Eels insist Anderson must go
Axe falling ... Parramatta Eels coach, Daniel Anderson.
Source: The Daily Telegraph
PARRAMATTA coach Daniel Anderson is facing the sack within 48 hours after losing the support of the club's $3 million major sponsor and Eels board members.
Eels chairman Roy Spagnolo is expected to fast track a board meeting originally set down for Tuesday to decide Anderson's future after a day of high drama yesterday.
It was revealed Anderson had been offered the opportunity on Friday to resign to save himself from the embarrassment of being sacked.
His expected departure follows an internal review of the disastrous 2010 season in which the Eels failed to make the semi-finals just 12 months after storming to a grand final.
The review was conducted by chief executive Paul Osborne and board members Geoff Gerard and Glen Duncan, who is also chief executive of the club's major sponsor Pirtek.
Duncan yesterday broke from boardroom protocol to reveal his opinion that Anderson should be replaced by Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney.
"I think the position is untenable for Daniel to stay," Duncan said. "Daniel's a good guy. I think he's had a hard time, but sometimes you've got to make these decisions for the club to move forward.
"I mean, if he loses his first three or four games everyone's going to be pointing the finger at him and I think it's unfair for him to be coaching under those conditions.
"I said recently you either have to commit to Daniel and extend his contract or you have to part company because no one can coach for one year. I haven't seen a coach yet coach for one year.
"They always end up like Ricky Stuart did this year. Once a decision has been made it's the last year, I think everything just falls into a heap. We can't go through a year like that."
Duncan says he supports the moves to appoint Kiwi Test coach Kearney, who has been Craig Bellamy's understudy at Melbourne Storm.
"Unless I'm convinced otherwise [at the board meeting], I believe that's the right thing for the club to do," Duncan said. "To me, Kearney would be a good choice and he could implement the structure the club needs."
The drama over Anderson's future follows an internal review by the Eels into their dismal season.
The review was completed on Friday and emailed to board members yesterday to study before their meeting.
The Sunday Telegraph understands Anderson had the support of most senior players when they were interviewed over the past fortnight.
But it was a different story when members of his own coaching staff and other football club officials where interviewed by Gerard, Osborne and Duncan.
Among the recommendations from the report were: not to extend Anderson's contract; appoint a wrestling coach; address Anderson's communication skills with his staff; address the lack of player discipline and punctuality at training; more individual skill sessions; and the need for a better recruitment policy.
The report also recommended the appointment of a full-time football manager, which Anderson had originally not wanted.
Osborne was reluctant to comment about Anderson's future or details of the report.
"It is something we hope will be sorted as soon as possible so the club can get down to the business of preparing for next season," Osborne said.
Anderson's fall from grace, a season after taking the Eels to the grand final, is rare but not unprecedented.
The cut-throat nature of coaching at the highest level has claimed three other high-profile scalps in the modern era.
The biggest was Warren Ryan. He was at the helm when Canterbury figured in three straight grand finals from 1984 to 1986, winning two, before being shown the door at the end of the 1987 season.
Graham Murray lifted Easts to the 2000 decider, only to be sacked a season later.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/eels-insist-anderson-must-go/story-e6frexnr-1225929346620
