Gold Coast Titans Member Forum 18/08/2015

[K2G]

Where: Eden Room at Parkwood International Golf Club, 76-122 Napper Rd Parkwood

When: Tuesday the 18th of August from 6 – 7.30pm


On the panel to answer your questions will be Titans Chairman Rebecca Frizelle, CEO Graham Annesley and Head Coach Neil Henry.

We encourage you to come along and ask any questions you may have about the direction your club is headed in under the leadership of these impressive individuals.

While all question types are welcome, we respectfully request that they are asked in the spirit that this session is intended – of inclusion and transparency – to ensure the most constructive outcome for the club.

[K2G]

I can't make it there, but geez I wish I could...

They should run a Skype session to let away members ask questions. Here are a few that I would like answered;

*Graham Annesley, in the spirit of transparency; I would like to know if your contract with our club has performance indicators and/or targets built in, and if so a) what are they, and b) are you meeting them? If you find this question too pointed; can you at least give us an honest appraisal of your own performance during your term as CEO, and sate some specific strategies you intend on implementing to address key issues facing our club such as; dwindling crowds, poor team culture and performance.

*Neil Henry, your current contract ends at the end of 2017 correct? Where do you feel the team should be on the ladder at the end of next year, so as to indicate our performance is in line with your own vision and plan for the club moving forward.

*Rebecca Frizelle, I believe there is a very clear lack of leadership being demonstrated in the strategic development of this club. What is the current state of the board? Would you say progress towards expanding to a full 8 person board has stalled? If yes, why? If no, can you please elaborate on what steps have/are being taken towards increasing the share of power in the running of the club.

*Neil Henry - We are a club in development. The phrase 're-build' has been used by members, fans, media, yourself and the wider rugby league community to describe the Titan's 2015 season, and moving forward - the near future of the club. I think fans are generally willing to swallow this IF actual progress can be quantified. Assuming you have a plan moving forward - which areas of our on field performance specifically (e.g. reducing errors / penalties, general fitness, individual player up-skilling, attacking/defensive structures, kick-chase, game-planning oppositions e.t.c.) would you expect noticeable improvement on in 2016 and which of these (if any) do you consider yourself and your fellow coaching staff personally accountable for.

*Neil Henry & Graham Annesely; What is the current state of our recently vacated recruitment role and when might we expect news on this front? Has the prospect of a dedicated Halves Coach to guide our brilliant young prospects in Kane Elgey, Ash Taylor been discussed? If not, are there any plans to extend our player development ranks for 2016 and beyond?

I could keep going, but I know this is utterly pointless... as usual.

I'm pretty sure I'd be the lunatic that get's ejected from this con-job of a fans forum any way. I'd try really hard to keep my questions 'in the right spirit' ... but I'd end up cursing in frustration, and throwing a shoe at our CEO while being hauled out by Parkwood staff ...

I know my views probably aren't shared by too many people in our supporter base, or on this forum ... but either way, I really really hope somebody here from the forum goes to the night and asks some real questions.

If anyone does indeed go - Please try and get a sound recording on your phone of the Q&A to share here on the forum - I will happily provide tech assistance to any of you old blokes if 'know-how' is the only obstacle for you doing this :laugh:


/rant

[Mexican titan]

Some great questions you have raised there K2G and hopefully you wont be classed as negative. You have raised many points in long questions which all are valid and I would at least like a recording of the meeting taken and posted so we can see how it went.
You could also put these questions in writing to Rebecca as I did on one occasion last year which she followed up with a very constructive phone call.

[Titanic]

The most poignant question posed above is, is anybody actually going who can represent the Forum? Or at least present questions offered on here? If so, then I'll spend some time to back-up K2G's list as well and I suggest all of you should do too.

I do point out though, that anger doesn't win this type of affair. If they are serious they will take notes, go back to their cubby-holes, work through them all and then publish their plans to address their findings. Or if they are not serious, they'll just throw them in the bin, go to the pub and have a good laugh ... whichever way, anger just gets a heart-attack.

Again the key point is, who can represent us?

[lonegull]

Agree titanic, I think we need a voice at the Members forum from someone representing the League of Titans Forum

[JunctionBlock]

After the effort against the Dog's they may want to reconsider giving an open mic to anyone. Then again, they won't have the problem of having too many members turning up cause no one gives two sh!ts anymore.

[Smakked]

Yeh i cannot see many turning up, maybe a handful if that

[DIEHARD]

Wish I could have made this but I've returned to HK. I hope we can get one or many voices representing our views.

I'm sure we will.

[JunctionBlock]

I think there is a lack of volunteers to represent as no one wants to be the gun to fire other peoples bullets. I'm trying to make the time to attend but it'll depend on "the kid" factor. Wifey will have to step up.

[Titanic]

It's not about firing bullets, it's about asking reasonable questions ... I have several if someone will present them; email does nothing for me because who knows how far they go no matter what the reply.

[JunctionBlock]

So what are the questions we want to agree upon? If there is limited time for each person, what is the best question/s to ask?

[shamus]

It's not about firing bullets, it's about asking reasonable questions ... I have several if someone will present them; email does nothing for me because who knows how far they go no matter what the reply.

OK....I have left it a bit late but I will be attending. I will not represent the forum as such but if anyone has any questions please post them here by 5:15pm...... I will print them off and read them out. I will also endeavour to remember the answers. :(

I'm sure others attending that are members here will remember the answers even if I don't. Sorry about the short notice.

[Smakked]

OK....I have left it a bit late but I will be attending. I will not represent the forum as such but if anyone has any questions please post them here by 5:15pm...... I will print them off and read them out. I will also endeavour to remember the answers. :(

I'm sure others attending that are members here will remember the answers even if I don't. Sorry about the short notice.
When are we going to win a Premiership ?

[JunctionBlock]

Hope you registered as they are at capacity.

[TITAN PETE]

Hope you registered as they are at capacity.


They should have put a limit to how many Legion supporters are allowed to attend as most believe it's a beautiful world & we should live the players & coach no matter how they perform

[Titanic]

Questions:

1. What is the Board's longterm plan to pull the club out of the seeming downwards spiral that we have been on for years? (seeking an actual plan)

2. Please give us an appraisal of where the club is positioned against that long term plan? (seeking up-dates on such things as training facilities; offices; staffing; recruitment; membership; salary cap; financial overview; KPI's for management)

And if not already answered:

3. What is being done to correct the apparent dis-connect between the club struggle towards reaching its goals and its members' expectations? (seeking a Forum for regular dialogue)

I am sure there will be most of this discussed so feel free to chop and change these questions to fit if necessary.

Finally, a word of support which you could read out if you feel like it:

Me and my family are disappointed that we could not attend the meeting, however, we would like it known that all over the world (I work for the Chinese government in China) there are pockets of supporters who use the club's network as a link to home and they are as hardy as the most ardent locals. For example my son who is 9, has for all his cognizant life supported a club that has been losing and using "rebulding" as an excuse for the continuing off-field traumas and lacklustre performances. Nevertheless he is a Titans fan ... I asked him if he wanted to ask any questions. His reply was, "not really, I will always support them because they are our team."

Sorry, I forgot, thanks for helping out, JB and Shamus.

[shamus]

Times up...........On my way now.....I have printed off your questions Titanic.......and I thought you were always grammatically correct....... Shouldn't it read 'My family and I' not 'Me and my family'. :)

[Titanic]

Times up...........On my way now.....I have printed off your questions Titanic.......and I thought you were always grammatically correct....... Shouldn't it read 'My family and I' not 'Me and my family'.Didn't want you to sound too anally retentive if you read it out :) thanks mate, I'll buy you a baijiu when we finally catch-up. Good luck.

[DIEHARD]

Well done for being our representative Shamus!

[JunctionBlock]

Ok, so just got back from the forum and had a quick bite.

I've drunk the koolaid hallelujah. Time went very quickly to say the least and trying to get the microphone was damn near impossible.

overall it was very positive. The questions were positive and it certainly didn't descend into a "why did you pick Mortimer in the halves again?" type affair.

There could have been a thousand more questions asked that we would have been very interested to get to the bottom off but unfortunately there just wasn't enough time. I hung around and still wasn't able to get to speak to individuals as they were all tied up with others.

One last thing was people want more access to players before, during (injured players) and after games. In a round about way Henry pretty much said that in the digital world we live in where everyone has access to the media it's very daunting for players to put themselves out there.

If I think of anything else I'll add to this.

From the start questions were asked about training base and facilities and how they are progressing and had it been an issue for the year.

The answer from Henry was that he wouldn't use that as an excuse for this years performances. From Graham he believes they are 90-95% done with the negotiations with Parkwood and the redevelopment of the site which would include "world class" facilities including gyms, atmosphere chambers, training fields and an admin base. There was talk about reciprocal memberships with the Titans and the Parkwood golf course. The facilities would NOT be ready by the start of next season and would be more likely a half way through the year thing.

Very quick discussion regarding KPI's and accountability. Rebecca was saying that after a review of the NRL clubs our club is being used as a benchmark as far as management, medical staff and a couple of other things. Graham is obviously accountable to the board and isn't under contract so is able to sacked at any time they wish. The board is currently reviewing an expansion in the number of members after its review and will be interviewing people with specific skills sets to complement the boards deficiencies.

A lot of questions regarding players off field indiscretions, family friendly seating so that people with small children don't have to endure foul mouth drunks. Questions on trying to get a decent supporters base starting with kids etc. A lot of deflection and reminders that only one player accused of cocaine offences will be at the club next year. Still will be a Mad Monday and they didn't seem to have too many answers on ensuring nothing stupid will happen again to be honest.

Graham couldn't give exact numbers on the amount of social members that have converted to full members. He said that the club had greatly reduced it's overheads by $1.5 million through stadium negotiations. Negotiations are still ongoing and done as a game by game contract. Revenue to date has been $4 million. I have no idea where the revenue stream is coming from.

The meeting was recorded and apparently those that attended will be sent emails or contacted with information first before the wider community is given details of the forum.

It will probably be a yearly thing. I have suggested that it be more friendly for our members overseas or who aren't on the Coast. Perhaps skype or a simple conference forum where questions can be asked and filtered.

It went over time so question time was wrapped up as people had places to be I guess. I spoke to Neil Katto? after and asked about the recruitment and conditioning staff replacements. That comes down to Henry to replace them. Couldn't give any specifics at all so nothing to report other than "I'm sure they are looking".

- - - Updated - - -

Forgot, one of the handouts was the strategic plan. The vision, goals measures for performance and their mission and values. All very basic stuff if you've ever seen your company's five year plan abbreviated for the plebs it's the same as that.

[Mexican titan]

Thanks for the summary mate. It appears nothing really new came out of it.
It is good recognition although somewhat of a surprise that the club is being used as a benchmark for a few things - I hope manly don't copy them for anything to be honest. I do think though we are lucky to have Rebecca Frizelle on board though as she is extremely highly regarded in the business world.
Still disappointing that the Parkwood thing is not done and the stadium arrangement where sections are being closed off is a very poor look. I am very surprised that they could not give membership details but our numbers are very heavily inflated by the one or two game memberships they had and I think behind the detail we have a very low season ticketed membership number.
As for Mad Monday I have no issue with it as the club cannot hold the players hands. I would like the drug testers to be around on mad Tuesday though!!

[K2G]

Ok, so just got back from the forum and had a quick bite.

I've drunk the koolaid hallelujah. Time went very quickly to say the least and trying to get the microphone was damn near impossible.

Thank you for repping L.O.T. JB :salute::salute::salute: You get 3 points in the forum member's Dally M's this week!

Look forward to hopefully being able to listen to the recording of the evening.

[Titan68]

Interesting read JunctionBlock. One point though , i take it the only player that's accused of cocaine offences who will be at the club next year is Birdy

[JunctionBlock]

Interesting read JunctionBlock. One point though , i take it the only player that's accused of cocaine offences who will be at the club next year is Birdy

No names were used. I assumed the same. Henry did give Birdy a rap as a player that gives 100% and even at his age is willing to learn and even pointed out his flaws of rushing up out of the line and offloading on the zero or first tackle. I wanted to yell out "and not giving early ball to Roberts".

[shamus]

Ok, so just got back from the forum and had a quick bite.

I've drunk the koolaid hallelujah. Time went very quickly to say the least and trying to get the microphone was damn near impossible.

overall it was very positive. The questions were positive and it certainly didn't descend into a "why did you pick Mortimer in the halves again?" type affair.

There could have been a thousand more questions asked that we would have been very interested to get to the bottom off but unfortunately there just wasn't enough time. I hung around and still wasn't able to get to speak to individuals as they were all tied up with others.

One last thing was people want more access to players before, during (injured players) and after games. In a round about way Henry pretty much said that in the digital world we live in where everyone has access to the media it's very daunting for players to put themselves out there.

If I think of anything else I'll add to this.

From the start questions were asked about training base and facilities and how they are progressing and had it been an issue for the year.

The answer from Henry was that he wouldn't use that as an excuse for this years performances. From Graham he believes they are 90-95% done with the negotiations with Parkwood and the redevelopment of the site which would include "world class" facilities including gyms, atmosphere chambers, training fields and an admin base. There was talk about reciprocal memberships with the Titans and the Parkwood golf course. The facilities would NOT be ready by the start of next season and would be more likely a half way through the year thing.

Very quick discussion regarding KPI's and accountability. Rebecca was saying that after a review of the NRL clubs our club is being used as a benchmark as far as management, medical staff and a couple of other things. Graham is obviously accountable to the board and isn't under contract so is able to sacked at any time they wish. The board is currently reviewing an expansion in the number of members after its review and will be interviewing people with specific skills sets to complement the boards deficiencies.

A lot of questions regarding players off field indiscretions, family friendly seating so that people with small children don't have to endure foul mouth drunks. Questions on trying to get a decent supporters base starting with kids etc. A lot of deflection and reminders that only one player accused of cocaine offences will be at the club next year. Still will be a Mad Monday and they didn't seem to have too many answers on ensuring nothing stupid will happen again to be honest.

Graham couldn't give exact numbers on the amount of social members that have converted to full members. He said that the club had greatly reduced it's overheads by $1.5 million through stadium negotiations. Negotiations are still ongoing and done as a game by game contract. Revenue to date has been $4 million. I have no idea where the revenue stream is coming from.

The meeting was recorded and apparently those that attended will be sent emails or contacted with information first before the wider community is given details of the forum.

It will probably be a yearly thing. I have suggested that it be more friendly for our members overseas or who aren't on the Coast. Perhaps skype or a simple conference forum where questions can be asked and filtered.

It went over time so question time was wrapped up as people had places to be I guess. I spoke to Neil Katto? after and asked about the recruitment and conditioning staff replacements. That comes down to Henry to replace them. Couldn't give any specifics at all so nothing to report other than "I'm sure they are looking".

- - - Updated - - -

Forgot, one of the handouts was the strategic plan. The vision, goals measures for performance and their mission and values. All very basic stuff if you've ever seen your company's five year plan abbreviated for the plebs it's the same as that.

Pretty well what JB said.......Before the meeting started I counted 100 chairs and of those in the end there were only about 15 empties.....There was also about 15 standing. Of those, 10 would have been Titans people so close to 90 so good roll out. I don't know which voice you were JB as all kinds got hold of the microphone and although you could tell by 'tones' the frame of mind some were in (and wanted to vent) it all was very amicable. Rebecca did say that this is a 'real' 5 year plan not like the previous owners plans for the club. Henry did also mention that there is no such thing as a 5 year player contract these days (aside from DCE I guess) as the way the game is unfolding and media contract upgrades etc has put a stop to this.

Anyways, I recorded it. All 1 hour, 47 minutes and 19 seconds of it. I have absolutely no idea how to get it from my phone up my index finger on my left hand, through my body and down my index finger on my right hand and into the computer. So if anyone is interested in listening to almost 2 hours of conversation you will need to let me know how to do it.

P.S. I am unsure of the grade of the recording as I do not want to lose 3 hrs, 34 min and 38 seconds of my life (in total) by listening again for voice quality..

I lied.........I just listened to 47 minutes and 19 seconds of it and it is all audible. So once I work out how to get it on here then those who want to listen can listen.

[shamus]

Didn't want you to sound too anally retentive if you read it out :) thanks mate, I'll buy you a baijiu when we finally catch-up. Good luck.

By Joe that sounds great..(Did you see what I did there??)

[K2G]

I lied.........I just listened to 47 minutes and 19 seconds of it and it is all audible. So once I work out how to get it on here then those who want to listen can listen.

Thanks for recording the event Shamus :thumbsup:

You could try and upload the audio file directly to YouTube/SoundCloud yourself and post here. Or send to someone via email / Google Drive / Dropbox / Facebook / whatsapp and have them upload. Obviously, I'd be more than happy to do this.

Drop me a pm if you'd like some more help with any of these methods and/or my contact info.

Thanks again!

[JunctionBlock]

Thanks for the summary mate. It appears nothing really new came out of it.
It is good recognition although somewhat of a surprise that the club is being used as a benchmark for a few things - I hope manly don't copy them for anything to be honest. I do think though we are lucky to have Rebecca Frizelle on board though as she is extremely highly regarded in the business world.
Still disappointing that the Parkwood thing is not done and the stadium arrangement where sections are being closed off is a very poor look. I am very surprised that they could not give membership details but our numbers are very heavily inflated by the one or two game memberships they had and I think behind the detail we have a very low season ticketed membership number.
As for Mad Monday I have no issue with it as the club cannot hold the players hands. I would like the drug testers to be around on mad Tuesday though!!

Rebecca was very impressive as was Graham. Neil copped most of the questions I guess because thats the end of the business we all concentrate on more and see the results of.

Just to clarify on the membership numbers, Graham didn't have the stats on hand but Chris the membership manager would have. They did acknowledge the numbers are inflated but they are a step ahead given the contacts they have to be able to try and convert the one or two game people.

Mad Monday has me concerned. I'm "the safety guy" at work so I look at minimising risk and the best way to do that is to eliminate the problem. If they aren't going to do that then they need to put controls in place to ensure nothing gets out of hand. We have a target on our backs. Last year the fact that one NRL team had a bikini girl made headlines. If the club hasn't learnt from last year then you just have to shrug your shoulders and wonder what the hell the hierarchy are doing. There should be a procedure in place as to how they plan to minimise the chances of making a headline. No phones, not in the public and with chaperons, if you don't like that then can the mad monday. Go and spend some time with your family and enjoy the offseason. The excuse that players need to blow off steam just doesn't cut it in today's touchy feely world. Basically what I'm saying is that we don't need the headlines cause of some minor (or major) indiscretion. As mentioned, the players should be made fully aware that come Tuesday there will be a urine test which will not be kept private.

[Titanic]

Thanks guys for both attending and reporting ... keeping them honest is a critical part of the club's, dare I say it, "re-building".


By Joe that sounds great..(Did you see what I did there??)Perfect mate, your Chinese is exemplary and I will ensure that my original offer is by the bottle.


Mad Monday has me concerned. I'm "the safety guy" at work so I look at minimising risk and the best way to do that is to eliminate the problem.On one hand I totally agree but I temper that by thinking that if the club had a strong culture then there would be no need and add that if they want to fcuk-up and get caught then the heavy hand of the law should be brought into play. This is not the time for compromise.

Anyway, thanks again both of you for making the effort.

[shamus]

Mad Monday has me concerned.

In fairness to how Henry replied to that question he did say that previous issues are in all players minds and although he admitted to not knowing what kind of Monday it would be it could just be a BBQ in someones yard........Yeah, righto, so I am gullible.


Perfect mate, your Chinese is exemplary and I will ensure that my original offer is by the bottle

I will hold you to that as long as it doesn't taste like cats pi$$..

[JunctionBlock]

I'm currently in the process of converting the sound file to upload it to Youtube so we can link to it. It's going slower than a wet wig and I'm at work so I'll hopefully have it up tomorrow AM. Unless something untoward happens between now and then, like me throwing my computer through a wall. Machines hate me man....

[kioli]

I'm currently in the process of converting the sound file to upload it to Youtube so we can link to it. It's going slower than a wet wig and I'm at work so I'll hopefully have it up tomorrow AM. Unless something untoward happens between now and then, like me throwing my computer through a wall. Machines hate me man....

I wouldn't worry about converting anything, just chuck it up on a site like this and people can play it in whatever app works for them.
http://www.filedropper.com

[kioli]

Cheers for that JB, downloading it now.


edit: Really nice and clear recording mate, nicely done. Lots of good topics raised and answered so far too. Wish I could've made it.

[kioli]

Had a good listen to it and few things stood out, so just to add to Shamus' and JunctionBlock's comments.

-The Aquis sponsorship is apparently one of the richest in the NRL, I guess that's where a fair chunk of that $4M is coming from? It's a good sign, sponsors wouldn't be stumping up the cash if they weren't confident in the club.

-There are 11'000 members now, up from 8'000 last year. They put it down to fans rallying behind the club during the tough year. Hopefully it'll grow next year.

-The Parkwood Golf club/Titans admin&training base has been talked about a bit already but it sounds really promising. Having an actual clubhouse where fans will see players five days a week, etc is something a lot of people have wanted for a long time.

-A partnership with touch footy seems obvious but the talk by Rebecca of the netball/Firebirds being interested in a partnership is a bit out of left field for me, could be great.

[Titanic]

Can't listen until tonight ... anything on how a salary cap is being handled?

[JunctionBlock]

Can't listen until tonight ... anything on how a salary cap is being handled?

It wasn't brought up. One thing Chris said (when I talked to him after) was that any questions that you have can be emailed to him and he can pass them on to Graham or the relevant person. He was re-assuring that they would get answered within reason. He rattled off his email but I'm guessing it'll be on the Titans website. Oh and he does check-in on the forum from time to time. So I guess he knows who I am now. Haha

[TitanSam]

Wait, so can anyone tell me a little more about this touch footy partnership?

[Mexican titan]

Had a good listen to it and few things stood out, so just to add to Shamus' and JunctionBlock's comments.

-The Aquis sponsorship is apparently one of the richest in the NRL, I guess that's where a fair chunk of that $4M is coming from? It's a good sign, sponsors wouldn't be stumping up the cash if they weren't confident in the club.

-There are 11'000 members now, up from 8'000 last year. They put it down to fans rallying behind the club during the tough year. Hopefully it'll grow next year.

-The Parkwood Golf club/Titans admin&training base has been talked about a bit already but it sounds really promising. Having an actual clubhouse where fans will see players five days a week, etc is something a lot of people have wanted for a long time.

-A partnership with touch footy seems obvious but the talk by Rebecca of the netball/Firebirds being interested in a partnership is a bit out of left field for me, could be great.

Great to hear about the Aquis sponsorship being one of the richest and I hope Parkwood comes off. I don't play golf but the club is good and I would go there frequently if it became our clubhouse.

As for the membership figures, many clubs seem to play around with the figures. Personally I think all clubs should separate memberships and also detail season ticket holders. For example Souffs trumpet that they have 35,000 members which is great that these numbers support the club financially but they have about half of that as season ticket holders that bring in the bigger dollars.
A large number of our members were those that joined for $20 and got some gear and a one game ticket. It's great that the club has their names now and hopefully will convert them into a stronger commitment but to count them as members is a bit dodgy. We are not the only the only club that does it and I think for a while some AFL clubs offered pet memberships and counted them as well! I think our full season ticket holder numbers would not read well, certainly not from what I see at CBus. But winning consistently is the only way to fix that.

[hammer]

Wait, so can anyone tell me a little more about this touch footy partnership?

At this stage I can confirm there is no touch footy partnership apart from the wider NRL partnership with Touch Football...could there be one in the future...yes...perhaps watch this space in the future.

[shamus]

I'm currently in the process of converting the sound file to upload it to Youtube so we can link to it. It's going slower than a wet wig and I'm at work so I'll hopefully have it up tomorrow AM. Unless something untoward happens between now and then, like me throwing my computer through a wall. Machines hate me man....

Huh! Did you record also JB or is this the recording the Titan's did on the night?......and where do I find it?

[JunctionBlock]

Huh! Did you record also JB or is this the recording the Titan's did on the night?......and where do I find it?

I posted it yesterday arvo. I didn't want to leave it up for ever and a day as there were only a few people in our forum that were showing interest in attending the meeting for genuine reasons. Those who showed interest appear to have accessed it so I removed it. All I wanted to do was allow those that couldn't attend a chance to have a listen.

I felt it was undermining the club to have first response to the wider public and members base if someone picked up the recording and through it on Facebook or something. Basically I had an ethical dilemma last night so I removed it.

[shamus]

I understand...I received a PM giving me guidance on how to upload my copy it to you tube...(not that I understood the guidance)....I was hesitant to do that.

I have dumped it on a stick so I don't accidently delete it. It is getting filed away with other stuff I never look at.

[kioli]

I posted it yesterday arvo. I didn't want to leave it up for ever and a day as there were only a few people in our forum that were showing interest in attending the meeting for genuine reasons. Those who showed interest appear to have accessed it so I removed it. All I wanted to do was allow those that couldn't attend a chance to have a listen.

I felt it was undermining the club to have first response to the wider public and members base if someone picked up the recording and through it on Facebook or something. Basically I had an ethical dilemma last night so I removed it.

Fair call JB, I'll delete my downloaded copy aswell.

I just hope we haven't upset the club, an annual member forum is a great idea.

[JunctionBlock]

Fair call JB, I'll delete my downloaded copy aswell.

I just hope we haven't upset the club, an annual member forum is a great idea.

Not sure how the club feels about it but after receiving the Members email last night with the outline of questions from the night I figured what I did wasn't in the clubs best interest and it just didn't sit right with me.

[K2G]

I finally got a chance to listen to JB's recording early this morning and was mostly impressed with the responses provided by Graham, Rebecca and Neil. I think they pretty much addressed most of my rage-filled questions in some capacity (although I would've loved to have heard a bit more about plans to increase coaching staff) - But ultimately, I felt myself feeling really quite proud of the club and our members after listening. It was so refreshing to hear these guys answer real legitimate concerns from real fans and members in an honest, less 'media-spin' manner. Kudos to the three of them for fronting up and an even bigger rap to the 80 odd members who turned up, asked some great questions, and just represented Titans fans in an active, participatory spirit to which we should all aspire. A few thoughts:

* I found myself legitimately smiling when hearing Neil talk about Birdy and the few 'warts' on his game (his words), and what he loves about what Greg brings to the team. It was really just a small anecdote, but it's the type of behind the scenes coach's insight our entire code lacks. I understand that players and coaches are gun-shy to open up to the media in the current scandal hungry, head-line climate we exist in, but if the club wants to get ahead of the competition in terms of fan engagement, these types of anecdote and insights are the way to do it. Does opening up like he did maybe put a bit of target on Greg's back to some extent? Yeah sure, probably. But if the fans know what one of the things Birdy's been asked to work on, and HE knows the fans know... it can only create good pressure imo. They way it was communicated just felt like the kind of personal 'we can share this with you lot, because we're all on the same team' kind of vibe, that the weekly members emails TRY to achieve, but fall flat. I've been putting this in my members surveys for as long as I can remember, but if our club wants wants to get serious in engaging adult footy fans... go to the website of any NFL team and watch the locker room interviews, the play and game break downs, the impartial news stories on player development and form struggles. That Graham mentioned that a 'members only' section on the website is being looked at, tells me this message is being heard.

* Still on the media side of things (where my focus is naturally trained, being as it is where my expertise lay). My main negative after listening to the night, was that I thought most of Caddo's interjections were a bit circle-jerky and self-congratulatory where the three on the panel, and even Chris (membership coordinator? not sure if this is his correct title) in the crowd did a much better job of presenting a more dignified and humble willingness to listen, gather feedback and use it to improve. I don't know if it was part of Caddo's job description as MC to downplay all negatives, give excuses and emphasise key agenda points with near political precision, but for mine, it was a little over-played by him. While I'm at it, along with Chalky, Caddo seems to have become the visible face and readable pen behind our interfacing with the club. I get the feeling he's doing about 5 or 6 peoples jobs crammed into one, because the quality of content put up on the website is pretty low. I get that resources haven't been such that we can afford to compete with other clubs in this area, but moving forward, I just think the club needs to look ahead - go and hire some young kids with bright ideas to reinvigorate our social interaction with players and coaches.

* The potential Parkwood deal sounds absolutely amazing. I've already considered looking for work the GC with the thought of moving back there to be closer to the new 'social hub' and home of the Titans. The tid-bits Graham mentioned about this place are very exciting, and I'll be crossing my fingers for an announcement soon.

* The stadium issue was raised quite a few times it seems, and rightly so. I understand this is a complicated issue facing the club... but the Graham and Rebecca's assurances that we wouldn't be signing any long-term contracts until a more suitable long-term arrangement can be met, is exactly the kind of approach I want to hear from them. I really got the feeling that these two, the board and their respective teams are really out there fighting board room battles every day to make this club as successful off the field, as it needs to be, to get some results on it. Listening to the recording helped put into perspective for me that, as far as a 'rebuilding year' goes ALOT of that rebuilding HAD to occur off the field first, before any kind of sustainable top 8 hopes could be had. In that sense, in many ways - it's hard to argue that this year has been anything but a success in terms of the rebuild. Lastly, in terms of the stadium - one lady lamented that our stadium doesn't have a hill. I couldn't agree more with her sentiments. Rip one of the grand stands out! It never gets filled any way :laugh:

* Repairing our relationship with local clubs and junior pathways is an absolute no-brainer and it's great to see the club working hard on this. I'm still amazed that the club hasn't established more of a presence in my area of the mid-north coast. Some of the talent in the region between Grafton to Port Macquarie and Taree is astounding... and when you consider that the kids who grow up playing here are as geographically close to the Titans as any Sydney club (sometimes closer), but yet their natural pathway takes them south, I just think the club should at least have part-time scouts in the area at the very least. However, it sounds like Neil's philosophy of being a development club, not a recruitment club is going to be a driver of change moving forward, and that is an excellent ideal to strive for imo.

* I enjoyed Neil's frank assessment of recruitment and retention. I agree with him that Shillo and Friend will be good to fill the experience vacuum, and that Hodko wasn't worth getting into a bidding war for. I was a bit concerned about the attempt to paint Toberts as a seasoned 100 game, highly skilled campaigner... and am worried that another mortimer/zillman scenario arises with Toberts locking up a starting spot irrespective of form - but it's too early to worry about that yet, and I'm happy to sit back and see what Henry can do with his squad. Personally, I think our letting go of some of the blokes we are, is every bit as necessary as signing new players - and on this front, I cant complain. Neil's comment that 'if they're not in the best 16 in their position - they shouldn't be signed / hold a spot' is encouraging, and again an ideal worth striving for.

* I was surprised to hear how much air the 'off-field' issues got tbh. Maybe it's because I don't have kids of my own - or because having worked around kids for a good while, and being acutely aware of the realities of the world that meets them coming out of school - I've developed a healthy pragmatism about these things... but, I honestly don't believe our off-field behaviour is any worse than any other club in the competition, bar none. The coke scandal hurt a lot (being at TSS when it broke couldn't have been worse timing), but not once did I buy into the 'over-the-top party boy culture' being proliferated. Most titans fans I know considered it a case of 'a few d*ckheads amongst the pack' - something every club is guilty of at some point in their history. That said, I do not argue that our club culture needs work. Winning and professionalism are key points - but as far as behaviour goes, despite what the deathriders claim, the titans have done very well with maintaining and adhering to behaviour policies by and large, and not so long ago we were considered a club that could reform troubled players. Good on the mum's and dad's asking the tough questions though - and I honestly can't fault the club with how they've handled the off-field scandals, although some will argue that hanging on to Greg Bird, and having him as stand in skipper will be somewhat of a double standard.

* Love the bloke who wanted to have a yarn about the game becoming 'full contact touch.' I bet he's good for a long chat over a beer or ten.

* Penultimatley, apologies to both JunctionBlock an Shamus for my all together useless advice to get the recordings posted on the forum, and a big thank to Kioli for reminding us all, that sometimes it's the simple solution that proves best. I still maintain my instructions to both of you guys via PM made perfect sense after a beer... or ten.

* Finally, again a huge thank you to JunctionBlock and Shamus for attending the event and repping titans fans with aplomb, and to JB for making the event available to us far away fans. You blokes are the wind beneath my wings, the road beneath my magic carpet as it were

http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2015/02/24/1227237/529180-20d5ed22-bbf3-11e4-a5f5-f6d8716b3afa.jpg

I started typing this before we decided to go all ghost protocol about the recording... Should i delete this post? Mods feel free if you think it's appropriate to do so.

[JunctionBlock]

Great post. If this is Ghost Protocol then I should change my name to Rogue Nation. :p

[DavidBouveng]

great reports guys.

most of the stuff mentioned is sort of the way ive always thought of Henry, Friz and GA...The vibe they give in the media is one of an assured, patient ambition to get us right. Fixing stadium deals, facility deals, long term contracts, sponsors...all takes time. and they are getting there.

I love that this event might have helped some people on this forum and in the greater fan base to see through their own frustration for a moment and realise the plans and ideas of our management team. the more people that see and believe the future, the better.

[Smakked]

Thansk for the report fellas.

For me it is all talk, we will wait and see how it pans out over the next year or so, when i see actions it will mean something.

[Titanic]

Yes Smakked, smooth talking responses and a wishy-washy strategic plan like this one haven't changed my attitude one iota ... after all these years the proof must be in the pudding.

Perhaps that sounds negative, in fact I'm not really but I am not prepared to get reamed again ... walk the walk Titans, that's all that matters.

[Mexican titan]

Yes Smakked, smooth talking responses and a wishy-washy strategic plan like this one haven't changed my attitude one iota ... after all these years the proof must be in the pudding.

Perhaps that sounds negative, in fact I'm not really but I am not prepared to get reamed again ... walk the walk Titans, that's all that matters.

Spot on Titanic. Not negative at all in my book and it's all about results. Expecting results is better than blind faith.

[DIEHARD]

The proof is in the pudding. Just about one of my favourite sayings to live by.

[DavidBouveng]

Yes Smakked, smooth talking responses and a wishy-washy strategic plan like this one haven't changed my attitude one iota ... after all these years the proof must be in the pudding.

Perhaps that sounds negative, in fact I'm not really but I am not prepared to get reamed again ... walk the walk Titans, that's all that matters.
i get what your saying titanic, but from the reports of people there it was the opposite of smooth talk...it was more realistic and pragmatic and that's why the guys who went and listened were pretty happy with it. absolutely they have to walk the walk, but its nothing like blind faith. expecting results from Carty was blind faith.

Henry has - moved Zillman from FB, Dropped Gordon repeatedly, dropped Taylor and more recently Myles. he has been bringing form back into the selection criteria which was almost never the case. not perfect still..but a dam sight better. and not to mention letting some 'names' leave also. missing DCE and maybe hodko hurts and looks bad on recruitment front though.

GA and Frizelle (and board i guess) made a big call to let one end of ground be closed and are fighting the fight with Stadiums QLD, and also held firm and didnt get bent over and take a piss weak sponsorship to appease fans / outsiders. waited it out and got a great deal by the sound of it. seems to be a good training facility deal almost sealed.

With those things happening, i don't think it could be called blind faith as there is some indication in important areas that things are progressing.
Maybe it requires a bit of patience and trust...but its not like they have shown ZERO to warrant us not giving some trust that things can improve.

[JunctionBlock]

I came away with a much better attitude toward what the club is doing and has done. I think it's something the club lacks in is actually tooting it's own horn. Granted they can't very well come out to members and say hey guys we are 90% there with the parkwood deal but things like setting new benchmarks for the NRL in certain off field runnings of the business should be touted to the members more regularly.

One of the problems I repeatedly bring up is sometimes there are articles in the local paper or on SeaFm. Number 1, no one reads a paper anymore, it was yesterday's news and 2 SeaFm is rated third amongst the big three stations on the coast. The audience needs to be bigger.

Anyway, like some of you said, talk is talk and the proof is in the pudding but I think with what was said on the night, off the field seems to going far better than the results we are seeing on the field. Once the back of house gets sorted out then we should start to see the results on the field. Unfortunately it's also looking like it won't be flowing through till late next year. But as far as the club is concerned things look good. As far as the on field results go we still suck.

[Mexican titan]

i get what your saying titanic, but from the reports of people there it was the opposite of smooth talk...it was more realistic and pragmatic and that's why the guys who went and listened were pretty happy with it. absolutely they have to walk the walk, but its nothing like blind faith. expecting results from Carty was blind faith.

Henry has - moved Zillman from FB, Dropped Gordon repeatedly, dropped Taylor and more recently Myles. he has been bringing form back into the selection criteria which was almost never the case. not perfect still..but a dam sight better. and not to mention letting some 'names' leave also. missing DCE and maybe hodko hurts and looks bad on recruitment front though.

GA and Frizelle (and board i guess) made a big call to let one end of ground be closed and are fighting the fight with Stadiums QLD, and also held firm and didnt get bent over and take a piss weak sponsorship to appease fans / outsiders. waited it out and got a great deal by the sound of it. seems to be a good training facility deal almost sealed.

With those things happening, i don't think it could be called blind faith as there is some indication in important areas that things are progressing.
Maybe it requires a bit of patience and trust...but its not like they have shown ZERO to warrant us not giving some trust that things can improve.

I agree with just about all of that DB, particularly the off field stuff. Some of it is taking too long for my liking however I believe Rebecca F is an excellent Chairperson and great to have in our corner.

On field is where my concern is as we simply cannot sustain the same finishing position for any longer. I think the summary from the guys about not getting into a bidding war for Hodko is fair enough and was explained well. Obviously missing DCE is where my frustration started and the time it took to react on the signings front (and as far as I am concerned our signings on the whole have been average, AT excepted). I have a lot of time for Henry so I'm happy trust him and it's his neck on the line.

Of course things take time and most recognise that but unfortunately to 99% of people it's only the score that matters.

[Yankee Doodle Titan]

But why shell out hundreds of dollars to sit through another season of loss, frustration and embarrassment? I admit I probably still will, but that's because I have a screw loose in my head and have loved the Titans ever since I saw Preston Campbell in action. But that's not rational. If we can't expect to be making the finals until 2018, why not just go on a membership hiatus until then? This is a sport, not some masochistic religion, after all...

[DIEHARD]

But why shell out hundreds of dollars to sit through another season of loss, frustration and embarrassment? I admit I probably still will, but that's because I have a screw loose in my head and have loved the Titans ever since I saw Preston Campbell in action. But that's not rational. If we can't expect to be making the finals until 2018, why not just go on a membership hiatus until then? This is a sport, not some masochistic religion, after all...

Haha I think we all have a few screws loose.

I think while a lot stands in our way, we do have a clear path towards recruitment and rebuilding off the field compared to 12 months ago.

But not everyone is like us (We are diehard fans) and we have to be competitive for people's money and time.

But of course we have no time for rubbish either. But I think the NRL takeover is a huge plus in 2015. But we just dont have the troops on the field.

[JunctionBlock]

I think the club is going to struggle like never before to attract members for next year. Some people are looking at downgrading full memberships to 4 game memberships, others not renewing at all. The club has made a rod for it's own back this year with all the "deals" that were offered that were better than membership prices. This may turn many off renewing and may have them waiting for the specials. I think the possibility of a "leagues club" type set up at Parkwood will help and a reciprocal membership with the golf club may go a long way but none of that is confirmed nor ready for next season.

For me personally, I've got a teenage daughter and a son about to become a teenager so these are the final times we will have family times together before they don't want to be seen with their parents and vice versa. That's worth the price of admission and if I wasn't stressing over the Titans playing poorly I'd probably just start worrying about bills.

[DIEHARD]

For me personally, I've got a teenage daughter and a son about to become a teenager so these are the final times we will have family times together before they don't want to be seen with their parents and vice versa. That's worth the price of admission and if I wasn't stressing over the Titans playing poorly I'd probably just start worrying about bills.

Well said.

You are right about the deals. But I guess it was sink or swim time for the Titans. But we can't keep doing it. We have discounted left right and centre.

I'll be upgrading my membership in 2016 though.

[Mexican titan]

Well said.

You are right about the deals. But I guess it was sink or swim time for the Titans. But we can't keep doing it. We have discounted left right and centre.

I'll be upgrading my membership in 2016 though.

Frankly i didn't have a problem with deals as I would rather they do what they have to do to get people there but I take JB's point. I also have teens who love their footy and it's also a family thing with me although the kids are getting sick of not just lising but the way we lose. I keep thinking of downgrading but i want to support the titans and nrl on the coast so will probably weaken.

[JunctionBlock]

Frankly i didn't have a problem with deals as I would rather they do what they have to do to get people there but I take JB's point. I also have teens who love their footy and it's also a family thing with me although the kids are getting sick of not just lising but the way we lose. I keep thinking of downgrading but i want to support the titans and nrl on the coast so will probably weaken.

I'm hoping they offer another upgrade at the pop up party next year. I've moved from behind the sticks to the middle of the field on upgrades the last two years. Hopefully next year I can get western side on a free upgrade.

[DIEHARD]

I'm hoping they offer another upgrade at the pop up party next year. I've moved from behind the sticks to the middle of the field on upgrades the last two years. Hopefully next year I can get western side on a free upgrade.

Do you like sitting in the middle of the field compared to behind the sticks? Big improvement?

[JunctionBlock]

Do you like sitting in the middle of the field compared to behind the sticks? Big improvement?

Huge improvement. We are in row 13 so we are close enough but still under cover if there is rain falling straight down. Great view of the entire field. We have friends that sit on the western side but are on the try line for the same money. We sat with them once but you can't see what's going on up the other end of the field.

[Whats Doing]

I attended the night as well but haven't posted anything as i left for interstate the next morning.

There were many positives from the information that came out of the meeting and those have been documented previously.

One of the aspects not previously mentioned is the intentional reconnection with the community by the Board. This meeting I see as a start in demonstrating their commitment to reconnect.

I was highly impressed with Rebecca and Graham and we should give them the necessary time to change the club around which was clearly a basket case under the previous regime in terms of financial, planning, on-field and organisational accountability. Whilst we would like quick runs on the board, the way the current Board is operating in terms of ensuring optimum long term outcomes will ensure the club's long term success. This is evident by the fact that:
. they didn't rush in signing a major sponsor and now have one of the richest in the league,
. they haven't rushed to fill Board Director's roles ensuring they get the right skillset mix to optimise expertise, and
. the fact that they are prepared to negotiate hard on the stadium and Parkwood. (I think the Parkwood scenario will be sensational for the club and its supporters)

It will also take some time for Neil to change the playing roster and it should be remembered he has been dealt with some major road blocks this year particularly the cocaine and DCE issues which has adversely impacted on the team performance. I believe he will be the right man to take the titans forward but I suspect he is hampered with some of the quality of his off field assistants.

All in all, the night was positive and whilst we should continue to ask the hard questions, we should also give some time to the new Board and the club to deliver which I am sure they are definitely heading in the right direction.