If you were the CEO of the Eels .?

[Parraren]

First thing I’d do is ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for signing a coach who has never won a premiership in his life (let alone for our club) to a lucrative 5 year deal worth over 1.8 Million dollars! I would put my hand up and take a serious pay cut myself to help pay out the remaining $900K of Brian Smith’s contract. Brian has a contract and deserves to be paid out in full.

I’d appoint a new coach immediately and be looking at someone like John Cartwright who has worked under two of the best coaches currently in the game in Ricky Stuart & Phil Gould. He has worked with a successful organisation in the Sydney Roosters as well as working with the NSW Blues. Dean Pay would also make an outstanding assistant but I wouldn’t mind seeing Jason Taylor stay on as an assistant under Cartwright either.

I’d face the facts and realise Jamie Lyon's heart is a million miles from Parramatta Stadium and always will be (ever since Cleal left). I would cut our losses and go after another powerhouse wing/centre or two. A dream signing would be Lote Tuqiri but I doubt he’ll go anywhere but the Broncos or stay in Union. There are others on the market though such as Matt Utai, Joel Monaghan and Amos Roberts.

I also think we should go after a rep quality hooker as I see Johnny Morris' future at 5/8th or as a bench utility. Either way, we currently have very little depth in the hooking department at our club. Mark Riddell is off contract and I would be seriously looking at getting him in the blue and gold quick smart. Other players worth looking at are Glenn Morrison from the Cowboys, Brent Kite from the Dragons & Frank Pritchard from the Panthers. Rueben Wiki is also an option but given his age and the likelihood that if he leaves Canberra (unlikely) he will probably head to the UK for BIG dollars I’d be inclined to go after some younger talent instead. There is too much overpaid dead wood at this club and Dykes, Lyon & Wagon would be the first blokes I’d be looking to release to bring some new talent to the club.

There is no reason why we could not be looking at this squad of players next year if we had a CEO capable of making some HARD DECISIONS and we moved aggressively on the open market.

Coach: Cartwright – Assistant: Pay / Taylor
1. McKinnon / Graham / Burt / Prince
2. Utai / Roberts (180) / Anderson
3. Monaghan (200) / B. Smith / O'Dwyer
4. Graham / Vaealiki / B. Smith / O’Dwyer
5. Grothe / Anderson
6. Witt / Morris
7. Thorman / T. Smith
8. Kite (220)
9. Riddell (200)
10. Cannings
11. Hindmarsh (vc)
12. Cayless (c)
13. Morrison (200)

14. Morris / Hopkins / Mateo
15. Tsoulos / Stapleton
16. Vella / Armit / Cordoba / Curtis
17. Afamasaga / Widders / Muckert / Moi Moi

Released and/or not re-signed:
Dykes (300) - release
Wagon (230) - release
Lyon (250) - release
Muspratt (100) – not re-signed
Pearson (100) – not re-signed
Petersen (100) - release
Peek (100) – not re-signed
Kativerata (60) – not re-signed
Langi (60) – not re-signed
Kaufusi (60) – not re-signed
Pai (60) – not re-signed
(Plus we are currently operating a little under the cap by say $80K as stated by Fitzy this past weekend)

I’d probably keep Vaealiki because we need some experienced depth in the ¾’s and he is still on contract and was playing pretty well up until his injury. He had a good combination going with Grothe. Same goes with Vella, I think his contract ends next year and we need an experienced head in the forwards and he would be alot more useful as an impact player off the bench.

TOTAL TO SPEND = $1.5 Million
TOTAL SPENT = $1.0 Million (on 5 players)
SPARE CHANGE = $500K – We could actually operate under the cap for next year and use this money combined with the CEO’s PAY CUT to pay out Brian Smith. This money could also be use to top up contracts of young guys coming through (Afamasaga, T. Smith, B. Smith, Mateo, Anderson etc.).

What would you do?

 

[El Diablo]

He did win a premiership coaching reserve grade at Souths, I think.

 

[strider]

Do you seriously believe that cutting/releasing contracted players is simply a matter of showing them where the door is? ....Lyon yes, Peterson, Dykes and Wagon - I don't think so - they have to want to leave and have a better offer to agree to just walk away for free.

 

[Parraren]

Do you seriously believe that cutting/releasing contracted players is simply a matter of showing them where the door is? ....Lyon yes, Peterson, Dykes and Wagon - I don't think so - they have to want to leave and have a better offer to agree to just walk away for free.

No I obviously realise it's not at all that simple but once a player acknowledges he's not going to be playing anymore first grade and isn't at all in the future plans of the coach then things tend to work themselves out from there. Petersen might be willing to languish in Premier League for a while but I'm sure if Wagon & Dykes played the remainder of the year there then they'd get the picture pretty soon. How do you think Chris Anderson got his way at the Sharks? Graham & Triester soon found out the hard way and got packing. It happens all the time. Solomona left last year didn't he despite still being under contract? Souths would jump at the opportunity to sign Wagon & Dykes if they became available and I'm sure they'd rather be playing first grade football over there than languishing in reserves at Parra for the rest of their contract. Like I said, they are hard decisions to make but I honestly believe we need to make them if we are to move forward. Just my opinion.

 

[strider]

Well then, someone needs to find a high paying destination for those fellas to make it worthwhile for them to walk.

Remember Buettner? - we paid him to have his first season at the Tigers - w can't afford to pay big money to Dykes and Wagon to play somewhere else.

 

[Misty Bee]

A lot of those players on everyone's 'release' list are actually playing without confidence, and, as such, are out of form. To my mind, a lot of the probs we have would be to give them confidence in themselves, and each other.

Seeing Hindy race around like an idiot is galling. He and Wagon, to their credit, racking up 50 tackles is plain wrong. There seems to be no confdence shown in other players to do their share of the work. I'll be bugered if Hopkins looks confident. Dykes never did, nor Morris - the shuffles of the last few weeks have made them play poor, not good.

Dykes, in form, could win us a grand final. I doubt if Witt could at this stage in his career.

Sack Smith. Get a new coach, and instill confidence in the team as a whole, and individuals. This will make players play to their full potential. IOnly then can you identify the duds, and weed them out.

 

[The Colonel]

A total cleanout leaves us in a similar position to that of this year, not too mention the lack of depth such a clean out would create. Some of our juniors are talented but are probably another 6 months in PL away from the NRL. The acquisition of a new coach may halt the flagging confidence problems and these players may perform better under different strategies.

 

[JessEel]

hear hear colonel, no more clean outs!! i always lose

but parraen i like youre know-how... WHEN i take over the eels (and in turn, the world) you can be on my staff!! :twisted: