The Cumberland Throw

The Spotlight – Cooking Up Parra’s Plethora Of Positives

“Hello. Is that Bankwest Stadium? I’d like to make a reservation for thirty thousand people. There’s a dress code? Must wear blue and gold? No dramas there mate!”

Can you smell what’s cooking?

It’s the NRL Finals series!

http://www.starrpartners.com.au/office/starr-partners-auburnFor the legions of Parramatta Eels supporters it’s an alluring and exotic dish – craved but rarely sampled.

Whether supporters will be treated to an extended seating this year remains to be seen, but the capacity to make future frequent diner reservations now seems possible.

This season has seen the assembling of the elements for success.

Though not yet perfected, it’s worthwhile examining the key ingredients.

 

Supporter Base

Of all the metrics which define the potential success for any sports organisation, supporter numbers are paramount.

Eels supporters – our man Ham still awaiting royalties.

This year, the Eels averaged over 21K at Bankwest Stadium. This number is impressive by any standards, but when you factor in the spectator unfriendly times in nearly half of the clashes, the attendances have been remarkable. Of the nine home matches at the new stadium, Parramatta hosted two Thursday games, a 6pm Friday game and a 3pm Saturday game. Take a bow Eels supporters, you’ve fronted in brilliant fashion.

And what about those membership numbers! In cracking the 25K mark, the club set a new record for memberships. It continued the upward trend of recent seasons, despite finishing 2018 with the wooden spoon.

But the good news doesn’t stop there, with strong evidence that significant future growth in Eels membership is very achievable.

Back in 2012, the NRL commissioned a study by sports market research company, Repucom (later acquired by Nielsen Sport). Part of their report focussed on the supporter base of clubs in the Western Sydney area. They found that over 300 thousand people in the region identified as Eels supporters.

Throw in the population explosion in the Hills District over the last decade, and that number will only be growing.

And when it comes to resilience and loyalty, Eels supporters are in a class of their own.

Always have been.

 

The New Stadium

Bankwest Stadium is a marvel. This world class facility has shone the spotlight on Sydney’s football venues by demonstrating that you don’t need to have a hill, cold pies and toilet queues to generate atmosphere at a rugby league game.

What a stadium – BankWest

And it doesn’t hurt to have a club with literally an army of supporters as a major tenant.

Beyond the superb accommodation offered to players and punters, the corporate facilities are a massive boon for any club. There were understandable complaints from people who enjoyed having Western Stand (Thornett) season tickets at the old Parramatta Stadium, only to find themselves bumped over to the eastern side of the new venue. But it’s a smart design to house over three thousand people in the spacious corporate facilities at Bankwest. And the revenue generated helps the club move towards being financially self sustaining.

It’s inevitable that in future years the Eels will have to share Bankwest with other clubs. But, with a site history extending back to 1947, there’s no question about whose home it is.

 

The Centre of Excellence

Let’s be very clear about something.

There was no possibility of the Eels remaining at Old Saleyards and building a centre there. It required rezoning and there was only space for two fields.

The Eels COE – an artist’s impression

The move to Kellyville as a base for training and administration keeps the Eels within their catchment area – and in fact places them fair and square in the middle of the exploding Hills District.

Currently, the playing fields are being prepared for the upcoming pre-season. The rest of Stage 1 will see the instalment of modular buildings housing the Eels administration and the football operations. This will place all staff at the one location.

How will it compare to other centres?

I’ve visited the Panthers COE and viewed the plans and animations for Stage 1 at Kellyville. I was stunned to see that the modular buildings will be close to the equal of Penrith’s permanent structure. It is expected that they will be in place in November.

The next stages of development will involve the construction of a small stadium (stand, dressing sheds etc) for hosting junior rep and lower grade matches as well as the permanent COE structure, which will be a wonderful community facility.

It promises to be an exciting development for the club and the Hills district.

 

Coaching and Support Staff

By now, supporters have had the opportunity to witness Brad Arthur in action during the Manly clash. As the vision unfolded on NRL360, we were provided with a glimpse into his vision, analysis, communication and honesty.

Brad Arthur

Along with his family values, work ethic and passion for the Eels, the qualities on show via this inner sanctum footage have been the hallmark of Arthur’s coaching since he took the reins in 2014.

My experience has been that such qualities have also been present in his support staff. Over the years, The Cumberland Throw has been fortunate to interview assistant coaches such as Steve Murphy (still coaching), Joey Grima (currently overseeing the Eels junior pathways) and Peter Gentle (now with the Broncos). We’ve had the opportunity to observe and speak informally with Dave Kidwell, Lachlan Wilmot, Adrian Jiminez, Craig Sultana and others. It’s fair to say that honest communication has been a common thread.

As staff has turned over, the culture of honesty has remained.

 

The Squad

This post will not be the avenue for in-depth analysis of the Eels roster. There’ll be time for that in the post season summaries. But what is now obvious is the Eels NRL squad has reached the point of “fine tuning”.

Talk of a complete overhaul – a fair call at the end of 2018 – now seems confined to an ugly, recent past.

SI-VO

From 1 to 7, the Parramatta backline would rank among the elite in the competition. It contains a heady mix of strike power, potential and experience. They might decide to add depth signings, but with the Wenty team in the finals they also have a range of youth and experience to call on.

The obvious recruitment must occur in the forwards. The departure of Ma’u, Mannah and Moeroa has created immediate roster space. Ways have been sought to cover for Mahoney. Throw those facts in with a bench that BA has tinkered with all season, and media speculation about targeted signings becomes a foretelling rather than a postulation.

The next month or so could be interesting.

Watch this space.

 

Behind The Scenes

Before the recent Leagues Club meeting, few people would have known the name of Eels Board Chairman, Sean McElduff. That’s because he and the rest of the Eels Board and management just go about getting things done without any fanfare.

From the measured independent football review, to the Centre of Excellence at Kellyville, better decision making is guiding the future of the club.

It’s what happens when you get the right people in place.

As for our CEO of the past three years, Bernie Gurr – I’ll be writing more when this season is done. He deserves that.

Looking Ahead

The job for this season is not complete, and the future has not yet been written. If 2018 proved anything, it’s that nothing can ever be assumed.

The Eels are a long way from achieving what successful clubs can boast – regular finals appearances. And they are still building commercial partnerships in their aim of being financially self sustaining.

What is undeniable is that Parramatta has dined out on the glories of a few past premierships for far too long. We need to sit at the finals table with successful clubs from here on in, and the recipe is now looking much better.

For now, that Bankwest setting awaits on Sunday.

Bon appetit

Sixties

 

 

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24 thoughts on “The Spotlight – Cooking Up Parra’s Plethora Of Positives

  1. Anonymous

    The obvious recruitment must occur in the forwards. The departure of Ma’u, Mannah and Moeroa has created immediate roster space. Ways have been sought to cover for Mahoney. Throw those facts in with a bench that BA has tinkered with all season, and media speculation about targeted signings becomes a foretelling rather than a postulation.

    The next month or so could be interesting.
    …………………………………………………………………………………….
    Who would you target to replace the departing trio.?
    Mannah
    Meroea
    Ma”u

    Who would cover for Mahoney.?
    Stone
    Salmon
    Schneider
    Smith

    1. Jimmy Jnr

      Hopefully we can target
      RCG
      Herman ese
      Would love to see Matterson back to cover for Ma”u

      Cover for Mahoney
      Stone could do a good job. Just not sure of his dummy half experience
      Salmon has done it a few times before and done a good job
      How is Schneider going.? Herd injured but obvious choice for cover
      Smith, Please keep him away from the hooking roll.

      1. sixties

        Schneider picked up a hip injury late in the Flegg Comp. He’s added around 12kg to his frame during the last 12 months so it will be interesting to see which grade he plays next year.

  2. Rob

    What a tantalising read! So many loose ends and so much more hinted at for future digesting, it’s almost like Game Of Thrones has come back to life, back in its prime! 🙂 love your work, Sixites! Thank you!

    1. sixties

      Thanks Rob. Considering the last few years, it’s been no shortage of drama. Salary cap, removal of officials, Foran, Leagues Club under Administrator, loss of sponsors, wooden spoon, football review, playing without a true home for two years, etc.
      As I said in the post, nothing is certain, but the parts are in place to consolidate this year’s climb.

  3. Shelley

    I am going to say that much credit needs to go to the footy club board.

    The move to Kellyville will be wonderful and game changing for us. The way the club has utilised all that Bankwest can offer has helped create the atmosphere. I also put much of the on field success down to them. Strange to say but if you think about it, it is true. Our old board would have used Brad Arthur last year as their get out of jail free card, by blaming and sacking him. But instead our board held firm, completed the review, collectively owned the huge disappointment that was last year and set out to make things better together. The players bought in because they could see everyone was in it together. I highly doubt Gutho and Moses are playing with us in 2019 if BA was sacked. I highly doubt Dylan Brown would have been promoted to first grade by a new rookie coach to the club. I could keep going but the truth is this, the players and coaches deserve 100% credit for what has happened on field but the reality is our board held firm, showed the intelligence and calmness last year that made this turn around possible.
    In other words everyone has done their job. The players have played, the coaches coached, the management managed and the supporters, well we have been brilliant.
    We could have had a rebuild year, you know the one with the 5 year plan, instead we have had a revival, all because our board kept the right people in place that could do it and ignored the media pressure. Well played everyone.

    1. John Eel

      Well said Shelley and I agree with everything. Most importantly that they all owned the disaster, the board held their nerve and we adjusted rather than another 5 year plan.

  4. Anonymous

    But it’s a smart design to house over 3,000 corporate on the western side ……

    Is it really! Throw all the paying punters on the eastern side where it was too darn hot to even sit at the opening, and guarantee that all seats are undercover, then let them all drown when it rains like it did the other Friday. I am staggered at the contempt shown to season ticket holders.

    Bring in a scheme where you can sell back your ticket for $20, and who do you end up with beside you? We have had opposition supporters beside us all year, we are Gold ticket holders and the other week we had the loudest, most obnoxious Bulldog supporters you wouldn’t wish upon your worst enemy, sitting beside us in the gold section. Season ticket holders deserve better.

    At least the penny dropped into the season when they moved the flag raising ceremony over to the eastern side.

    Don’t get me started about the beer queue or how long it takes to buy a carton of $5 chips.

    1. John Eel

      I am a gold ticket holder also but I have not experienced your situation. I would not like to have to share my Eels space with opposition supporters.

    2. sixties

      Anonymous, I’ve been a season ticket holder on both sides of Parramatta Stadium and now at Bankwest. I was also a season ticket holder at Cumberland. I was upset when the Parra Stadium western bar was turned into a corporate lounge – so I shifted to the east for the bar there. But that’s what happens in providing some high end facilities.
      You can’t possibly complain about last week’s rain. The swirling wind brought it over most people, no matter where they sat.
      As for the design, it’s damned smart to have the corporate all together. It benefits catering and allows for the club to offer premium experiences which generate additional revenue. Furthermore, having attended two night functions in the Cumberland Lounge (not games) it’s a tremendous venue for hire.
      I did notice longer than usual food queues last week, but that was the first time I’ve seen it.
      Imagine whinging to supporters of other Sydney clubs that we don’t like occasionally sitting in the sun.
      It’s not us and them when it comes to corporates and Members. We all contribute coin.

      1. Anonymous

        I’ve got platinum membership and my seating is in concourse area.
        I don’t know who decided that was premium seating.
        It has rained twice this season and both times we were not protected from the rain.

        1. sixties

          I imagine I’m right above you in 215 Anon. We selected upper level for a bit of elevation and rain protection. But you never truly stay covered if there a bit of breeze. It was almost horizontal rain last week and copped plenty even where we were.

          1. Rocket

            I’m going to try and change my seating to higher in the stand when seating becomes available.

          2. sixties

            I have watched from a terrace at one game at BankWest, and you hear the sounds of the contest. The view was still good. But I prefer that elevation.

    3. Clive

      I agree mate, I find the design a strange one. Yes it’s a great stadium but there’s too much space taken up by corporate boxes. It’s harder to get a decent seat now than it was at the old ground. I’d actually like to see what the number of seats available to members and casual fans is compared to the old stadium. I’d imagine it’s less than the old ground.

      1. sixties

        That’s an illusion Clive. It’s 27K for punters, 3K for corporates. Without the hills, Parra stadium only held about 21K.
        I was part of the fan focus group that provided feedback on design features (the corporate on one side wasn’t mentioned) and the consensus from our group was that 30K was 5K under what was needed for a 50 year stadium. The basis of this was that we knew the capacity for punters was only 27K of the 30K and the population in the west was growing.
        We were told that 30K was non negotiable.
        I’m not complaining mate. We have a superb venue.

        1. Clive

          Yeah I know it sounds ridiculous to whinge about a new state of the art stadium but I guess the point I’m trying to make is basically one whole side of Premium seating is taken by corporates. That only leaves the other side between say the 30mtr lines on the lower tier that are genuinely fantastic seats. Rant over, Gee I hope we win tomorrow😂

          1. sixties

            I can’t complain Clive – Bay 215 – middle seat. Right on halfway. Not crazy about the sun on arvo matches but the view is 👌

        2. Billy

          I struggled to understand why they only went for 30K, it did seem well under what was required – as the fastest sellout for a Sydney final shows. The upside is that even 15k has a great atmosphere and so much noise, unlike the soul-destroying, echoing emptiness that was ANZ.

          My seat is right on the 30m line, and lucky enough to be front row upstairs. Yes, the sun is in my eyes for arvo games like today. Yes, I got wet last week. But seriously, the rain was horizontal, and I got wet plenty of times at ANZ in seats that were allegedly undercover. Food queues have been better than most stadiums I’ve been to. And to go into the Ladies and not have to queue – bliss, you boys have no idea! And goddamnit, the view from my seat is fantastic.

          I don’t really understand the complaint about having opposition fans mixed in. They’re hugely outnumbered, and if they aren’t together, they can’t make much collective noise, so that’s to our advantage. I had a Manly fan next to me last week, with his Parra member mate. We bantered, it was great – and isn’t that part of the fun? Maybe not so good if we weren’t winning, but thankfully we’ve had plenty of reasons to celebrate this year 🙂

  5. June Barton

    As usual great read 60’s, I’m not a fan of the Eastern side either but our seat a about 1/4 way up the top section 217, but in then end its worth it the atmosphere is fantastic., the view is great, I have old eyes and when attending ANZ I found I was watching the big screen more than the on field action, but at Bankwest I only watch the big screen for replays..Im very proud of what the boys have achieved this year and hopeful we will go futher.

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