The Board and I acknowledge that speculation around Kieran Foran’s contract and other issues in the media have been unsettling for you; the Eels fans and Members, our club, our team and Kieran.
For that, we apologise. However, we are conscious of our duty and obligation to ensure the long-term viability of our club and its effective governance.
As has been reported, an irregular clause in Kieran’s contract was detected and we are working to resolve this matter. We want to assure you we are responding to the challenges at hand.
Conversations are ongoing with Kieran and his management and we are hopeful that these contract issues can be resolved and an agreement reached that is positive for all parties.
We see Kieran as an essential part of our football team going forward, and his approach to this unfortunate issue has only confirmed that he is the type of player who can take this club forward, on and off the field.
There are a few other matters on which the Board and I want to end speculation.
The Board has not discussed any change to the position of Head Coach and no other head coaching candidates have been approached. The speculation in today’s media is false and factually inaccurate. On Monday night, the Board invited Brad Arthur, Daniel Anderson and the Acting CEO John Boulous to our meeting to provide their input. The contribution from our coaching and management team was exceptional and demonstrated that the spirit of collaboration is the only way to take our club into a new era.
We are committed to a culture of teamwork and respect. We believe Brad Arthur, Daniel Anderson and John Boulous will continue the important work of driving this culture through our club.
The Board and management value strong leadership, courage and integrity - this is required in abundance as we meet the challenges of today and beyond.
Six weeks ago we went through a democratic election process and while others have sought to denigrate our club and our successful candidates, we have continued to push forward with a positive agenda. We are disappointed that some self-serving individuals are seeking to destabilise our club through the media during this period.
These unwarranted attacks must cease.
We have engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers to undertake an independent review of the club’s governance and processes as part of our response to the NRL regarding the salary cap breach. We will continue to proceed with this work alongside the NRL.
In relation to comments this morning regarding privatisation, the Board on behalf of our Membership base expresses its disappointment at such appalling opportunism. Our club is a community asset, owned by its Members, and it's not for sale.
Individuals who are unable to get elected or appointed through a democratic process should not try to grasp control of the club by trying to buy, or undermine it with their continued vicious attacks.
We want to thank you for your continued support of our team.
Steve Sharp and the Board.
