Nuffy
Bench
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- 4,075
Long Post
Before I wrote this note, my first thought was why bother as I truly believe that many within our club and supporters dont really care about performance, success or winning premierships. Working for the Knights or supporting our local boys is good enough.
But they dont grasp the fact that longevity isnt guaranteed and mediocrity ensures ultimate failure.
The NRL is an entertainment business and it is competing for the hearts and minds of increasingly fickle and short attention span customers. The club has totally missed this point; they assume that we will sign more members, more sponsors and better players whilst missing the finals in 6 of the last 10 years.
In that same decade, the club has won 3 finals games in total whilst Manly has made 4 grand finals.
Why would a family come along to a home game when the team performs like they did against the Broncos? We arent trying to win over the rusted on fans, we need the new fans and families, we need the little kids and frankly, for those fans to become rusted on, they need a competitive and successful team.
We havent given them that for a decade and losing more home games than you win typically gives the fans a reason to stay away. If something doesnt change, we are most certainly on the same trajectory as Souths were circa the early 2000s; playing to 4-5000 fans and getting beat most weeks.
I dont believe we have a plan to correct the situation and I dont accept that playing in the NRL is success enough.
Something must change.
I dont accept that Newcastle isnt a desirable location, if Townsville and Canberra can sign players, then so can we but I do think that we do a poor job of selling the place and our poor performance as a club is the biggest impediment.
Something must change.
Weve produced 3 Origin players in a decade with what is claimed to be one of the best junior nurseries, either our junior development is poor or our nursery isnt what it once was. We need a new philosophy. Local players over imports are a fools errand.
Do Melbourne supporters care that literally none of their team is from Victoria, when Souths won the comp did any of their care where their players were from, do the Cowboys care where their players come from?
In 1997 did we care that MG and Butts were from Sydney, Robbie O from Queensland and Mad Dog from Sydney? Why is it an issue now?
Build a successful team, that will do more to develop players and RL in the region than the locals first mentality that we seem to have.
Something must change.
There is a world class university and a world class Hunter Medical Research Institute both of which are happy to have the best and brightest, yet is seems that the Knights only want people who are from Newcastle; it seemed to be one of the key requirements when we signed our current coach. That type of thinking is so limiting and frankly demeaning.
The board, who seem invisible, talked once about reconnecting with the community. It is really simple; give us a team that is competitive, aggressive and plays enterprising footy, that will be all you need.
People will start talking positively again about the Knights, kids will be buzzing on a Monday morning and pestering their parents to take them to a game. Not like now where my mates son got hassled at a Hunter Valley school about supporting the Knights and told how lame the Knights were, the worst possible description in that age group. The little boy of seven doesnt follow footy anymore because he doesnt want to get hassled.
A straw poll shows that the Bunnies, Dogs, Broncos and Melbourne are more popular at that Hunter Valley school than the Knights. What is the common theme here?
I recall that in the early days of Melbourne, they knew that they needed a competitive team and success quickly to cement their place in the sporting landscape down there, why would we think otherwise; we need success to re-establish our place in the hearts and minds of Newcastle.
I went to a local Lambton pub before the Saints game and most of the locals I know just laughed when I said I was off to the footy. The most common comment was "why would you waste your time" This in Knights heartland.
Something must change.
We have a novice CEO and an owner who has no interest in whether we are successful or not, I would argue that they need us but really dont want us to be successful because that would limit opportunities for the more popular clubs in bigger markets.
Its telling that in the first two weeks of NRL ownership, we were directed to cut costs aggressively and in the first two weeks of NRL ownership of the Titans, they signed Cherry Evans.
We must get away from the NRL and chart our own direction. We need a CEO who can hold their own against the NRL and against the politicking of the other clubs.
Something must change.
Souths established a plan and worked it, it culminated in a premiership. Penrith have publically stated that they have a 5 year plan. The Broncos have an annual expectation of a top 4 berth. Whats our lofty goals, where is our strategic plan and timeline. Do we even have one or is every year just a clean sheet of paper, crossed fingers and hoping for good luck.
Hope isnt a strategy.
What are our recruitment plans and retention priorities or do we just hand out upgrades to locals and see what happens. It genuinely beggars belief that we are spending the same salary cap as Souths, Broncos, and Easts etc. Our cap management is diabolical, we let marquee players go like Beau Scott and yet cant sign anyone of note.
Any one of the Broncos second stringers would be a permanent starter in our team, the opposite would be said about our first grade team.
Our director of football seems to think that the salary cap management is like nuclear fusion and not easily understand and mastered, some clubs do it very well and we dont, until we do, we are behind the eight ball.
When the greatest Knight comes out and says that the team is an embarrassment and that the players arent putting in, something must be done. When Wayne Bennett enjoys success at every club he has been at except the Knights, then our club is broken.
Something must change.
So I decided that I can be bothered and I will agitate for change, we did it before and it seems that we need to do it again.
So I am asking for help from whoever wants to help. I will put my time and money where my mouth is and I ask you to do the same.
We need to pressure the board, CEO and club to drive change or at least hold them accountable for the state we find ourselves in.
We will do all we can and hopefully we can change the direction of the club, I worry that we are running out of time and chances to turn things around.
We will need a social media and email campaign to raise awareness within the fan base and media to our concerns for the club. Its not a medium to bag specific players, it is all about the structures of the club, the levels of accountability and the governance of the board and I intend to ask tough questions about the future direction of the club.
We cant afford to fail.
Please nominate if you wish to help and all constructive suggestions will be incorporated as much as possible.
Lets do our best and make this happen.
Before I wrote this note, my first thought was why bother as I truly believe that many within our club and supporters dont really care about performance, success or winning premierships. Working for the Knights or supporting our local boys is good enough.
But they dont grasp the fact that longevity isnt guaranteed and mediocrity ensures ultimate failure.
The NRL is an entertainment business and it is competing for the hearts and minds of increasingly fickle and short attention span customers. The club has totally missed this point; they assume that we will sign more members, more sponsors and better players whilst missing the finals in 6 of the last 10 years.
In that same decade, the club has won 3 finals games in total whilst Manly has made 4 grand finals.
Why would a family come along to a home game when the team performs like they did against the Broncos? We arent trying to win over the rusted on fans, we need the new fans and families, we need the little kids and frankly, for those fans to become rusted on, they need a competitive and successful team.
We havent given them that for a decade and losing more home games than you win typically gives the fans a reason to stay away. If something doesnt change, we are most certainly on the same trajectory as Souths were circa the early 2000s; playing to 4-5000 fans and getting beat most weeks.
I dont believe we have a plan to correct the situation and I dont accept that playing in the NRL is success enough.
Something must change.
I dont accept that Newcastle isnt a desirable location, if Townsville and Canberra can sign players, then so can we but I do think that we do a poor job of selling the place and our poor performance as a club is the biggest impediment.
Something must change.
Weve produced 3 Origin players in a decade with what is claimed to be one of the best junior nurseries, either our junior development is poor or our nursery isnt what it once was. We need a new philosophy. Local players over imports are a fools errand.
Do Melbourne supporters care that literally none of their team is from Victoria, when Souths won the comp did any of their care where their players were from, do the Cowboys care where their players come from?
In 1997 did we care that MG and Butts were from Sydney, Robbie O from Queensland and Mad Dog from Sydney? Why is it an issue now?
Build a successful team, that will do more to develop players and RL in the region than the locals first mentality that we seem to have.
Something must change.
There is a world class university and a world class Hunter Medical Research Institute both of which are happy to have the best and brightest, yet is seems that the Knights only want people who are from Newcastle; it seemed to be one of the key requirements when we signed our current coach. That type of thinking is so limiting and frankly demeaning.
The board, who seem invisible, talked once about reconnecting with the community. It is really simple; give us a team that is competitive, aggressive and plays enterprising footy, that will be all you need.
People will start talking positively again about the Knights, kids will be buzzing on a Monday morning and pestering their parents to take them to a game. Not like now where my mates son got hassled at a Hunter Valley school about supporting the Knights and told how lame the Knights were, the worst possible description in that age group. The little boy of seven doesnt follow footy anymore because he doesnt want to get hassled.
A straw poll shows that the Bunnies, Dogs, Broncos and Melbourne are more popular at that Hunter Valley school than the Knights. What is the common theme here?
I recall that in the early days of Melbourne, they knew that they needed a competitive team and success quickly to cement their place in the sporting landscape down there, why would we think otherwise; we need success to re-establish our place in the hearts and minds of Newcastle.
I went to a local Lambton pub before the Saints game and most of the locals I know just laughed when I said I was off to the footy. The most common comment was "why would you waste your time" This in Knights heartland.
Something must change.
We have a novice CEO and an owner who has no interest in whether we are successful or not, I would argue that they need us but really dont want us to be successful because that would limit opportunities for the more popular clubs in bigger markets.
Its telling that in the first two weeks of NRL ownership, we were directed to cut costs aggressively and in the first two weeks of NRL ownership of the Titans, they signed Cherry Evans.
We must get away from the NRL and chart our own direction. We need a CEO who can hold their own against the NRL and against the politicking of the other clubs.
Something must change.
Souths established a plan and worked it, it culminated in a premiership. Penrith have publically stated that they have a 5 year plan. The Broncos have an annual expectation of a top 4 berth. Whats our lofty goals, where is our strategic plan and timeline. Do we even have one or is every year just a clean sheet of paper, crossed fingers and hoping for good luck.
Hope isnt a strategy.
What are our recruitment plans and retention priorities or do we just hand out upgrades to locals and see what happens. It genuinely beggars belief that we are spending the same salary cap as Souths, Broncos, and Easts etc. Our cap management is diabolical, we let marquee players go like Beau Scott and yet cant sign anyone of note.
Any one of the Broncos second stringers would be a permanent starter in our team, the opposite would be said about our first grade team.
Our director of football seems to think that the salary cap management is like nuclear fusion and not easily understand and mastered, some clubs do it very well and we dont, until we do, we are behind the eight ball.
When the greatest Knight comes out and says that the team is an embarrassment and that the players arent putting in, something must be done. When Wayne Bennett enjoys success at every club he has been at except the Knights, then our club is broken.
Something must change.
So I decided that I can be bothered and I will agitate for change, we did it before and it seems that we need to do it again.
So I am asking for help from whoever wants to help. I will put my time and money where my mouth is and I ask you to do the same.
We need to pressure the board, CEO and club to drive change or at least hold them accountable for the state we find ourselves in.
We will do all we can and hopefully we can change the direction of the club, I worry that we are running out of time and chances to turn things around.
We will need a social media and email campaign to raise awareness within the fan base and media to our concerns for the club. Its not a medium to bag specific players, it is all about the structures of the club, the levels of accountability and the governance of the board and I intend to ask tough questions about the future direction of the club.
We cant afford to fail.
Please nominate if you wish to help and all constructive suggestions will be incorporated as much as possible.
Lets do our best and make this happen.
