The Parramatta Panthers? How close bitter NRL rivals came to merging [Fox Sports]

[The_Frog]

Let me know though, does the issue aboput the photgraphy raise doubts in your mind about him wanting out of football?

It points to him wanting the criteria to be fairly applied to his club and suggests he hadn't given up completely on Penrith getting through.

My understanding of him wanting to save money for the parent club came from the established wisdom of the time and since, but I accept Mulock was a politician with all that entails, and having read up on it I'm happy with Roger's version of events. The reading I did was the relevant chapter of Back in Black, which tells it largely from Roger's perspective.

 

[darkbloom]

It points to him wanting the criteria to be fairly applied to his club and suggests he hadn't given up completely on Penrith getting through.

My understanding of him wanting to save money for the parent club came from the established wisdom of the time and since, but I accept Mulock was a politician with all that entails, and having read up on it I'm happy with Roger's version of events. The reading I did was the relevant chapter of Back in Black, which tells it largely from Roger's perspective.

"Established wisdom" historically has been the architect of many an injustice - indeed, in many cases, it has led to far worse than injustice.

The preparedness of so many to accept the "established wisdom" over evidence. to me , is astounding. It is a state of the human mind that gives power to spin merchants and dictators alike. (Lol - there's another myth" Roger was a dictator!")

 

[Alintheeast]

I can’t disagree with anything from Frog or dark bloom, the only thing is the need to put a bit context from a (this) fan point of view, during the period from 1995 to 2000 we only made the semis 1997(SuperLeague) and 2000,the year after the merge was knocked back(funny that). In 2001 and 2002 finished last and 12th respectively. 2001 we let in 850 points. We were hopeless generally, I think the expectations were high and money was no object. We had a very good backline maybe a merge made sense. Parra under Brian Smith were travelling really well. Given the mess that is Western Suburbs Tigers glad we didn’t.

 

[darkbloom]

I can’t disagree with anything from Frog or dark bloom, the only thing is the need to put a bit context from a (this) fan point of view, during the period from 1995 to 2000 we only made the semis 1997(SuperLeague) and 2000,the year after the merge was knocked back(funny that). In 2001 and 2002 finished last and 12th respectively. 2001 we let in 850 points. We were hopeless generally, I think the expectations were high and money was no object. We had a very good backline maybe a merge made sense. Parra under Brian Smith were travelling really well. Given the mess that is Western Suburbs Tigers glad we didn’t.

Yes - you can add all these things up and breathe a sigh of relief - but facing critical decision-making and an inability to say definitely what the future will bring is a completely different kettle of fish. Now imagine it hadn't rained on the central coast for most of season 1999 and Norths were able to get some people to their games you might be looking at West Tigers and saying "If only we were able to be there and have that mess." Indeed that is what many Norths supporters would be saying.

 

[The_Frog]

"Established wisdom" historically has been the architect of many an injustice - indeed, in many cases, it has led to far worse than injustice.

I think this happened because the majority of fans were on the side of standing alone.

 

[darkbloom]

I think this happened because the majority of fans were on the side of standing alone.

So were all of the management at Panthers. ALL.

You might remember the Stand Alone / Save Our Team advertising and promotional campaign to help push the community into action - that was fully funded by Panthers. Not a single community member or business - except for Thomas Marsden Advertising who contributed worktime - contributed a single cent to that campaign. Nor any significant effort from any person other than those at Panthers and Marsden's.

Panthers wanted it to look like a groundswell of community action and public support - partially to get the community motivated to be more involved with the team but also to send a message to the game's administrators. But of c ourse Cowan wanted to get rid of RL to save money. Fair dinkum.

All the myths should stop - but it is hard to exorcize the demons and posons that have been inserted in peoples hearts and minds.

PS Do you believe that Established Wisdom a wise thing to put your faith in?

 

[BxTom]

So were all of the management at Panthers. ALL.

You might remember the Stand Alone / Save Our Team advertising and promotional campaign to help push the community into action - that was fully funded by Panthers. Not a single community member or business - except for Thomas Marsden Advertising who contributed worktime - contributed a single cent to that campaign. Nor any significant effort from any person other than those at Panthers and Marsden's.

Panthers wanted it to look like a groundswell of community action and public support - partially to get the community motivated to be more involved with the team but also to send a message to the game's administrators. But of c ourse Cowan wanted to get rid of RL to save money. Fair dinkum.

All the myths should stop - but it is hard to exorcize the demons and posons that have been inserted in peoples hearts and minds.

PS Do you believe that Established Wisdom a wise thing to put your faith in?

Herd mentality - what drives lemmings off cliffs.

 

[The_Frog]

So were all of the management at Panthers. ALL.

You might remember the Stand Alone / Save Our Team advertising and promotional campaign to help push the community into action - that was fully funded by Panthers. Not a single community member or business - except for Thomas Marsden Advertising who contributed worktime - contributed a single cent to that campaign. Nor any significant effort from any person other than those at Panthers and Marsden's.

Panthers wanted it to look like a groundswell of community action and public support - partially to get the community motivated to be more involved with the team but also to send a message to the game's administrators. But of c ourse Cowan wanted to get rid of RL to save money. Fair dinkum.

All the myths should stop - but it is hard to exorcize the demons and posons that have been inserted in peoples hearts and minds.

PS Do you believe that Established Wisdom a wise thing to put your faith in?

In the end, Roger backed the wrong horse. It was close, but that's the way it was.

 

[darkbloom]

In the end, Roger backed the wrong horse. It was close, but that's the way it was.

What horse did he back that was wrong? He fought to have Penrith represented and that was what happened - the same journey he had been on since about 1963.

 

[The_Frog]

What horse did he back that was wrong? He fought to have Penrith represented and that was what happened - the same journey he had been on since about 1963.

The merger horse.

 

[darkbloom]

The merger horse.

Hang on to your established wisdom for dear life - it will keep you warm, Cheers.

 

[The_Frog]

Hang on to your established wisdom for dear life - it will keep you warm, Cheers.

Back where we started. That he wanted to merge isn't disputed anywhere, only the reason. He was a great man in the history of this club, second only to Merv as an admin, but he didn't have public opinion on his side on that one. Can we just leave it at that now.

 

[BxTom]

The merger horse.

Only half an answer. Misleading.

 

[darkbloom]

This was pretty common knowledge back in the early days of the NRL. Roger Cowan was keen as mustard because it would save Panthers several million a year.

It points to him wanting the criteria to be fairly applied to his club and suggests he hadn't given up completely on Penrith getting through.

My understanding of him wanting to save money for the parent club came from the established wisdom of the time and since, but I accept Mulock was a politician with all that entails, and having read up on it I'm happy with Roger's version of events. The reading I did was the relevant chapter of Back in Black, which tells it largely from Roger's perspective.

The reason or reasons for taking action are critical in importance. Perhaps you might concede that the issues around the time were far more complex than these one-dimensional statements. And maybe you too can fight against the simplistic, mythical etablished wisdom that Roger wanted to be rid of football.

 

[The_Frog]

The reason or reasons for taking action are critical in importance. Perhaps you might concede that the issues around the time were far more complex than these one-dimensional statements. And maybe you too can fight against the simplistic, mythical etablished wisdom that Roger wanted to be rid of football.

I'll leave that to you. I'll remember him as the second best administrator in the Panthers history.

 

[darkbloom]

LOL - how many have there been? I guess in the football club there were qyuite a few up until 1984 when some stability came from the joining of the two boards.

 

[Kilkenny]

The supposed merger never came to fruition so it is really a non issue. Ancient history.

 

[darkbloom]

The supposed merger never came to fruition so it is really a non issue. Ancient history.

Correct that is not the issue at hand at all.

 

[Kilkenny]

Correct that is not the issue at hand at all.

I May have missed the issue, I didn’t go back to far in this thread, so the issue is?

 

[darkbloom]

I May have missed the issue, I didn’t go back to far in this thread, so the issue is?

Myths.