Where to from here

[slotmachine]

Haha, can't argue with that.

I see the usual suspects have popped up in the herald demanding representation on the new board, because it's worked so well for the last 25+ years.

 

[Alex28]

I am staggered that once Tinks walked away, plan B was not inacted straightaway. All parties have been talking for 10 weeks and a plan isn't ready.

Mate - surely you know by now this is the Newcastle way. Wouldn't expect any less!

 

[Nuffy]

Mate - surely you know by now this is the Newcastle way. Wouldn't expect any less!

Of course you are right but it doesnt make it right....................

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

We know nothing. We still have our coach. Until that changes we can only trust the powers that be. Rumours today are anything from it is just the beginning of a player exodus to us moving Cuthbo on because Tariq Sims has agreed to terms as has Hannant. Who knows. Trying to keep any speculation to aminimum cos never before have I felt so uneasy about our ability to still be THE KNIGHTS.

The NRL could insist on us becoming the HUNTER KNIGHTS or some other name to reboot the club and to change our entire licence. Personally I could live with that name. It is actually a much cooler name to sell cos it would invite the entire region into believing the club was theirs. Up in the Hunter there are people who take issue with the Newcastle city bias when the reality the majority of juniors have long come from our country towns. Takes away the Newcastle stigma as well. All of asudden they are talking about the famous vineyards and coalfields rather than the industrial city of Blue Collar folk. I have my doubts about Novocastrians still being comfortable with being labelled blue collar. It is not 1997. WESTS Group would also have to address their brand against an NRL licence. I doubt they will acquiesce to giving up the name WESTS to fit with the NRL's agenda.

They could (as in, they would have the power to) but they never will....

People keep talking about the ARLC bureaucrats as robots that cant understand emotion or passion, but this is the same commission that talked Telstra into giving up the trophy naming rights so they could call it the "Proven-Summons Trophy" as a nice throwback. The smae ARLC that took back the NRL logo rather than selling out to sponsors like Gallop did.

In comparison, the track record of "passionate" boardmembers of the knights is shit!!! They were the ones that thought it would be a good idea to change jerseys every 3 years.

Of those 2 groups, i have more faith in the ARLC to hang onto the traditions of the club, just because they know how valuable it is; they wont get caught up in cheap gimmicks like these past boards have.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Go for it Nuffy cos it sounds like we need at least one board member who gets the soul of our club. Problem is though I would not be surprised if WESTS and the NRL pick a formidable team of businessmen with little or no knowledge of the joint.

"soul of the club" and "knowledge of the joint" are generic buzzwords that sound great until you have to discribe what they mean...

Can you name any decisions at all that would require this deep spiritual attachment to the club where the directors cant just ask a sample group of fans???? because i cant think of anything.

They will be there to make us profitable and make all calls with little or no member input. The argument will be if we succeed on field the fans will be happy with the model in place they choose.

I image the arguement would be that this structure would make the knights successful off the field and on the field will be as much a lottery as every.

 

[The Showstopper]

I am fully aware that our token board members have sucked for a very long time. Gidley and Harragon are just a waste of time at board level. Chief cannot seem to divorce emotion from anything and basically comes off as immature when asked serious questions about the club. Still living in his glory days. He is a great fella to be sure but that means nothing to me when the club need a head kicker to make tough decisions.

Basically people who can tell ex players to stay out of it. What gets forgotten here is that any player is an employee and that they are no different to anyone else who works when it comes to business. The sense of entitlement at the Knights is breathtakingly naive in my eyes. It lends itself to idol worship which means GAME OVER at any level when you want rational decisions for the masses and not a simple few.

I have no real answers to what we need. My suggestions are that we need radical change and to take a near revolutionary stance to ensure we keep up with the rest of the game. Nothing more. Nothing less.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

What situation to be in. Has been a while since I have been around these parts but my lord have things gone to shit in a hurry. WESTS clearly have a lot of huge questions to answer and boxes to tick before they sign off on any of this. I just hope we start hearing some concrete plans.

 

[Nuffy]

Been away all week and I note that there is still no clear pathway forward.

Not like we are in a hurry, things are going so well, time is on our side.

 

[aqua_duck]

Wayne needs to take a long hard look in the mirror and ask himself what he can do to earn his pay, at the moment the team look like they don't even get coached

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

Wayne needs to piss off with all his staff and 30+ year olds and let stone with hopefully with a few bob in the bank turn us into a side that isn't getting more embarrassing by the week ffs enough is enough.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

The only way I can see us ever being a force in the comp again is for all the stars to align and have a bunch of superstars come through the lower grades at the same time and then into first grade at the same time. We will never be able to buy a premiership like the Sydney clubs, no players want to come here except plodders and has beens. We have to produce the superstars as a club and keep them. Sadly I don't see this happening any time soon. We got lucky through having Andrew Johns.

 

[Jobdog]

I can cop a team being rubbish for one, two and even three years, but we've been complete and utter ratshit for about 10 and no sign of that improving any time soon.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Yeah, and that's why I think the only way we will ever be competitive again is to have a large group of guns come through the juniors at the same time. We can lure one or 2 average signings but we are never a chance for a big marquee signing

 

[Whats Doing]

Yeah, and that's why I think the only way we will ever be competitive again is to have a large group of guns come through the juniors at the same time. We can lure one or 2 average signings but we are never a chance for a big marquee signing

Well that needs to change and it starts with getting in a strong front office to run the club.

The problem with the past is that for years we were run by chook raffle sellers and Tinks who has showed that throwing money around without the right business acumen does not guarantee success.

It is about time we brought in the right people who will run the club professionally and with the necessary expertise to run a football club, and bring in corporate dollars to make the club the powerhouse it should be.

If we believe we are not a chance to sign big marquee signings, we will only be in the competition to make up the numbers.

We need to do better than that and strive for excellence.

It needs to start now with our new structure.