Eels will support Taylor: Sharp
THE AUSTRALIAN OCTOBER 10, 2013 12:00AM
PARRAMATTA chairman Steve Sharp is adamant Jason Taylor will enjoy the full support of the board if he is appointed coach even though he hasn't given up hope of convincing other directors that Brad Arthur is still the man for the job.
Taylor could be appointed as early as today to bring an end to the feud that started when Ricky Stuart walked away from the Eels after one season of a three-year deal to coach Canberra.
Taylor was believed to have the numbers when the board met on Monday night but the appointment was put off, with Sharp believing that other directors should fall into line behind the chairman and accept his recommendation.
"I was quite disappointed," Sharp said yesterday. "The club needs to show unity and solidarity, and the mandate I received from the members when I got put in the position I'm in was because of the expertise that I have in football and what I could bring to the football side of things.
"If that's not recognised by other members of the board then that's a sad day in rugby league.
"But whoever takes on the coaching role will get the full support because the one thing I'm all about is the club.
"The one charter that myself and the deputy chair have adopted right from the start when we came in was, 'Club first, team second, individual third'."
Sharp would not be drawn on whether he would stand down as chairman if other directors continued to ignore his advice on Arthur but said the situation could be resolved today by a popular vote.
It is believed Monday's board meeting was attended by five directors of the six-person board with Taylor enjoying a 3-2 advantage.
The Eels' search for a coach has been a disaster, with Gold Coast coach John Cartwright rejecting an offer said to be almost double his salary at the Titans, while former North Queensland coach Neil Henry pulled out of the race despite being out of a job. "The board will resolve it," Sharp said, adding that it would be a popular vote.
"I believe that sort of coach (Arthur) is exactly what we need at the moment. (If it's Taylor) I don't have a choice. It will be because the board members have voted that way and I have to accept it. Hopefully it gets resolved for the Eels' sake and the league's sake."
Taylor got his initial break as a first-grade coach at the Eels when Brian Smith left the club in 2006. He was responsible for promoting Jarryd Hayne into first grade and coached the team to 10 wins from 16 games.
With the Eels already having signed Michael Hagan to replace Smith, Taylor was snapped up by South Sydney and in 2007 guided the club to its first finals appearance since 1989.
He was also responsible for luring to the club halfback Chris Sandow, who enjoyed the best form of his career at the Rabbitohs before switching to the Eels, where he has languished for the past two years.
Taylor was sacked from the position in 2009 after joining players in Mad Monday celebrations, which left him with a black eye after a punch-up with backrower David Fa'alogo.
Taylor found a new home at the Sydney Roosters as the club's Holden Cup coach before moving on to work as an assistant with Trent Robinson this season.
Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce has credited him with his end-of-season turnaround.
Arthur also had a taste of coaching first grade at the Eels after being called in to take over from Stephen Kearney when he was sacked last season. Arthur was in charge for six matches, winning two. He has currently been involved with Manly as an assistant coach
"Obviously they're both successful people on the football coaching side of things because they both participated in the grand final in assistant coaches roles," Sharp said
