Souths tell Taylor to chase Swans

parragirl · Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:28 pm Post subject: Souths tell Taylor to chase Swans

By Steve Mascord
January 16, 2008 12:00am

COACH Jason Taylor last night signed on as South Sydney coach for another two years with a mission to beat one team above all others - the Sydney Swans.

Taylor's innovative contract to stay on until 2010 involves his performance being assessed on how many members the club has rather than exclusively on results.

And co-owner Peter Holmes a Court told The Daily Telegraph: "All I'm trying to do is get more members than the Sydney Swans. I don't know why we can't make that our target. Each (NRL) club in NSW should have 20,000-plus. As long as we have the most, I'm OK with that."

The executive chairman said the Rabbitohs' decision to jettison poker machines made it doubly important they recruit new members.

But considering the Swans have at least 27,000 and Souths are striving to sign up their 10,000th, Taylor may find winning a premiership an easier target.

Speaking after meeting some Souths members at Erskineville Oval last night, the coach refused to comment on whether he had been sounded out by any rival clubs.

"I don't want to talk about that," he said.

But he admitted that trying to attract 17,000 more fans to part with their cash over the next three years was "a lofty goal".

"Being a coach is not just about winning matches, it's about building a club that is strong in all areas. Whether we can get that many members in this sort of time period, I don't know. But it's nice to have the bar set high."

As part of his duties, Taylor will continue to read out the team online to members every Tuesday night and take part in other recruitment programs. But he said: "I don't see my job so much as selling memberships as making this a club people want to be members of."

The Bunnies, who leave today for their pre-season camp and clash with Leeds in Jacksonville, will now set about tying up key players for extended periods.

Holmes a Court said: "All coaches have incentives but we have incentives built on how the business is going and how many members we have. The test of how we're really doing as a club is how our members are supporting us.

"That is why JT will have targets in his contract tied to membership.

"Winning for a football team is like oxygen. It's the fundamentals. But it's how you win and the environment you create."

http://www.news.com.au/dailyteleg.../0,22049,23058765-5006066,00.html

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Skyhunter · Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:50 pm Post subject:

If i was a Rabbitoh fan i think i would be more concerned about winning games and trying to make the top eight again in 2008.