until the club says recruitment for 2012 is over then there is no point blowing up if you are not happy with our recruitment because it may not be finished.
I don't think people have a right to blow up even if we don't do any more recruitment.
And my thoughts on this have nothing to do with who we have already signed - i think people have no right to complain about signings simply because it is impossible to know all the nuances in the recruitment process and to understand why certain players are or aren't signed.
Fans constantly bag players out, even thought there are many things that the fans can't see. They are not in a position to see the full effect a player has on his teammates. They can not see the skill that a player shows in training that has not yet transferred to the game. They are not aware of what the coaches instructions were and whether that player carried them out.
However, at least in these situations, a fan can see the players performance to some degree, as it is right there on the field every week. So, there is some justification when the fans bag out the players, though - due to the numerous things that they can't see - they are as often wrong as right.
BUT, when it comes to negotiations, the fans KNOW NOTHING. There are a million different things that can put off any negotiation, in any walk of life, and it is not the job of the Parramatta Eels recruiters to pay more than they think a player is worth, or acquiesce to player's (or his slimy agent's) requests if they don't think that he is worth it.
And that's just the money part. There is also the element of the character that you are bringing to the club, and whether they will compliment the current characters etc. (eg Brian Smith went out of is way to buy "talkers" before 2005, because he felt the team was too quiet on the field). Rugby League doesn't have a normal interview process - we don't advertise that we need a fast winger for example - so the negotiation is essentially the interview. If a player exhibits a certain character in the negotiation process, then the club may not want him, but another club may not see that character, or may want it.
If you actually find out what someone is paid and you think that they are overpaid, then perhaps you have a right to complain. And if the people at the club responsible for recruitment continually, year after year, give us an average squad, then perhaps we as fans should complain (as long as we are comfortable that we have the money to spend year after year). But apart from that I think fans should realise that they don't know squat about the recuitment processes.
