Why Parramatta’s woes run deeper than just a drubbing in Darwin

1 week ago 13

The spread Parramatta are successful could beryllium deeper than archetypal thought fixed the nine has notched conscionable 4 wins each play crossed the apical 3 grades of football.

The unit volition intensify connected manager Brad Arthur if a broadside helium labelled a “part-time footy team” pursuing past weekend’s capitulation to the Dolphins successful Darwin doesn’t nutrient a much spirited show against Manly connected Friday.

Parramatta’s elder players person accepted work for that result, with Clint Gutherson, Junior Paulo and Reagan Campbell-Gillard saying the scrutiny should beryllium connected the players alternatively than the coach.

While the lasting of the first-grade squad is simply a interest – it sits successful 14th up of a pugnacious tally that includes Manly, a bye, Brisbane, Melbourne, South Sydney and past Cronulla – truthful excessively are the results of the lower-grade sides.

The Eels’ NSW Cup broadside is successful past spot with conscionable 1 win, making it hard for Arthur to regenerate underperforming NRL players. The Jersey Flegg outfit remains winless successful a stock of past place, sitting conscionable supra the Warriors and Kaiviti Silktails connected points differential.

The bluish and golds besides finished with the woody spoon successful past year’s NRLW competition.

The Eels are successful a superior slump crossed each grades.

While Parramatta’s SG Ball (fifth-place) and Harold Matthews (third) sides finished their seasons successful overmuch amended positions, the wide performances are a concern.

The Eels person the state-of-the-art CommBank Stadium, an enviable inferior nursery and increasing rank base, yet haven’t won an NRL premiership successful 38 years.

The indifferent commencement to their latest run has enactment the spotlight connected Arthur. However, the team’s prima players said the manager was not the issue.

“I’m much than blessed for the media to travel astatine america players alternatively of Brad,” Campbell-Gillard said.

“I recognize that he’s the caput of this nine and volition ever enactment himself retired determination earlier the players. But the onus is connected america arsenic players, and we get judged connected that show each week.

“I’d dice for Brad. It’s not bully seeing him getting fed done to the wolves. I’m much than blessed for the media and reporters to travel astatine america players alternatively of him.”

Arthur has overseen much Parramatta games than immoderate different manager (255) and Gutherson said helium was inactive the antheral for the job.

“Oh, definitely,” the skipper said. “He’s done it before. Him and his staff, they bash a fantastic occupation to get america acceptable each week and springiness america the tools we request to beryllium ready.

“But astatine the moment, the players aren’t delivering connected what they signed up for oregon what they privation to do. We’re letting him and the unit down, the full club.

“We’re 3-4, it’s not the extremity of the satellite astatine the moment. We request to conscionable beryllium consistent, we’re not being the squad we cognize we tin be.

“I’m definite him and the unit volition accidental the aforesaid thing.”

Paulo said the players were inactive had assurance successful Arthur.

“Absolutely, we astir apt wouldn’t beryllium turning up to enactment each time if we [didn’t],” Paulo said.

“We cognize however hard Brad works and the clip that helium puts into this team. It’s lone close that we’re capable to respond and enactment successful a bully show due to the fact that we recognize however overmuch helium means to this nine and however overmuch helium means to this team.

“He’s not the 1 retired there. We’re the ones that person got to beryllium capable to spell retired determination and play for 80 minutes.

“We can’t crook up for 60 minutes and past conscionable fto the crippled crook connected its caput the past 20 minutes. It’s a substance of america conscionable going retired there, not chasing the result, but conscionable chasing a afloat 80.”

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