Parralight,
I agree with you that Brian is responsible but I don not believe he will pay for the problems at the club with his Job.
As has been stated on this thread, his contract runs on October 2005, that means he has this year and next to win the Premiership not this year as you stated. If he doesnt in your opinion and in the opinion of a large portion of the eels supporters base he will be replaced.
There have been some unfortunate recruiting decisions made, where favoured players have gone elsewhere and flourished, examples being Ian Hindmarsh, Clinton Schifcofske and Jason Cayless. These decisions have harmed Brian Smiths perceptions with Parramatta Supporter and example of this is at every home game when his picture is shown on the big screen. Unfortunately we dont make the decisions we arent in the room when the decisions are made and the confidential discussions about these decisions take place.
The Only decisions we can make is the decision to turn up to the games each week, but all in all we don't say who we will sign or not.
As you said fire the Coach may well be a a business decision, one that the club sees like this, we have a coach that got us to (right now) 7 finals series in 8 years. Is there another coach on the Market who has those proven results? I could be wrong, and the above comments are my opinion only.
(Turn on Sarcasm )A number of people say that we should sign a young coach who is an ex player. Ron Hilditch and Michael Cronin showed that was a good move for us.(turn off Sarcasm)
One of the retaliation arguments to the one I have put forward, that of it is Brian Smiths Decision, is that the club should listen to its fans. In fact they need to listen to their members; the only way to get something done is if you have the power. Members have the power to vote the board out. The People in power (at the club) are the board of directors, they have been voted in by members to this position by the members. Dennis Fitzgerald is an employee of the club; it is up to the board of directors to appoint a or change CEO and then the CEO to appoint or change the coach.
As the board of directors stated last year, they don't have a problem with the coach.
Maybe you would say that means they should be voted out. Well that is your prerogative but in doing so you lose some of the most passionate people that support this great club.
We all don't like to see our club in a bad position, we would all like for each and every year of eels football to be the best year ever. But common sense prevails and some times you have to go two steps backward to go 3 steps forward.
If this year is better than the last (we have a better win % than last year) then we have achieved something.
I still think we will get to the finals in the top 6 at least. Once we are in the finals I am of the firm belief we will give it a shake.
Everyone has a problem with the way the team is being picked and with the defensive effort of the team. I tend to think that defensive effort from the team causes the way the team is being picked.
We need better defence; Wagon at 5/8th is a defensive option. Until M. Witt is defending as well as Wagon does, Wagon will stay where he is. If Michael is good enough defensively to be in the halves then put him in the halves then you can move Wagon to another defensive week spot, (Start Sarcasm again)Maybe the Centres. (Finish Sarcasm again)
(Start Rhetorical Question) Can anyone tell me why the centres are defensively week? (End Rhetorical Question)
Well in game one of the year we had a player (Jamie Lyon) that didn't want to be there (play at all), so his defence was week. The other side had a player that was compensating for an injured centre (Sideshow for Dave V). Our club also have a problem with our other strong Centre / Winger / Fullback where they are coming back from injuries (Ash). All this leads be to believe that we need to have Wagon in the centre of the park to help compensate for not having a regular centre pairing
So if the defence improved in Premier League (we are winning high scoring nail biters there too by the way) and we had players defending well, then we could promote them to the NRL so that our defence may then improve. We may all get the changes (Witt to the NRL, Wagon to the centres) we are after.
