Official Tony Zappia

[Yahoo News]

Cronulla have announced the appointment of former Parramatta football manager Tony Zappia as the NRL club's new chief executive.

Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/071003/2/14kyn.html

Cronulla appoints Zappia as new CEO
October 3, 2007
© AAP

Cronulla have announced the appointment of former Parramatta football manager Tony Zappia as the NRL club's new chief executive.

Zappia will replace outgoing Greg Pierce, who announced in July he would be leaving the Sharks to accept a senior management position in a major building company in Sydney's western suburbs.

Sharks chairman Barry Pierce said Zappia, who spent seven years with the Eels, was unanimously selected by the Cronulla board.

"His proven ability to lead top performing teams and his track record in the administration of the game came highly recommended by many of the game's leading administrators," Pierce said.

"The Parramatta club is recognised as the benchmark for club administration and its support of the game across all levels.

"We know Tony will bring with him a great understanding of the issues facing the sport and a thorough knowledge of the workings of a football club."

Zappia will begin the role on October 15.

 

[peachey]

Interview With Tony Zappia

*all typed up by me

Interview With Tony Zappia
big league

Q: what are your 1st impressions of cronulla, after leaving Parramatta?
A: It's a challenge, obviously from being at a club thats strong financially and infrastructure -wise, it's certainly very different here. The Sharks just dont have the dollars parra have but in terms of playing strength i think our squad is very strong and the coaching staff is great. I just think we need to change our approach to the admin and marketing sides of things and to attract more corporates support to the organisation.

Q: What will be the 1st thing you change?
A: I am currently in the process of re-structuring the football admin. I'm overseeing the development of the new grandstand as well as investigating player infrastructure and providing improved facilities including a gym

Q: What are you aims as CEO?
A: I want to get this club in the top 8, obviously with the assistance of the coaching and playing staff. Off the field i want to make the club as financially secure as possible. A personal goal is to be the CEO when we win our first premiership.

Q: Ricky Stuart has re-signed until 2011 - what does this mean for the rest of the club?
A: It builds onwhat has been achieved in the last 12 months and improves stability. It also allows the club to better recruit players with Ricky's stature in the game as well as his postion as australian coach. From a corporate point of view, his re-appointment shows the club is stable.

Q: What is the reaction to willie mason's non-arrival at the club?
A: The Willie Mason situation was disappointing but i think it's important the club showed it was prepared to chase a high profile player. You're always disappointed when you miss out on a player but we're reasonably happy with the playing strength we've got at the moment and will continue to look at off contract players in the next year or 2.

Q: Has the possibility of relocating the sharks been mentioned at sharks HQ?
A: The only talk about relocation in the club at the moment is wether im going to move to the Shire!!. Theres no talk of the club moving, whatsoever. what i want to do is instil financial stability and with good coaching, Cronulla is the place where alot of good things will happen over the next 2 or 3 yrs.

Q: Cronulla has long been regarded as a poorer club - whats been done to secure its financial future?
A: the board has been very active in reviewing whats been occuring in the leagues club. the demographics are very different to some of the western sydney clubs in regards to clientele. the board is also investigating the possibility of a retail facility where the current leagues club car park is located. There are other interests but those are the issues being dealt with by the relevant councils n govts in association with planning authorities and it is too early to say exactly what will be in place.

Q: what does your appointment as Cronulla CEO mean to you?
A: its exciting and challenging. My time at Parra was well spent and it gave me a great grounding. parra is such a well run club both financially and in admin. denis fitzgerald has been there for a long time and you cant help but learn off those types of people - i hope to pass on my experience to the sharks. Its exciting to be here.

 

[Megashark]

*all typed up by me

Well done champ, I couldn't even pick up any typos! A very interesting interview, and especially heartwarming to hear him say:

A personal goal is to be the CEO when we win our first premiership.

 

[Lettuce_Sharks]

good read peach, and all good stuff to hear from tony. cant help but be a tad apprehensive when he said he's learnt from dennis fitzgerald......its all fine as long as hes only picked up business savvy and not how to be a complete wanker like dennis

 

[WillyInBris]

A personal goal is to be the CEO when we win our first premiership.

This is is the kind of things I like to hear, its positive and thats what we need in all areas of the club.

When I think back three years ago I couldn't have imagined that we would, one have Ricky as our coach zap as our CEO guys like bird wanting to sign long term contracts.

How things have changed

 

[zakspiders]

not bad peach apart from

12 monts

however i'm concerned about some of our admins.

I couldn't even pick up any typos!

 

[zakspiders]

now serious.

i was interested in his answer to the willie mason question.
who's off contract in the next 2 years?

 

[bort]

denis fitzgerald has been there for a long time and you cant help but learn but learn off those types of people - i hope to pass on my experience to the sharks.

cmon peach, have some pride in your work
:nodlaugh

 

[sharks195]

it is kind of hard to be proud of being red.

 

[peachey]

cmon peach, have some pride in your work
:nodlaugh

that was denis fitzgeralds fault...(we need a shift eyes emoticon)

 

[bort]

it is kind of hard to be proud of being red.

its not my fault im sunburnt! (ok, so it mostly is... ok, entirely... shutup)

 

[sharks195]

its not my fault i hate woolies! (ok, so it mostly is... ok, entirely... shutup, oh and f*ck woolies!)

i didn't say anything about woolies yet!!!

 

[bort]

its definitely THEIR fault!


f*ck woolies

 

[in:extremis]

Sounds like a good guy. Thanks Peachey.

Dont really understand the Mason thing, if we were prepared to fork out for him, there is obviously money there in the cap. Something we could have spent on a good centre/winger.

 

[bort]

most of that money was at the expense of ross

 

[in:extremis]

most of that money was at the expense of ross

U reckon Ross would be on half what Mason would get or more/less?

Im not sure about the Sharks not being a rich club talk. What does it matter how much money they have as long as they can afford good facilities which they have and be able to pay their players which they can. The salary cap is f^#k all really when you think about it.

Sure you wont get as many people playing pokies as Parra/Penrith etc. Maybe they should think about lowering drink prices to get more people in there. Last time I went I got a middy of beer and a bottle for my mate and it was $8 something, last time I went for a drink there.

And if they deomlish the car park, where are people going to park, are they going to demolish the adjacent playing fields and build a car park there?

Anyway good luck to the bloke, always good to freshen up a joint and bring some new ideas in.

 

[Shark Crazy]

- I think you'll find Ross is on a $400k contract, similar money to what Willie was paid.
- I totally agreed about the salary cap, until i looked at what the clubs actually make, jack sh*t, we are definately one of the poorer clubs, and if the salary cap was raised we wouldn't be able to afford the talent that othe clubs could.
- $8 for two beers, thats not too bad, love to know where your getting the cheap p*ss.

 

[in:extremis]

- I think you'll find Ross is on a $400k contract, similar money to what Willie was paid.
- I totally agreed about the salary cap, until i looked at what the clubs actually make, jack sh*t, we are definately one of the poorer clubs, and if the salary cap was raised we wouldn't be able to afford the talent that othe clubs could.
- $8 for two beers, thats not too bad, love to know where your getting the cheap p*ss.

Surprised they would be on about the same wages. Lets hope Ross can justify the cash this year, shame he has had injury problems previously.

I think for a club, I was there with a friend who is a member, $8 something for a middie and a bot is ridiculous. Maybe its living overseas where alcohol is much cheaper, it has distorted my view. But in a club as a member, to me thats ridiculous.

I still dont think if they raised the salary cap by a million it would affect any clubs, but the way its gone with the England thing, mystery as to what a raise would actually do.

 

[Google News]

Zappia only CEO to turn up to fan forum

EVERY CEO was invited to a fans forum at NRL HQ during the week but only one turned up: Cronulla's Tony Zappia. It's a sad sign and a bad look that others ...

Source: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24622547-5016360,00.html

Cousins stars on YouTube
By Phil Rothfield and Rebecca Wilson
November 09, 2008 12:00am

<EDITED>Full article can be found here

EVERY CEO was invited to a fans forum at NRL HQ during the week but only one turned up: Cronulla's Tony Zappia. It's a sad sign and a bad look that others chose not to attend and discuss key issues with the lifeblood of the game. We wonder how Parramatta fans feel about Denis Fitzgerald swanning around the Birdcage at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day and then not making himself available 24 hours later to take questions from disgruntled Eels fans.

 

[fancyman]

he is a good man