Parramatta finally give Anderson the boot
Adrian Proszenko
September 27, 2010
DANIEL ANDERSON was sacked as Parramatta coach at an emergency board meeting last night.
The matter was due to be resolved at a scheduled meeting of directors tomorrow but speculation prompted the gathering of powerbrokers at Eels headquarters.
They voted to terminate Anderson's contract although he had a year remaining on the deal. Eels chairman Roy Spagnolo last month guaranteed Anderson would see out his tenure, but several directors had described his position as untenable.
Anderson, who is paid a salary of $300,000 a year, guided the Eels to an unlikely grand-final appearance in his first season at the helm. But after starting the year as premiership favourites, the Eels finished a disappointing 12th.
Anderson was on shaky ground even before his side was out of play-off contention. Eels boss Paul Osborne approached Melbourne assistant Stephen Kearney, the Kiwi coach, about taking over.
Former Storm assistant Michael Maguire was also approached earlier this season, although Kearney is almost certain to be formally offered the job in coming days.
"At the conclusion of the Eels' 2010 NRL season, a committee was appointed to review the performance of the team, and the club as a business unit. This comprised of current directors Glenn Duncan and Geoff Gerard and CEO Paul Osborne," Parramatta chairman Roy Spagnolo said in a statement last night.
"After a strategic review into the football operations and team performance, the board determined that the team did not make the progress this year that it should have and, moving forward on that basis, the board felt the club would be best served with a new coach.
"As a board, we have a responsibility to our members to follow due process and have the courage to make tough decisions when necessary. This is one of those very tough decisions but we feel it is the right one, considering the best interests of the club's long-term development.
"The board would like to thank Daniel for his dedicated efforts with the team in the past two seasons. We wish him well in the future."
Anderson is holidaying interstate and his agent, Jim Banaghan, is in New Zealand. Banaghan is expected to next be in Sydney tomorrow.
The news could cause further division in the Eels' ranks.
Senior players, including this year's co-captains Nathan Hindmarsh and Nathan Cayless, have called for Anderson to be retained to ensure stability. Their public stance prompted Spagnolo to guarantee Anderson's position was safe.
''We had a bit of a meeting with some players probably about six weeks ago and we were given some assurances that he was going to be the coach for next year and beyond,'' Cayless told New Zealand's Radio Sport yesterday. ''Daniel hasn't changed as a coach from what he did last year to this year. It's very disappointing for Daniel - I believe he's a great coach; he's taken a number of sides to grand finals.''
Kearney was diplomatic when asked about the situation yesterday.
''[My] links with the club go back a couple of months now,'' he told Radio Sport. ''As I said then to Paul Osborne … I didn't want to be involved or enter into any discussion with the club until a decision has been made in terms of who the coach is. That position hasn't changed as yet.''
Asked if he felt for Anderson, Kearney replied: ''I certainly sympathise with the situation that Daniel finds himself in.''
Duncan said that Kearney was his preferred choice as replacement, but said that former Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart had some support at board level.
