of the papers and focus on appointing a proven CEO, hopefully one with a passion for rugby league but most definitely a strong enough personality to take the politics out of Parramatta.

Any and all positive change in the front office will flow down to Ricky Stuart and his players, and even more importantly, out into the market place.

The quicker this happens the sooner success will arrive at Parramatta.

And the best part?

When finals footy is no longer some far off land but rather a short term, realistic goal, all those that invest in the Eels will feel good about how and where they spend their cash.

Over to you Steve Sharp.

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