Unlike many of my posts, finding the right words to express my thoughts about this salary cap debacle has been a difficult process. I’m used to writing about something as uncomplicated as football. Furthermore, Miatch has already written a great post on TCT and has done a brilliant job putting some perspective into where we are at. It’s something that he has a genuine talent for – cutting through the surface and looking at what’s really important.
So I’ve decided to write a very personal post with the wish that it resonates with my fellow Parramatta Eels tragics.
First, a little insight into The Cumberland Throw. I think it’s important in judging how, just like all of you, we are deeply impacted by the penalty handed down today by the NRL.
About this time last year the other co-founders and I made the decision to channel our passion for the Eels into a project for our fellow fans. That project morphed into a website that takes up a massive part of our lives. Likewise, our guest authors and “Friends of the Throw” dedicate their time to helping us bring Eels footy news to our readers.
It was no fluke that the genesis of our site began last year. Though all of us were lifelong Eels fans, and united by that, we were also united by a common belief that our team were on the cusp of better times. We wanted to communicate the better times to other fans. Our love for our footy team was going to deliver a website that just concentrated on the footy and Parramatta.
Like all of you we have been excited by what our Eels have delivered on the field. Now, instead of communicating about the players’ deeds out on the field, we find our site dedicating space to the off-field issues which have conspired to inflict the greatest damage in our club’s history. It tears at us that we are writing about the off-field, when we have invested so much of ourselves into reporting about the great players who represent our club.
But here we are. It would be possible to dedicate paragraphs about who is to blame. We will leave that to other sites for the time being. Ultimately the penalties have put a virtual full stop on our hopes for the season and on people’s positions at our club. As fans, there seems little that can be done by us to change that course.
I’m hurting. My TCT mates are hurting. Thousands of you feel likewise. However, in spite of any pain, upset, anger, frustration that we are probably all experiencing – none of that could compare to what the Football Department at the Eels must be going through. Brad Arthur, his staff and the players have worked ridiculously hard to bring pride back to the blue and gold jersey. What a devastating impact this must be having on them.
We can’t possibly tell you everything that the squad has done to prepare for the season (though we tried!). Likewise we can’t possibly tell you how much they would be hurting now that every achievement from this year has been stripped.
What cannot be underestimated is the difference that we can make to these proud footballers by turning up in numbers to support them through this insanely tough time. Not just now, but for the rest of the season. I’m sure that we will fill Pirtek Stadium next week, and we need to get behind them every week after that.
Even if this season plays out as the NRL expects, we can still propel our Parramatta Eels into the future knowing that they have the type of support that is unequalled by any club in the NRL. Let’s show the team what they mean to us.
Finally (and again) on behalf of The Cumberland Throw and tens of thousands of other Eels fans, I urge whoever will be making such decisions to extend Brad Arthur’s contract right now. Undoubtedly he’s the man who can guide the team out of this mess.
Eels Forever
Sixties
60’s nothing you have said can be disagreed with. 1eyed site has a thread http://www.1eyedeel.com/forum/topics/players-response-to-the-sanctions-through-social-media reading that really has lifted me, as it should others especially what the players are saying.
I met many of the players of the time in the 70’s & they worked well together their lives & families were entwined together at regular BBQ’s to which my wife & I had the privilege to be at a couple, they were great times.
I mentioned in reply on the thread how some players at other clubs had sacrificed money to ensure others stayed at the club, know Many was one of them, so I wondered based on what a few of the players said in the thread if they were prepared to sacrifice some money to allow the club to get under the breach amount by end of next week, other aspect is would the NRL allow such an alteration to their signed contracts.
Would really add to how I see this team & coaching staff, would really hate to lose any of them we are in for an ultra bright future if they can be kept together every single one of them, here’s hoping
Unfortunately Greenberg has addressed the option for players to take pay cuts to get under the cap, and has comprehensively ruled it out. This is a stark contrast from what the Bulldogs were able to do, but nonetheless he has shown his approach to this breach from a Parra perspective to be both beneficially (allowing us to play for points) and detrimentally (as above) differentiated from past breaches.
Unfortunately taking cuts to remain would be off the table I would think.
I’m still too much in the grief stage to go into this debacle in any depth, but my immediate thought when I received a text about the penalties was to think back to the footage of last Friday night and the boys dancing in the dressing room and enjoying a frosty one. It just plain reeked of a team full of spirit. Pride in a performance that was being enjoyed by a close knit group that had busted their backsides over a long period and could see the fruits of their labours. As a supporter of 50 years plus I couldn’t have felt prouder to be an eels man but the stupid smile on my face was a result of seeing the team so euphoric. It was the same sort of emotion from the players after the 9’s and I just feel for them, BA and his coaching staff. They don’t deserve this.
Finally we had a team to follow that had the same pride in the jersey that we rusted on fans do and it is heartbreaking for it to have been stripped away. I am staggered by the amounts and time periods involved and to be fair if I supported any of the other 15 NRL teams I’d be baying for blood as well and wouldn’t see the penalties as too harsh.
The TPA system is flawed as we all know. It is skewed to the advantage of a few clubs and ours with a war chest of funds have blatantly tried to circumvent the salary cap. Penalties needed to be imposed. However, I can’t but feel that the line being drawn in the sand is for the eels alone and it is only a warning to the other clubs and not the catalyst to investigate them all which I’d suggest is something that the NRL don’t have the stomach for for fear of what it will uncover.
It’s stating the obvious but BA is clearly the man to galvanise the club and needs to be wrapped up long term as Melbourne did with Bellamy. Without him I fear a player drain and another period in the wilderness. All I can do as a supporter is do just that and I’ll be at training as much as I can, at the games and in my eels gear to support my team. I have nothing but pride for BA, his team and staff.
Re-sign BA.
Sing it over again to us, & pass it around
Well stated- “a warning to other clubs, not the catalyst to investigate them”. Sums up the aftermath unfortunately.
Trapped, so many of your thoughts in this mirror my own, from my enjoyment of the players enjoying their win last week to your comments about your pride in BA and the team.
Hi All, Just wanted to thank Sixties for another piece & the entire TCT team for a great website.
Arthur & the team still make me proud to be an Eel. They can take our points, but they can’t take our spirit & we’ll make it through this. Phil
Thanks PHIL. Pleased to see you visiting our site also.
Some basic contract law. A contract can be changed if both parties agree to the change. If players and Parramatta agree to lowering contract prices/salaries there is nothing the NRL can do about it. It is a legal procedure and produces a new legal document. I see stern and fairly quick court action by our club as the only way forward and Greenberg already sounds worried to me and is wavering. There is an injunction in place to keep the board in place so round one to us. Now lets press on and have the Supreme Court rule that the salary cap is a restraint of trade and if deemed illegal we get our points back. Get tough Steve. You have a limited opportunity to win this for us decisively and stop Greenberg’s career before it starts. Go hard legally now or just go. They are the only two options you have
To be honest, and you know how passionate I am about the club, I’m not convinced that there is much to gain from legal action. The NRL competition is one that we are invited to participate in, and we do so knowing the rules. We can’t use a defence about the rules being flawed (though we know the TPA system and the cap is a joke) or put forward that other clubs are doing the same as we did ( though they undoubtedly are). I am stunned by what has been revealed and feel betrayed. Regardless of my hatred of the system, or the lack of transparency and equality, it appears that we have messed up big time.
The only reason for court action to proceed should be that the evidence is flawed or incorrect – ie that it is based on the word of people with an agenda, rather than proof. However, given the magnitude and breadth of the discoveries, that seems unlikely.
However, the participation and delight of past office holders and their associates in bringing this club to its knees will not be forgotten by me. Their personal agendas have not included the well being of our club. For now, as always, I’m focussing on getting behind the team. They need and deserve it.
Yeah we all want a fairytale out of the nightmare but I’m not convinced that court action is the way to go at this time. I too was shocked by the length and depth of the rorting regardless of what other clubs are doing and penalties needed to be imposed and whether they are just or not I can’t say as I know I am biased, I am.
The NRL has lawyers too and deeper pockets and one thing that lawyers do well is delay proceedings as they require. Do we really want to drag things out even more after all that has gone on, I don’t think so. At the moment the players, BA and his staff and the fans are galvanised and up for the challenge. It is the one thing that the NRL did that both pleased and annoyed me was the window of opportunity they purposely left open. They are fully aware of what a powerhouse supporter base the eels have particularly when they are competitive but the NRL still has an eye for dollars while happy to have their foot on the eels throat.
BA, his staff, the playing group and we fans are all human and given the emotion of what has happened let alone its buildup and I’m afraid that human nature being what it is will only take a minor setback for the house of cards to fall in respect of the slim prospects for season 2016. I think the catalyst to that would be legal action that snuffs out any chance of playing for points in lieu of a favourable court decision. I don’t know how BA and the team could prepare under that basis and to my thinking we’d only be hurting further the group that is least deserving of that.
I think that current energies need to be focused around the $570k compliance issue first and foremost and leave the rest for consideration in less emotive times. While I don’t think that the eels have been handled as even handed as other clubs the actions by our some of the leadership group has been diabolical and the smug look on Fitzgerald’s face in promoting himself as the white knight nothing short of disgusting.
I think it’s a time to move on and to support and rally behind BA his staff and team as they have through all of this shown that they as individuals and a group that we fans can truly be proud of.
That was great – thanks mate.
You write wonderfully and your words mirror what so many of us are feeling.
Cheers mate 🙂
Thanks mate. Glad it resonates.
The SMH is apparently reporting that the NRL have got their sums wildly wrong on the $570,000 according to Ian Schubert. If this report is correct we have a lot of twists and turns to go yet.
So what can you believe. Some solid facts and eveidence would be helpful.
I wish I knew the exact truth. From my perspective I’ve heard far too any wildly conflicting accounts. It’s a real minefield. The bloke that I feel for is Daniel Anderson. He’s copped a harsh deal in all of this.
And there it is…again sixties you hit the nail on the head….TRUTH. Who knows exactly what the real truth is in this pathetic drama ?
Certainly not the many self appointed ”éxperts” who have and continue to testify at a host of levels, about this matter.
I am happy to endure the embarrassment which all true eels fans feel if our club has cheated and I don’t feel this conflicts with the pride I have always had and will continue to have in stating I am a Parra fan ! My problem is that I can’t align with personalities at this time because I don/t know the FACTS in terms of the actual offences and the offenders responsible. It would seem unlikely that the NRL would confront the club without evidence and would be foolish to do so. By the same token it is basic to our way of doing things that procedural fairness should not just be done but be seen to be done as well !
It remains clear that complete honesty is still absent in coming to an immediate resolution and in view of this I admit to a great level of frustration as well as more than a little anger that my club has been brought to a level of disrepute. If I feel like this from the comfort of my armchair, how must it be for those who have genuinely worked so tirelessly to accumulate the twelve points available to be taken as a penalty for our apparent misdeeds ?
I continue to thank The Cumberland Throw as an avenue for balanced and thoughtful responses which promote the advancement of our club and its teams in the place where we get our greatest footy delights and satisfaction….on the field !
Thanks for the kind words mate. It disappoints us to write about something other than on field action (though we’ll be in action at the Harold Matts GF tomorrow at Penrith).
I can’t recall a more frustrating time as an Eels fan.
How much of this can be put down to actual evidence, interpretation of evidence, or testimony of individuals? I honestly have no idea, though the inescapable truth is that the football department and fans have been placed into a situation that Should not happen.
What I can control as a fan is my support of the team. It is now stronger than ever.
Sixties,
I agree wholeheartedly. Now is the time to display our solidarity from a fans perspective and show the NRL we still support our ‘team’ regardless of what happens in the front office.
Once all the dust settles I truly hope we can get back to just enjoying the great footy the guys have been playing and will play.
I grew up in bulldogs territory however in those days it was difficult to follow the “Berries” given the way the Dogs managed the team and their affairs at the time. I used to go to South Sydney games instead. I knew players who played for the Dogs at that time. I also knew a number of other players who wanted to play for them but could not get a start, other clubs saw their value. At this time I also had an old school friend who was a Parra tragic. He once told me that all Eels fans are like him, fanatical. He told that I should never walk down Church Street and bag the Eels. He said to do so could be life threatening. Such was the sixties, at the time I did not get it.
I subsequently met my life partner. One night we celebrated her brothers 21st birthday. He played for the Eels and a lot of his team mates attended the party. Based on the families loyalty to the Eels and the great night I had at the 21st I finally understood the fanaticism. I began to attend games and my loyalty grew. It has only got stronger over the years. I formerly described myself as an agnostic, now I am an Eels supporter.
After many years of following the Eels and watching them lose the GF replay in 1977. The first really great highlight for me as an Eels supporter was hearing the news Jack Gibson had been appointed coach for the 1981 season. Next highlight was sitting on the hill for the 1981 GF and after watching an amazing victory then going to Cumberland Oval to celebrate.
Things were great for a few years after that but then it levelled off. I felt the Jack Gibson feeling again when I heard that BA was appointed coach. As much as I thought he was the best man available for the job I thought that Jason Taylor was the wrong fit. I have seen BA grow into one of the best coaches in the business and time will deliver his legacy. As I have said before I hope that he will be with us for as long as he wants to be.
Coaching an NRL team is a tough gig and he has endured so much more than any coach should have to in less than three years with the team. He inherited a poor roster, poor attitude, salary cap issues and now cheating on TPA’s. Compare this to the roster that Robinson fell into at the Roosters the year earlier. Compare the pair.
Managing a team of men like this, an NRL sqad, few can do it. He does it with class and dignity. Throughout this entire sordid affair he has stood out.
Whilst the situation we are in at the moment is diabolical I believe that due to the tenacity of the Eels and their supporters we will come out of this stronger. We still have a strong committed squad, a great coach and when this is all over we may even have a great administration.
Dropped in on Mothers Day training session this morning. Rep players were excluded. Plenty of media in attendance interviewing Mannah, Scott etc.
The boys all seemed in high spirits with the usual banter. Ran through a few drills close to the line and a lot of timed jogging runs.
Although well behind the others fitness wise, John Folau received a lot of encouragement from the other squad members as he battled to keep up. These blokes genuinely enjoy each others company.
We’re not finished yet.
Thanks for this update Al.
My heart is filled with a sadness. It is sad because an otherwise great year will be forever tainted. I am sad because it hurts to think that these dedicated men have to deal with a nagging negativity and I am saddened because I worry that the players may one day say “enough!” despite the dedication of the Eels fans!
Just read all of these comments just now. Agreed with all.
Re sign BA. The players are talking well and this shows the job the coaching staff have done, and not just this year, but over two years. He has his squad, and with the news today changing the landscape in some way, let’s play this out.
I find it amusing and the cynical part of me also finds it amusing that K McClymont has broken big salary cap issues…and NOT ONE TELE journo…? Or so called journo.
I’m a cricket tragic and this is a test match. Play it out and we shall see the truth….having said that, Miatch, 40/20 and sixties, what happened to Ken Crapper…?
Only Ken Crapper can answer that mate. Unless you want to come clean – are you Ken Crapper?