If ever we needed the Parramatta Eels to stand up on the field, last night against the Cowboys was it. If ever we needed to see the new culture that Brad Arthur and the coaching staff have instilled in the team, the Cowboys match was it. Today, the team have given the fans a reason to be proud.
Brad Arthur may not read the papers, and he probably never discusses the off-field issues with the players. But, we would be kidding ourselves to think that the team is playing and preparing under the same conditions as other clubs. The media only want to ask Brad and the players about the circus going on behind the scenes, whereas the team only needs and wants to focus on the footy. How many other teams face these circumstances on a weekly basis?
Let’s think back to years gone by and how little it took for the team to fold. Since 2010, there have been few teams as inept as the Eels at dealing with adversity. An injury, a penalty, an off field drama – fold, fold, fold. Other teams knew it and there was little respect for the Parramatta Eels from our opposition. They regarded us as psychologically soft, and rightly so.
For the Eels to play the aggressive brand of football that they did last night speaks volumes about where the team is now at under BA and his coaching team. They train hard, they play hard and they make no excuses. They can control their own performances and they are doing just that.
The players train hard and play hard.
I would confidently suggest that the ribs of some Cowboys players provide the evidence of encountering a tough team – physically and psychologically! The Cows are renowned for having a rugged forward pack filled with Origin talent. Last night, the Eels deliberately attacked their forwards and stamped themselves as a pack to be reckoned with.
There was also plenty to be taken out of the first round loss. The resilience of the team against the Broncos, even in defeat, spoke volumes about the new culture at the club. This performance was not lost on the knowledgable experts who all identified the attitude on display.
As fans in the stands we can ask for, and expect, better from the off-field operations.
However, as fans in the stands, we cannot ask for much more than the attitude demonstrated by the team on the field last night.
The Parramatta Eels did themselves and their supporters proud.
Sixties
60’s Agree totally & BA along with this team will be the making of the Eels for years to come.
BA has pretty well killed off the off field stuff from the players minds, & that is something he needs a lot of work in continuing until the office is sorted out. Big thing for eels fans & to stop the bringing of media to our thoughts & fighting each other. 2016 will be the start of the eels era if we want & allow it to be.
Well said sixties?
Sorry mate that was meant to be an exclamation mark not a question mark haha😀
Ha, I like it! Keeps me honest.
I have a question relating to the salary cap bs floating around Choc’s 3rd party agreement with square cube(?)
Does Choc’s immediate retirement negate the possibly dodgy 3rd party deal as well as open up even more salary cap space?
Have the bookies suspended spoon betting yet?
Any way this all ends up, I am proud of the boys and BA for a massive effort over the opening 2 rounds.
There would be an amount of cap dispensation from a retirement, but I don’t think it negates anything untoward third party-wise. I believe that the was a suspension of betting through the week, but I think it was lifted. Not sure there.
I feel like until there is a suspension of betting that there is no point penalty on the horizon. The game relies to heavily on the bookies to not give them a decent head start.
Ha good point.
Superb work Sixties. I think BA will be telling them that last night counts for not much if we don’t back it up next week…we have to play tough again. Canterbury have had our measure recently and I don’t like playing them. Des knows BA and vice versa. Next weeks penalty count won’t be like last night.
Absolutely Mitchy. Backing up effort on effort is what we are aiming for. The Dogs match will be a great litmus test.
I would really like to see the Parramatta Eels continue this approach throughout the entirety of the season. I and many other fans believe that they can as long as they don’t allow any usual minor setbacks to disrupt the momentum and focus of the players.
Dont see these things as minor setbacks i see them as repetitive stuffups, no coach or team in history has had to endure what our boys have , like all supporters im sick of it so imagine how they feel ,it must tell eventually !! BA is out there trying to build our team and club and doing a great job while the board just stumbles from 1 mess till the next
I got up on Sunday morning feeling great after the Eels win, then I went to the servo & grabbed the news paper to see two pages about the Mighty Eels. As I began reading I was absolutely ropable to read a story all about Parra’s boardroom issues & not about the brilliant game they had played the night before. It seems to me that all the media are interested in is bringing our great club down & for that reason I vow never to buy another news paper as long as I can draw breath. I love the Eels & there are certain entities that seem to get a kick out of kicking the Eels at every given opportunity. I’m new to this site but the one thing that really stands out is the positive attitude in the articles, unlike other supporter sites that seem to be glass half empty all the time. So goodbye news corp & hello TCT. Thanks guy’s & remember, We are Eels fans so lets keep this site positive.
This sight is positive and will stay that way because of the way it is set up and the posters it appeals to. There are so many good articles on this site and they are all about football and the Blue and Gold specifically. Great site.
The effort I witnessed on Saturday night was sensational. There is no way of knowing of course but the previous week against the Broncos in my opinion would have yielded the same result had it not been for the unfortunate injuries and how they occurred.
Sixties I believe that we seen glimpses of this form and culture last year 2015. We saw the hard culture built around aggression and line speed but we did not see it as good as we saw on Saturday night where everyone played for each other. Further last year we struggled to put back to back performances together. This year we have the resources to mange our game better. Watching the game on Saturday night I did not believe that we would loose from 20 – 10 in front. Had it been last year I would not have had the same confidence. The last Cowboys try made the game look closer than it was.
Last year we played Manly Rd 1, I have watched that game over and over. I believe that Eels team was the best team that we put on the park in 2015. After that game we lost Junior for 9 weeks due to suspension, Champion for the season and Semi was injured for I think 5 weeks. Everybody worked out that Hoppa could not catch a bomb and I could keep going.
But in that Rd 1game The Manly pack were smashed by the Eels. They were going backwards from basically the second set of the second half. We saw a further glimpse of this form against South Sydney and again against the Dragons where we hung tough for a great win in 2015.
There is a lot more experience in the team this year and notwithstanding Foran I am particularly impressed with Scott and Gordon they will be great for the Eels. How good is Foran even on one leg.
Heard from a very reliable source the major topic of conversation in dressing room after game was the letting in of the late try and that it just wasnt good enough and the boys were filthy about it , best part is that was the players topic not coaching sta ff , thats ownership !!!
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