This is a big topic of worry. If the club has no money to purchase players, buying new big name players is out of the picture. So, the little to no money left should be used to sign current new prospect or boost their chances of staying at the club, especially if they have been with the club throughout the lower grades and have shown promise and even more so, if combined with this that they are local juniors. Retention of these players with little to no money is tough at the best of time, but money is not the only thing that helps keeps good players at the club. Player friendships and bonds with each other is a major part but the biggest problems with retention currently at our club is harmony with the position that they hold within the club as alotted by the clubs selection committee, whoever they maybe (Dereks).
Whoever they maybe are only effecting the first grade side slightly, but are effecting the NSW Cup side in a major way. The word inside the camp is that players are at boiling point including possible walkouts from the club leaving us in even more of a hole with these players being the players that in many peoples eyes are the one that should be looked at as developing into first graders. I wont mention names but one current prop (not including G. Rose in this) was seen to be very disheartened by being moved from the position of starting prop to being this week moved to the bench. Shocking for a player being mentioned in future first grade. I'm not sure if it is attitude of this player as he does have a slight one, but I think the selection committees idea of a ROTATION POLICY is killing the club and it chance of retaining/keeping players. Another player who was missing out is said to have contacted management to gain a spot in the forward pack, keeping players who actually deserve an opportunity as they have been displaying form around several current first grade stars as DCE, K.Foz, JWH, Lama Tasi and many more for years. This player was also a previous capt of the Sea Eagles and also as stats displayed in the Rugby League Week states, he was last year regarded in the top 3 props in the U/20's comp mixing it with such top class young forwards as De Belin, Talomololo and other that I do not wish to attempt to spell (but there are more ie. Henry... easy one) but is even missing NSW Cup games let alone NRL. Are the selection committee just blind or are the also stupid like their idea of a rotation policy?? Cleal is said to be blamed of over signing of many unwanted Barry's, but he is not the current problem. The workings and especially team selection of the behind the seen management need to be majorly overhaul before we even start thinking about retention as harmony is paramount .
