Daniel Anderson quit his post as referees' boss to fix the Eels. So which is the tougher gig?
Parramatta's new general manager of football chuckles before answering.
"It's a maligned position, there's no doubt about that," he said in reference to the pink shirts rather than those wearing the blue and gold.
"The referees do their best, I saw it up close, they work hard at their craft. They are poleaxed when they get it wrong and rarely get any credence when they get it right.
"I do have a lot of sympathy for the profile of the role in balance with what the guys do. It's a tougher role."
His new role has its own challenges. For the first time since 2009 the year Anderson coached Parramatta to the grand final long-suffering Eels fans have cause to be excited.
Anderson had never met coach Brad Arthur before taking up his new post but the initial signs suggest the relationship is working.
"It's been good, he's a tremendous coach with strong ideals and great values for the club to build on," Anderson said in his first interview since rejoining Parramatta.
"The players are obviously enjoying his coaching because they're playing tough, genuine rugby league."
In essence, Anderson has been employed to free up Arthur to focus on coaching.
Issues such as retention, recruitment, NRL liaison, grassroots development tasks clipboard holders of the past have been burdened with are Anderson's domain.
Some wondered whether a man who previously coached Parramatta would be able to step back and allow another man to do so. But Anderson said overseeing the Hills Hawks more than sated his coaching fix.
"I've been out of coaching for four years," he said. "I'm a part-time Thursday night assistant for the under 12s. That's satisfying my desire to be a coach.
"It's as challenging now as it's ever been. I'm enjoying what I'm doing now. Coaching is not a job you apply for in the NRL, you are targeted and recruited.
"In general, that door is probably shut. I had a good time in coaching and I'm enjoying what I'm doing now in administration."
In some respects, the Eels are getting the band back together. Anderson is back at the club he loves and so too are Nathan Hindmarsh, Luke Burt and Nathan Cayless, the former players all taking up coaching roles at various levels.
Along with chairman Steve Sharp, chief executive Scott Seward, chief operating officer John Boulous and Arthur, they are building a new culture at a club which has earned the previous two wooden spoons.
"It's not a different outlook [for me], I've always wanted what's best for the club and that will never change," Anderson said.
"We want to be successful, we want to be the pride of western Sydney. You have the same sort of ambitions. The beauty for me is I'm out of the furnace of coaching, which is high pressure. It's a tough gig.
"It's a big club in the middle of western Sydney. It has a lot of really parochial fans and draws attention. We're a proud club, an honest club and we want to do the best for our fans."
