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Many have criticised Ricky Stuart for the way he informed 12 players that they wouldn’t be welcome next season or that they had the rest of the season to earn a contract.
As a Parramatta supporter I have seen too many coaches go through the club since Jack Gibson left. John Monie ruled in the house that Jack built. Then, with the legends retiring was replaced by Michael Cronin who in turn was replaced by Ron Hilditch. Brian Smith then threw his hat in the ring and brought relative consistency and some success to the club.
Since Smith has left the club has been a basket case. He left mid-way through 2006 and Jason Taylor took over in a caretaker role. For some reason he was released and was replaced by Michael Hagan.
Hagan lasted two seasons and then was replaced by Daniel Anderson who also only saw out two seasons before copping the sack. Stephen Kearney was also here for just two seasons.
The club has now paid the price for those changes. No coach can set up a club for continued success in two seasons. Admittedly Kearney needed to go, he was sending the team backwards.
But for the past 6-7 seasons it has been the coaches who have born the brunt of the criticism, not the players. Yet the team has under-performed practically every season since 2006.
At some point the players have to be held responsible and this is what Stuart has done. He’s drawn a line in the sand and shown the players that they are either here to give 100% or they’re out the door.
Stuart’s also been criticised for the way he broke the news. People said he should’ve told each player individually. Stuart wrote in his column in the Sun Herald that he decided a statement needed to be made after their capitulation in Mudgee.
Telling each player quietly wouldn’t have made the statement Stuart was looking for. When I see Stuart I see a man who is passionate and driven. If he could he’d probably be running out on that field with them. Unfortunately some of those players don’t have that passion or desire.
I implore the Eels Board to stick with Stuart until the end of his contract at the very least. The club can’t afford another coach to fall by the way-side. He has a plan and unlike those before him he’s prepared to make the hard decisions.
It is up to the players now to perform and show some pride in the jersey. Stuart put a value on the Blues jersey in 2011 and 2012. It seems that he is now doing that at Parramatta. If those players want to wear the blue and gold then they have to prove that they want it.
Playing for Parramatta is not a right, it’s a privilege.
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