Parramatta chief executive Bob Bentley has defended the decision to make the struggling Eels squad face the music at the NRL club’s annual general meeting despite criticism from one of club’s all-time greats.
Former Test centre Michael Cronin – who played in all four of Parramatta’s premiership-winning sides – claimed neither the players, nor under-fire coach Steve Kearney, should have been subjected to fronting the masses at Parramatta Leagues Club on Tuesday night.
“The footballers and the coach front up every Saturday and Sunday – an AGM is a time for people running the club – the board – that’s their job,” Cronin said.
“I just can’t see where it gets any value out of it.
“I just don’t think the players should have to go through it.
“Does it belittle them? – I don’t know. Did any of them look comfortable going there?”
In unprecedented scenes, the entire Eels squad stood on stage as Kearney and skipper Nathan Hindmarsh spoke to the members.
There were suggestions the presence of Kearney and the players would help smother some of the anger from members directed at board members.
Bentley dismissed that notion, before admitting it was a practice the club would continue into the future.
“There’s a lot of hype in the media about the players fronting the AGM to face the music, which really wasn’t the intention,” Bentley said.
“It was to show a united front.
“The team’s performance in the early part of the season hasn’t been up to standard, the fans are obviously disappointed, and so are the team, the coaching staff and the board.”
“I addressed them (the players) in the morning (Tuesday), just in terms of running through what the process was for the evening.
“None of them indicated ‘why do we have to front up?’.”
Having already called in Kearney for a ‘please explain’ last month and now putting him and the players before the members, it’s hard to see where the Eels board can turn next should the team’s poor on-field performances continue.
Kearney declined interview requests on Wednesday, but Bentley said things were being done to help turn the club’s fortunes around.
They have been linked to a number of players coming off contract at rival clubs – most notably Manly back-rower Tony Williams – Bentley admitting the playing roster had to improve.
“… some of the fans feel that they (the current Eels players) may not be the players that will take us ahead this season or next, and we obviously need to look at strengthening in some key positions,” Bentley said.
“Our recruitment manager Peter Nolan is actively looking at strengthening some of those roles.
“I think we’ve got some work to do there.”