Former Parramatta great Terry Leabeater has urged Denis Fitzgerald to show he has the club’s best interests at heart to allow changes to take place at the troubled NRL club.
Fitzgerald’s 30-year reign at the Eels is almost certain to come to an end after a bitter leagues’ club election campaign on Sunday that saw the rebel 3P group win control over the current seven-man board.
The group have also been backed by Eels legends Brett Kenny, Ray Price and Eric Grothe Senior and Leabeater said change cannot come quick enough for a club who last tasted premiership success in 1986.
Two of the current directors, former players Geoff Gerard and Ron Hilditch, remain on the leagues board for now because the club’s constitution states it must have at least three representatives from the football club.
However, the new board want to bring in a mandate to remove Hilditch and Gerard at the club’s AGM on May 5.
“It is nothing against Geoff and Ron but the members have voted for a mandate that there should be a clear change .. and that is what they should get,” said Leabeater.
Parramatta’s NRL and Toyota Cup teams are currently ruled by the leagues club with the football club controlling the NSW Cup, SG Ball and Parramatta Junior League teams.
The 3P group want to return all the football teams under the one umbrella.
“It will definitely happen, the NRL club will become part of the football club, but it has to be voted on by the board and it has to be done in a way that doesn’t hurt the club,” Leabeater said.
“There are a lot of corporate people who want to come to the club but won’t in its current situation.
“Our aim is to put the football club back to where it was before, with a winning formula .. this comes from having a winning atmosphere among the players, the coaches and the club.”
Leabeater blamed Fitzgerald for saddling the leagues club with debt, reported to be in the region of $20m, and said he wanted the family atmosphere that was so prevalent at the club in the 1980s to return.
“I don’t think there is a winning feeling around the place … Feleti Mateo came out and said it doesn’t affect the players .. but it has got to when there is doubts cast about the club’s future.
“It is a family we are talking about .. and their working future and that is pretty much why we are running against Denis and the board as there is too much debt in the club.
“Change is good and I hope Denis comes to his senses and allows the change to be voted on at AGM as this will be the turning point for the club’s future.
“If he doesn’t then it is going to cost a lot of money as we will have to call and extraordinary general meeting to get this over the line.”
Choppy
Guest
This interview from the Telegraph kind of puts holes in the theory that the Leagues Club is about to fall apart financially. It seems like there was lots of propaganda about the dire financial state from the 3P side which their incumbent chairman dismisses. JOSH Massoud talks to rebel 3P leader and likely new leagues club chairman Roy Spagnolo: Will you sack Denis Fitzgerald? No Comment But didn't the members who voted for 3P also vote for Denis's sacking? Not necessarily. But they've definitely asked us to have a much closer look at him. Things won't be the same for Denis as they were under the old board. When was the last time you spoke to Denis as a friend?We spoke in Brisbane on Friday night but not as friends. More as acquaintances. Probably the last time was in Griffith for our trial against Penrith. You've known one another for a while - why did you fall out? It's just a relationship where I respected his position and kept my distance. Has he congratulated you? No. Are you disappointed? I might have thought that as CEO he would have picked up the phone, but I wouldn't say I'm disappointed about it. Will Tony Zappia be the next CEO? There's been no approaches made, but Tony did a great job as football manager here and seems to be doing a good job in difficult times at Cronulla. He's highly regarded in rugby league and I know the Tigers and Manly have already approached him. The leagues club has been described as trading on the brink of insolvency. You are a qualified accountant - what's your reading of the balance book? I think it's still strong because there's still an overall surplus of $22 million. There is a covenant in our bank loan that has been broken and we need to talk to the bank about that. We need to improve our liquidity ratio.