It's fucking outrageous, and i'm only doing the bare minimum these days otherwise I'll go too crazy and shit ffs.
Basically this goes back to my argument I've been putting forward for a while, this board is just constantly talking smack to buy time. First it was a "rebuild" but now it's like "lol jokes it was a reset and now we're going to lay the foundations". It's all fucking bs.
This board hasn't done anything remarkable, all they've done is run some contracts out and release a few players and waited for our cap to clear, anybody in that field could've done that ffs. They've just sat back and taken the low risk route and are waiting for things to unfold until they're forced to be more aggressive and proactive.
They haven't been proactive in recruiting highly sought after staff or administrators, they haven't been aggressive with recruitment and retention, we've lost one of the richest deals and are yet to announce a new major sponsor in their place, our memberships are diabolical, etc.
I pity the entitled. The world owes you, let's not kid anyone.
Yes I've heard this argument before and whilst there's some merit, how would you have done it differently? I rarely get answers to that specific question.
- Rebuild/Reset - the same thing
- Remarkable - I've sat on two boards in my career and wouldn't say anything done was 'remarkable' either. Being a Director is nothing more than responsible management of a business to its shareholders - repair damage, set a different course, ensure the exec team work within guidelines - there's no wand and no praise.
- 'Waited' for the cap to clear - what other choice was there with the huge salaries being paid on previously agreed contracts? Pretty sure you can't 'front end' those contracts under NRL rules and players aren't going to walk unless they get the same/more elsewhere.
- Aggressive with retention - the cap problem has not allowed us to be super aggressive. As well as letting go a number of players we've recruited decently in the last two years (OK, not 'marquees' - but look where that got us with Woods and Foran).
- Highly Sought - given the mess of 2018 and probably 2019 - who'd want to come onboard? Only people who care about the club, not 'professional directors' who sit on multiple boards. That might come later.
- If anything I get the feeling they're setting a platform for the 2022 election - cap in order, squad rebuilt, governance framework built, ready for a new team to take over. That would be success in my view.
- Yes, the major sponsor is gone, but how (apart from perhaps Mad Monday) is that the club's fault? KIA elected to take their money to Brisbane because they see better bang for buck in whatever data in their business that tells them that. No doubt the directors are eagerly engaging potential new sponsors - it's bloody hard getting money out of advertisers today - ask anyone who seeks it on any platform apart from Facebook and Google. TV and newspapers are dead and once upon a time they printed money. I hope they're talking to some digital businesses such as ring.com, SimpliSafe and others rather than just the more 'traditional' footy team sponsors.
So for this board to not be called 'remarkable' to me means they're doing their job - which if the previous mob had done theirs, we probably never would've ended up where we did.
I take on board your comments - but I'd REALLY like to hear how and what you would have done specifically differently.