Manly great Anthony Watmough savages club over plan to offload juniors, women’s programs

[Terry Zarsoff]

Blacktown Workers is not a strong junior club, and the NSW Cup connection has contributed nothing to us in 10 years.
Once again we have stuffed a chance to colonise the Central Coast, and incredibly we seem to be going backwards compared to Norths.

See post #37 above.

 

[double hoops]

Is there any NRL clubs who don't have a junior team who share the same name?

 

[Frogz]

^^Because if we had a pokie cash cow like Penrith or C-B, there would be another stream of money to throw around.

Does Melbourne have a cash cow from Pokies... Bulldogs have a sponsor who makes things happen. Cronulla not even have a club and sh1thouse facilities. Roosters, they have people with money. Manly have one man who wont fund the joint properly

 

[Smokin Joe]

I am disappointed that the club is cost cutting,it does give a bad look to supporters.
I guess from the women's side they have been running the juniors and now NSW sides and don't view it as a good investment to proceed with an NRLW side.
From the male junior side I don't think it really affects local junior development at all,it essentially is saying that the club views Flegg as irrelevant and is looking to fast track juniors,the interesting phrase from Mestrov is a model that produces NRL players(business speak it means cost cutting and only spending money on juniors they have tagged as serious NRL prospects).
When you look at most under age sides each year there are probably half a dozen that are serious talents to progress further and the rest are throwing darts at a dartboard from 15 metres hoping you hit a couple of times(just the reality).
We have our U16 dev side made up of locals,the best progress heavily into the Matthews at 17 and the best spend 2 years in the Ball side until 19.
After the Ball season ends the best previously have progressed to Flegg,we have now established our local Shield side and they progress to that now,the best this year have played some Flegg too.
The reality is that only a handfull of local juniors make it to the Flegg side,Watmough is probably bring a little dramatic as the local kids will still be able to stay on the beaches playing and developing in Shield after Ball.
The best half dozen or so will probably be given train and trial contracts and some like Laiafi who played Ball this year can get supplementary contracts etc....without having to leave the beaches and play and train in the Blacktown Flegg side.
With 30 NRL players plus up to 6 supplementary contracts and half a dozen train and trial contracts there have only been a 2-3 Blacktown players in the Reggie's each week anyway(a couple more on bad injury weeks)
It will alienate locals and looks bad to be more worried about penny pinching and outsourcing,it does make it seem Penn is trying to run it as purely a business rather than a club,but I don't think it means that local juniors are going to be given the arse.
It essentially is allowing Blacktown to sign the best 19-21 year olds that slip through the Panthers and Eels sides and play in the Flegg side and hope a couple of gems fall our way.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

It will alienate locals and looks bad to be more worried about penny pinching and outsourcing,it does make it seem Penn is trying to run it as purely a business rather than a club,but I don't think it means that local juniors are going to be given the arse.

Thanks for that info, good to know.
As for Penn's penny-pinching, it's not the first time this has been highlighted. Eg, giving up our home games v Broncos to make some extra $, when at NRL level every tiny advantage over the opposition counts.
One of the obvious pitfalls of private ownership, the owner isn't accountable to anyone and can't be voted out.
By the way, anyone know how many times Penn has turned up to cheer on the Sea Eagles this year? I think he went to the Vegas game. Wonder if he even watches replays of the games!

 

[Smokin Joe]

Thanks for that info, good to know.
As for Penn's penny-pinching, it's not the first time this has been highlighted. Eg, giving up our home games v Broncos to make some extra $, when at NRL level every tiny advantage over the opposition counts.
One of the obvious pitfalls of private ownership, the owner isn't accountable to anyone and can't be voted out.
By the way, anyone know how many times Penn has turned up to cheer on the Sea Eagles this year? I think he went to the Vegas game. Wonder if he even watches replays of the games!

If anyone has ever thought that Penn is a passionate Ssa Eagles supporter than you must be smokin some strong ****.

 

[mave]

Penn is passionate about at least one thing.....$$$$

 

[double hoops]

All junior teams, the senior NSW Cup team, and the women's team would all be called the Blacktown Sea Eagles yeah. And play home games in Sydney's West?

Let's look at this another way.

Right now Balmain are wanting to go it alone and looking to de-merge.

That would leave a pretty big junior base out in the Western Suburbs without a recognised NRL pathway.

Is it coincidence that at the same time this Maroon and White Northern Sydney entity we currently support, is making moves to play it's junior home games in Sydney's West, add some black and change its name to Blacktown.

If it's good enough for our Juniors, and our women.

And our reserve grade Senior Men.

Surely it's good enough for our NRL senior men. But that word Sea might have to go.

Blacktown Eagles.

Beagles has a nice ring to it.

 

[Smokin Joe]

All junior teams, the senior NSW Cup team, and the women's team would all be called the Blacktown Sea Eagles yeah. And play home games in Sydney's West?

Let's look at this another way.

Right now Balmain are wanting to go it alone and looking to de-merge.

That would leave a pretty big junior base out in the Western Suburbs without a recognised NRL pathway.

Is it coincidence that at the same time this Maroon and White Northern Sydney entity we currently support, is making moves to play it's junior home games in Sydney's West, add some black and change its name to Blacktown.

If it's good enough for our Juniors, and our women.

And our reserve grade Senior Men.

Surely it's good enough for our NRL senior men. But that word Sea might have to go.

Blacktown Eagles.

Beagles has a nice ring to it.

Maybe I misread the article,the U16,Matthews and Ball are still under Manly,pretty sure it said Flegg to Blacktown?

 

[Smokin Joe]

Is there any NRL clubs who don't have a junior team who share the same name?

Broncos,Cowboys,Titans.

 

[double hoops]

It's a little grey.

Starts out referring to Watmough speaking of Manly seeking to outsource "all" of it's junior programs (plural).

But then refers to the meeting that has been held with Blacktown specifically discussing the women's and under 21s moving to Blacktown.

Clear as mud.

 

[globaleagle]

I think he went to the Vegas game. Wonder if he even watches replays of the games!

Well think no more - (lol) - he did go to the Vegas game, I chatted to him on the way into the stadium.

 

[Will on the hill]

On a Bloke podcast they were chatting about the Dolphins and the fact their juniors can play for Redcliffe from U6s all the way through to NRL. Huge competitive advantage especially considering they are already the 2nd richest club and there is no restrictions on pathways funding.

 

[Ranga]

If anyone has ever thought that Penn is a passionate Ssa Eagles supporter than you must be smokin some strong ****.

I had a little to do with Scott Penn in a professional context after we won our 2011 GF. I thought he was nice guy who was absolutely passionate about Manly.

I still believe he is, it’s just that his decisions as owner don’t align with how fans think that they’d run the club if they were owner.

I look at it like this: it’s perhaps similar to when we were kids and how we couldn’t understand some of the decisions our parents made. But for those of us who have been able to have kids, you quickly learn it’s not an easy job. Yep, our parents got it wrong, and I get it wrong often now with my two young fellas, but it’s a completely different game when it’s you in the hot seat having to make calls on what you think is right and balance the competing priorities.

I’m comfortable being an outlier in my opinion of Scott and the Penn family, and no, I’m not smoking anything (I’m in Singapore, it would be straight to Changi and the gallows for me if I was!).

 

[BOZO]

Well think no more - (lol) - he did go to the Vegas game, I chatted to him on the way into the stadium.

Thanks for sharing GE
I have seen him at our home games a few times
I will never forget that blonde he came with and sat up in the corporate box in the Fulton stand
He sure knows how to attract a Good looking sort
After one of our great wins he was walking across from me and we exchanged Manly Winning smiles
Like all Manly fans Mr Penn is happy when we win
But Nothing makes us fans Happier then Winning another Manly Premiership

 

[The '47ers]

On a Bloke podcast they were chatting about the Dolphins and the fact their juniors can play for Redcliffe from U6s all the way through to NRL. Huge competitive advantage especially considering they are already the 2nd richest club and there is no restrictions on pathways funding.

That's a dream of a setup!

 

[Smokin Joe]

I had a little to do with Scott Penn in a professional context after we won our 2011 GF. I thought he was nice guy who was absolutely passionate about Manly.

I still believe he is, it’s just that his decisions as owner don’t align with how fans think that they’d run the club if they were owner.

I look at it like this: it’s perhaps similar to when we were kids and how we couldn’t understand some of the decisions our parents made. But for those of us who have been able to have kids, you quickly learn it’s not an easy job. Yep, our parents got it wrong, and I get it wrong often now with my two young fellas, but it’s a completely different game when it’s you in the hot seat having to make calls on what you think is right and balance the competing priorities.

I’m comfortable being an outlier in my opinion of Scott and the Penn family, and no, I’m not smoking anything (I’m in Singapore, it would be straight to Changi and the gallows for me if I was!).

I understand his decisions,but you have to realise that this a club built on supporters who through attendance,merchandise etc...have a vested interest in the club,any owner who tries to run it on the bare minimum is not misunderstood by the kids.

 

[BOZO]

I had a little to do with Scott Penn in a professional context after we won our 2011 GF. I thought he was nice guy who was absolutely passionate about Manly.
I look at it like this: it’s perhaps similar to when we were kids and how we couldn’t understand some of the decisions our parents made. But for those of us who have been able to have kids, you quickly learn it’s not an easy job.

I am sure he is a nice guy
And I agree that it is not an easy job trying to run a Iconic club like the Manly Sea eagles but it does not make it any easier when you start cost cutting
At Manly we are not meant to mealy exist
At Manly we are meant to excel and Win Premierships
This is THE MANLY WAY

 

[double hoops]

Broncos,Cowboys,Titans.

Yeah Identity of the NRL sides and lower grades is a different dynamic in Qld and Melbourne compared to Sydney in the past.

All those Qld sides and Melbourne have multiple lower grade feeder teams. Manly do need to expand there catchment area to compete. But in Sydney a teams identity and naming rights on account of the competition with so many clubs seems way much more significant.

The other variable and a big one in this conversation is the proposed return of the NYC for a national under 21 comp returning next year.

With Manly trying to have Blacktown have a under 21s junior team are they talking the name of the NYC team, or a team in a lessor competition which would feed into that NYC team?

 

[mickqld]

At the end of the day just get us another Manly Warringah Sea Eagles premiership Penn and Mestrov. Do whatever it takes.