Dogzof95
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Andrew Hill, during his stint at Greater Western Sydney, did not have to deal with salary cap pressures.
In his role as academies manager of the fledgling franchise, Hill was handed a blank cheque to build a team ahead of its inaugural year in the AFL. If the Giants were to make an inroad into traditional league heartland, it would take more than just blokes capable of taking a hanger or a handball. So Hill, armed with a war chest and limited only by his imagination, drew up a hit list of his top three ring-ins – Jarryd Hayne, Michael Jennings and Israel Folau.
History will show GWS, not content with finding the next Folau, snared the current one. While he never made a real impression on the field, it prompted a cross-code war that more than paid for itself in the promotional stakes.
Hill's next gig, as the chief executive at Canterbury, is everything the GWS role was not. At Belmore, the cap doesn't fit. He will inherit a roster comprised of players on inflated and back-ended contracts and will answer to a board that may be removed shortly after his arrival. His first duty, after getting his feet under the desk, could well be to spear one of the modern game's best coaches and then trying to find a capable replacement.
Whatever the future holds for Des Hasler and the current board, one thing is certain – Hill will not be able to buy his way out of trouble. A new cap on football spending will prevent Canterbury's rich leagues club from blindly signing cheques to appease the coach. Regardless of where the NRL and the RLPA land on a salary cap, the Bulldogs will be well over it. Upon completing his commitments as the boss of the Rugby League World Cup, Hill will have just a few months to ensure the blue and whites are cap compliant for the 2018 season. This will be no mean feat. Canterbury have signed Kieran Foran and Aaron Woods at a time when their biggest names are coming to the most lucrative year of their contracts. Save for Melbourne-bound Sam Kasiano, attempts to offload players have so far come to nought. Rival clubs are waiting for the fire sale that is inevitably coming.
Hill has experience working in challenging environments. His life-long dream was to play for Parramatta and, in August of 1993, he got his chance. Eels coach Mick Cronin chose a clash at Bruce Stadium with Canberra – against a side including Ricky Stuart, Laurie Daley, Mal Meninga, Brad Clyde, Gary Belcher and Brett Mullins – as the time to blood the rookie. By the time the full-time hooter mercifully sounded, the Green Machine had racked up 68 unanswered points in what remains the heaviest defeat in Parramatta's history. Hill, wearing the No.16 jersey, never got a another crack in the top grade.
He did, however, spend about a decade in Parramatta's front office. "Hilly" was the protege of Denis Fitzgerald, an association that initially advanced his career but ultimately cost him the chance to replace the "Emperor'' long term. When Fitzgerald was sensationally ousted at the ballot box, Hill was a victim of the politics engulfing the blue and golds at the time. The Eels are poorer for it. One of their many subsequent CEOs, Scott Seward, was bullied into presiding over the mess that became the salary cap scandal. It wouldn't have happened had Hill been at the helm.
Hill has held executive roles across all four professional football codes. It is that experience that made him stand out from the 2600 other applicants clamouring for the job.
"Andrew was appointed from a very strong list of candidates and has exceptional experience in the game of rugby league," said Bulldogs chairman Ray Dib.
"We thought it was important that we got a person who had a strong background in the game and understood the culture and ethos of our club"
Hill will start his new job just as his old one comes to an end. The timing for Manly isn't as fortuitous. Hill had been shortlisted as a potential CEO replacement for Tim Cleary. The Silvertails will need to look elsewhere to find their ninth chief executive in the post-Northern Eagles era.
Maybe he can bring Folau, that would be an awesome start!
In his role as academies manager of the fledgling franchise, Hill was handed a blank cheque to build a team ahead of its inaugural year in the AFL. If the Giants were to make an inroad into traditional league heartland, it would take more than just blokes capable of taking a hanger or a handball. So Hill, armed with a war chest and limited only by his imagination, drew up a hit list of his top three ring-ins – Jarryd Hayne, Michael Jennings and Israel Folau.
History will show GWS, not content with finding the next Folau, snared the current one. While he never made a real impression on the field, it prompted a cross-code war that more than paid for itself in the promotional stakes.
Hill's next gig, as the chief executive at Canterbury, is everything the GWS role was not. At Belmore, the cap doesn't fit. He will inherit a roster comprised of players on inflated and back-ended contracts and will answer to a board that may be removed shortly after his arrival. His first duty, after getting his feet under the desk, could well be to spear one of the modern game's best coaches and then trying to find a capable replacement.
Whatever the future holds for Des Hasler and the current board, one thing is certain – Hill will not be able to buy his way out of trouble. A new cap on football spending will prevent Canterbury's rich leagues club from blindly signing cheques to appease the coach. Regardless of where the NRL and the RLPA land on a salary cap, the Bulldogs will be well over it. Upon completing his commitments as the boss of the Rugby League World Cup, Hill will have just a few months to ensure the blue and whites are cap compliant for the 2018 season. This will be no mean feat. Canterbury have signed Kieran Foran and Aaron Woods at a time when their biggest names are coming to the most lucrative year of their contracts. Save for Melbourne-bound Sam Kasiano, attempts to offload players have so far come to nought. Rival clubs are waiting for the fire sale that is inevitably coming.
Hill has experience working in challenging environments. His life-long dream was to play for Parramatta and, in August of 1993, he got his chance. Eels coach Mick Cronin chose a clash at Bruce Stadium with Canberra – against a side including Ricky Stuart, Laurie Daley, Mal Meninga, Brad Clyde, Gary Belcher and Brett Mullins – as the time to blood the rookie. By the time the full-time hooter mercifully sounded, the Green Machine had racked up 68 unanswered points in what remains the heaviest defeat in Parramatta's history. Hill, wearing the No.16 jersey, never got a another crack in the top grade.
He did, however, spend about a decade in Parramatta's front office. "Hilly" was the protege of Denis Fitzgerald, an association that initially advanced his career but ultimately cost him the chance to replace the "Emperor'' long term. When Fitzgerald was sensationally ousted at the ballot box, Hill was a victim of the politics engulfing the blue and golds at the time. The Eels are poorer for it. One of their many subsequent CEOs, Scott Seward, was bullied into presiding over the mess that became the salary cap scandal. It wouldn't have happened had Hill been at the helm.
Hill has held executive roles across all four professional football codes. It is that experience that made him stand out from the 2600 other applicants clamouring for the job.
"Andrew was appointed from a very strong list of candidates and has exceptional experience in the game of rugby league," said Bulldogs chairman Ray Dib.
"We thought it was important that we got a person who had a strong background in the game and understood the culture and ethos of our club"
Hill will start his new job just as his old one comes to an end. The timing for Manly isn't as fortuitous. Hill had been shortlisted as a potential CEO replacement for Tim Cleary. The Silvertails will need to look elsewhere to find their ninth chief executive in the post-Northern Eagles era.
Maybe he can bring Folau, that would be an awesome start!
