Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm. —Publilius Syrus
Troubled waters.
It’s strange that deferring to the metaphorical seems appropriate when describing the reality of confronting the financial and medical catastrophe of the Coronavirus. However, rugby league is most definitely in the midst of navigating the roughest of seas.
So too our beloved Eels.
There’s never “good timing” when it comes to the world-wide impacts of a pandemic, but for Parra, the timing is truly awful.
Having endured the turmoil of 2016, which had created long term financial and administration hurdles, the Eels were on the verge of entering an era of football and commercial success.
Undoubtedly, governance reforms for the Leagues Club have been critical. Furthermore, boasting the spectacular Bankwest Stadium as a home ground is a major factor in the equation, as is the new headquarters at Kellyville.
However, it is my opinion that the leadership that has mattered the most, and will continue to matter the most, will be that of Brad Arthur.
How fortunate are we that he will be steering the football ship during the current crisis!
In his message to members and supporters, Eels Chairman Sean McElduff explained that Arthur and other football staff had been stood down, and then provided the following information:
“Like so many in our Club (staff and players), Brad is also making a large sacrifice because he has offered to continue to work during his leave period to ensure that our players are well prepared when they return.”
BA in match day mode.
Those who viewed BA’s appearance on Fox League live last week were already aware that he was continuing to work unpaid. His concern for players and staff was there for all to see.
We probably didn’t need Club updates or media coverage to know he’d be doing exactly that.
Arthur’s history and dedication to the club shouldn’t require revisiting for any Eels fan. That said, a little recollection is important in providing perspective to the current situation.
Arthur did not start his first grade coaching career with a star-studded squad. He inherited a team which had “won” successive wooden spoons, with training facilities which were arguably amongst the worst in the NRL. The previous two coaches had walked out of their contracts, and in retrospect, few could blame them.
Yet Arthur immediately lifted the team off the bottom of the table.
It didn’t come easy.
Since he took the reigns, the challenges have come thick and fast. Hayne’s unexpected departure at the end of 2014 was soon followed by the administrative bungling of the Keiran Foran contract in 2015.
The 2016 salary cap debacle needs no detailing. But just as the word “unprecedented” is used to refer to the current crisis, so too was it appropriate for such a word to be used in that season. It was the darkest shadow in the history of the Eels. And in that year, with board members and executives removed from office, it was left to Arthur to constantly face the media whilst orchestrating courageous performances from the team despite a plethora of departures and injuries.
BA in preseason mode.
Unpredicted success in 2017 was followed by a horror 2018 season which saw shortsighted people call for BA’s head. But that anomaly is now firmly in the rear-view mirror courtesy of 2019’s finals appearances and a 2020 team tipped to challenge for the title.
Despite rich offers from a number of other clubs, Arthur has stayed loyal to the Blue and Gold. His support of and honesty with the players has earned their loyalty and respect.
The family club ethos, and the spirit within the team, has been built from the foundations laid by BA during times that would have tested the resolve of many others.
What lies ahead won’t be easy.
Parramatta won’t be an island in its battle to survive this crisis.
Arthur won’t be the only coach working unpaid as he steers the playing group towards an uncertain future. He won’t be the only person on the Eels staff making sacrifices.
However, as supporters we can be confident that in BA we have a leader who has demonstrated strength, resilience and loyalty during previous challenges that very few coaches have faced.
These are not calm seas. I’m thankful to have someone at the helm with troubled waters experience.
When we all come out the other side of this pandemic, our Eels will be ready.
Of that I am confident.
Eels forever!
Sixties
Images courtesy of Eels media, NRL and Foxsports
Tks sixties, cannot be understated. Any blog site of a general nature (not NRL specific) is 90% anti- NRL, the jackals are prowling. Of the 90%, about half are just pure drivel from haters who you’d like to run out on a league field and have Jorge Tafua line them up. The other half have reasonable comments about the game’s faults and sins. In this environment it behoves mentally disciplined individuals to quietly and determinedly accept their fate, refrain from whingeing and find the way to the days when the world isn’t so crazy. Each club will need a Brad Arthur, otherwise they will fray at the edges, look and sound ordinary. Characteristics that don’t produce winners either off or on the field.
Well said BDon.
Hi mate i’m glad you posted this ,like i told you last night Brad is the glue thank goodness we have him Brad is Parra through and through [sorry Geoff]
It was good to speak with you last night Joe. Please keep well. I know how highly you and thousands of others regard BA mate. Thanks for your continued support.
Great post sixties.
I just read the letter from Sean McElduff on the eels web site, couple this with your post, if ever there was any doubt as to the eels future, I see that not just between the lines of the CEO but in the display of our coach since he first took over, his qualities with players and the public are there for all to see and if there was/is any doubt that he should continue as the head coach for the foreseeable future that needs to be dead and buried. At least from my perspective anyway.
In saying that there will be those out there who will be after his blood no matter how he performs as coach, the players will play a big part of his future and I cannot wait for the real action to get under way again.
With some of the announcements coming out from the NRL headquarters today, or at least rumours emanating from there, I hope there is a full internal investigation of the NRL and the way it has conducted itself over the past years, corresponding with Brad’s time at the eels. If much of the truth of those years come out then the NRL can go forward in a big way, as eels supporters we have trust and confidence in the coach, his associates as well as the players, and club, its finally great again and should remain that way, but the NRL has a lot to also recount to as well.
The new boss in V”landys should take the top of the NRl to a new future as well especially with new competent officers. And that’s about time too.
PS, news just out on Ch 10 and likely other stations as well is the players are demanding a thorough investigation into the NRL with the books being opened for the players to scrutinise, doubt if any agreement can be reached until that happens. Could be some people put out on a penal island for some time.
Colin, whilst BA is the coach, the Eels will have someone who only ever has the best interests of the club, the players and his staff at heart. And as fans, we know the value he places on the Parra jersey.
As for the NRL and transparency – it can’t come soon enough.
I have never really taken much notice of the so called League Central building at the old Showground, until the news tonight when a reporter stood outside the centre and I saw 9 badges showing each of the states and RL associations, which I gather are the affiliated umbrella’s for RL within each state, it made me wonder, or actually realise why there are so many workers at that location and on the NRL payroll I would suspect.
It made me also wonder in regard to the income the NRL gets to run the game as a business, as to how its distributed and what it actually earns from the state based games, and how many of those teams have anything akin to real contributions to the game, also the number of workers there that have been, or are to be stood down as a consequence of the current situation.
In looking at that aspect, given the announcement today by the PM regarding the government paying $1500.00 a fortnight to those affected by stand downs and the like that they are assured of their wages from the company or the government for some months to come and in affect began at the start of this month. Where then does this apply to professional sports players, and admin staff etc?
If the headquarters are like an island it must be a match for Bare Island in Botany Bay.
Superb read Sixties, and BA is the tarzan grip that we need. I also think his support staff while a couple may not be hugely known have the nous to also support the team and club and yes they would not be as highly paid as BA or others from various clubs.As BA needs his support staff like he would have needed them in 2016.
The club will be ok i believe and at the end of this will need us as club members to show our support on the ground, attending and in other forms (merchandise etc.).
We are in uncharted waters and there is a line there about Moses and the sea but i will let others mention this. The sad part of the news has been the ineptitude of the NRL from the current and past administrators which seems to be a disgrace. Maybe someone with business management etc can answer this. If the NRL used supposed superannuation funds in other areas, then is this a criminal offence?
Cheers Milo. There’s a lot of good people in place on BAs staff. I truly hope we will see all return.
I don’t understand how the missing retirement fund money can’t be a serious offence. But the repayment scheme looks to have been agreed upon.
The game has been treated like mugs by these people. I find it disgraceful that they have done this and now use the games issues as leverage…..morally its a terrible look.
I heard that contractually the Superannuation money is not required to be paid in full until the end of the current television broadcasting agreement.
Which makes sense in terms of the time frame to ensure it’s there. But you’d have to think that if it’s like a super fund, that the missing money hasn’t been earning interest.
sixties there would have to be not just any player contributions (assumption only) as is the case with general working people, and whatever the employee puts in the employer also has to contribute, usually the same amount as the employee, and the super funds gain interest over the life of it.
Unless there is a different set of rules, super funds were not meant to be withdrawn from until they matured when the worker covered reached retirement age, as such it was/is meant to stay there as an investment until the person retires.
It was an ingenious introduction that was supposed to take the place of the government paying a pension to the oldies. The worker paid around 60% and the employer paid around 40% into the fund, I believe there has been some changes made to the contributions side of things but, the area where it was not changed was in the ability to withdraw early.
Then again it could have changed though.
Yes agreed, isn’t it similar to our funds having money used for other items, and no interest earned? TG should be made to face the music and stand down.
Agree, it’s not a good look but I think we’d need to know a bit more. If it was a funded provision against future payments then there might be grounds to use the funds as long as an auditor was OK that the provision could eventually be met when contractually due. If so and the transaction was properly documented, approved and disclosed then maybe it’s not so ugly. Companies make unfunded provisions all the time, as this formally recognises that a future liability exists and is built into a company’s balance sheet. The NRL total revenue is (was!)around $500mil pa, an auditor would have probably felt safe that $10mil could be funded.
Totally agree about BA. Due to his sticking in there has finally allowed to get out of basket case status…I would keep him there for the long haul, but would also love for him to have a long long term succession plan. Even though we won the spoon in 2018, with BA admitting he let go of the reins a bit too much, but that season was the making of him and allowed him to make some tough decisions with the roster, namely dropping out captain. He was finally due his dues and then this thing pops up that is out of everyone’s control. From a selfish perspective, I hope the season restarts and we can hold the trophy aloft and for many years to come. Stay safe all and go the mighty mighty eels.
Cheers 10 year. Totally agree about the long haul. He definitely should surpass Brian Smith as far as longevity in the role is concerned.
It’s good to know that when the comp resumes (notice I said when) that the first two rounds will stand.
Sixties lets hope BA can get us the title Smithy was somewhat unlucky to miss out on.
We are a better club today because we had BA and dare I say a few very loyal and dedicated players who in 2016 took leadership, even if unofficially and dealt with the cards they were handed. We will do it again. I just hope our squad is not ripped apart because of an adjusted salary cap, it would be unfair and devastating. In 2016 our club got caught and as a result we are better placed with strong, well skilled leaders in business on the board and in the footy side to get us through, in fact ensure we come out just as strong.
Of course the irony is that the organisation, the NRL administrators, who punished us for being dishonest, hiding money and transactions, sitting outside agreed rules and procedures, basically not telling the truth and lacking integrity may have been doing more of the very same things they punished us for. My family has had a laugh about this as I strongly believe that what comes around goes around. And I think a few high standing officials at the NRL may have had there papers stamped.
The NRL punish players for breaking rules and being dishonest yet did nothing about Mark Coyne until exposed by the media. We only found out about Cameron Smith’s present when the media exposed it. It was originally left out of public announcements about what was done. I can’t help but think about what else we don’t know, hopefully when the dust settles and the game moves on a proper investigation is carried out and explanation is sort for the waisted money.
Good leaders are respected. Sometimes there does not need to be crimes committed for a person to unfit for leadership, if they are not believed that is enough.
I believe in BA, because he does what he asks others to do. I trust our board and hope after this I can believe in them. I believe in our players.
I don’t believe in the NRL leadership, I haven’t since 2016 and the inconsistency with salary cap punishments since then. I will give Vlandy’s a chance but the others are too inconsistent and unjust to follow and respect.
No disagreement with anything you have said there Shelley, the whole thing is like owning a large orchid and finding all the fruit that looked great and ready to eat had grubs in them.
Strong words Colin. And Shelley, I think if V’landys is true to his word about transparency, then the NRL HQ will be a different landscape. For now, we just have to get everything right to get through this disaster.