Parramatta Eels Coach Sacked Post by: The Grill Team 27 September, 2010 - 11:50 AM
Parramatta Eels coach Daniel Anderson has been sacked after an "extraordinary" board meeting, Eels CEO Paul Osborne told Triple M Sydney's the Grill Team this morning.
"We've got a lot of members, sponsorship's up, but on the field our form's been patchy. We started the year as premiership favourites, and ended up coming twelfth. At the end of the day, that's ultimately the reason that he's not with us next year."
"In the last eight or nine years, Parramatta have gone through Daniel Anderson, Michael Hagan, Brian Smith. How much of a say do the players have in the sacking of Daniel Anderson?" Triple M Sydney's Mark "MG" Geyer asked Osborne.
"I think generally they supported him, a few didn't, but the majority did," Osborne responded after a long pause. "You and I have both been players, and whilst the players' views are important, sometimes you have to look at everything and make a decision that's in the best interests of the club."
The media initially reported that Osborne asked Anderson to resign on Friday. Osbourne disputed this, "what I did say was that if it was looking like he didn't have the numbers [within the Eels board], what did he want to do, did he want to resign early or go through to the end, and he indicated he wanted to go though ... it was a pretty short conversation."
Unfortunately for Anderson, the board decided to let him go during the emergency board meeting called last night.
"[Anderson] felt that he was under the pump for quite a while. At the end of the day, it's been a disappointing season for us on the field, a lot of expectation at the start of the year. It's a pretty brutal game, rugby league, and unfortunately the club's made this decision."
"I hope Stephen Kearney, the new coach, gets a good run at the title and if he doesn't get a premiership next year he keeps his job!" Triple M Sydney's Stuart MacGill said as Osbourne said goodbye to the Grill Team.