New Parramatta Eels boss breaks silence on Jarryd Hayne and match-fixing dramas
Interim Parramatta chief executive Bevan Paul believes the club has overcome the off-field dramas Jarryd Hayne used as an excuse not to rejoin it and has vowed to beef up integrity protocols after allegations the club was involved in two of the three matches the police are investigating for alleged match fixing.
Paul, already the chief executive of the Parramatta Leagues Club, is overseeing the Eels until a permanent boss has been secured. Along with temporary administrator and Eels chairman Max Donnelly, Paul has been charged with restoring faith in the blue and golds after the most tumultuous period in the club's history.
Paul has only been at the helm for a matter of weeks but has already made his presence felt, re-signing Brad Arthur in the strongest possible endorsement of the coach. But the club continues to be in the spotlight, most recently for missing out on the signature of Hayne, then after revelations police are investigating a match against Manly in which a betting trail leads back to former skipper Kieran Foran.
Hayne claimed he signed with the Gold Coast because of the political instability at Parramatta, although he later withdrew his assertion that the Eels hadn't tabled him an offer. In his first interview since taking over at the Eels, Paul said Parramatta had addressed the governance issues Hayne claimed forced him to the holiday strip.
New horizon: Things are looking up for the Parramatta Eels. Photo: Getty Images
"The club made a carefully considered offer to Jarryd, which ended up not being enough," Paul told Fairfax Media.
"There's really not much more to it than that. Bidding wars aren't healthy. As Max and Brad have already stated, we've had to consider the team as a whole and not just the individual.
"[Political instability] didn't come up in discussions that I'm aware of. Any player considering a club would have to consider the landscape and its stability. However, at Parramatta, with the appointment of an administrator, the ability to reset and neutralise any politics makes us a pretty stable option.
"Putting aside the money for a second, if you look at political stability, we're pretty stable at the moment."
Given Parramatta granted Hayne a release from his contract to pursue his NFL dream at a difficult period for the club, most expected the cross-code star to return. But Hayne accepted a $2.4 million, two-year Titans deal when the Eels could only offer that amount over three seasons.
"We made an offer, the offer was rejected and within 24 hours we had become aware that a higher offer had been accepted," Paul said.
"No doubt there are other factors at play. The history of Parramatta is a reasonable factor to consider. However, you also have to consider the future of Parramatta. We are a high-performing business, we make a lot of money, we're well funded and the appointment of the administrator allows us to address a lot of the concerns potential recruits may have.
"Jarryd is looking backwards at what it was, and it was that way. It's not that way now.
"You've got to pay the rent and look after yourself financially, but there are other factors to consider. I don't know what weighting Jarryd gave those, that's a matter for Jarryd.
"We only wish him the best. It's only good for the game that Jarryd is coming back. Parramatta fans would have loved to have him back but it's not to be."
The match-fixing allegations are yet another spot fire Paul has had to address. He is reluctant to comment on the Foran issue, as he wasn't in charge of the Eels during the match in question. But his experience overseeing registered clubs gives him a strong compliance background and he indicates there may be some things he can apply from his stint implementing defence base contracts at Duntroon that can improve integrity protocols at the Eels.
"It's been in my mind that there need to be some better protocols put in place," he said.
"I don't want them to be seen as punitive, disciplinary or knee jerk. I want there to be an engagement process with the players and Brad. I don't intend to implement anything without appropriate consultation and engagement with Brad, his coaching staff and the playing group."
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...e-and-matchfixing-dramas-20160806-gqmkaq.html
