Parramatta Eels NRL coach Ricky Stuart punts at least 12 players for next season

[Toads]

Parramatta Eels NRL coach Ricky Stuart punts at least 12 players for next season

Josh Massoud
The Daily Telegraph
June 05, 2013 2:29PM

PARRAMATTA coach Ricky Stuart has told at least a dozen Eels first graders they are unwanted beyond this season.

Veterans Reni Maitua, Ben Smith, Ben Roberts, Willie Tonga and Matt Keating are believed to be among the players who were told the news of their immediate future around lunchtime today.

It's understood youngsters Cheyse Blair and Luke Kelly are also part of the blood-letting.

The Eels have signed Corey Norman, William Hopoate, Lee Mossop and Gareth Hock for 2014.

Jarryd Hayne, Jacob Loko, Mitchell Allgood and Ryan Morgan extended deals recently.

CEO Ken Edwards released the following statement on the Parramatta Eels website today.

"This morning, with the full support of the entire Eels organization, head coach Ricky Stuart informed the full playing squad that the services of a group of selected players will not be required beyond this season.

"Some of these players are off contract at the completion of this season while the others are contracted for 2014 but have been told that they are not a part of the club?s plans moving forward and have been offered early releases.

"Over a long period of time, there have been a lot of people who have lost their jobs at the Eels without the playing group ever being held accountable. As of today the playing group is being held accountable.

"We will not be commenting publicly on the specifics of who the players are or why they are not a part of the club?s plans beyond 2013. We do however believe it is vitally important that you, our valued members and sponsors, heard this from the club first.

"We believe that through a full pre-season and the opening 12 weeks of the NRL competition each player in our squad has been given every opportunity to perform at the expected level. Unfortunately not all are up to the standards that we require.

"As we have said constantly, a winning team culture is not built overnight but for it to develop it is reliant on talent, belief and commitment. The club is building towards a brighter future for this football team and however tough the decisions that must be made, they are made to deliver the Club long-term sustainable success."

Source: www.news.com.au/sport

[Toads]

I realise Parra's form has been pretty ordinary for some years. But not sure if this type of action is actually required to get the Eels back on board, or Stuart has lost the plot altogether. After a couple of outbursts this year, it seems it leans towards the latter..

[Smakked]

Watching them play you can see they put in no effort at all, not all of them but a few , i think it is a good move. They are shocking to watch, they sit back waiting for Hayne to score for them.

[TITAN PETE]

We should sign none of the released players

[Toads]

After reading quite few posts from Parra Supporters. This decision sounds as if all their Christmases have come at once..

[DIEHARD]

What a massacre!!

[thelwall]

hayne needs to leave it will help the team

[Titanic]

None of those players should be seen near a Titans jersey.

[DIEHARD]

Ricky must be a Game of Thrones fan.

[shamus]

Ricky must be a Game of Thrones fan.

Yeah, wasn't that a shocker!! Massive cull....

[DIEHARD]

Yeah, wasn't that a shocker!! Massive cull....

It sure was. After I read it in the books I just stared blankly at the page and put them it away for a month. It's a masterpiece and the type of book and show that you can talk about with people and speculate about for hours. Although you need to know where each other is at in the story.

[hammer]

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind...and that applies to the club and the players!

[DIEHARD]

Interesting to see Hayne's reaction to the sudden bloodshed. I guess Parra will be on the prowl for players.

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

EELS co-captain Reni Maitua has withdrawn from tonight's clash against the Roosters after being told he's one of 12 players free to leave at the end of this season.

A devastated Maitua was split over whether to play upon receiving the news and has decided to sit out the match after coach Ricky Stuart gave him the option to have this weekend off.

Sources close to Maitua said it was still likely he will return to Eels training on Monday, although the coming 72 hours will be a crucial indicator to how the entire team will react after the biggest player clean-out in the club's 66-year history.

Fellow co-captain Jarryd Hayne yesterday launched an extraordinarily candid attack on the humiliating manner in which the club informed the dozen players they were no longer wanted.

While he understood the axe was inevitable after such a sustained run of poor results, Hayne could not comprehend why the victims needed to be informed of their fate in front of their peers at Wednesday morning's team meeting.

"What happened (on Wednesday) and how it happened was very disappointing," Hayne said.

"I was taken aback by the way it went down.

"It was disappointing to have mates and teammates put on show like that."

Eels CEO Ken Edwards and new chairman Steve Sharp stood alongside Stuart, who delivered the grim news.

The Daily Telegraph understands the club's new board appointed the trio to a "retention committee" shortly after being elected on May 11.

They gathered the entire first-grade squad on Wednesday morning, before splitting the team into three groups - Yes, No and Maybe.

Maitua, hooker Matt Keating, Matt Ryan and Willie Tonga were all classified as maybes - players who could still be retained should their form improve.

Cheyse Blair, Daniel Harrison, Luke Kelly, Ben Roberts, Ben Smith, Pat O'Hanlon and Nathan Smith were all told there was no future at the Eels beyond this year.

Asked how the team would respond, Hayne deadpanned: "I don't know."

He repeated the same answer when asked if they could beat the high-flying Roosters.

"It will be tough on them to play (tonight), knowing your club doesn't want you," Hayne said.

"Being told that in front of staff and your peers - it would be extremely hard."

Despite the embarrassment of Hayne's remarks, Edwards last night denied any problem with the NSW Origin fullback's decision to lash out in defence of his teammates.

"He's being honest and he's close to many of the players who received the tough news," Edwards said.

"The whole joint is hurting. It's not an easy time."

[hammer]

Hayne in my opinion has a valid point about how this was done...regardless of the eventual outcome it could have been done with a little respect and dignity. I don't question Stuart's passion for the game and his team but seriously...I question how he goes about things to ultimately achieve the same goal...shaming and embarrassing players shows how disrespectful Stuart is!