http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...d/news-story/cda2d90d2f2f826534abf03d464f3d2e
Eels boss Bernie Gurr lays foundations for Parramatta rebuild
Parramatta chief executive Bernie Gurr has revealed the club will be based around the core values of integrity, respect and excellence as he seeks to rebuild the Eels, while at the same time fending off the growing threats from rival codes in western Sydney and filling the gaping space on the front of the team’s jersey.
Gurr, still in his relative infancy at the helm of Parramatta after joining the club five weeks ago, is intent on ensuring the club realises its promise and becomes a powerhouse on the Sydney sporting landscape.
“We have analysed our club and what sort of club we want to be,” Gurr said.
“We have put a few bricks in the walls across the entire club. We are all on the same page as to the values about how we will behave around the club.
“That doesn’t guarantee success but it guarantees some solidity in the foundations and what type of club you want to be. No matter what value you come up with, all roads lead back to honesty, respecting people and excellence in everything you do.
“Pretty much all roads lead back to those three so we decided on those.
“I think it’s important to have organisations you can revisit when you’re making decisions. We had a meeting with everybody in the club and they have bought into it.
“It is very difficult to argue with those core values.”
The Eels are still recovering from a salary cap scandal that decimated the club and prompted sweeping changes to the administration and playing roster.
Despite the controversy that has enveloped the club in recent times, Gurr was quick to point out they remain the No 1 sporting club in western Sydney in terms of supporter base, broadcasting reach and online recognition.
They also have the largest female supporter base in the NRL and the largest junior reach.
Nevertheless, the club remains on the lookout for a major sponsor, but Gurr won’t be selling the Eels short as he looks to find a partner befitting of their jersey.
“We have such a compelling proposition for a major sponsor,” he said.
“With all the economic development going on in the west, by any metric we are the No 1 professional sporting franchise in the fastest growing economy in Australia.
“We want to get the message out that we are a new Parramatta, a united Parramatta, and from a business perspective, I don’t think any other club in the league has the proposition we have, particularly in the region that is western Sydney.
“We need a reputable company. There are a lot of companies that should have an interest in partnering with us in this economy out here.
“It’s been mind-boggling for me to come back from (the US) and see what is happening in western Sydney — it is absolutely awesome. There is a lot more good stuff happening inside our club than people perceive from the outside. It’s quite exciting and pretty compelling the proposition we have from a footy point of view and a commercial point of view.”
