Paul Osborne the new CEO of Parramatta

[dr nick]

Star of the 1994 raiders premiership and former ACT politician takes over the reigns from Smithy.

 

[CooperCronk]

Just about anyone would be better than Fitzy imo. lol.

Parra should now kick a goal with someone new on board.

 

[DEVO]

Never impressed me when he was a local pollie down here, so much so that I'd almost prefer Fitzgerald. He was out of his depth, and at times appeared to be easily swayed in the Governments direction. He didn't come across as a very smart or knowledgable person either, I hope that has changed. I'll give him a year before I call for his head, but with him and Chairman Spagnolo in charge I feel I may be seeing the final days of my club.

 

[CooperCronk]

Never impressed me when he was a local pollie down here, so much so that I'd almost prefer Fitzgerald. He was out of his depth, and at times appeared to be easily swayed in the Governments direction. He didn't come across as a very smart or knowledgable person either, I hope that has changed. I'll give him a year before I call for his head, but with him and Chairman Spagnolo in charge I feel I may be seeing the final days of my club.

You make it sound like its doom and gloom for your club with this new guy at the helm. I think Parra are one of the power clubs in Sydney and doubt they will ever be dumped out of the comp.

 

[The J Dog]

Never impressed me when he was a local pollie down here, so much so that I'd almost prefer Fitzgerald. He was out of his depth, and at times appeared to be easily swayed in the Governments direction. He didn't come across as a very smart or knowledgable person either, I hope that has changed. I'll give him a year before I call for his head, but with him and Chairman Spagnolo in charge I feel I may be seeing the final days of my club.

Spot on.

My understanding of CEO positions is that they generally involve managing or leading a large number of staff, managing a multi-million dollar budget and delivering the outcomes set out by the board. I don't think Osborne is qualified to do any of this.

If you read this article, it sounds as though he didn't even have to apply for the job - they just gave it to him after he had quit his job as an accreditation advisor and was felling sick of league. Hardly ideal preparation for becoming a club CEO.

"I'd had a gutful of Rugby League and had told the NRL they needed to start looking for someone else," Osborne told AAP.
"But when I was offered this job I couldn't turn it down. I'm really looking forward to it, it is a wonderful opportunity at a great club and I am honoured to have been appointed."

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-...oured-to-be-named-eels-ceo-20090709-dejj.html

I'll bet my footy boots that he lasts less than a year in the job. I hope he lasts less than that for the Eels sake.

 

[Fender]

3 on the trot, some excellent signings for next season and Anderson's effect on the team starting to really show after almost a year in the job.



Gotta beat the Knights next week.

 

[Oscarman]

3 on the trot, some excellent signings for next season and Anderson's effect on the team starting to really show after almost a year in the job.



Gotta beat the Knights next week.

Yep. Just gotta keep winning and the rest will sort itself out.

 

[DEVO]

There has been some talk over the last couple of days that Osborne is currently in talks with the managers of Jarryd Hayne, Daniel Mortimer and Feleti Mateo to sign them up to long term contracts, keeping them at Parramatta until at least 2012/13.
If he can pull this off, it will huge first step and will go a long way towards changing my opinion of him.

 

[CooperCronk]

There has been some talk over the last couple of days that Osborne is currently in talks with the managers of Jarryd Hayne, Daniel Mortimer and Feleti Mateo to sign them up to long term contracts, keeping them at Parramatta until at least 2012/13.
If he can pull this off, it will huge first step and will go a long way towards changing my opinion of him.

There you go then

Apparently Jarrod has said on tv he is a one club man and wants to stay at Parra. I think he's in the bag for the Eels...you should be so happy..he a genuine superstar.

 

[dr nick]

Never impressed me when he was a local pollie down here, so much so that I'd almost prefer Fitzgerald. He was out of his depth, and at times appeared to be easily swayed in the Governments direction. He didn't come across as a very smart or knowledgable person either, I hope that has changed. I'll give him a year before I call for his head, but with him and Chairman Spagnolo in charge I feel I may be seeing the final days of my club.

lol i mental bookmarked this post for fail purposes. Good to see you converted so quickly though.

 

[CooperCronk]

Just about anyone would be better than Fitzy imo. lol.

Parra should now kick a goal with someone new on board.

Not a bad get

 

[DEVO]

lol i mental bookmarked this post for fail purposes. Good to see you converted so quickly though.

I haven't changed my opinion at all. At the moment I see him as an extremely lucky bugger who arrived at the club at the right time. I've seen him on TV a few times, and in the papers, and he has spoken very well, and rightly given all the plaudits to Anderson and the players, and put across some very nice idea's of his own, but at the moment, that's all they are, idea's. Changes to membership sturcture is his first idea to make it to reality, and it will be a success, but that will have more to do with a recent on field performances than his restructure.

Any change to my opinion will be based on how he deals with the salary cap and the retention of required players. Besides extending the contracts for Hayne, Mortimer, Inu and Mateo (thankfully next years contracts are set), he also has to find room under next year's salary cap for Robson and Kingston. Robson has been very solid since making it into first grade, he is not the flashiest HB, but with Hayne, Mateo, Inu and Mortimer in the team he doesn't need to be, he just needs to the get ball into their hands and let them do their thing. And Kingston has been a wonderful back-up to Keating, and gives real drive in the second half. Neither should be on huge dollars, but keeping these guys next season is going to be extremely difficult because IIRC Cayless is on $450,000 next year, and Hindmarsh and a couple of others are on reasonably big deals (thanks Fitzy). With the signings of Poore, Shakleton (I think that' the Easts dude) and Tahu and no one of note leaving he will be stetched. If he can pull it off, it will be a huge coup.

Good Luck Ozzie.

 

[DEVO]

It was reported in today's Daily Telegraph that the Parramatta Leagues club made a $1million profit for the year 2009, and $10million turnaround from the $9million loss it made in 2008, and that profit does not include the $4.5million it handed over to the NRL team.
Most of this turnaround came in the last half of the year thanks to restructuring of the front office and other departments, an improving rental market and the sale of the 55 seat corporate box at Parramatta Stadium. Also the performance of the football team over the second half the season helped injecting an extra $1million in revenue through gate receipts, merchandise sales etc...

I bagged Osborne and Spagnolo when they first came into power about 9-10 months ago, but I have to say they have been most impressive in how they have turned the club around in less than a year. If the momentum garnered over the last 9 months on and off the park can continue, we should be back where we should be, one the real powerhouse football clubs in the NRL.

Well done Ozzie and Roy.

 

[meltiger]

Just a question Devo, how much did the corporate box sale figure into the profit? Obviously that is only a one-off expense that won't be there in future.


Though yes, an excellent turnaround for the club.


Though 1 million dollars in jersey sales eh? Well, let's hope they make the GF every year Bunch of bandwagoners

 

[DEVO]

The corporate box was sold for $150,000.

If Parramatta were making a $1million a month (the extra $1m was from the month of September only) on jersey sales, you'd almost think of employing the Manchester United school of thought, and changing the design every 2 or 3 years.

 

[meltiger]

Ah, so the CB was f'all ina 10 mill turnaround. That's a positive. I wonder if it was worth the sale? 55 seats, I'm guessing that would have been on the halfway line? (I remember Canberra has a wonderful room at Bruce on the halfway line - They opened it up to Balmain supporters in our last game in '99).

& haha, you have to admit, it's a lot of bandwagon jumping

 

[DEVO]

Ah, so the CB was f'all ina 10 mill turnaround. That's a positive. I wonder if it was worth the sale? 55 seats, I'm guessing that would have been on the halfway line? (I remember Canberra has a wonderful room at Bruce on the halfway line - They opened it up to Balmain supporters in our last game in '99).

& haha, you have to admit, it's a lot of bandwagon jumping

No bandwagoning at Parramatta. The City of Parramatta and it's surrounding areas has a population of half a million people, all of whom are mad passionate Parramatta supporters.

 

[meltiger]

Well, those who aren't football fans

 

[DEVO]

It was reported in today's Daily Telegraph that the Parramatta Leagues club made a $1million profit for the year 2009, and $10million turnaround from the $9million loss it made in 2008, and that profit does not include the $4.5million it handed over to the NRL team.
Most of this turnaround came in the last half of the year thanks to restructuring of the front office and other departments, an improving rental market and the sale of the 55 seat corporate box at Parramatta Stadium. Also the performance of the football team over the second half the season helped injecting an extra $1million in revenue through gate receipts, merchandise sales etc...

I bagged Osborne and Spagnolo when they first came into power about 9-10 months ago, but I have to say they have been most impressive in how they have turned the club around in less than a year. If the momentum garnered over the last 9 months on and off the park can continue, we should be back where we should be, one the real powerhouse football clubs in the NRL.

Well done Ozzie and Roy.

Well, I thought they were pretty good in their first nine months, but their last 8/9 months have been a total sham and now with the sacking of Anderson, I'd like them to follow suit. Osborne is every bit as incompetent and ineffectual as was here in Canberra when he was a part of the ACT Legislative Assembly, and Spagnolo appears out of his depth and unable to manage his board. It's time we forget about bringing in past players without business experience and bring in people with genuine business acumen to lead this club, because currently we are a laughing stock when we should be the biggest and proudest club in Sydney.

 

[meltiger]

It's a very knee jerk reaction to the season just gone.

I'm astounded the board fell for the "premiership favourites" line, simple fact is, they got exceedingly lucky during last years finals series, which was deserved after knocking off the minor premiers, rode that luck through to the GF where reality corrected itself and they got done.


Why people thought they should be premiership favs is beyond me. At the moment they are a middle of the road side, a few minor changes could have them rise up into top 4 calcs sure, but all this hype around Parramatta based on an excellent 10 week period last year really has conned people who should have known better.


At the least, they have replaced DA with someone competent in the spear tackler. Let's just hope for Parramatta's sake he employs a defensive coach and doesn't teach them his own tackling technique

 

[Oscarman]

Let's just hope for Parramatta's sake he employs a defensive coach and doesn't teach them his own tackling technique

Funny you say that as one of the recommendations from the internal review was to employ a wrestling coach. Can't imagine we will be allowed to slow the play the ball like other teams are though. No naming the teams of course. Everyone should know who they are.

Seems Craig Gower is the latest pensioner halfback we are chasing. Storm - just give us Cronk already!!

 

[meltiger]

Craig Gower... lol

Is there not a talented halfback somewhere in Parra's massive junior comp?

 

[Oscarman]

We have signed Brad Murray from the Roosters Toyota Cup side who sounds like a pretty promising player. I wonder what he thinks of all these other halfbacks being chased?

 

[DEVO]

I'm astounded the board fell for the "premiership favourites" line, simple fact is, they got exceedingly lucky during last years finals series, which was deserved after knocking off the minor premiers, rode that luck through to the GF where reality corrected itself and they got done.


Why people thought they should be premiership favs is beyond me. At the moment they are a middle of the road side, a few minor changes could have them rise up into top 4 calcs sure, but all this hype around Parramatta based on an excellent 10 week period last year really has conned people who should have known better.

I don't agree with that, I thought we were a top 8 team at the very least this season, probably top 4 if we could play to our strengths. One of our biggest strengths was in the forwards, but that was diluted starting Cayless who for the last season or two has not been a starting calibre prop. Poore (who started the season slowing but towards the end was playing a lot better) and Mannah (who is one the best young props in the game) should have started with Moi Moi and Cayless coming on for short bursts late in each half. Our second row of Hindmarsh, Smith are solid hard workers and Horo was a nice find for us. Mateo was dissappointing for most of the season, but near the end was one of our more damaging players. If he plays like at the Warriors I'll be dissappointed.

Our biggest problem this season, was the inexperience of our #9, #6 & #7, only Matt Keating went into the season more than 30-40 games experience under his belt. Kris Keating showed signs he could become a good #6 or #7, but he is heading to the Bulldogs, we seem to a feeder team for these cretons these days, and I hate it. Because of this too much pressure was placed on Hayne, who was consistant, but not as spectacular as last season.

If we can find a half with some experience to guide this team, I'm confident we'll be back in the eight next season.

 

[meltiger]

I'm confident we'll be back in the eight next season.

Sure, by middle of the road I mean 5-10


They are a long way from being a top 4 side, as their results over the last 3 seasons have shown.


As for premiership favs... well