The Cumberland Throw

From The Stands – Making Sense Of It All: An Examination In Three Parts

Indulge me if you will.

There’s much to say, plenty to criticise, and maybe not a whole lot solved. I’ll be sharing the thoughts of three generations of my family and it’s not just relating to the Eels’ latest loss.

The thoughts concern an examination of three stakeholders – the supporters, the team and the NRL. The role that each plays in our Eels will be considered.

Maybe, just maybe, some of these observations might strike a chord with a few of you.

Part 1: The Supporters

To state the obvious, it is not pretty or easy to watch Parra this year. But while some questions remain, I will not walk away. I will not lay the boot in when people are already down. My family and I will show up and support my club – not the NRL – my Parramatta Eels.

More of this

As supporters, we are all hurting. We also know that the players and coaches are hurting, confused and shocked by what is happening. We can’t bury our heads in the sand about the team’s poor performance, but at the same time we need to unify as a club if we want to come out the other side better for it.

For mine, a significant part of the Eels identity, its DNA, lies squarely at the feet of the fans.

We proudly call ourselves the Blue & Gold army. Well, what does that really mean? It is both equally as easy and hard to walk away as it is to stay loyal and support. But should it be so?

Let’s take this week for example. It’s not an ideal time slot and it’s against the team from across the ditch. The club are making special $6 tickets available in an attempt to entice more fans to the game. In an ordinary situation, if we were winning and/or well placed on the table, my family and I would not be at the game against the Warriors. We live a minimum 2 1/2 half hours from ANZ so ‪a 6pm‬ start on a Friday night  is almost impossible to make.

But make it we will!

I’m not entirely sure how, but we will.

Our club, players and coaches need us to show up. I know not everyone can turn up to ANZ with this time slot and I respect that, but I encourage you all to switch on your televisions and support your team.

As supporters it’s our right to debate what should be done, who should stay or go, who should be picked. But come game time, we also need to realise that laying the boot in, switching off or not showing up won’t work.

Even worse (and there are fans out there doing this) wishing our team to fail just so your theories and or predictions can be proven correct is not the way forward. Death riding your own team will not help to get us out of this mess.

Lets unite in support at a time when the team needs us the most.

 

Part 2: The Team

Turning up and supporting does not mean being blinded by the reality of the situation. From the stands, the only thing I demand is that the problems experienced on the field from my team in 2018 are both recognised for what they are and a plan is put in place for them to be rectified.

From the stands, I have no explanation for the Eels form. We look like a team that has either lost, or lost faith in, its identity. This is not a criticism of the players or coaches. If anything, in trying to search for wins the team have somehow lost what it means to play our style or even knowing what that style is.

More of these moments.

The way we try to win games is unrecognisable to me. I can’t even criticise it because I simply don’t know what it is. The old saying about putting a square peg in a round hole is an apt way to describe my view on our playing identity this year. It does not and will not work.

To understand my confusion about our identity as a team I will recount my son Jack’s experience at this past game.

After the first ridiculously ill timed and poorly attempted offload he cheered for them to tackle – he is nothing if not loyal, resilient and has so much love for his team and players. A little further into the first half, after yet another ridiculous, ill timed and costly offload went wrong, he turned to me and asked, “Why did he do that?”

I just shrugged. I could offer no positive explanation so I said nothing.

Finally, after yet another illogical and costly offload in the second half, he turned to me and said, “That’s just dumb mum, what’s wrong with them?”

Ten rounds into the season, it’s very apparent that problems exist. The results cannot be excused away or blamed entirely on injuries or referees. If we do that, we enable the problem to stay around longer.

The Eels’ undoubtedly have dramas that have emerged this year and we have to be smart enough and willing to face those problems head on. Failure to do so would meaning telling lies to ourselves. I have the utmost faith that BA, the other coaches and Bernie Gurr will be willing and able to see the problems, find some solutions and create the opportunity to be much better. If they don’t our problems will remain and then, and only then, will they lose my support.

Part 3: The NRL

I was encouraged to write this post by the most loyal Parra supporter I know, my grandfather.

Once his initial disappointment had passed last Friday night, he shared his thoughts with me. He identified three stakeholders participating in this game; the Dogs, the Eels and the NRL.

The Dogs have significant Salary Cap and roster challenges that they need to solve for themselves.

At the Eels, we too are the only ones who must resolve our performance/roster problems.

But the NRL’s issues affect every club and every other stakeholder.

One of their greatest issues, and the one I want to address, relates to match officials.

The NRL has created a critical situation with its match officials. I no longer see them adjudicating the game, I see them controlling and shaping matches the way they see fit.

I choose to spend my money and time every week by turning up to games and I do so knowing the officials will almost certainly be a huge factor in who wins. They don’t cheat, but their decisions control and dictate who gets the ball and where they get it. A team can be officiated harshly one week, then be seen as near faultless the week after.

I went to Friday’s game knowing full well the Bulldogs, based on the previous week, would get every 50/50 call and I was proven right.

I know that when I watch the upcoming Origin games, the exact same rules that exist in the Premiership will be adjudicated by the referees in a completely different way.

Inexplicably, if not shamefully, the NRL can’t or won’t see this problem. They treat the fans like fools and are hiding behind a facade they have conveniently created.

I have a message that I’d like to send to Todd Greenberg.

“Talk the game up” is about spreading the good that players do on a regular basis. In itself, it is a wonderful and entirely appropriate message. But it cannot be the shield behind which you hide all the problems.

Unfortunately it is, and this means the refereeing will continue to be discussed far more than the great plays or the stars of our game. The sad fact is that refereeing decisions will continue to be as inconsistent and as baffling next week and next year as they were last Friday.

There’s nothing about that which is deserving of being talked up.

A Final Word: Gutho – A Man Of Honour

My last word has to go to Clint Gutherson – the man who wanted to take all of the blame for the loss to the Dogs.

The loss was not yours to accept on your own.

Gutherson held himself accountable for Friday’s loss.

Hold your head up high young man. You made a mistake, we all do. It is not mistakes that define you, it is how you bounce back – and your bounce back will be wonderful, inspirational and infectious for us all. Of this, I have no doubt.

I know this because the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour and your past is full of effort, resilience, dedication, skill and passion. We, my son Jack in particular, look forward to watching you bounce back next week and celebrating it with you, because win, lose or draw you will be Parra’s best on field.

We can bank on that!

 

Shelley

 

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12 thoughts on “From The Stands – Making Sense Of It All: An Examination In Three Parts

  1. Milo

    Fair comments Shelley; and the nrl section is worth noting.
    The players need to be accountable and not withstanding the amount of injuries this week, pride has to come into it; i will say it again, the halves have to run the team and the forwards go forward. Football is a simple game…..

    1. Shelley

      Could not agree more. Our halves can’t work without our forwards and our forwards will become discouraged if our halves waste opportunities. I would say we need to play as a team. Last week much effort but most of it was individual, trying hard to fix it themselves.

  2. Tad

    I like your posts Shelley. Sorry to hear of the passing of your Grandfather. I had a;so lost a good friend last week so we share some grief.
    It is difficult coping with some talk about a need for a total cleanout when your spirit is low..I view my support of Parra as a long association with a club and its history..A bit of a family of sorts with many dysfunctions and heart break.I don,t like blaming or scapegoating when things go wrong. We have to trust the executive and see how they go in meeting the challenges..If not successful –we have to reassess at the right time and make decisions for any adjustments then. If the processes are right to address these things we all should accept the responsibility of our performance. Grass roots selection of office bearers means grass roots responsibility. If it doesn,t work out just keep trying to improve the process with the best staff we can get. Not much else anybody can do

    1. sixties

      Nice sentiments Tad but I don’t think Shelley’s grandfather has passed away. She mentioned his disappointment about the game passing.
      I have the feeling that the Eels will give a very good account of themselves this week.

  3. Emtee

    This is a well written article, and just about sums up how we, as fans, are feeling at the moment. The point I would like to concentrate on though, is about the match officials.
    Firstly, yes, the boys played poorly. Not theough lack of effort, but I believe it is impatience costing us. In our two wins this year, we were happy to sit back and build pressure, yet we have gone away from this in our losses. I’m saying this because no matter how poorly a team is performing, it should be the players that decide the outcome of a match, not the referees.
    I had been saying all week at work that I think Dean Pay’s 25K would be money well spent. And for the Bulldogs, it was. Its funny how many times a coach has blasted the officials (rightly or wrongly), and then had the rub of the green after that. The officiating on Friday night was diabolical, and it was a game where the result was determined by the referee’s incompetence.
    Why is it that referee’s can pick and choose when they will overturn an incorrect decision?
    The other thing that has gotten my gall is the lack of communication from the referees about the decisions in this game. How many times have they come out and explained how they got certain decisions right or wrong, yet nothing but silence in this instance. I have been tweeting Todd Greenberg asking why this is the case. Yet nothing in response. Im getting to the stage where I will bombard him until I get an answer that is not the usual jargon. Did he not promise transparency? Because of this, one could be forgiven for thinking that there is double standards. I wish I knew a sure fire way to get this situation fixed. How are we supposed to ‘talk the game up’ when this rubbish continues to happen?
    Brad Arthur needs to take a stand and give the refs a serve. It is admirable that he has taken the moral high ground, and tried to do things by the book, but it is obvious that approach does not work. C’mon BA, just unleash. I’m sure the fans will get together to pay the fine.

    1. Tad

      Emtee i share your concerns..I am not sure if there is a process with clubs ,coaches ,captains to seek some form of explanation for dubious inconsistencies. Without a proper process all coaches have got left is a after game response for their honest commentary on why the team may have lost—Players,coaches are often challenged for poor judgements. If they make a comment the NRL don,t like an arbitrary $25000 fine is thrown at them to keep thier mouth shut. Antiquated thinking and unjust. They need a more civil means for Coaches to address poor performances. They should not be left hanging coping the flak for referrer determined game outcomes. Everyone accepts referees are not perfect,but they should do the honourable thing and accept responsibility for their errors rather than making coaches the scapegoats

  4. Colin Hussey

    Shelley, thanks for another very well constructed post, I am late reading it but gee don’t you put the right words into place. I guess I am glad my late dad is no longer with us to see this eels team and how things are going, as I could hear him mumbling all the way as we would walk home from Cumberland. Believe me we saw some big defeats in our time but nothing like what we are seeing now.

    To present an overview and thoughts on what you have said and others here as well. Firstly I also believe that Gutho should not take the loss on his shoulders and head alone, & if I read correctly the dressing shed after the match had grown men crying, well so they should and their heads hung down in shame.

    I am not going to look at the first two areas of your post but I want to come down to the last bit regarding the refs or match officials. I do not pick a team in any tipping contest that are playing the eels, I cannot get to games ATM but I hope after I get my back lasered at Nepean on Tuesday and it works I can slowly get back to watching the game life. However that presents something to me that I have problems with, and that is if I know who is officiating at an eels match.

    Like many others I believe Dean Pays $25k outburst was a really good payment to get his team a win, whether or not they deserved it. Deano comes over quiet and softly spoken clear and measured in what he says, but watching our coach you can see the internal pent up frustration, he rightfully does not blame the officials but he would have been seething after Friday nights game as to what happened there.

    How that pair of incompetent officials on the field are allowed to continue is beyond me, and if anything is going to keep fans away from matches its when they look at the program and see whose in charge. The dogs did not win that game, the officials did and its destroyed the players and eels supporters alike, not only that but I would believe many non eels supporters feel exactly the same way.

    I am not going to give up on them, & I believe if their grief and soul searching has been worth it, then the hurt should inspire and get them angry enough to take out their frustrations on their opposition this week, of course legally. Time for the coach and players to release the chains and let the players do what they know and we know they can do.

    Whoes officiating on Friday nite?

  5. Anonymous

    Shelley, you write beautifully and certainly heart felt when referencing your grandfather. I too like you come from a very long line of dedicated Parramatta supporter’s, I am proud to that I am a Parramatta supporter of many years.
    But I have to say that something has changed in the last two years at Parramatta, it just does not feel the same as it once did, even at the lowest point of the salary cap saga, there was a feeling of resilience, but most importantly a feeling of belongingness “AS ONE” and for the now! Sadly that has gone. Whilst I think the move to ANZ has contributed, it is not the reason. Something has changed and I am not sure what.
    I have a friend of more than 50 years, that we use to get the train from Pendle Hill as kids and watch our beloved Eels at Cumberland, Lidcombe, Newtown Leichardt and Belmore, 2 weeks ago he said to me I just cant do this anymore and has refused to go to another game. I asked him why, he said I just don’t like it anymore, its not what it once was.
    My point is, our team didn’t have to be winning for it to be enjoyable, it was the people, it was Parra Power, at its best and that feeling has gone. Our fans are the best bar none, they can make the game enjoyable.
    Our team genuinely seems soft and unenthused, from a footballing perspective I think the structure is very wrong, Brad Arthur needs help, above him, to enable him to focus on the task at hand.
    Like you I will be there, however without my trusty mate beside me!

    1. Colin Hussey

      Anon, I admit to not going to matches but more so the distance and not being able to sit that much let alone walking, with the hope though that my treatment at Nepean Hospital on Tuesday afternoon will relieve me of my back, groin, hip and leg pain, here’s hoping and praying.

      To me the worst thing I have found with following the eels over the past couple of years is the abject negativism that surrounds the team, coach, club and everything associated with it, and the vast majority of it emanates from the so called fan base. Even when we win there are criticisms, too little too late, not enough of this or that etc etc etc, etc. I know at times when I have got caught in the same thing but certain aspects I will not cross the line at all.

      I get the feeling that even if we won by 100 points to 0 every week of the season, that some would say it was not good enough and rubbish those who played.

      I may very well be wrong but by how much.

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