National Rugby League side Parramatta Eels "devised a provocative sales pitch in their drive to find a major sponsor," declaring, "We are the strongest professional sports organization in Western Sydney," according to Dean Ritchie of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. The team's boast "was met with some resistance" on Monday from rival clubs "but the Eels are bullish and reinvigorated in their intense search for a heavyweight corporate partner." Parramatta released graphics and research on Monday showing "why they can claim to be the number one club in Western Sydney." Eels CEO Bernie Gurr outlined his club’s sales pitch as the '17 season "edges closer with Parramatta joining Cronulla as clubs still without a major sponsor." Gurr: "By any metric, we are the strongest professional sports organization in Western Sydney." Across NSW and Queensland, club research shows Parramatta’s TV audience is "seven times more" than Australian Football League side GWS Giants and about 14 times more than the Western Sydney Wanderers. Parramatta also claims to be "the most supported NRL club in western Sydney," with 27% of all fans following the Eels, according to a Nielsen survey (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 2/14).
