News: Take the Lowe road

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ManlyBacker

Winging it
<p>MANLY powerbroker Ken Arthurson is demanding the Sea Eagles employ former coach Graham Lowe as the club’s next CEO.</p>


<a href="http://www.silvertails.net/news/4361-take-the-lowe-road.html">Read the full article</a>
 
Looks like Zorba is doing his level best to give Lowe a foot in the door and also therefore protecting his own job at the club
 
What's all this stuff about Lowe's "aura of success"? What the hell did he ever win with Manly? My memory is that he had a very talented team and didn't win a thing.
 
Embarrassing at best. Bring back Peter Sharp, & all the ol' boys. Heck, bring back Scott Fulton, Dragan Durdavic, Gary Winter.
 
Ron E. Gibbs link said:
What's all this stuff about Lowe's \"aura of success\"? What the hell did he ever win with Manly? My memory is that he had a very talented team and didn't win a thing.

Was a wee bit before my time, but weren't Manly really battling before he came in, and he built some of the foundations that Bob Fulton was able to take advantage of ? Have read that before anyway

Am guessing the main aura of success though would be from his Kiwis and Wigan days where he picked up good results

I don't know 1 way or the other if he is the right man for the job, but 1 thing I suppose we do know, is that he is very, very sharp in regards to his Rugby League knowledge, would make hard calls if required, and not long ago we were all wanting Arko involved again and Arko is saying he is up to it
 
I think it was Corso Pete said that running a business today would be very different to running a business when they did it.

He made an excellent point.
 
Graham Lowe's success or otherwise as a coach does not give credentials to be a CEO.

Lowie has the gift of the gab but he has never been in business. He woudl be a poor choice.
 
From the Blindside column in today's Manly Daily:

The King’s not dead
KEN Arthurson’s passionate push this week for ex-coach Graham Lowe to be installed as CEO of the Sea Eagles is just the beginning.

Arko, who still carries plenty of weight behind the scenes at his old club, is convinced the likes of Geoff Toovey or even Des Hasler should put their hands up for the CEO position in future years.

“I have always believed Des Hasler or Tooves should be looking at it one day,” Arko told us this week before leaving for England on Friday to accept a special award from the Interational Rugby League Board on Monday.

Arko also refuted any suggestions Lowe’s presence would conflict with Hasler in any way.
 
Arko was one of our greatest ever administrators, but he also made some big mistakes in my opinion, things like the superleague war could have been handled differently as well as some appointments.

I think Toovey likely would add something to the club as CEO, but long term I see the NRL and clubs becoming more and more a business, especially if they approach the TV negotiations correctly, I can really earnestly see CEO's and administrators coming from the finance or business sectors, or even the likes of sportmanagement bosses (Penn's industry or Jerry Mcguires if you will) being more useful) For mine though we get someone from the finance sector there could be an incredibly different feel about the game and club......just not Ryan :)
 
I work in a building that houses Commonwealth Bank, Westpac Bank and us. I have to sell exactly the same product as these two other entities to corporates with sometimes a higher margin of 75 basis points to 125 basis points than the competition do. 99% of the time, I will win the deal.  

I'd love to see these ex footy players do the same thing.

75 basis points on a 25 million dollar transaction per year is quite a sum.

My first activity though, would be sitting down with BOTH owners in a room together, and spelling out some home truths - no holds barred. I'd be telling them that:-
1. This three entities rubbish is abolished. It's ONE entity;
2. My decisions are final;
3. NO-ONE !!!! will talk to the media, without it being proofed by myself, or my media manager (who wopuld be well and truly briefed);
4. Would be that perception is everything. I don't care what each party thought of one and other. In a professional working environment, and in public, they are to act like adults, act ethical and act in the best interests of our ONE entity.

My second activity would be to secure one or two major sponsors. Probably through my networks I have created through my current employ. I Bank some pretty high rollers (CEO's of certain Banks etc) and would utilise those avenues as large opportunities.

Subsequently - I make valued contact to ALL the existing sponsors, organise functions etc just to express how important every single one of them are. Just to affirm.

My third activity would be to secure a marquee player (salary cap permitting) just to show the players, player managers, and fans that we are open for business, and are looking to improve at every opportunity.

My 4th activity would be to once again affirm player behaviour. Our player behaviour has actually generally been very good, but could always improve. I personally wouldn't like to see players for example, sitting at home doing nothing on days off for example. I'd like to see university degrees, TAFE coarses, apprenteships etc etc being undertaken. I'd also like the players to all have access to a financial planner.

Next, being 5th, I would expressly tell all involved that any roster decisions are to be made, and are final by Des Hasler, Geoff Toovey and Noel Cleal.

6th, I focus on membership. I phone AFL teams CEO'S. I phone NFL teams Managers. I attain best practices. I encourage others to assist in membership drives. MOuntains of things can be done.

7th, and one of the most important things, is a grab a set of the financials, go through them, and work out how to improve our margin. There's nothing I like more than doing this.

8th - I would surround myself with go getters. Not I'm gunnas. Every single person in my organization has to be pro-active, positive and energetic. I don't care what their background is - we need the best people at Manly.

9th - I set up a weekly management meeting Mondays (with all involved), managed properly, and with order - to discuss what each party is looking to achieve that week, how they are going to do it, and what outcome they like. Fridays, I would like a debrief on how they went. I don't want general responses. I want specifics. Accountability people.

10th - I ramp up the traveling supporters benefits (alongside Mark from Brisbane). These seem to be very attractive events - so need to embraced, supported and enhanced.

11th - I ask as many player managers as I can to lunch. Not to try and attain players. Just to give an idea of the positive culture and environment my product is trying to achieve in the marketplace (no dick-heads policy). I try to befriend the player managers (I currently know a few through work anyway - and this is how I would try and get my marquee player)

12th - Communication. From top to bottom this clubs struggles with communication. To sponsors (A board member told me this wasn't Grant's best attribute), to fans (when IS Matt Orford's original signing going to be announced - hehehehe), to the members, but more importantly - to the players - I have been told (3rd party rumours mind you) that certain players think the communication levels around expectation etc is really, REALLY poor.

That's just a start. I could go on. Surely I wouldn't be TOO bad Dan ! Hehehehe...

Oh - and I will join the players on their nude run should they not score a try !  
 
We need to be perceived as a club that shows attention to detail about everything. Basically, that is what I want. Every fan, every player, every person on staff should feel like they are a very important part of The Eagles family (including the owners).

Do that, and this place will be an attractive place to be.
 
Ryan link said:
8th - I would surround myself with go getters. Not I'm gunnas. Every single person in my organization has to be pro-active, positive and energetic. I don't care what their background is - we need the best people at Manly.

I guess that would mean you would sack Zorba?
 
Former Manly coach Graham Lowe could return to club as chief executive

    * Exclusive by Dean Ritchie
    * From: The Daily Telegraph
    * November 13, 2009

131704-dtstory-graham-lowe.jpg

Graham Lowe
Set to head up Manly...former Sea Eagles coach Graham Lowe.
Picture: New Zealand Herald Source: The Daily Telegraph

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the four factions on Manly's board - Penn family, Delmege family, Manly Leagues Club and Manly Football Club - have agreed individually to appoint Lowe.

A board meeting next month is expected to confirm Lowe as the replacement for Grant Mayer, who quit the top job back in June over internal politics.

Lowe, who coached Manly for three seasons between 1990 and 1992, still lives in New Zealand and would be offered a two-year deal.

There is a shortlist of four candidates - down from 130 applicants - with Lowe the firm favourite. Told he was favourite, Lowe said from Auckland last night: "We will see what happens but I come from the old school where you don't count your chickens until they've hatched. It would be a position of responsibility and challenges."

Manly insiders believe Lowe has the strength and leadership to confront and pacify the warring factions and rebuild club harmony.

"Graham is obviously a well-respected member of the Sea Eagles family," said Manly chairman Scott Penn. "If he is the best candidate we'll appoint him. But ultimately it will be up to the board."

Bob Reilly, chairman of Manly Leagues Club and Football Club, said: "We'd certainly be interested. Graham understands the Manly culture. He has the backing of Ken Arthurson. That carries a lot of weight at Manly."

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/former-manly-coach-graham-lowe-could-return-to-club-as-chief-executive/story-e6frexnr-1225797124864
 
Pathetic. We have gone 5 steps forward....now, 10 steps back. ANOTHER job for one of the ol' boys. If the main pre-requisite for the position is to be a person that can "stop the warring factions", then that really shows how weak and pathetic we really are.

1. He'd better come on and bring on a major, and I mean MAJOR sponsor on board;
2. He'd better come on with a player or two in toe. Just like Osborne did with Poore, Tahu and Shackleton, just like Greenberg did with a host of well selected players;
3. He'd better have the capability and ability to increase membership;
4. He'd better have  the capability of swooning the federal government for an additional 20-30 million (on top of the 10 we have now) for an upgrade of Brookie. Why not? Osborne has done it.

Like Penn has alluded to some people lately - I don't know why we even bother sometimes.
 
Well if this is on the money which I say it is then I am dissapointed - all I can say is that the other 130 candidates must have been pretty ordinary.

Hope I am proven wrong, but we are on a slippery dip to the cellar for a few years.
 
Ryan link said:
Pathetic. We have gone 5 steps forward....now, 10 steps back. ANOTHER job for one of the ol' boys. If the main pre-requisite for the position is to be a person that can \"stop the warring factions\", then that really shows how weak and pathetic we really are.

1. He'd better come on and bring on a major, and I mean MAJOR sponsor on board;
2. He'd better come on with a player or two in toe. Just like Osborne did with Poore, Tahu and Shackleton, just like Greenberg did with a host of well selected players;
3. He'd better have the capability and ability to increase membership;
4. He'd better have  the capability of swooning the federal government for an additional 20-30 million (on top of the 10 we have now) for an upgrade of Brookie. Why not? Osborne has done it.

Like Penn has alluded to some people lately - I don't know why we even bother sometimes.

1. Shall this new major sponsor that he HAS to bring just replace Quantam ? Or will this new major sponsor he HAS to bring just give us money without wanting any exposure ?
2. These players that he HAS to bring with him, are they exempt from the salary cap ?
3. I don't think many CEO's get involved with the day to day marketing of the company they work for, one would assume that we have a marketing department that looks after membership initiatives. However I agree it needs to be driven form the top and supported.
4. Only $20-$30 million in funding that he HAS to come up with. Should be a walk in the park seeing as every other CEO and board member we have had has been so successful in getting funding for Brookie.

You've set a pretty low benchmark there Ryan, perhaps you could add finding a cure for cancer and solving the Middle East crisis to the list, we all know Osbourne could do these things.
 

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