Over the previous four months I’ve waxed lyrical about the pre-season preparations undertaken by the Eels. Like all clubs, the team has stepped up on previous years. That’s the nature of the beast – if you don’t aim to step up, how can you possibly improve on the previous year?
Though the benefits of a tougher, smarter pre-season should be revealed throughout the season, the work of the last few months is now consigned to history. From here on, Parramatta’s training will focus on preparing for their next opponent.
The players are keeping some kilometres in the legs.
There’s still running mechanics incorporated in the warm up. There’s still conditioning as the players are regularly pushed to a certain level of fatigue before and during opposed sessions. But each coming week must prepare them to be at their physical and mental best on game day.
Training becomes an art form as the turn around varies. Recovery, training, time off and a captain’s run all have to be fitted into this 5 to 7 day period between matches. This is why there are so many critics of Brisbane featuring regularly on Friday night football. It’s not so much to do with prime time saturation – though that is beneficial. It’s the advantage found in the stability of a regular 6-7 day interval.
Fortunately the Eels will enjoy a “Broncos-esque” draw in 2018, with only the single 5 day turn around before the round 15 clash with the Rabbitohs.
Another advantage for Parramatta’s training in 2018 is the depth of the squad.
Cam King has earned the first shot as Eels dummy half
NRL clubs now boast thirty man rosters plus six development contract players. The Eels pack goes so deep into the roster that, depending on injuries, some players on NRL contracts might start from the bench at Wenty at different points throughout the season.
The advantage of such depth is that any opposed session pits the NRL team against quality opposition on the Saleyards training paddock. These players can read the attack or challenge the defence of the top 17. Under instruction, they can simulate pet plays used by other NRL teams. It’s quality preparation.
The Eels have begun this week’s preparation with a healthy dose of ball skills and opposed work. They’ve been solid in their execution and it’s looked like serious business, with banter only creeping in during some grid drills.
Monday concluded with a captain’s talk from Tim Mannah. Arthur, Murf and Joey Grima step aside during these moments. As BA said to us one week – “they can’t just be hearing my voice, I won’t be out on the field with them on match day.”
However, Arthur’s voice featured prominently during Tuesday’s session. Firstly he led the forwards in a series of defensive drills. It’s a privilege to hear BA coach the players through their positioning, their movements, and the factors that should guide their decision making. Players are encouraged to have a voice in these discussions, as they seek clarification or add their opinion.
Finally, Arthur directed the opposed work, with Joey refereeing and Murf encouraging, pushing and praising the troops.
I do have an overall observation, confirmed through the pre-season and the trial, and it’s this:
Parramatta have one of the most balanced squads in the NRL. It’s a squad four years in the making, and in years to come we’ll become familiar with the term “Parra footy” – because that’s the brand of football the team will play
Tim Mannah links with Danny Alvaro in an opposed session.
The Eels have an underrated pack of forwards – blokes who will work well as a unit, play for each other, and have a bit of mongrel in their approach. But don’t take them for granted. They’ve spent the pre-season up skilling. Outside them, it’s an undeniably classy and versatile backline. Arguably the most potent in the competition. The loss of Semi has well and truly been compensated for via the recruitment of Hayne.
I’m expecting the forwards to get plenty of plaudits for their efforts on Sunday against the Panthers. They’ll pave the way for those flashy fast men to show their wares. Those who’ve seen the forwards as a weakness will get a surprise this year.
Brad Arthur On NRL360
After watching Arthur’s impressive appearance on Monday night’s episode of NRL360, I’m convinced that he’s not just one of the most talented coaches in the game, he’s fast becoming one of the most respected.
Brad Arthur
Undoubtedly, 2016 was a massive learning curve when it came to dealing with the media. Nothing can prepare you for a season like that. BA took plenty of the press conference heat that year for issues beyond his control, but handled it with increasing confidence and strength.
His unwavering support of his players and loyalty to the Eels won a swag of admirers amongst supporters. Winning games in spite of the surrounding chaos spoke volumes about BA’s leadership and the culture being created at the club. It typified the resilience of Arthur and garnered the respect of the league community.
On Monday night, BA fielded questions about Hayne and Norman, about team selections, about his own development as a coach and about meeting expectations for this year. He’s only entering his fifth season as an NRL head coach, but he answered questions like a seasoned veteran – minus the cliches. I’d be interested in how other supporters viewed this appearance.
Of course, media commitments aside, the most important factor for Eels supporters has been the resurgence of the club under our coach.
At the end of his current contract, Arthur will sit second – behind only Brian Smith – for most games in charge of the Eels.
I’d like to think it’s still early days in his tenure.
As for the footy, I’m thinking of it in my own terms – only two more training sessions till match day!
Eels forever!
Sixties
Wow that’s a hell of a statistic. Have we really had so few long term coaches that Arthur is soon to be number two for most games coached at Parra? That would go a long way to explain our lack of success over the decades.
With 104 games (including his 2012 caretaker role) he’s already moved past Terry Fearnley into the number 4 position, and sits 4 games behind Vic Hey. He will move past John Monie (149) towards the end of 2019.
With 243 games in charge, Smith is way out in front for longevity.
Good read sixties. Can you give us a stat showing our past 5 coachs n how many games they have been in charge of the eels.
I know smith was in charge for almost 10 years. Can u also give stats on our top 5 longest serving coachs. I can’t wait till Sunday I’m pumped n think we are in for a massive yr.
#Eels4life#
Top 5 as above
Smith – 243
Monie – 149
Hey – 108
Arthur – 104
Fearnley – 101
In a list of 29 coaches over our 71 years, you’d expect it to fall away after that (it averages less than 2.5 seasons per coach) with Cronin at 88, Gibson at 84 and Hilditch at 65. Only 12 coaches have been in charge for over 50 games. (With only the 5 above for over 100 games.)
Last 5
Arthur – 104 (includes his caretaker numbers – 6 – in 2012)
Stuart – 24
Kearney – 42
Anderson – 52
Hagan – 51
It is only in the modern era that coaches have stayed for the long haul. In years gone by it was more of a second job.
From memory Gibson would stay for about 3 years at each club. Clive Churchill was at South’s for a while but it was Bennet who was the first of the life coaches
Do you have the winning % of the top 5 plus BA as a comparison?
52% Hagan
50% Anderson
49% Arthur
24% Kearney
21% Stuart
Interestingly the three worst records are still coaching in the NRL. The two best are not.
Arthur is 52/104 or 50% from the career total, but sits at around 58% for the last two years.
Even though coaches used to be part-timers – like footballers, I reckon it might be harder to hold on to a job now. Media pressure, internal politics etc put far more pressure than before on coaches. Even when they have the dreaded “full support of the board”
Arthur is indeed 52/104, but when you include his two postseason games he is 52/106, which is slightly less than 50%. Of course sometime this season (round 3?) he will get above 50% and stay there for the rest of his career. Pretty exciting stuff.
The 104 includes the post season. Same as Gibson’s 84 includes post season.
You’re right, the future looks exciting.
Shit, you’re right. http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org has two phantom losses on his record.
That is oh so true about the modern scrutiny, think Tim Sheens, but you also see some survive in the face of it.
Thanks sixties. Sorry about the stats looks like everyone is asking you for stats… Cheers my son. God bless you.
#Eels4life#
No dramas mate.
I watched that NRL360 interview and was also impressed with his candidness but also his ability to say a fair bit with so few words. Frankly, I think he may be over answering questions about Hayne, but he does so without any hassle or fanfair. He oozes confidence and that rubs off on the players I’m. One thing I did notice, not sure if many did, was his body language as the camera panned out going to the break. I’m not sure he’s a fan on Paul Kent (who is?) and for me this was evident. He turned away from him was looking straight at Ikin with arms crossed and head down.
Sixties has something happened re guthos injury that has caused his return date to be pushed back or is it just precautionary?
Gutho’s return has always been round 8. Any earlier times mentioned was the internet experts never from the club
G’day Parra, that’s any interesting perspective? I would never have considered myself an internet expert! In fact my children and their children call me a dinosaur. Perhaps I should take up the challenge?
But all jokes aside, I did say that I believed Gutho would be back MUCH earlier. There must be scans/tests available with more critical analysis of the damage repair progress with these type of injuries that we are not privy to.
We hear far too often, players “coming back too early” from serious injury.
Go Gutho!
The risk of re-injury lessens with every week spent in rehab. As Parrathruandthru said, Gutho may have looked right to go, but there’s never been any word from the club about an early return. With round one now upon us, he wears the orange in contact work. I am sticking with a round 7 or 8 return.
Sixties the six development contracts that I assume are under the salary cap along with the 30 contracted players, what is the minimum salary for these players?
I’d have to find out John.
When you observe the penrith pack and bench its totally understandable that ba has gone with the bench minus will smith etc .
I believe that BA has the talent at his disposal to make decisions such as this with his bench.
Thanks for a wonderful summary and report 60’s on both training and the coach, worth more than one read to take it all in, very interesting re the coaches and their times at the club. What was Ian Walsh’s numbers? my books are packed ATM.
The more I look on the way the club is going it provides me with more confidence with any time in the past. The days when the emperor was pushing for change and in his final years as a player, was the same but, certainly not the intensity of today. I stood for the board and missed by 6 votes, in a field of many, was one of the largest I can recollect prior too and afterwards. Certainly the club changed for many years before the drop off and return of the backroom problems.
I would love to see BA appointed coach for a longer term, perhaps when he sees its time to give that up, a position of football manager, or similar could be made for him. Would not like to see him lost to the club.
Walsh was 45 games – just the two seasons. Do you remember his newspaper column ripping into his team after a poor performance? (Or was it a RLW column?)
Norm Provan was the catalyst for change in his only season. Set the platform for Fearnley, and ultimately Gibson (both great coaches). The Bear spoke to us about how Provan changed their mindset about training by getting in there and doing the conditioning work with them. Interesting that BA does similarly!
I remember the article vaguely, but it was certainly in the RLW. He was an interesting character, and a hard nosed one to say the least.
There was a full front page pic of the Bear and Walsh together after a big defeat. Walsh made Bob the captain as he felt it could have really made him, I forget the full details as its a while back now but I understand that Bob really did not see himself in that role.
To me there was no doubt that he showed leadership in the way he played but, perhaps too much the gentle giant to be the captain. I think he was by far too nice a bloke for it.
Having had a bittime to reflect on the question re the article where he ripped into the eels, and I am not too sure now as I tend to now think that the article may in fact been in the newspaper. Also may have been early in his time at the club as he tried to build the team from where it had been.
Certainly the other article re the Bear was in the RLW and front page. I kept many of my old RLW for years and gave them to a collector probably around 15 years back. I did keep as many of the AGM reports that went back to pre FItzegerald days, but many of those have now been lost unless in boxes not unpacked from the move in 2010.
I remember reading it recently and I think it was a newspaper column. I reckon Parra Pete has it or remembers.
IIRC, Walsh was one of the first coaches to have a regular newspaper column, however around the time there were also what was called quest columnists who were invited to put an irregular column rather than weekly.
I can still visualise the RLW photo with the Bear and Walsh with Walsh looking up at him as Bob walked off with his head down.
It was definitely in the Daily Telegraph and I also remember seeing it recently but can’t remember where. Maybe in Slip’s memorabilia? Walsh was a tough man and this is from his obit in the Telegraph by Ray Chesterton :
“There were no sacred cows. Not even sacred Eels. When he coached Parramatta Walsh publicly revealed that some of his players had arrived at training drunk and he’d dropped them. It was stunning revelation in those less microscopic days of media coverage and could have escaped attention.”
He was a budding pig farmer in Eugowra. A town so small you could have the welcome and farewell signs on the same post. To celebrate Parramatta’s arrival for a trial one year, he was asked to demonstrate castrating a sheep the traditional way.
“It’s a bush custom to do it with your teeth. You get the testicles in your jaws and pull them out. It doesn’t look so good, you’ve got blood everywhere, dripping from your mouth and so on. But old timers reckon it’s quicker,’’ he said.
That would go down well in these days of political correct language, and there would be attempts to get the RSPCA to get him to court.
Tough yes! but sometimes his mentality was a bit off.
Dear Lord! Imagine that happening today! Actually I’d rather not….
Great write up mate and I can’t wait for the season to start.
I thought Brad was great on Monday night and it made for interesting viewing. He is one of the rare coaches that is honest in interviews and I think it’s because he is confident enough in his ability to not feel as though he has to play ducks and drakes with the media for fear of giving away his big secret.
The thing I love about Brad is that he is a Parra guy and so is his family. You just can’t get that kind of passion and dedication from a ring in and I really think it rubs off on the players. The fact that he and his sons do conditioning work with the team is also huge.
There is no better leader than one that leads from the front and leads by example.
Well said Clive. Not too much I could add to that, except that he’s got some loyal Parra staff with him in Joey and Murf.
Credit to all the TCT team for keeping us in the loop on another preseason which is done and dusted.
Now the mighty Blue & Gold start to play for keeps in what looks like a season where we should be contenders in every game. I wouldn’t expect BA, the coaching staff or the playing group to expect anything less
Thanks JJ. They’ve mentioned many times about their own high standards. If they miss the mark in matches, they are likely to be their own harshest critics.
Good points Sixties about a balanced squad. There wasn’t a lot of recruitment but we do seem to have more depth in the forwards, backs and halves.
Looking forward to “Parra footy”
And how good is it to have these re-signings!
Poor coaches. They say you rent them, rather than making the commitment to buy.
If BA was a car, which one would he be? I’m thinking strong and reliable – a range rover perhaps?
Well Trouser without being boastful but feeling the need to substantiate my selection by extensive personal comparisons which I have lovingly experienced, I’ve owned a Range Rover, a Damlier and a Jag, Nissan Patrol and a few Holden utes and a Panel Van, a couple of Mercs along with a raft of fancy, fast and flashy wheels over the last 48 years on the road, but the most reliable and strong vehicle we have ever had is my wife’s VS 2002 V8 Holden Statesman. She drove it to Woolongong to visit her 91 year old Dad today.
It is a bit rough around the edges these days, not the best looker but certainly has been well serviced to keep it in tiptop shape. It is welcoming to all who get on board and still goes good, in-spite of its age. Just like BA.
Yeah Trouser, I think BA is a real Statesman!
So what do you think Trouser.
If Kearney or Stuart were a make of car, would you call them a Lada or a Great Wall?
The Russian built Lada is appropriate for Kearney …. they always broke down under pressure ….
The Great Wall motor vehicles . Perfect for Stuart. Why? They look all good and flashy, giving you a sense of great things ahead, but once you take one out of the car yard, you realise you’ve bought a lemon!!
I can sense a Losco post coming out of this – match the coach to the car!
Sixties; very interesting stats re the coaches. BA will have a very strong recod i believe when he hangs up the clipboard. It will also say something for the club overall, as without the overhaul we as a club have had i do not believe things would be as good. I liked Smithy but he was here too long.
I would have BA as a a retro type Torana like my mates had in High School; small in stature but strong under the bonnet and with a huge motor.
Good call!
Just a quick question sixties. With out giving away your age how long have you been a eels fan ?
Since the 1960s mate – hence the name. 50+ years
Ok cheers mate.
Another great column and thanks for the entire off season sixties. We have the right coaching staff, the right players and the right Jersey. Confidently predicting we will win the comp for no other reason than we want to. Everyone has bought in
Thanks PT. without being quite as bold as you in my prediction, I’ll go so far as to say that we are in our window right now. Can we take advantage of it?