The Parramatta Eels need to punt on talent, not pokies

Slimey says:

11:36am | 20/07/12

They have “only” survived as a footy club because of poker machines and their juggernaut of a leagues club? Fred, how would the Leagues Club have come in to existence, without the ‘Leagues’ bit? Why are they to be criticised for this? Why are you ignoring the revenue brought in via ticket sales and merchandise sales for one of the most popularly supported teams in the competition?  Why do you ignore the revenue that is provided to them via sponsorship, and NRL handouts?  NRL handouts that are derived from media payments for the product Rugby League.  A product that continually rakes in enormous viewing and readership numbers, particularly for games that Parramatta participate in, regardless of their position in the competition standings.  Parramatta Eels don’t merely survive Fred.  They thrive.  Sorry to disappoint you.

Fred says:

01:45pm | 20/07/12

Calm down Slimey….26 years between drinks is really giving you a complex by the looks of things. Answer me this one question…since the parramatta fc is such a successful business, why has it not translated into on field success for nearly 3 decades?

thruthehaze says:

03:29pm | 20/07/12

Seem to recall they’ve been in two Grand Finals in the past decade and as recently as 2009. Form slump? Or is Fred just talking through his hat?
Tough choice.

pa_kelvin says:

11:28am | 20/07/12

Is that you Mr Wilke??

Steve says:

12:01pm | 20/07/12

Absolutely, then when we’re on a roll we can ban the TAB and Scratchies and Horse Racing, hell lets keep going, any competetive sports where the outcome could possibly be gambled upon should be scrapped, I hear theres gambling available on the internet so we better ban that too and when thats done we can form a government department to make sure two flys never crawl together on the same wall anywhere in Australia just in case some poor victim happens past and just has to have a punt on them

the cream says:

12:43pm | 20/07/12

I disagree completely Steve. Regulation is an infringement on my commercial freedom. I should be allowed to exploit anyone I please, after all if kids let me sell them addictive drugs, then it’s their own fault for being so stupid. This is supposed to be a meritocracy right?

TimB says:

03:46pm | 20/07/12

I got mine for $215 K in Granville…and it’s a 2 bedroom one.

You need to look a bit harder M.

M says:

04:28pm | 20/07/12

I’m in Brisvegas these days anyway. I didn’t think cheap property existed in Sydney any more.

PW says:

06:56pm | 20/07/12

A one bedroom unit in Parramatta or west can generally be had for $200k. Further west you’ll get 2 bedrooms for this price.

M says:

12:59pm | 21/07/12

YEah, but it’s not technically sydney is it? And if you work in the city you’d wanna be prepared to spend a billion years just getting to and from work.

andrew says:

01:41pm | 20/07/12

yep - just another way of reclaiming all that money the govt hands out in the form of welfare payments each week, along with taxes on tobacco and alcohol - We just need to legalise, control supply and tax drugs now. The best thing about all these taxes is that one can easily choose not to pay them. The more money raked in by these taxes, the lower income tax rates can be set.

M says:

03:08pm | 20/07/12

I like your style of thinking andrew.

JoniM says:

11:57am | 21/07/12

Spot on J !

The real problem for clubs like Parramatta, Penrith and other current battlers is that they have administrations that wouldn’t recognise real football talent if it bit them on the bum ! With the majority of the Sydney NRL nursery coming from the Parramatta and Penrith districts, both these clubs are current perennial cellar dwellers ! How can that be ? Their administrators are self serving bums who do not understand how to put a team together that can genuinely compete. They fail to realise that you need a key general on the field above all else and all stops need to be pulled out to find this one key player. They are few and far between currently ( eg Cam Smith, Jonathan Thurston). They need to be developed in your junior leagues or go outside to find them. Look at Manly finding Cherry-Evans in QLD ! Where were the Parra scouts ? You pay the big bucks for the key player and augment your team around him with anyone looking for a game. They will rise to match their leader. Look at Melbourne with Smith, Slater and Cronk and 30 low paid reserve graders. Stop spending money on the incidental players and find the general ! Look at the very recent issue of trying to get Luke Lewis. Parra were talking about a $700k a season deal and sacking the coach to get him ! Why spend that much for a good player, no doubt , but one who is not an on-field general and in fact who hasn’t even made one break for lowly Penrith this year ?
Parra haven’t had such a general since Stirling and Penrith since Alexander ! Yet they have most of the game’s nursery of potential talent !
Until the key on-field general is found, there will be no change at Parra !

Flutz says:

05:00pm | 21/07/12

Absolultely agree with you 100% J.  Hayne is one of the reasons Parra has done so poorly the past few years.  He had 1 amazing season in 2009 and hasn’t really put in consistently for the club since and he thinks he is bigger than the club/team. But the only coach who dared tell him to pull his head in was Daniel Anderson - and we all know who lost that battle; so of course he believes he is untouchable regardless of attitude or form and therefore will never change his attitude and actually play for his team.  The sooner the Eels get rid of Hayne the better off they’ll be.

Sam says:

05:27pm | 21/07/12

When Hayne is on fire, Parra win. When Hayne plays average, which is most of the time, they lose. They depend on him to carry them over the line, and counting on the talent of one player isn’t enough - particularly a player who goes missing all too often.