Knights appoint Peter Parr as Director of Football

[slotmachine]

Gardner has realised the areas where we are lacking

All of them?

Actually that's unfair, financially I don't think the club has ever been in a better place.

 

[Burwood]

This is what I’ve liked about the club since wests took over- they see a problem or area lacking and they address it. My only criticism is that this director role could have been appointed a couple of years earlier.

 

[Yosh]

Did he leave the Cowboys before the appointment of Payten or was it his call?

We have taken quite a few members away from the Cowboys in recent years it seems (Ponga, Zammit, Parr), they probably hate us even more now.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Did he leave the Cowboys before the appointment of Payten or was it his call?

We have taken quite a few members away from the Cowboys in recent years it seems (Ponga, Zammit, Parr), they probably hate us even more now.

Lets not forget our favourite son, Tuala

 

[Jono078]

Hope he convinces Nanai to come here in 2024.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Did he leave the Cowboys before the appointment of Payten or was it his call?

We have taken quite a few members away from the Cowboys in recent years it seems (Ponga, Zammit, Parr), they probably hate us even more now.

I read he had stepped down from the main position a year or so ago but was still a Director.
I wonder if we had a connection with him for a while which lead to us getting some Cowboys players.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Sounds like a good appointment to me. So would Parr be looking after our recruitment/retention & development moving forward? Is that the role he’s taking on? Or is he more there to oversee the coaching and stuff like that?

 

[Jono078]

Sounds like a good appointment to me. So would Parr be looking after our recruitment/retention & development moving forward? Is that the role he’s taking on? Or is he more there to oversee the coaching and stuff like that?

It’s a fair question. Cool title but what will he actually do. Hopefully more clarity around his position than a few other roles at club!

 

[PhilGould]

He's overseeing everything football-related by the sounds of it, so all of the above. AOB, Knowles, Zammit, Buderus (maybe? seems even more redundant now) etc will be answering to Parr, and he'll be the one finding their replacement if it's not working out.

I'd imagine the next 18 months there'll be a focus on getting the right staff (coaches, scouts, pathways) in the door but I'd say his main hands-on role will be managing the recruitment/retention. Or maybe he's out the door in a few months like Brennan was.

 

[Knight Tales]

It’s a fair question. Cool title but what will he actually do. Hopefully more clarity around his position than a few other roles at club!

I think he will help Phil run the club far
More efficiently on field. It is acknowledgment by Gardner he is still learning how to run an NRL club. Phil cops heaps of criticism about his perceived novice approach to the NRL but I think this shows he is very much aware of his current limitations. That is why he has been so successful.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Bedsy is and always has been a PR guy rather than having any real involvement in the footy side of things

The club rolls him out infront of the cameras when needed and into the corp boxes to schmooze. I mean, what other real qualifications does he actually have to do anything more?

 

[aqua_duck]

Bedsy is and always has been a PR guy rather than having any real involvement in the footy side of things

The club rolls him out infront of the cameras when needed and into the corp boxes to schmooze. I mean, what other real qualifications does he actually have to do anything more?

yep what I understand Bedsy will revert to more of a footy manager role which involves more admin and operational/hands on type stuff which i think will suit him

 

[Old dog]

All the hope and excitement won’t make it happen, think it better to wait for the dust to settle and see what eventuates, yes I am the dark cloud raining on your parade.
Will take a while for any direct improvement to happen which I really hope does.
Its the Knights and a familiar path, I hope we are not disappointed again

 

[Jono078]

All the hope and excitement won’t make it happen, think it better to wait for the dust to settle and see what eventuates, yes I am the dark cloud raining on your parade.
Will take a while for any direct improvement to happen which I really hope does.
Its the Knights and a familiar path, I hope we are not disappointed again

No guarantees ever but you can't question the ambition to be greater. It's all we can ask for.

 

[Johns Magic]

Don't think this helps AOB's chances of being our coach for 2023.

I wonder if it’s too late in the season for AOB to get culled. Maybe not.

My guess is AOB will get the start of next year, and be feeling the heat from the get-go. Head of Football appointments at struggling clubs was a noose around Barrett’s and Maguire’s necks.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

We still need a few more signings (starting with a first grade standard halfback/5-8 combo) for next season to be much of an improvement though. Our woeful lack of depth in key positions has been massively exposed this year. It’s up to AOB and the football department to get the best out of the players they’ve got though, which hasn’t happened this year. So whilst I think AOB should be given a chance with the right structure in 2023, the honeymoon period is most definitely over for him and he needs to prove that he can adapt and thrive as a coach. Otherwise he may be gone mid way through the year.

 

[Yosh]

Did Parr bring both Townsend and Dearden to the Cowboys? If he did, hopefully he can something similar for us.

Was he also the one that let Clifford go? Perhaps Clifford's days here are numbered?

 

[Jordan]

Parr did a lot of good to the Cowboys including putting together that 2015 squad. His biggest fault was his loyalty to that group of players.. his strategy was to basically keep that squad together for as long as possible, signing aging players to long term deals while neglecting our next crop of stars (Ponga, Kikau, Hughes, B. Smith, Uele etc). He was basically responsible for the 4 poor years after 2017 which the Cowboys are only just salvaging now. He also seemed to be pretty much untouchable. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a CEO go back to being a football manager. He seemed to be able to do whatever he pleased really.

I think overall he's someone good to have around the club though. Hopefully he's learnt from past mistakes.

 

[Yosh]

Gardner gets a pretty bad wrap around these parts but in the relatively short time he has been here, he has done some great work. Upgraded our facilities a bunch, brought in some great talent at management level and got Joey back at the club.

Have we all been tok quick in judging him?

 

[Jono078]

Gardner gets a pretty bad wrap around these parts but in the relatively short time he has been here, he has done some great work. Upgraded our facilities a bunch, brought in some great talent at management level and got Joey back at the club.

Have we all been tok quick in judging him?

He has his strength and weaknesses like anyone I guess.

Usually when he opens his mouth publicly it's not good, but behind the scenes he appears to be making the right moves - whether he's too involved or not I don't know.

Like I said earlier though, we've never been this pro-active before in trying to better ourselves and that's great signs, even if it doesn't completely workout.