Parramatta in pole position to win the west
March 9, 2013
Richard Hinds
FOR Parramatta chief executive Ken Edwards, the time to build another stadium could not be better. A federal election in which the western suburbs are a key battleground. The spectacular rise of the Western Sydney Wanderers. The appointment of a new NRL chief executive with a significant war chest and a mandate to explore big ideas.
For a long time, the NRL's only perfect Storm played in Melbourne. Now, suddenly, the conditions that will allow the game's potential to be unlocked are aligning.
Last week, Edwards and Western Sydney Wanderers chief executive Lyall Gorman spoke with several local politicians about the idea for a new venue. An indication that both codes have embraced the need to co-operate, rather than compete, for their mutual benefit.
The vision is of a state of the art, 45,000-seat stadium with a retractable roofThe site of the existing Parramatta Stadium has been deemed too small. ''But it would be important to be somewhere central, with existing infrastructure and road and rail transport,'' Edwards says..
For too long, big projects such as new stadiums seemed well beyond the NRL's scope. With the game constantly at war with itself, there never seemed the time, the energy or the money. The clubs were similarly ill-equipped to exploit the opportunities provided by the improvement of the game on the field - few worse than the Eels.
The appointments of four chief executives and three coaches in a four years were symptomatic of a club lurching down one dead end after another. Now, as the Eels modernise a once lacklustre administration, they hope to benefit from change at NRL headquarters, and accelerate their own growth.
A new stadium able to cater for larger crowds and offer better corporate hospitality is the key plank in a five-year plan Edwards recently presented to the board. After four months in the job, the former chief executive of ANZ Stadium and the Hunter Sports Group has attempted to define a path that takes a club that should be the ''jewel in the crown'' much closer to fulfilling its latent potential.
Edwards says the plan was embraced by an Eels board with a colourful reputation. Although, having been responsible for the acquisition and administration of what he calls ''Nathan's [Tinkler] toys'' in Newcastle, Edwards is well equipped to deal with demanding bosses.
Like regional rivals such as Canterbury and South Sydney, the Eels are attempting to vastly increase revenue through an improved membership model. To reach his ambitious goal of 40,000 members in five years, Edwards has recruited a former Western Bulldogs executive and employed a fan-engagement specialist from the Greater Western Sydney Giants. Further indication NRL clubs have, belatedly, embraced the AFL's successful blueprint.
A recent report that the Eels would split with long-time main sponsor Pirtek at the end of the season is another indication of their ambition. In a bid to double its $20 million gross turnover, the club is putting a higher price on its brand, and hoping to attract a sponsor with a well-recognised national brand. Edwards says there has been some interest from potential replacements.
There are other significant components in the five-year plan. Increasing the base of juniors, improving fan engagement and charitable work, and building a new high-performance and community centre. But a new stadium would be the most significant and symbolic indication of Parramatta's renewed growth.
As the chief executive of ANZ Stadium, Edwards was instrumental in building the venue in the west and, later, enticing NRL clubs. But he sees a new stadium in Parramatta complementing, rather than usurping, the larger ANZ Stadium just five kilometres away.
''You're still going to have the bigger games and a good share of the club games at ANZ Stadium,'' he says.''It's about building something that caters for the growth of a game which I think is only now really taking off.''
With the politicians in the west flourishing chequebooks, Penrith and Campbelltown are considered other potential venues. Edwards is lobbying strongly, using Parramatta's thriving central business district as a lure. ''You can see in Melbourne, and even with what's developing at ANZ Stadium, you need infrastructure and facilities around stadiums,'' he says.
Parramatta's vision is compelling. The Eels' 40,000 members packed into a new stadium in the game's heartland. A great club reinvigorated by improved administration and Ricky Stuart's coaching.
For now, it is only on the drawing board. But, for the fans of a club that has punched well below its weight, even the existence of cogent plan is cause for optimism.
pffftt) with my kids who want to run around and such before and during! the game
