OK, this is just my opinion.
Asking people to renew their memberships in the current set-up/climate is a waste of time. Those numbers (and this is conditional on the current level of financial investment on and off the field) mean jack sh*t. Whether we have 5,000 or 15,000 we are still struggling in the same small box mentality.
The club taps into and promotes (albeit, perhaps not very well), and us fans perpetuate, certain emotional hooks. We are all sold on beliefs around "loyalty", "stronger together", "a true supporter", "siege mentality", etc. They are just beliefs that keep us circling around in a small world view, and they alone are not going to see us elevated back to power house status.
Professional sport has grown and moved on from what it used to be. However, we are still mired in the past, especially in terms of how the club is administered and run off the field. We are falling behind. Despite the glorious recent decade we were very fortunate to experience, I think realistically, we will never see that again (not without a significant shift in how the club is administered and the mind set of the fans). The truth is, we need major capital investment, and a much larger vision and mind set. This is the only way we are going to survive into the future.
Now, there is nothing wrong with those beliefs I mentioned above. In the right context they can be very empowering and help maintain a connection to our past and grow our brand strong. But, without the necessary capital investment to bring the staff and facilities up to a high professional level, they are wasted. Instead of moaning about the advantages power house teams like the Donkeys, Drizzle and Roosters enjoy, we should be looking to them to learn and build ourselves. Yes, there are certain key differences, but we need to start being bold, dream big and think outside the box.
I don't intend on giving my money to such a sub-standard poorly ran organisation (as it currently is), as much as I love this club and have invested decades of my life into it. Until I see concrete plans and action to really build this club into a truly competitive and professional one, I don't intend on throwing money down the drain. For those of you who are happy to stand by with that siege mentality and struggle in the current crippling context, your choice. It can be a rewarding when we have those moments of lifting above the perceived limits and achieve something of note. However, I believe there is more pain and struggle coming our way, without significant change.
As I said, these are just my thoughts/opinions. I respect supporters will have their own ideas and insights different to mine, and we all share a connection to this complex concept we call Manly. If I'm wrong and this club is able to resurrect itself to competitive glory days again without any significant change in strategy or thinking then I will happily eat humble pie and enjoy the ride.