Debate raged on the NRL 360 panel on Tuesday night over the Eels’ handling of Brad Arthur’s sacking with veteran journalist Dean Ritchie calling it a “disgrace” and “cruel.”
Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos and chairman Sean McElduff confirmed in a press conference on Tuesday that the club made the decision that Arthur was going to get sacked on May 1 — just under three weeks before the ex-coach was delivered that news.
In those three weeks, the pair began their pursuit of mastercoach Wayne Bennett, whose three-year Rabbitohs deal was formally announced on Tuesday.
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Ritchie slammed the secrecy of the Eels’ plans and believes Arthur deserved more honesty.
“I think it’s been handled disgracefully,” he said on NRL 360.
“I think they’ve been disrespectful, they’ve shown disdain to Brad.
“For them to sack him on May 1 effectively and push him out in front of the media for three more weeks while going behind his back in a deceitful manner to pursue another coach, I think is a disgrace and it’s cruel.”
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Fellow News Corp journalist Brent Read, however, can “understand why they did it.”
“Parramatta were chasing Wayne and they wanted to do it confidentially. If they sacked Brad on May 1, there’s no way they would have kept those talks confidential,” he said.
“You can argue whether that’s right or wrong — it probably is not the way to treat Brad — but we were criticising them on this show for not chasing Wayne Bennett.
“They chased Wayne, they thought the best way they could get him was to do it behind closed doors without anyone knowing. Ultimately it failed, but if they pulled it off we would’ve been going ‘they’re geniuses.’
“I understand that people have a view point that Brad’s been treated poorly, but I also understand why they did it.”
NRL 360 host Braith Anasta could see where Ritchie was coming from but conceded “it’s business” and believes it could’ve ended even worse for the club had it been done differently.
“You’ve got to go about things a certain way to try and land the big fish and if anyone got wind of it, it could have ruined their chances of getting Wayne,” he said.
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Ritchie questioned where the respect that Arthur “earned and deserved” was, saying “they have just slapped him in the face.”
Read reminded him though that Arthur was given “11 years of respect” and “not many coaches get 11 years without winning a comp.”
He added: “Ultimately coaches live and die on the results. Brad didn’t get the results this year.”
The timing of the decision though has convinced former NRL player James Graham that the Eels have essentially written-off this season.
“One thing they’ve guaranteed by delaying this course of action is this season is done,” he said.
“If they had made a call on May 1st or made that public announcement, they may have had an opportunity to salvage something this year.
“I think by delaying that call publicly and removing Brad Arthur from his duties, I think this year’s gone.”
Source Agencies
