Damage control 101 -
The club should acknowledge and apologise to 2010 members regarding the badly mishandled website forum closure. Not the reasons why they did it (which most reasonable people can understand and don't dispute) but why it was done without thought, proper leadership and why the club was so slow (months and months) to act in relation to replacing Aaron Markie.
That would go a long way towards rebuilding the bridge they themselves (through their own amateurish management, blew up.)
Unfortunately, the Sea Eagles have no longer got a management team that values members and I would like to know how they propose to win back the many members that they have disappointed? Or do they not care? Â
I have been as vocal as Ryan regarding the CEO and how we will go nowhere with the current arrangements.
Where is our new major sponsor?
I also made the point many months ago (and was howled down by a few) that there were obvious signs that the club was drifting away from supporters, even before the forum closure.
For example, I wonder how successful the 'dug out experience' was this season in comparison to the last 2 seasons, since the club decided to no longer permit fans paying for the experience, the opportunity to visit the sheds after the game. I know they used some excuse like the players can know do warm down exercises or something of that matter but really, they are taking away from those that support the club.
I would also like to know why there hasn't been a single Sea Eagles employee make one solitary comment on this forum, knowing that most online fans are here and they have a link to this site on their own website?
What a great way that might be to win back fans/members? Why is the membership manager/team not out there on every Manly related forum not only providing good will but selling the benefits of sea eagles membership?
I am not having a go at the membership team as I don't know them at all. It's more a point about the lack of direction from the top.
Like others have stated, until there is a major change of direction by the Sea Eagles board and management, I will no longer be a paying member of the club.
I will, however always support the team through thick and thin.
I CAN be won back but I need to see some effort first.