This week’s preview podcast comes with an extra dose of reaction as the boys offer their thoughts on the announcement that Jim Sarantinos will stand down from his position as CEO of the Parramatta Eels at the end of year.
On the actual preview front, the show dives into a diverse docket this week with the Eels taking on a different opponent in every grade. In the NSWWP, Parramatta host the table-topping Knights while the Jersey Flegg are jetting off to Sigatoka to face the Silktails. The NSW Cup are looking to avenge a heavy loss to the Bears from earlier this season as Lincoln Fletcher is called back into the grade to partner fellow young gun playmaker Lorenzo Talataina.
The NRLW are still hunting for the first win of the year in a tough campaign as they host the Bulldogs. They thumped their Western Sydney rivals in the preseason but have since struggled mightily to find any semblance of form. Can they spring the upset on Saturday?
The podcast wraps up with the NRL as the Eels and Cowboys get ready for a shoot out. Parramatta prevailed in a bizarre 3-point golden point upset earlier this year…what awaits the teams and fans on Saturday night?
The advances under Jim Sarantinos were indisputable and significant. Across the whole of his time recruitment was not bad – you could put together a list of impressive names. The flaw has been retention. I have no idea how closely he was involved in those decisions – maybe he trusted the wrong people.
Get ready to be bombarded with the about time messages…
Jim I could handle but I will join the masses re MON. It’s time for a new face in that role.
Will give it a listen this afternoon on the way home.
My inital reaction to the Jim Sarantinos news was one of relief. I know people will point to the Centre of Excellence etc and if he deserves some credit for that, fine. But an impressive building is useless if you don’t maximise its potential.
The reality is he should never have been appointed (which is not his fault). No one could say the back of house, pathways or first grade program are better than when he took over.
His people leadership skills are poor – from the outside looking in. The steady rotation of admin/events/marketing staff indicate a poor culture. He has failed to hold MoN accountable, so you can only assume that is a trait that he carries through his management of other under performing leaders in the Club.
For whatever his role (if any) is in recruitment – he has objectively failed at that too.
That all sounds harsh, but outside of the push back some might have that “we don’t know what happens in the offices of the Footy Club”, which is true, we don’t, I don’t knwo what other defence one could make for him. What we do see is results. The results are not good across all programs, through to junior footy, and he is ultimately the person responsible.
That an “independent review” was required, merely tells me his friends (important word there) on the Board, didn’t have the stomach to tell him he was going. They shoud be next on the list (with MoN)… If we ever had a chance to vote them out….
I had a listen to the pod – the opinion presented was somewhat expected – which is fine, respect everyones opinions.
In the interest of conversation and clarifying my initial reaction, I would challenge the opinions expressed on the podcast with the below.
Jim’s background is in liquidations and companies in Administration. And that’s how he treated his initial role with the Eels. Clearing debt by any means possible.
So yes he did that. But did he do it in a way that the Club could rebound and remain competitive and rebuild? Well I think the answer is no. Ok the football club needed to address their spending on junior reps. And its great to remove the reliance on the Leagues Clubs funding – especially in the face of gaming reform. BUT. Jim’s background is in closing up companies or trying to clear debts and make them sellable assets – not in reforming business ops and rebuilding them in a sustainable model. The club has paid the price for his approach on the field and in the junior rep, and junior league ranks – which, with a lack of on field performance, risks limiting the dollars corporates are willing to invest going forward.
The claim the club is in a better place financially, I would argue. There seems to be no acknowledgement that it is at the expense to on field performance and the junior program – a program that has kept us relevant in the league. And no acknowledgement that he has been handed the best ground in the country in terms of selling corporate spaces.
Our governance, couldn’t have been worse. But it isn’t much better – our Board set up is highly questionable and lacks accountability.
Jim’s professional profile takes credit for the membership and crowd numbers in 2022. If that is the case, he takes responsibility fo the membership drop and crowd drop since then, to the point that they are trying to runs ticket sale campaigns on the eve of every game these days.
The reality – We have 21 players on our roster for next year. I legitimately don’t think there is 9 players with more than 10 NRL games experience on the market. We may as well pay Jnr $1.5 mil next year because I am struggling to see how we get to 97% of the salary cap. It isn’t just a fireable offence, it is malpractice. The Bears are coming in, PNG are coming in. When we have a terrible record at recruitment, now we are competing with 2 more teams – one who has twice as much money to spend. We are in a place that is going to take years to get out of without a complete change in management and approach. It’s harsh, but Jim was the CEO, it is on him. In the world of Sports administration, NRL operations is easy when you compare it to leagues with drafts, and where management have to negotiate trades. We are terrible. We have been terrible. Bring Bernie Gurr back out of retirement if we have to.
And look, this is me reading between the lines and obviously the boys don’t have to take this on – it’s their podcast, they can present and position it how they like – totally fine.
I’ve never had a podcast, I listen to plenty, and I had a radio show back in the day up in QLD. If one of you disagrees with the take of the other guy, don’t sit quiet – say so! No one wants to listen to an argument, but a healthy, respectful debate with different opinions or positions makes for compelling listening. And I think you are both very capable of that.
Interesting perspective, B.A. something has gone very wrong over the last few years so questions must be asked of a club with arguably the best stadium, great training facilities, fabulous nursery and such poor onfield performance.
Whenever I want to say something I always look to see if BA Sports has already said it.. saves me smashing my sausage fingers on my mobile.
I like the cut of your jib mate !
Watching roosters v Penrith last night – what a game. Some real tension and old school defence rather than this shit PVL ball back and forth momentum manufactured by refs .
Rob toia is everything we wish penisini was. He’s had multipke serious knee injuries in past and last speed but his footwork, contact, defensive reads, hands, strength annd temperament (cooler head) are so elite he locks down opposition centres. Penisini has strength but none of the other stuff. Alamoti is in between the two (him and penisini are very similar and have same vices in their game but one plays for Penrith and other plays for Parra)
Foketi, wow. What a player. Folded Martin multiple times. Roosters talent id is just so elite…Blake steep coming through. Whyte is already a monster. Not to mention their young backs.
Would love to see a gf between two of roosters, wahs and dolphins. Each have mean forward packs and some X factor
Hey Ron,
Agree – that was a fun watch last night. Did love the 6 again abuse by Gee, but the tension was great!
Foketi is awesome! I find myself just following him, waiting for him to get involved in the play (in attack or defence).
Roosters v Wahs would be a great GF.
Martin is a shell of the man he was at his best.
…. I would be worried he has ‘future Eels signing’ written all over him, but i sense the Chiefs/Bears might have a good shot at him..
Jim did well for us financially, as far as creating a winning football team the evidence is obvious.Does Matthew Beach have any greater footy acumen or is he just another bean counter. Forty years and counting.
I think you have hit the nail on the head. Sports Administrators have unique skills, obviously they need to know how to read the numbers but there is so much more. Consider man management skills (including holding your senior management team accountable) key relationships (NRL, other Clubs CEO’s etc)other stakeholders (sponsors, fans).
I have long suspected Jim S was a numbers man through and through and did not understand the relationship side of his role.
Thanks Jim for what you have done for the club and parra teams overall; 10 years is a very good tenure and I thank him for this. I think he has done with lots of the fan engagement around kids etc and also the memberships; but retention needs the blowtorch.
Our other issues should have been addressed either immediately when BA got sent packing or following the 22 GF when we lost a few players.
I like a few have been saying for a while who we should have gone after, and I hope his door remains open to us; and he will need some enticing and needs to be given what he needs. There is a chance here like when in the SL era and Fitzy opened books to get the Big 4 plus others. We need to make our club the best with the best admin / CEO’s.