10 May 2012

Eels great slams AGM exhibition

12:36 pm on 10 May 2012

The Paramatta chief executive Bob Bentley has defended the decision to make the struggling Eels squad face the music at the National Rugby League club's annual general meeting.

Bentley was replying to criticism from the Eels great Mick Cronin who maintained that neither the players nor coach Steve Kearney should have been subjected to fronting nearly 1,000 members at Parramatta Leagues Club on Tuesday night.

Both Kearney and captain Nathan Hindmarsh addressed and fielded questions from members three days after the Eels loss to Canterbury which gave the club its worst start to a season in 52 years.

Cronin said the players and coach front up every week, while the AGM's a time for people running the club, and he couldn't see any value in the exercise.

Kearney told the meeting he takes responsibility for the team's situation, and for leading them out of it.

The entire squad is behind the coach, and captain Nathan Hindmarsh says it's time the players started taking some responsibility.

Kearney ran from the media following the meeting.