Ricky Stuart slips out the back door
SO much for the new Jack Gibson. With the greatest respect to Ricky Stuart, he wasn't even the next Ron Hilditch. :lol::lol::lol:
Stuart's short but not so sweet tenure at Parramatta is over after one season, his record ranking alongside the worst in Eels history.
Five wins, a litany of lopsided defeats and a wooden spoon. Not quite a match for the legendary Gibson, an Eels icon after taking the club to three premierships during the roaring '80s.
Those days, and Stuart, are long gone. Less than 12 months after being unveiled at a press conference where the Gibson comparison was made by then-chairman Roy Spagnolo, Stuart is returning to the nation's capital.
Heading back to the warm embrace of Canberra, where he is revered for his achievements during the Raiders' golden era.
Eels fans will no doubt be ropable. Many took to social media last night and this morning to vilify Stuart. To the disenchanted in blue and gold, Stuart stands accused of deserting a sinking ship.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...door/story-e6frg7t6-1226717664807#sidebar-end
Of tearing their club asunder and then heading for the hills. Of promising so much, raising their hopes, and then delivering so little.
To some extent, they are right. Stuart's tenure produced few wins but its fair share of carnage. He showed a dozen players the door, including one of his co-captains Reni Maitua.
He took no prisoners. In his mind, he had no choice. Parramatta is a basket-case on and off the field. Change needed to take place. Stuart began the process, but has left it for someone else to finish.
Other challenges await his replacement, most notably controlling the off-field dramas which drove both Stuart and his predecessor Stephen Kearney to distraction.
Parramatta is a club at war with itself. Battles that should be fought behind the scenes are played out in public. Former directors lurk in the shadows, sniping at the current board.
Stuart thought he could control the in-fighting but it proved too much. Asked last weekend whether he could see blue sky on the horizon, Stuart struggled to find the positives in the season.
He pointed to a handful of debutants who had been thrust into first grade, most probably too early. Not much else came to mind.
He also confirmed the existence of a get-out clause in his contract, put there he said because of the volatile nature of the Parramatta boardroom.
That clause has now allowed him to walk away. Those responsible for its existence should take their share of the blame. No doubt, fingers will be pointed in all manner of directions.
Whoever takes over from Stuart faces a mountainous task. Neil Henry, having presided over a six-game winning streak which has North Queensland in the finals, is the early favourite to replace Stuart.
He could yet be joined by Cowboys football manager Peter Parr. Together, they represent a formidable combination. Henry's football brain is razor-sharp. Parr put together the Cowboys roster regarded as one of the best in the NRL.
Perhaps they can find the elixir the desperate Eels and their supporters have craved for years. But as has been the way in recent years, dealing with the politics at Parramatta looms as the greatest challenge for the next coach.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...ut-the-back-door/story-e6frg7t6-1226717664807
nathan peats ‏@peats05 10h 
