Since its inception, the Cumberland Throw has been a Parramatta Eels Supporters site.
We take that seriously.
It means that we are there to support the team – regardless of the result.
It’s been a line in the sand that has garnered plenty of respect but it’s also led to the odd criticism from other Eels fans. Nonetheless, our policy has been that criticism which crosses the line and becomes personal towards the Eels players or staff is not welcome on TCT. That will not change.
However, as an Eels supporters site, we insist on respect for our fellow Eels supporters.
Yesterday, the Parramatta Eels NRL team crossed that line with a performance that showed little respect for the many thousands of supporters that declare their allegiance to their Blue and Gold team.
Make no mistake, the football played yesterday had nothing to do with ability and everything to do with attitude. One team turned up committed to play football – and they were wearing maroon and white. Sadly, it was evident from the opening whistle.
I’d like to deliver my own message now to the Eels players who took to the field at Brookvale.
Wearing the Parramatta jersey is a privilege.
As an Eels player it means that you represent the many thousands of Parra supporters in attendance, and the hundreds of thousands watching across the media that carry our great game
You have earned the right to wear that jersey because of your elite rugby league skills and your dedication to your training and preparation. I regularly watch some of that training and marvel at the levels of exhaustion that you push through on a daily basis.
An Eels victory gives supporters an extra spring in the step for a week. A loss is something that we are fairly resilient about, because we front up again each week, each year, each decade.
For me, that’s over fifty years of support.
Losses are part and parcel of the game. When the team has a genuine dig, as a supporter you cop it, cop the barbs from supporters of other teams, and move on. That’s footy.
That 54 to nil result was not a loss. It was an embarrassing slap to the face of supporters.
It was also disrespecting supporters who pay a couple of hundred dollars for the jersey that the players wear. It disrespects the hundreds of dollars, or in the case of families, thousands of dollars paid in memberships.
From an individual player perspective, perhaps they can find the answers in the mirror.
The coaches will probably have to look at the tape to give them “coachable” points to work on with each player.
As a supporter who attends training, I can vouch that the team failed to match the effort that goes into their preparation. I saw no semblance of the game plan that they looked to be working towards during the week.
But worse than that, as a team, Parramatta demonstrated none of the markers that literally every other NRL team displayed this weekend.
Intensity, defensive commitment, and defensive aggression were all missing in action. There was a total reliance on lateral attacking shifts that were not earned. Again, no reflection on talent – but a statement about attitude.
In short, on a day that required a decent dose of resilience, not a single milligram could be found.
Eels supporters were promised a better effort than what was witnessed in the second half against Penrith.
We don’t need apologies or promises of better performances.
We deserve a team that takes pride in wearing the Blue and Gold jersey and has the sort of dig that proves that pride. It’s as basic as that.
Eels forever!
Sixties
Yes sixties agreed. Your last line says it all. Hard to get up for work today…
Losses like that are the pits mate.
Well said. BA will get them back on track.
I have every faith in that too. Nonetheless, a loss like this can’t just be put in the “one of those things” category. It was evident from the opening exchanges that we weren’t committed to playing – and it needed to be said.
Couldn’t agree more Sixties. I wrote that last night that the last thing I want to hear is another apology from another player or several when we’ve heard the same said much too often in the past. Its about time they let did their speaking on the field in terms of sustained performances.
It’s clear that physically we cannot match it with other teams. We look visibly smaller than our opposites. That has to impact on the players’ state of mind and willingness to throw their bodies into painful collisions. This was the big fear from many Eels fans over the pre-season. Our aged and smaller forward pack has been left behind and is a huge inhibitor on our ability to compete.
Jetta and Trapped,
Firstly thanks for your responses.
The mark of our team under BA has always been the fight that we put into the contest. Our forwards have delivered, regardless of any size disparity, because of that fight, that resilience. There was not the slightest shred of that yesterday. It’s an attitude issue and we’re only in round 2. Time to fix that up now fellas.
Thing is we showed last year that despite having a smaller pack we can match it with most teams. Will Smith, smallest man in our team, put on the best tackle of the game against one of the Manly forwards while our forwards were arm grabbing majority of the game. Sadly our battle seems to be a mental one which can prove to be the hardest to overcome. The only silver lining I can take from the weekend is that (hopefully) this is rock bottom for us and it gives us the drive to improve. The lowest point of supporting the eels for me came when watching BA front the media looking so defeated whilst hearing the Manly victory song belted out in the background. If that combined with the thrashing from our rivals doesn’t light a fire under the boys then the season is lost.
I wonder if the almost 30 minutes warm up that the team had in the hot sun before the game had anything to do with their flat performance. Manly were only out warming up for less than 5 minutes.
As you say sixties, the attitude has changed. The eels fowards were big enough, good enough and had a tough enough attitude last year. But not so far in 2018. Is there disquiet about non selection, coach favoritism or other? It seems to have impacted both the 1sts and wenty.
Manlys change room air conditioned not so visitors ?
That’s archaic isn’t it. It’s supposed to be professional footy – not junior grades.
>We don’t need apologies or promises of better performances.
I agree totally on that Sixties. But what we do need, and deserve, is a frank assessment as to “Why?” it happened.
Accountability is key – and I don’t mean the kind of accountability where the coach and captain sit in a presser and say they’re embarrassed.
Our current team is more highly paid than any other team to walk out in Eels colours. We have better resources at our disposal than ever before, we have the front of house in order, we have team stability and a team that has been put together by the coach over a number of years.
Before I can put last night to bed in my head, I’d like to see some real accountability and someone have the nerve to answer one simple question:
“Why?”
With all the prep, with all the structure, with all the training, with the result the week before, with the talent on the field. With all of that, why did this happen?
For too long accountability went out the window – it was the coach, it was the front office instability, it was one selfish player, it was a rebuilding year, it was the salary cap drama, it was the referees etc etc etc.
No more. No excuses. For the first time in many years I felt utter embarrassment last night. I spent the morning grinding through a 30km trail run in 33+ degree heat and I waited around with shockingly sore legs through a stinking hot day just so I could see the boys play at Manly only to be utterly embarrassed at the match. I should’ve gone home and sat on the couch and saved my money and time.
As fans, I think we deserve the “Why?” question answered. If we were the Storm it’d be answered, and there would be repercussions. Why should we expect any less?
I agree. “Why?” Is the most important question. There’s an old saying my Gran used ” a little leaven ferments the whole lump” – one person with an atrocious, don’t care, attitude could infect or ferment that in a whole group.
Possibility here? Or they all don’t care?
Trouble with the coach? Big heads?
Could be anything I guess…
Thanks for writing it 60″s makes me feel better knowing even the most serious of supporters found yday performance unacceptable – hopefully the players feel the same.
The captain we will get a better understanding of what went wrong at brooky tonight when BA goes on 100% league.
Sixties my son I agree with everything you have said about the team.
I also agree about ppl from this site n the or site running TCT down.
I respect the ppl that come on here n have there say. I just wish every one got on n stop panicking about our team losing. It’s a long season. But like the rest of you I won’t stand for another performance like yesterday. Just won’t …I love my team band I always will.
Listening to talkin sports n ray Hadley this morning n he Hadley thinks BA has lost the dressing room. Now I think Hadley is wrong n I hope BA proves just that.
#Eels4life#
Trouble is Rev that now 2 games have been played and our performance/attitude is nowhere to be found. As soon as Penrith stopped dropping the ball we were useless. Last Sunday we couldn’t even defend for 24 minutes and they were scoring at a point a minute. Fortunately after that time I turned off the TV.
Absolutely gutless display. So much for having ball players all over the park. We needed workers not prima donnas.
60’s well said. For my pennies worth, BA should put them all in the front of a mirror and tell all the eels contracted players that were on and off the field on Saturday and Sunday, and have them examine themselves, especially if they have a heart for the club, their team mates and especially the suffering supporters.
I wish the players could have been at my work this morning. My workmates support all different teams and one, a long time and loyal dogs supporter got me a coffee on the way to work this morning and placed it on my desk. No one teased us Parra supporters, they took pity on us. I would have preferred being teased. We all had a laugh and one comment from a long time Dogs supporter was telling and oh so right. He said the dogs lost but at least they tried, they are not good enough, what’s Parra excuse? They should have rung in sick.
Every Parra supporter at work used many words to describe the game but the one common word was embarrassing.
That team, not my club I am an Eel through and through, lost a lot more than 2 points yesterday, they lost something far more important the fans respect, respect they have taken time to earn and it took just 80 minutes to burn. I will give them a chance to win it back but is up to them to do it, not say it, do it. I don’t want to see media interviews and hear about players crisis meeting, just fix it. Fix your stinking attitude or leave.’We have rebuilt before and we will do it again if we have to.’
I wonder how any of the players can walk into the Saleyards and look Big D in the eye today. He has seen some dark days but yesterday was something all together different. It was entirely preventable and entirely lays at the feet of the 17 players who entered the field and did not even give up they simply refused to try.
Shelley, that performance would have hurt plenty on the Eels staff, but yes, it would be hard to imagine anyone hurting more than Big D.
The pity is just the worst isn’t it? I had zero jibes from my mates, it was straight back to the sympathy I used to get from years gone past.
I don’t want to go through another season of sympathy.
Sixties the only positive I can draw out of this debacle that happened yesterday is that we will not be losing any to SOO
It’s interesting that you mention Origin, we’ve seen NSW teams beaten and even humiliated by Maroons over the years. Often it’s been when the Blues have been the favourites. But Queensland always seem to find something beyond talent (even given the talent in their team). It’s attitude. Desire. They’ve won it on those stakes before a ball has been kicked. Yesterday, we’d lost it by kick off.
Spot on Sixties and Co.
Its desire / effort and bleeding for your mate.
Sixties is there any truth in our warm up being so long y’day? I have heard this mentioned today that it was up to 40 mins in the sun. If this is true surely this has affected the team.
I’d add “belief” to desire and attitude.
We played like a team who truly believed we’d lost by the 8th minute.
Qld always truly believe they will win, even if they’re behind with 5 to go. And their belief gets into the opposition too.
I know as an Eels fan as soon as it was 12-0 in under as many minutes, my belief was gone because the team were showing me they had already lost. Last year I often had belief right up until the final buzzer, because the team showed me they had it too.
I have referenced the difference between 2016/17 and the two games this year elsewhere. You’re spot on at the moment.
Well written piece 60’s and spot on assessment of the game. Whilst it’s still very early in the season we will get a good indicator this weekend as to how the team and individuals bounce back after the last Sunday’s Brooky massacre.
Will it be career defining for any of the players, probably not. Will it define our 2018 season probably “yes”.
True JJ. How you respond to a bad loss is often the measure of a team
Well said Shelley. Not only has the team lost the respect of their own fans they have the lost the respect of every fan in the NRL
It’s actually embarrassing when they put in a performance like that considering the talent in the roster. Whenever anyone in the off season queried on how we will go this year and for me to quietly hype them up and for them to come out with that garbage in the first two rounds. We will bounce back but it seems like a weak backbone has been bred throughout our club, sometimes.
Simply put Jye, it’s unacceptable with such a roster.
Must have been a tough write for one as passionate as yourself 60s. Well done.
I cant say that the team have lost my trust because to be honest they never really had it. Not being disrespectful. Its just that I am never confident no matter who we play and am also fearful, like a Kenny Edwards brain snap, that a very poor preformance is just around the corner.
Oh to have a team that were dirty on themselves for losing by 2 points such as Melbourne.
Go Parra.
It wasn’t easy Gazza, but I could t be true to myself without writing this. It would also lack credibility to sweep it under the carpet. Too many of us all invest our time, our hard earned, our passion, into following the Eels. We deserve better.
Like many others, I sat in the sun with my 2 boys yesterday and at 18-0 my 9 y.o said “Dad, can we go home? They’re not even trying so why do we have to sit here and be hot”! My reply…”it certainly looks like it buddy but they’re our team so we’re here till the end!”
The conditions yesterday were absolutely oppressive and yes both teams played in it. But I have actually sat through a replay of the first half tonight and there was a couple of moments early on where we deserved penalties but didn’t get them which led directly to points. If we get the penalty the course of game changes and from there who knows. I’m not going to blame the ref but by the time Manly had 12 points we still only held the ball for 7 tackles, I doubt any team could have changed the trajectory of the game from that point onwards.
I think we can expect a few forced changes and I’m sure there’s going to be a couple that BA will make as a result of efforts thus far so TLT will be interesting for sure.
There’s a lot of ill feeling out there at the moment and I am as embarrassed as most. But our 2017 start wasn’t particularly grand and we copped a flogging by the Roosters along the way and we still played finals footy again.
The Sharks on Saturday in my opinion is going to make or break our season. I hope that we Fans don’t give up on our team yet and plenty find the inspiration to get to the game to show the boys we haven’t given up on them and they are able to find their way to victory!
Parra Power Prevails!!!
Jon Boy, what a great lesson about not giving up, even when it appeared that the team had. Well done.
We’ll be there on Saturday.
Blue and Gold always.
I predicted that by the time Manly were finished with us that we would leave Brooky walking like a mud crab with haemorrhoids.
Sixties, you told me to have faith.
I know this club and team too well.
Their forwards played like AC/DC, ours like Milli Vanilli.
It’s time to get a big and aggressive forward pack.
It’s also time to see what our 6 looks like in a rival teams jersey.
Enough.
You are perfectly entitled to say “I told you so.”
The comparison between the performances of the packs was warranted Grunta.
I wrote this editorial because that performance was insulting and gave the fans no reason to have faith.
The only thing that can help to restore any faith is to see the players having a dig this week.
Call me a masochist – I’ll be there at ANZ.
Sixties can someone explain why there has been zero debutants since round 1 2016 (french) – who was touted a schoolboy superstar anyway?
Thats 3 off seasons without one debut .
You don’t deserve an explanation when you only ever bag !!
We’ve had club debutants but I imagine that you’re back to your broken record mate. My answer would be that no player has deserved a first grade debut with us during those years.
That may have been the case in recent history but blokes like Marata Niukore and Greg Leleisiuao may end up with a fair chance this year if things dont improve. Ray Stone might even be in the mix?
That being said, what is the point your trying to make? How does this improve the position we are in now or the future?
Indeed Jonboy, it’s been a criticism made via a question asked and answered multiple times after being done to death elsewhere.
I’m pushing for Marata to debut – I believe that he’s worth the shot this year. GL has a bit to learn positionally, and staying in the contest, but he’s really picked up his training since mid January.
I’m not sure that Stoney would be eligible until there was a run of injuries
Marata appears to be the hardest done by. Pretty hard to make a case for anyone else at this stage. Possibly Marata is not being given his opportunity now because he is moving on and if so was this due to lack of opportunity. Chicken or the egg stuff.
An arguement could also be made against bringing players such at TRex and Fritchard into the system thereby blocking the path of prominent youngsters eg Marata.
We are not the Coach. He is the only person that has all the facts. After all he has done for our club he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Ill be cheering Saturday night. Go you Mighty Eels.
Ill tell you something, somtimes debuting younger players dosent always improve your position in the short term.
Look at Newcastle’s Nathan Brown for instance, he could have stuck with the coach saving experienced old heads like Beu Scott and co. and it could have bought him a couple of positions on the ladder – lower risk.
But no, he sacrificed his job security to set up the development paths and take the risky path debuting a dozen players.
Now yes they lost, but they gained experience, now they’ve added a few stars and the future looks good and could set them up for a decade.
On the other hand we’ve bought old heads like Gower Watmough Scott Pritchard willliams ect and steered away from debutantes.
It bought us games yes, but at what cost? These players get older and suddenly you have nothing coming into the system.
It buys the coach time but the baloon will eventually burst and your back to square one.
I hoe this post dosent get deleted because although its only my opinion i believe it to be valid.
Thx
And i have nothing against sixties miatch forty or anyone on here. Sometimes yes it gets heated, but I’ve been an eels supporter since 1980 and even went to the 83gf
And i know one thing, if you have nothing coming through your finished.
When you are respectful and make reasoned comments you run no risk of being deleted. So there is no risk with this comment mate. But, you are hijacking every post with the same point. You’ve made it, people reply, then you make it again.
But, and I don’t want to keep revisiting this point, you are screaming that the sky is falling after 2 rounds.
At TCT we were as upset as any other supporter with the weekends result. Hell, I’ve had a real go with my editorial and then I’m going to front up at training this week. I’ll stand by that criticism – and remember – I’ve said that the team didn’t have a dig and disrespected the supporters.
But, to call for sackings, to rip into the development system, esp after last year’s successes at the upper levels of junior reps is illogical. I feel like a broken record giving the same response to the same point.
If you prove to be correct and none of the younger players become successful Parra NRL players, then you are indeed a wise man. I believe that there is at least one Origin forward in the current juniors. Time will tell, but the 18s and 16s junior Origin is full of Eels.
But for now, it’s round 3.
We’ve ripped into the team about round 2.
Time to move on.
Well said 60’s.
Or you could say unsubjectivly, if there was a word.
If BA is looking for for big Boppa type forwards for low cost I would have a look at some of the solid performers from Pacific Islands maybe New Guinea