A less than happy week - Taking Stock

[Hollywood Jesus]

Ok, so where are we atm? In the last3 1/2 days, we have had:

*A pathetic first 40 minutes against the Bulldogs.

*Jamie Lyon departing the Club for an unknown period of time, for personal reasons.

*Another player (apparently Witt even though Wormy won't name him straight out) asking for a release and being denied it by the Club

*A rumoured attempt at a Board Room coup to most likely oust Fitzy, and most likely in turn Smithy.

So it might actually seem that we are in some sort of crisis tonight. No doubt the paper will be all over it tomorrow making it seem as bad as they can. No doubt many people will be panicking and going crazy, calling for the heads of whomever they can think of at any given time.

But is it really as bad as people like Bisty Mee are gonna try to make it seem?

In my opinion - no.

*Bulldogs game - Everyone knows it was pathetic, and no one is denying it. But it was Round 1, with a new team playing a new style of football. Anyone who was looking for an 80-minute fix to the less than desirable results of the last 2 years needs their head read on this one. Seriously.

*Jamie - It appears as though the decisions behind this were made for personal reasons. The Club has stated (and quite well I believe) that we need to be supportive of Jamie and try to make sure he is looked after, and that he makes the decisions that are best for him as an individual. this is an admirable position, and we all wish Jamie the best no matter what he decides.

*Witty - As someone said, anyone who wants to jump ship after one game, and the naming of the second team, probably needs to calm down and have a think about things. I don't see this as being in any way related to either Jamie or Round 1, so this is not another straw on thew camel's back or whatever.

*Board Room - Thishas happened to us before, and will happen again in the future no doubt. Most likely this is just a group of people who don't know how to keep their heads on their shoulders, and who were looking for that quick 80-minute fix that i spoke of earlier. We don't even know who they are (I don't think) or even if they have what it takes to run a Club successfully. Could be justa group of disgruntled members who yearn for the 80s or some other bullcrap nostalgia crap.

While things would obviously not be all pink and rosy atm at parra, i seriously doubt if there will be a crisis looming. People have just been unexpectedly bowled over because of what has happened this week, and people who don't know how to think rationally or keep their heads screwed on straight, people who are uselessly subject to the whims of their emotions, tend to jump over cliffs when things like this happen.

Stay calm, take a deep breath, pay attention to the news (while taking it with a grain of salt because we know how the media loves to blow things out fo proportion and sensationalise anything they can for sales) and just basically worry about this weekend's coming game.

We'll be alright, blokes and sheilas. No matter what happens, at the end of the day there will be 17 blokes running onto the field this weekend, and for the rest of the weekends of the season, who will give us an aooportunity to do what we love to do - scream and cheer for the Bloody Eels! isn't that what we are supposed to be about anyways?

 

[Hurriflatch]

Just on Lyon's "release" don't forgot then when his mother died in 2001 (might have been 2000) Brett Hodgson was given a similar thing and he missed about a week of traning and 1 maybe 2 games.

I've seen nothing at least not official to suggest Jamie won't be back there have been rumours, speculation, inuendo, opinion and thoughts but nothing official.

 

[thedux]

Well said. I think we need to put things in perspective. We haven't heard it from Jamie or Witt's respective mouths and the board thing is something that usually happens every few years....like the Olympics!!! I mean, if the dogs fans can galvinise under the circumstances they are facing, why is it that we are baying for blood after one round.

 

[Suitman]

HJ,

That is the most level headed, sympathetic response I have seen on this board relating to the situation the club finds itself in.

The thing that bothers me is this.
If you had shares in a company, you would expect the best return possible every year. In fact, you would demand it.

If you were the CEO of a company, you would demand and strive to deliver the best.

If, after 18 years since the last pinnacle was reached, the best was still not being delivered, or worse still, the company was in decline, you would ask yourself some questions.

Basically, my point being, why on earth is it that one D. Fitzgerald is seemingly untouchable???

In his reign as Chief Poo Bah, we have nothing in return besides a couple of 7's tournaments.
Sure there has been multitudes of Club Championships, but ultimately, what is the Holy Grail that everybody so desires, and even more people remember?

It is time for a change. And I mean at the very top.
D.F. is like a politician. As long as his job isn't threatened, he is quite happy to sing along happily and keep his future secure.

Why is D.F. satisfied with the mediocrity that has been dished up over the past 18 months???

I know he survived the crap years of the 90's (God knows how???), but how much longer will Parra fans put up with being middle shelf???

In the meantime, I will continue with my level headed, sypathetic support of the team I have been following since sitting on my Dad's shoulders at Cumbo in "71".

Suity

 

[Misty Bee]

I'm sure there could be a light at the end of the tunnel. The debacle of Saturday (HJ, what are trial games for???), the leaving of our best back in 20 years and the massive plummeting of public support forSmith (despite HJ's assurances that Smith is the man whomight even get us into the top8 one day) - all this may be the swift kick in the date that Smith and Fitzy need topull the finger ouit and atually do something useful.

Imagine this scenario:

Wagon in the centres partnering Vaealiki.

Dykes and Witt as halves.

Embarrassd forwardstaking on a similar style pack - where muscle can determine uotcomes. Look, it wouldn't be the first time that a side copping a big flogging in ruond 1 isn't ahead of the flogger by round 5. Soths did it to Easts a few seaons ao,remember?

A win v Brisbane ot out of the question (if the teamis selected right,of course). A bit of confidence in the players, and who knows?

I am disturbed by HJ's reading of the attempted coup. Why is HJ scared of success? What if Fitzy was usurped b a consortium capable of winning premierships? Would HJ run away like a frightened ferrett? Is HJ Linus, and fitzy the security blanket?

Tell ya what,if the winning coupleader is Ray Price, Eel god of all time, I for one couldn't be happier. He'd put the bloody rockets up the clakkers that need them!

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

HJ, what are trial games for

We never played teams trying to win in the trials, only teams experimenting. But these teams had largely the same sides who were playing largely the same type of football they had played last year. We are with a massively new squad playing a totally different type of football that we have never played before under Smith. Trials mean very little, remember we won all of ours, and, as another example, Manly only beat Souths.

 

[Twizzle]

Sure there has been multitudes of Club Championships,

And he sacked the guy responsible for the club championships.

Now Manly lead the club championship.

And we get criticised for holding him accountable.

There is a big difference between blind faith and loyalty.

 

[PB]

Suity.

I don't know the right and wrong answers, or the figures.

But i would assume that Fitzgerald as a businessmen has been successful in terms of the Football and Leagues clubs turning over profits. As the Club president...well that is more debatable because there is more to it than simple dollar signs.

Lets face it though.

We haven't been headlining for the wrong reasons for years....

We haven't cheated by rorting the cap
we havent been alleged to have ever cheated the cap
Our players have not been accused of anything illegal or un-civil.
Our club president has never ripped the jersey of a young supporter of a rival club
We havent had to merge
We havent had financial problems
We havent had the spoon
No drug problems
We havent had backhanded sackings of head coaches or board.

My point is just about every club has had it's "crisis", or reason to be smeared on packpages for days and days in a row. So whilst we havent been in the papers for the right reasons, we havent been there for the wrong ones either, and i think this is all about the Media finally having something to jump up and down about in relation to Parramatta.

considering it is all because of 1 bad game, and a player who, along with his partner just had enough of city life (or so it would appear), i think they are clutching at straws a little also....

 

[The Godfather]

We havent had to merge

Geez, I can remember Fitzy running aroung trying to merge us with anything that moved in order to get the $$$$$$$$ the NRL were offering for clubs merging.

Thank goodness he stuffed that one up.

 

[Agent Mulder]

Tell ya what,if the winning coupleader is Ray Price, Eel god of all time, I for one couldn't be happier. He'd put the bloody rockets up the clakkers that need them!

I wish it was RAY PRICE.
The guy has spilled blood and broken bones for the Parramatta club for years and lead us to a victory in the 1986 Grand final.

The way the Parramatta club have treated Price is a disgrace.

 

[Agent Mulder]

We havent had to merge

Geez, I can remember Fitzy running aroung trying to merge us with anything that moved in order to get the $$$$$$$$ the NRL were offering for clubs merging.

Thank goodness he stuffed that one up.

Didn't Fitz also want a Super 12 Rugby Union side as well?

 

[Eelementary]

I only want to say this:

PLEASE LET US NOT GET THE HEADLINES FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS A LA BULLDOGS!!! PLEASE GOD!!!

 

[PB]

Tell ya what,if the winning coupleader is Ray Price, Eel god of all time, I for one couldn't be happier. He'd put the bloody rockets up the clakkers that need them!

I wish it was RAY PRICE.
The guy has spilled blood and broken bones for the Parramatta club for years and lead us to a victory in the 1986 Grand final.

The way the Parramatta club have treated Price is a disgrace.

i agree that they have treated him like poo.

But just because he was the most inspiring leader we had on the field, doesn't automatically mean he will be a great leader of a buisiness.

 

[Chipmunk]

In relation to the comments people have made about Denis Fitzgerald, like him or not Parramatta is probably one of the wealthiest clubs in the game. But you need to determine what the Parramatta Club's "Core Business Activity" is before you can comment on whether Fitzgerald is successful or not. So what is the Core Business of the Parramatta Eels? Playing Football or Selling a Product??? I am sure you can come up with an argument either way and people will quite probably have opposite views. It is a hard one to determine though. Where Smith can be judged on the success of the football team, I dont know if this is really Fitzgerald's responsibility at Parramatta any more.

 

[Freak]

This is a very low point in the clubs history, and still it does not rate anywhere near the gutter that other clubs have put the game rugby league through.

The most tragic part about our current situation IMO is that we currently have the player base to be super competitive. Not like in the early 90's were we literally stank and were well short on player quality.

On paper we are still a top 4 side, unfortunately it is no good having the ingredients if you don't have the recipe.

We as a team/club/community in times like this need to go back to the very basics. We need to remember why we love the game.

At the end of the day it comes down to 80 minutes of your best!
And why; Because your wearing the Blue and Gold!

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Amen!

Pity some people are more interested in looking for any chance they can get to whinge and complain about this and that......and I don't just mean the journalists!

 

[parra_princess]

Sports Journalists are all morons. I don't know what University's teach wannabe journo's but i'm guessing that in order to get their degree they must take an oath that they will only report negative issues regarding sports.

Frilingoose and the Daily Telegraph love creating a shit storm. If I was a Rugby League reporter I would most certainly report what a great loss it is for Jamie Lyon similar to Mike Gibson's feature article on Jamie Lyon. He says it how it is and for memory dosn't make out that there is more to Lyon's departure than meets the eye. Dean Ritchie obviously knows parra fans well. Knows that we have an enourmous interest and passion in everything related to our club, knows that we'll buy the paper. So he creates a backpage this morning EELS UNDER SIEGE based on a few wild rumours. So far all that has been confirmed is that we got a hiding in round 1 and Jamie Lyon has left due to personal reasons. I'd hardly call that a crisis.

What I would call a crisis is the shortage of seemingly talented HONEST journalists that exist within Australia.