Parramatta Eels Women's NRL Team

[TheRam]

Remember what Hitler said. First you get the women, then the children and so will follow the the men.

Oh wait, that might of been a quote by my Grand Dragon Exalted Cyclops Imperial Wizard leader at our last weekend roasting. Ummm....I mean BBQ bonding get together session.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Guys. Womens participation in sport is booming. It is easily the fastest growing sector of sports participation.

This is not just on the field but also the government funding of initiatives, schools and corporate support (anyone who has been to the cinema recently would have seen the awesome ads that NAB are doing for WAFL, they make me want to get a constructed vagina and play WAFL). There are also those Special K ads on TV for WAFL. There are probably a bunch of others that I can't stand watching.

AFL research has indicated that if you play a sport you are 6 times more likely to watch the sport on TV or attend a game. The games are on FOX and free to air, this means that there is a lot more exposure for the clubs sponsors.

The NRL gets it, they have seen what is going on whilst, as usual, the clubs have not (remember how late we were in relation to membership - thank god the NRL insisted in that area right).

Parramatta is arguably the biggest club in Sydney we should aim to be the biggest sporting club in Australia. We have to get in on this now.

You’re confusing amateur participation with funding a ‘professional’ competition no merkin will watch.

Rugby league stakeholders are reluctant to fund junior rep footy, which develops high value TV ‘products’ of the future (which is where the game’s earning potential comes from). They will get sick of funding this other thing very quickly. Just like they tired of treating the under 20s comp like a professional outfit.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Parra isn't a basket case we are arguably the biggest football club in Sydney. To grow you have to have courage and vision and be a leader.

It wasn’t very long ago that we were. I am glad we don’t have reckless merkins running our club. It needs a stable pair of hands at the moment.

 

[T-Boon]

I'm happy with our participation in Tarsha Gale and TBH think that the WNRL has got a bit of keeping up with the Jones smell about it bc Rugby, Cricket and AFL have their womens leagues.

Totally. However, we need to trust that the AFL get this stuff right a f**k load more than NRL clubs do. Like probably a 100% record. They do their research, we should just bludge off their research and copy cat them until we learn or somehow find a way to overtake them as the leaders of the country in terms of sporting organisation decisions.

I asked the qn above: we (eels) are getting aimed at for opting out (so far) of the WNRL, but are there enough quality players for an elite league or is the importance of an elite league of any skill level driving this ?

6 teams is correct number. 4 is too few.
There is enough talent for a good 6 team WNRL competition. There are 40 women signed onto centralised Jillaroos type contract. Divide those up between 6. There are a stack of women in NZ who want in, some girls from England would come out and so would PNG. You could get some women rugby players. You can promote the best girls from the TG cup.
In my opinion Parra (the power house of the heartland) needs to be one of the 6 teams for the comp to be taken seriously.

 

[T-Boon]

Mate, with all due respect. Bernie is a seasoned professional CEO and business executive. I think he probably knows how to pitch to his board/bosses for budgets and has either done this and not got the money or made his own determination that joining the WNRL in 2018 is not one of the priorities he needs to push at the moment.

He has been around for a long time and I would back him on the tried and tested stuff but this is a new area and I think he needs it explained to him just like me you and everyone else.

 

[T-Boon]

Rugby league stakeholders are reluctant to fund junior rep footy, which develops high value TV ‘products’ of the future (which is where the game’s earning potential comes from). They will get sick of funding this other thing very quickly. Just like they tired of treating the under 20s comp like a professional outfit.

Under 20s was good for a while and remained a very good thing in terms of attracting kids to play the game or at least giving them a step along the way to focus on. The TV exposure limited as it was was pretty damn good.
Where it ultimately failed was it wasn't an elite junior comp as was originally intended so much as just a level below reserve grade. Another step along the way. The good kids with 20s eligibility were not just in first grade but in the Jim Bean Cup or whatever it is. Once that started happening it was doomed.
This WNRL is a totally different beast. It has the backing of monster that is feminist/equality agenda. All the games will be on Fox and hopefully some will be on Nine. It should be at least as strong as the WAFL except because it could actually look good (given how good the world cup looked) it could even be better.

 

[T-Boon]

If we didn't have a Godzilla like competitor out there to grab the hearts and minds of the kids, women and men of the West, then sure the slowly, slowly, wait and see strategy may make some sense.

But all I see is we will continue to play catch up to the AFL in everything pertaining to the long term future success of our respective sports. WAFL is everywhere and continuing to grow its footprint as a thriving professional and successful sport in its own right. The AFL media machine and its acolytes have seen to that.

The NRL is already 3 steps behind the Women's version and 10 steps behind the mens in almost everything they do. With what is continuously going on at the ARLC, I can't see this ever changing and ultimately, 20-30 years down the track, not to many people will really care.

Remember what Hitler said. First you get the women, then the children and so will follow the the men.

This is gold.

 

[Gronk]

Totally. However, we need to trust that the AFL get this stuff right a f**k load more than NRL clubs do. Like probably a 100% record. They do their research, we should just bludge off their research and copy cat them until we learn or somehow find a way to overtake them as the leaders of the country in terms of sporting organisation decisions.

6 teams is correct number. 4 is too few.
There is enough talent for a good 6 team WNRL competition. There are 40 women signed onto centralised Jillaroos type contract. Divide those up between 6. There are a stack of women in NZ who want in, some girls from England would come out and so would PNG. You could get some women rugby players. You can promote the best girls from the TG cup.
In my opinion Parra (the power house of the heartland) needs to be one of the 6 teams for the comp to be taken seriously.

So how can we be a "power house" in the new WNRL if all the Jillaroos have aligned themselves to Broncos, Sharks, Rabbitohs, Roosters and Dragons ? Do you want us to start from scratch and get lapped ?

 

[Gary Gutful]

I wonder if T-Boon or TheRam have ever been involved in developing a strategy for an organisation.

One of the key things you need to do is understand who you are and what your role is. For every opportunity there is a constraint that only a fool would ignore.

Off the back of this you conduct a materiality assessment to determine what is important to your business and then set realistic and achievable targets that ensure you make progress in the areas that are important.

I suspect Bernie knows this better than anyone and isn’t likely to be persuaded by some poorly thought out foaming at the mouth gibber about the WNRL and AFL.

 

[T-Boon]

So how can we be a "power house" in the new WNRL if all the Jillaroos have aligned themselves to Broncos, Sharks, Rabbitohs, Roosters and Dragons ? Do you want us to start from scratch and get lapped ?

I don't think the players are particularly aligned with those other clubs yet (though the Qld players probably want in with Brisbane). If they are aligned they need to solve it with a draft which would be cool in itself.

 

[emjaycee]

I wonder if T-Boon or TheRam have ever been involved in developing a strategy for an organisation.

One of the key things you need to do is understand who you are and what your role is. For every opportunity there is a constraint that only a fool would ignore.

Off the back of this you conduct a materiality assessment to determine what is important to your business and then set realistic and achievable targets that ensure you make progress in the areas that are important.

I suspect Bernie knows this better than anyone and isn’t likely to be persuaded by some poorly thought out foaming at the mouth gibber about the WNRL and AFL.

Hey @Gary Gutful, it sounds like we would be better off with a board comprising failed accountants, restaurateur's, former footballers and politicians and a CEO with nothing but a strong merchandising background.

 

[Gary Gutful]

Hey @Gary Gutful, it sounds like we would be better off with a board comprising failed accountants, restaurateur's, former footballers and politicians and a CEO with nothing but a strong merchandising background.

What could possibly go wrong!

 

[T-Boon]

The NRL had a big change of direction about the WNRL 3 months ago because they know something is up. "Crap, got to act now." Why would that apply to the NRL but not the Parramatta Eels?

Are we supposed to accept that the Parra RLFC CEO and board are smarter than the NRL and the AFL.

Pull the finger out.

 

[hineyrulz]

No surprises the troll gushing over the AFL, this is the same woman’s comp that no one pays to watch with shithouse tv ratings.

They can afford to blow money
On this concept RL after years of underfunding just isn’t in that same position. We have just come off two years and a loss of over 22m yeah we are really in the position to start up a team in this Tokensim Comp.

 

[RockWheel]

3 months ago? so most (i'm gonna say all) clubs would have already budgeted for the upcoming season? it's not unreasonable for the club to say 'ah sorry, can't afford it we'll pass this year, maybe next sesaon'.

i think maybe the nrl overextended, they could have announced the comp for next season, and give the clubs more time to prepare.

 

[hineyrulz]

3 months ago? so most (i'm gonna say all) clubs would have already budgeted for the upcoming season? it's not unreasonable for the club to say 'ah sorry, can't afford it we'll pass this year, maybe next sesaon'.

i think maybe the nrl overextended, they could have announced the comp for next season, and give the clubs more time to prepare.

Policy on the run with Toddles???

Say it ain’t so???

 

[T-Boon]

"If you talk to sponsors and you talk to governments that are funding sports clubs, if you are not providing that diversity then you will be left behind"

Guess who said that.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

What's good for the NRL isn't necessarily good for the Parramatta Eels.

 

[Gronk]

The NRL had a big change of direction about the WNRL 3 months ago because they know something is up. "Crap, got to act now." Why would that apply to the NRL but not the Parramatta Eels?

Are we supposed to accept that the Parra RLFC CEO and board are smarter than the NRL and the AFL.

Pull the finger out.

Yeah I bet that clubs are queuing up to make a loss on the WNRL.

If Bernie wanted to blow $500k, he'd go to Vegas.

 

[T-Boon]

What's good for the NRL isn't necessarily good for the Parramatta Eels.

That sounds good in a Yoda way but in reality it is gibberish.
The reasons the NRL are jumping now are the same reasons Parra should.