Being Realistic- Does Anyone Disagree?

[Great White Shark]

I have to say that half way through the season I have realised that I need to realign my expectations for the next few years.

Does anyone disagree with the following:

Last year we came back from the brink. The banks were an inch from recovering the $12M that we owe. The redevelopment is the only real hope we have to continnue with our club as is. Problem is that we are still deep in debt, our cashflow is lumpier than other clubs and our financial instability is resulting in it being harder for us to attract and retain players, attract sponsors and important third party deals for our players.

The bottom line is that without financial stability we will not be able to compete in a competition where financial stability/profit is dividing the good clubs (who can attract and retain player/sponsors/third party deals) and the struggling clubs. Nathan Tinkler's takeover being a classic situation where money has attracted coaches, players, sponsors, CEO's, recruitment managers etc.

I know this may be stating the obvious. But realisticly, the next few years is about reducing debt, restructring the club (development etc), stabilising our financial position and then being able to attract and retain and thereby compete. I figure that until 2014-15 we will be in the never-never (bottom 4 each year). It is not the end of the world, just the price of having a competitive, independant club.

I only wish the club would give its members a bit more information on how all these changes are going....i, for a person who has had more to do with the club in the past, other then believing all is moving in the right direction, know very little about what is happening. Sme press releases would be positive.

 

[Mark^Bastard]

I agree with you but don't think the bottom 4 is a certainty.

I agree that we need to take a longer term approach in that the next few years may be lean but then once the money comes in things could change quite quickly.

In the mean time, the strategy should be to get our juniors ready for the good times. We need to recruit young and build something with the view that it's all going to kick in in a few years.

 

[teflon77]

I agree with you but don't think the bottom 4 is a certainty.

I agree that we need to take a longer term approach in that the next few years may be lean but then once the money comes in things could change quite quickly.

In the mean time, the strategy should be to get our juniors ready for the good times. We need to recruit young and build something with the view that it's all going to kick in in a few years.

Sum's it up for me. :Yes:

 

[Capmar]

GWS I agree with you partly

Yes financial stability is important however I don't believe we have achieved this in the long term - only the short term. Once the land is sold we need an incoming & ongoing financial stream.

I started watching Rogers, the Sorensens, Khan, Pierce etc when I was 8 and I have been a financial member of the club since I turned 18. It saddens me to say but I think patience is not all that is needed. Since Lang left - the Sharks brand name has been damaged and both sponsors & elite players are hard to attract. Ricky's parting comments only reinforced this. Crowds have diminished and the teams performance has been mediocre over many years. I believe we need to consider a PARTIAL relocation - that is represent the Shire & potentially the Central Coast if this is possible.

I know I will attract criticism & I don't disrespect those who will be angered but the Sharks are becoming an endangered species if radical change is not contemplated.

It's not just players but resources and support staff that is placing the club in difficult circumstances - those items that are not policed by the cap.

Until such changes are made at best we will be a nuisance team that wins the odd game not like the Lang era where playing the Sharks meant that the opposition were scared to come to Shark park, crowds were regularly over 17,000 & the visiting side regularly had a player leaving in an ambulance.

I know we are trying but this is an elite sport AND a business. I DO love my team but I sometimes feel I am watching a slow death

 

[IronShark]

Capmar, I think you will find the development is designed to provide an ongoing, longe term income. It's not just a case of us "selling" the land, that's just a part of it with the residential side.

On the other side, the shopping centre will provide a yearly income through rent. There will also be the flow-on benefits of a much improved Leagues Club resulting in an increase in patronage.

Most importantly though, we will erase the debt that has been crippling us for years now. Without the debt to service, our balance sheet will improve quickly.

I'm strongly opposed to any type of relocation, partial or otherwise. I think we will see things turn around financially in the next couple of years and then we will see greater stability in the football Club.

We will have to show some patience in the short term but the future looks bright down the track.

 

[Great White Shark]

I generally agree with all that is being said. The restructure within the club is not just about the development. It is a genuine restructure, including mergers with local associations etc. I do believe the Board has an internal restructure in mind as well (I am not a Board member nor do I work for the club). It is 20 years overdue. I hope that the Board has the skills and insight to implement but I realise that even these changes are dependant on funding as well.
It would be a positive, however, for more channels of communication to be opened with members, sponsors etc and more information to be made available to dispell as much instability as possible.

 

[Capmar]

Iron Shark I hope I am wrong. Seriously!

I respect people like you and the motivation you inspire.

I just want to see the Sharks be a potent force once again

 

[IronShark]

...
I just want to see the Sharks be a potent force once again

Amen to that, brother. Amen to that!:good:

 

[fitz]

Iron Shark I hope I am wrong. Seriously!

I respect people like you and the motivation you inspire.

I just want to see the Sharks be a potent force once again

Don't just respect them... BECOME one.

BELIEVE - BE SEEN - BECOME

 

[Blix]

For mine I tend to think you cant simplify quite that much.

For example I reckon if we had a coach like Sheens or Hasler (I wont chuck Bellamy or Bennet in here), anyway, if we had one of the coaches above I dont think we would have trouble attracting players.

Not a shot at Flano but at the moment he has the worst record in the NRL, and I reckon that alone would be scaring people away.

Yes higher profile coaches are more expensive, BUT, for mine paying an additional 200 or 300K will pay dividends in the long run through results & player signings.

Insert flaming HERE - (sorry if I think that Flano's lack of a winning record could be costing us but I think it is reality!)

 

[Gards]

Although financial stablity may be some time off there's no good reason why we can't start building a winning culture now and we need to. Having money in the bank doesn't have a gaurantee of insantly translating to on-field success but on-field success will go the other way and help our finances and supporter base.

Give someone an excuse and they will fall back on it.

We cannot wait for all the Sharks planets to aline and this football team needs to aim for something more than a ploder making up the numbers and the fans shouldn't accept the debt as an excuse or lack of big signings ect. They are meant to be a professional football club dealing with the challanges while still getting the best results possible. We are not hitting that potential as it is.

Realistically yes we might still struggle for the next few years but that doesn't mean we set the bar low - self fullfillying prophescy.

Btw the Knights with all their money, signings and coaching havn't won the comp just yet. There will be alot of pressure on them to get results with the talent they have and if it isn't delivered they are still capable of implosion.

 

[slide rule]

Insert flaming HERE - (sorry if I think that Flano's lack of a winning record could be costing us but I think it is reality!)

If I were a player, I'd want to work under a coach that had a reputation for developing players, being good to play under and who was personable. I certainly wouldn't worry about the win/loss ratio as that can be completely deceiving, particularly for a coach who has come in under difficult circumstances and only been in for a short amount of time.

There really is a changing of the guard in the coaching ranks at the moment. There really aren't a lot of old heads around. So many teams seem to be bringing up new coaches at the moment. To be honest, Flanagan seems to have as good, if not better, resume than most.

 

[Gards]

Yea and in building his reputation and win/loss at NRL level he needs to start somewhere and at some point. He won't have that stuff from the start, it's going to take time.

Blokes like Bennet can't coach forever, a new less experienced generation will step up mistakes and all.

 

[brently]

Slide is correct - it's too early to make a call on flanno's coaching record as he barely has one. he's inhereted a poorly performing team and introduced new, unproven blood to that team. the side has been good enough to win more games this year but simply hasn't known how and had to deal with its fair share of ordinary luck. injury has struck crucial players and our depth, it is apprent for all to see, is not strong. i'm prepared to give him more time.

gws - this was one of sticky's major frustrations; DI focusing (correctly I believe) on shoring up the club's financial situation above success on the park. it pains me to say it but we sharks' fans need to call on new reserves of patience. when we get the development sorted, i think we can expect increased success in the player market. our juniors are going well but we'll need to be patient there too, and even then there's no gaurantee we'll be able to keep them and capitalise on their success in lower grades. hang in there for now and party down when we finally fulfil our potential.

go sharks.

 

[SHARKSTER]

For example I reckon if we had a coach like Sheens or Hasler (I wont chuck Bellamy or Bennet in here), anyway, if we had one of the coaches above I dont think we would have trouble attracting players.

Not a shot at Flano but at the moment he has the worst record in the NRL, and I reckon that alone would be scaring people away.

Yes higher profile coaches are more expensive, BUT, for mine paying an additional 200 or 300K will pay dividends in the long run through results & player signings.

I think you summed it up yourself Blix. We don't have the cash right now. When we are more financially stable, I would wager we would seek a higher profile coach, unless Flanno achieves some amazing results with the cattle we can afford or attract.

 

[phoenix]

having a healthy bank balance helps but does not mean you will win more games, souths have a few dollars and a recognised coach and look at them.

imo it all starts with building a winning culture which we will achieve when some more of our juniors come through, they will bring enthusiasm and will keep some of the oldies on their toes. i think we need to take a leaf out of the broncos book it works and they have a bright future even though lockyer is retiring.

a few years ago if he didnt play they got hammered but that was more so because of the players mind set than anything else, now with the youngins they have it doesnt seem to be a issue thats what i think we should be aiming towards. if it works why not ?

 

[DeathMoth]

Sure a potential player mightn't look at a win/loss record when deciding to sign but another team making a play for the same guy would certainly use it to their benefit. And if it suited their manager's interests you can be sure he'd be using it as ammo too

 

[Blix]

I think you summed it up yourself Blix. We don't have the cash right now. When we are more financially stable, I would wager we would seek a higher profile coach, unless Flanno achieves some amazing results with the cattle we can afford or attract.

My point is.....

We have probably just spent in the vacinity of 200-250K on Robson.

A 28 year old BOG halfback, that will be marginally better than what we have at best, furthermore he will kok block townsend.

We could of spent this 200-250K on a MUCH higher profile coach or at worse employed Johns or Noddy or someone with a load of prior experience to train Graham, Kelly & Townsend.

My whole point is that we are better off going down a bit in our cap to get better / more coaches around to train the halfs we have got (than waste money on halfbacks which are average)

 

[josh11223344]

My point is.....

We have probably just spent in the vacinity of 200-250K on Robson.

A 28 year old BOG halfback, that will be marginally better than what we have at best, furthermore he will kok block townsend.

We could of spent this 200-250K on a MUCH higher profile coach or at worse employed Johns or Noddy or someone with a load of prior experience to train Graham, Kelly & Townsend.

My whole point is that we are better off going down a bit in our cap to get better / more coaches around to train the halfs we have got (than waste money on halfbacks which are average)

there is no way he would be on that money, we can't be sure but surely no more than 150-180.

 

[Blix]

there is no way he would be on that money, we can't be sure but surely no more than 150-180.

Even if he is on 175K, add that to Flanno's money that is probably at least 150K (that is a complete pot shot, but surely its not much less than that), and your are at 325K not that far off a high profile coach. Which I would guess one of the top 5 or 6 coaches would be in the 450K vacinity?


Anyway we have Flanno who I think is a decent coach, the problem being is that he has a team with no confidence and we are struggling signing players as 1) we dont have a high profile coach and 2) We are losing.

I just wish they would spend some money into additional tutorliage from say Joey Johns, he could help our halves massively.

Honestly how much could he possibly charge per day? $5000 ?

If so I would think 30 singular days at 150K, would be extremely beneficial.

Definately more so than spending $150-200 on Robson