Eels boardroom flashpoint
The Australian
May 17, 2016 12:00AM
Brent Read
Senior sports writer
Sydney
Parramatta’s boardroom is set to reach a flashpoint tonight as the football club’s directors prepare to confront Geoff Gerard over his expanding role as the public face of the embattled Eels.
The Australian understands the turmoil at the Eels has escalated behind the scenes in recent days with fellow directors frustrated at Gerard becoming the nominal spokesman for the group.
The parties have also clashed over plans to give leagues club boss Bevan Paul a pivotal role over coming weeks as the club attempts to negotiate its way through the salary cap minefield.
It is understood Paul was willing to help out the football club but wanted to assume the role on his terms, which would have resulted in him remaining in an overarching role into the future.
However, the majority of directors wanted him involved with the football club on an interim basis while suspended chief executive John Boulous was given the opportunity to respond to NRL allegations of cap manipulation.
Paul turned down that role, leaving the club to resume its search for an interim chief executive until Boulous’ future is resolved. Gerard’s position is also likely to come under scrutiny tonight.
If Gerard does step down, it is understood one of three suspended directors — Steve Sharp, Tom Issa and Peter Serrao — could appoint a person in their place to ensure the club still had a four-person quorum.
Parramatta Lord Mayor Paul Garrard confirmed the directors had become concerned with Gerard’s public presence, claiming the lack of a unified voice was damaging the club’s image.
“Transcripts and media outlets seem to suggest that he’s deeming who is right and who is wrong without those people being given the right to defend themselves,” Garrard said. “He’s perhaps going outside what the board has determined in giving personal opinions but not making it very clear it’s his personal opinion.
“That’s the difficulty we have with Geoff at the moment. This business with Bevan Paul seems to be at the heart of it. We need to have a media spokesman. I think the board needs to make some sort of statement about that.
“Tomorrow night is a meeting to draw a line in the sand and decide what is the best way forward from the organisation’s perspective. Certainly for the board’s leadership, it’s not good having three different messages out there. It’s confusing people and damaging the image.”
Gerard, who is expected to represent the Eels at Thursday’s meeting of club representatives, is believed to be the NRL’s preference to become the face of the club.
Garrard confirmed Paul was offered the football club role as a stopgap measure.
