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Fitzgerald delivers sobering message
Stuart Honeysett June 10, 2006
PARRAMATTA is considering introducing a players' code of conduct to help curb a spate of alcohol-related incidents over the past month.
Eels chief executive Denis Fitzgerald flagged the possibility to The Weekend Australian yesterday following a meeting with coaching staff.
The meeting was organised after rookie winger Jarryd Hayne became the fifth Eels player in a month to be censured for an off-field indiscretion. Hayne was fined $1000 on Wednesday after admitting he gave a woman a playful bite during a team night out at a hotel last weekend.
Fitzgerald said yesterday he was happy with the meeting and another would be scheduled with the players in two weeks, when Nathan Hindmarsh, Timana Tahu and Eric Grothe return from their duties with NSW.
When asked if the club would consider introducing a players' code of conduct, he replied: "That's a possibility. There's got to be plenty of responsibility on them."
The Bulldogs have a tough code of conduct which was strengthened following a police investigation into player misconduct at Coffs Harbour in 2004.
The Belmore-based club also established a leadership group this season which meets regularly with management to discuss areas such as discipline.
Fitzgerald declined to release any specifics of yesterday's meeting, but conceded: "We thought about strategies for the future and we may have to amend some of our policies and procedures.
"We obviously discussed the spate of incidents and sought if anyone had reasons why, given our enviable track record over the last 10 years. We're hoping to minimise any further incidents but you can't control them 24 hours, seven days a week."
Coach Jason Taylor did not want to talk about the incidents that have plagued the club over the past month but said they would not distract the team for tomorrow's match against Melbourne at Parramatta Stadium.
The Eels are languishing in 13th place and face the Storm without their Origin stars, but Taylor said they had not given up hope of making the finals.
The club goes into this weekend on eight points - four wins behind St George Illawarra which rounds out the top eight on 16.
Things might get even tougher if second-rower Glenn Morrison fails a fitness test on an injured knee today.
The Eels have battled to regain the form that carried them to the minor premiership last year and things came to a head last month when coach Brian Smith - who had not been offered a contract past this year - stepped down after 10 years in the job.
Since Taylor took over, the club has managed a 30-20 loss to Penrith, a 22-20 win over Sydney Roosters and an 8-1 loss in atrocious conditions to St George Illawarra last week.
"I was very happy with the effort (last week) but disappointed we couldn't finish it and get the two points because we needed them," Taylor said.
Taylor acknowledged the representative season was a crunch period for most teams and was even more important for his club given the Eels had such a poor start to the year.
"Some clubs are going to be able to take a few losses through this period and say we'll be right when we get our players back, but the problem for us is we don't have enough points on the board so we need to win," Taylor said.
Parramatta has a good chance to upset second-placed Melbourne given that Cameron Smith, Matt King and Dallas Johnson are on Origin duty, Greg Inglis is out injured and Billy Slater was suspended by the judiciary this week.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy is yet to finalise his team, but Steve Turner is expected to replace Slater at fullback while Matthew Bartlett and James Aubusson are in contention to be added to the squad.
Stuart Honeysett June 10, 2006
PARRAMATTA is considering introducing a players' code of conduct to help curb a spate of alcohol-related incidents over the past month.
Eels chief executive Denis Fitzgerald flagged the possibility to The Weekend Australian yesterday following a meeting with coaching staff.
The meeting was organised after rookie winger Jarryd Hayne became the fifth Eels player in a month to be censured for an off-field indiscretion. Hayne was fined $1000 on Wednesday after admitting he gave a woman a playful bite during a team night out at a hotel last weekend.
Fitzgerald said yesterday he was happy with the meeting and another would be scheduled with the players in two weeks, when Nathan Hindmarsh, Timana Tahu and Eric Grothe return from their duties with NSW.
When asked if the club would consider introducing a players' code of conduct, he replied: "That's a possibility. There's got to be plenty of responsibility on them."
The Bulldogs have a tough code of conduct which was strengthened following a police investigation into player misconduct at Coffs Harbour in 2004.
The Belmore-based club also established a leadership group this season which meets regularly with management to discuss areas such as discipline.
Fitzgerald declined to release any specifics of yesterday's meeting, but conceded: "We thought about strategies for the future and we may have to amend some of our policies and procedures.
"We obviously discussed the spate of incidents and sought if anyone had reasons why, given our enviable track record over the last 10 years. We're hoping to minimise any further incidents but you can't control them 24 hours, seven days a week."
Coach Jason Taylor did not want to talk about the incidents that have plagued the club over the past month but said they would not distract the team for tomorrow's match against Melbourne at Parramatta Stadium.
The Eels are languishing in 13th place and face the Storm without their Origin stars, but Taylor said they had not given up hope of making the finals.
The club goes into this weekend on eight points - four wins behind St George Illawarra which rounds out the top eight on 16.
Things might get even tougher if second-rower Glenn Morrison fails a fitness test on an injured knee today.
The Eels have battled to regain the form that carried them to the minor premiership last year and things came to a head last month when coach Brian Smith - who had not been offered a contract past this year - stepped down after 10 years in the job.
Since Taylor took over, the club has managed a 30-20 loss to Penrith, a 22-20 win over Sydney Roosters and an 8-1 loss in atrocious conditions to St George Illawarra last week.
"I was very happy with the effort (last week) but disappointed we couldn't finish it and get the two points because we needed them," Taylor said.
Taylor acknowledged the representative season was a crunch period for most teams and was even more important for his club given the Eels had such a poor start to the year.
"Some clubs are going to be able to take a few losses through this period and say we'll be right when we get our players back, but the problem for us is we don't have enough points on the board so we need to win," Taylor said.
Parramatta has a good chance to upset second-placed Melbourne given that Cameron Smith, Matt King and Dallas Johnson are on Origin duty, Greg Inglis is out injured and Billy Slater was suspended by the judiciary this week.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy is yet to finalise his team, but Steve Turner is expected to replace Slater at fullback while Matthew Bartlett and James Aubusson are in contention to be added to the squad.
