This is a post inspired by the vindictive words of an egotistical shock-jock. Unfortunately his words have a small chorus of supporters in his corner.
I am both dismayed and disgusted by attacks on Brad Arthur by such media personalities and some members of the Eels fans base.
I understand the emotion. I understand the anger about some of the Eels’ efforts. There’s no denying that the team have been performing poorly over the first six rounds.
Six rounds of losses is way too long and puts the season in jeopardy, but we are talking about a period of only six weeks.
Do we really need to cast our minds back to remember how this man, Brad Arthur, went above and beyond what any coach would have done to hold the Parramatta club together.
He inherited a team that had won consecutive wooden spoons.
Both preceding coaches, Stuart and Kearney, had quit mid contract.
Before that Anderson had been sacked and Hagan had not seen out his contract.
Jason Taylor was a caretaker coach after Brian Smith walked in his final year.
Yet BA came in and immediately made our club competitive in his first year.
Unlike Stuart who prophesized of thrashings and duly delivered, in 2014 BA promised that his team would do their best to win every week.
The following year, Hayne decamped to the NFL and the Parramatta club became a laughing stock for the bungling of the Foran contract. It was left to BA to defend his club’s handling of the deal.
BA at training.
Arthur had his potential premiership winning team of 2016 decimated by the salary cap debacle. Key players departed. Injuries smashed the roster. Again, the self-proclaimed Parra boy was left time after time to handle the media circus that followed the club that year. Despite all this, the team accrued enough wins that should have seen them qualify for the finals.
And how quickly some have forgotten 2017.
Yes, it was only last year that he reassembled a roster to finish fourth and deliver Eels fans with their first trip to finals football since 2009.
Now, suddenly, after six games in 2018 he can’t coach?
He needs to be sacked?
And worst of all he’s been called ridiculous names by anonymous trolls.
Unquestionably mistakes have been made thus far in 2018 and Arthur will need to right the Parramatta ship. I’ll be disillusioned if there are no changes to this week’s team, because we need change. Ultimately Arthur is accountable, but history tells us that he’s never shied away from a tough job.
Anyone joining a chorus for his sacking needs to consider what sort of club you want to support, what sort of character they want the Parramatta club to have.
They need to consider the man who held the club together when others had walked away.
I’m not suggesting that this ties him to the job for life.
But I’m damned sure it entitles him to not have to deal with disrespectful calls for his dismissal after six games. And Ray Hadley…. I’m pointing my finger directly at you. Your words were the inspiration for this post.
I’m as frustrated, as angry, about such a poor start to the season as any Eels fan. But Brad Arthur has earned my respect and my support for a period that will easily exceed a number of weeks.
Our site has been slammed for being supporters of Arthur. We are first and foremost supporters of the Eels. But we believe in what BA’s done and what he, Steve Murphy and Joey Grima will do for our club.
There’s nothing to be gained by turning on our own when the chips are down.
I truly hope that I’m voicing the thoughts of thousands of other Eels fans.
Eels forever!
Sixties
Insignificant big mouth know all . Hidden agendas in everything he says or does , smart people have got his number .
Agreed. The mouthpiece of the past too.
60’s well said and while I see your pain and feel your hurt like all of us should do, I too feel it, and your words here And worst of all he’s been called ridiculous names by anonymous trolls. Are spot on.
I made a call on the other site by saying that much of what has been said borders on defamation and I stand by that. Fans, yes as I put elsewhere, not supporters in any shape or form.
They could not set out to sea in fair weather as they would terribly sea sick and turn around 100 metres out, when the first ripple wave hit the side of their boats.
As for the radio and other experts, who talk all this up, I have found him to be the most vicious and loud mouthed grub that I have ever had the misfortune of hearing his voice.
Well put Colin. Not much I need to add there.
Been a long time sence I listened to motor mouth Hadley. I listen to laws mr hello world ….
What I don’t get with Hadley is why he continues to hammer us eels with every chance he gets. Why can’t he move on like his old pal Dennis Fitzgerald … They don’t own or run the club in any shape of form.
Do we have an answer for our poor form …no
Did we see this coming in the offseason … No
Will the club get out of this situation this week ….no
But there is 1 thing I know bout parramatta eels is we are a proud club. A club with good jrs , strong history (good n bad)
I like the real n true loyal eel fans is I’m not going away I love my team with a passion I’m not going to abandon a so called sinking ship. That’s why I finish my blogs with #I’m going to say the reason for our form loss is not just down to our little forward pack not working as a unit.
But I also think its the lack of a good fullback to move the troops around.
From my younger days as a fullback playing for blacktown workers club it was my job to make sure the line held firm.
From having different fullbacks from Hayne,French, smith, players don’t know what’s doing. Imo there not talking much from the back. They seem to just wait n see what is going to happen. so there for the line is broken.
I think we will improve once gutherson is back IMO his a very good talker he can Marshall the troops in the defence side of the game.
The only player that was doing a lot of talking was Moses. Norman really needs to lift if he doesn’t lift I’d drop him n put smith as my 5/8. Moses n smith I think can help gutherson Marshall the team.
If eels win I’d put it down to Moses barking at our under performing pack. The pack need to stop n take a hard good look at themselves lift for themselves if not the team.
Eels in a tight game. Eels 17 panthers 16
ReplyEels4life#
What we all must do is stick together n stop all this name calling n calling for BA’s head. #Eels4life# ….
Strong words mate. Though I assume you’re calling it for Eels vs Manly this week
Yes sorry sixties didn’t no I pasted something else … My gaff… Feel free to delete n I will do the post again.
Here’s brother sixties ….
Agree
In the end of the day it’s a results driven business.
I think everyone accepts BA is a really good bloke, he loves the Eels and has a real passion for footy, but at the end of the day if he can’t get us winning footy matches then he needs to go, no two ways about it.
Like I said, really likable guy but that doesn’t mean he’s cut out to be our long term first grade coach.
Everything I’ve seen so far suggests that he just isn’t the right guy to deliver us a premiership. We need to look elsewhere for a coach who can.
I haven’t said anything about him being a good bloke. I have however referenced that he’s a bloke that digs in for battles. It’s what we needed in the troubled years and it’s what we need now. He got the best out of the players under adversity in the past. Please define this “everything” that you write of.
If you’re referring to these last 6 weeks of damn awful footy, that’s a very small window, don’t you think?
I’m a massive fan of BA but lots of questions need to be asked about what’s going on and I really want to know what happened to his coaching team he had last season. There seems to be a few of his staff that have left and not been replaced. We lost our defensive/forwards coach (who is now at the Panthers and look at them) and now both our defence and forwards are completely busted. As well as another assisted coach gone and our attack is pathetic. Now is this BA call or is Burrie making cut backs to the football department like he said he was going to?
Seems like you’ve got your finger on the Palse there mate. Our defensive coach is at the panthers huh. Interesting.
See above Jack.
Michael, it is our ex-contact coach, Bumper O’Farrell who is now at the Panthers. That’s not defensive systems, it’s the new term for a wrestling coach.
So why haven’t we replaced him or his other assistant coach. Luke Burt made the G/F in the 20’s maybe he should of got promoted. Is Brad doing all the work? Is the team sick of hearing the same voice for everything.
It’s still a big staff headed by Brad, Joey and Murf. In fact, the staff outnumbered the players when the first group of players commenced pre-season training.I don’t believe that they would be prevented from taking on another coaching assistant if they requested one.
Well said sixties. I feel your pain, and I admire the confidence you have in Brad Arthur as coach. I have that confidence too.
Can’t believe the lack of faith people have in the Club. I often wonder if they worry more about them losing – or if they are worried about being ‘teased’ by supporters of other Clubs. Are supporters of the Cowboys happy that Paul Green has been signed up for another three seasons? The Cowboys – pre-season favourites – have won just one more game than the Eels!!!!
Stick with it Brad….
There are those who will point to his previous achievements, which were impressive last year more than his premiership year imo. Green won a premiership with a team full of stars. He’s running near us on the table with a very similar line up. Can he suddenly not coach? His club doesn’t believe so.
Well said and I would give him all of next year to turn it around.
Deserves his contract time certainly mate.
I heard motor mouth Hadley running his mouth today. Saying brad’s lost the dressing room n how the players are not listening.
How on earth ppl think anything that guy has to say is MAD.
Funny that sixties when the eels are winning Hadley n all those so called (loyal) fans are talking about how good the players n coach is yet when we lose they like to really kick us when we are down. I like you am 100% behind brad n the whole club.
All it will take is a little bit of down time away from footy. Maybe there thinking about the games b4 there even here.
#Eels4life#
Some are trying too hard, making errors worse – no doubt.
I’ve written more on it and called for changes.
I don’t agree with all of BAs selections, but I believe that he is best placed to make decisions and will ultimately be judged on that at the end of the season.
Ever dawn on you that BA just isn’t good enough?
Not at the moment – and I’m sure I was clear about that too.
Just as I can read the emotion in your words.
Unicorn you can’t take a team to the top 4 spot one yr then suddenly be badge next just doesn’t happen.
#Eels4life#
Well said brother sixties I could have said it better. Stick solid ppl stop his back stabbing n name calling…
Great defense of a man (BA) who has, as you assert, proved himself an excellent coach most recently to get us to top 4 last season and a wonderful man manager to steer the Parra ship through the turmoil he inherited in 2014 to 2016 having turned dual wooden spooners into a competitive footy team that we could all be proud to call our own!
I have stated my opinion of whom I would reckon should come into the team. I have not suggested individuals who should be dropped to make way for them though. That’s Brad’s dilemma, he gets paid to make those decisions.
Brad has an epic challenge at this point in time which I believe he is up to. If it takes him another 3 or 4 weeks to get an attitude change reflected in the teams’ performance? Then I for one will patiently support him and his loyal staff with as much hope and confidence as I can muster. I will also pray, as I do for believers and non believers in our footy club as I should.
Go Parra.
I’m keeping the faith along with you Rowdy.
I am a long time Parra supporter (over 50 years) and I agree that what BA has done with the Eels has been fantastic and I admire him as a coach. After what he has done in 2016 and 2017 it is ridiculous to suggest after 6 games he be sacked by dickheads with their own agendas. That journalist is obviously the bitch of a previous CEO.
Thanks very much 60s for your honest and forthright words. Keep it up.
Cheers Peter. Appreciate your longevity as a supporter and your loyalty.
There is no way anyone would consider Ray Hadley anything but driving an agenda when it comes to matters concerning Parramatta. Our coach deserves our loyalty and support, something a lot of our supporters seem unable to grasp.
We joke in our family that you are pre destined by birth to follow Parra, no matter where you are now in the country. Mum’s brother came over from Parra Rugby to Parra League in ’47. God I’m sounding old, but the point I am making is that there will be ups and downs and we must trust the people hired to do the job, or in worst case scenario, support management if change is deemed necessary.
60s the role you and the rest of the team play in representing an honest but balanced view of our team is wonderful and very well regarded by supporters.
Lady Eel, my dad was the same and he was fighting before 47 with the push to get the eels into the comp. Been an eel from birth as it was in March 1947
From one Peter Johnson to another … well said! I am also an Eels supporter of around 55 years so both of us have seen a few terrific years and a lot of ordinary years. Brad Arthur held the club together in the turbulence of the Board fiasco and deserves our continued support. He is a masterful coach with a strong moral and ethical base.
Well said. You guys would know better than most if BA had lost the dressing shed. This reeks of a Fitzgerald agenda, considering the club’s administration was mentioned by Hadley as well.
Until the former administrators are incapable of white anting the club, I’m afraid this will keep happening, hence why Donnelly is still here, and will be here until constitutional reform happens. Every former administrator played their own part in putting us into the mess of 2016, now for the sake of the club, they need to leave it alone. If they cared about the club more than their own egos, they would.
Have you ever been to the AGMs? If people want examples of what you’ve said about the past clinging on, they need only attend one. It will be completely clear that the struggle continues.
No I haven’t, unfortunately life gets in the way. I have heard enough to know I would end up storming out with the shits or absolutely give it to these white ants.
Brad has my support, I’ve seen some good and not so good or committed coaches at Parra in my 25 years or so of fanship.
BA has everything we’ve always wanted in a coach and up until now almost all the answers too.
I have a little less faith in some of the players and their commitment to the cause. But to sack BA now off of 6 losses after all we’ve been through would be a massive mistake.
Anyone who says differently either has an agenda or doesn’t understand the game quite enough.
Well said mate. and you’ve been fair too. He doesn’t have all the answers, because we are travelling poorly at the moment. But I have faith that he’ll sort it.
So we should sack a coach because a team has lost 6 games early in the season? Sometimes the best way to squash an argument driven by agenda and revenge is with facts, indisputable facts not hearsay or according to whispers. So Mr Hadley here it is.
In 1981 your great friend, Mr Fitzgerald hired Jack Gibson- a wonderful coach indeed and to his great credit a wonderful choice ( I give credit where it is due) by Mr Fitzgerald. But unlike Ray Hadley, Mr Fitzgerald showed some football smarts and could see the long term aim.
Between rounds 4-12 in 1981 Parra lost 6 games and won 3, ( with only 22 games and a top 5 , loosing 6 then was considerably worse then the position our team is currently in) and one of those wins was by 3 points, a single try, it could easily have been 7 games lost out of 9. If we go by Rays theory Jack Gibson should have been sacked. Our team went on from Rd 13 onwards to loose only one game and draw another and take out our first premiership and start our ‘golden years’, start the rebuild of our club.
So just like what your pal Mr Fitzgerald did wisely in 1981 I will back our coach. I will give BA, his staff and players the chance to turn it around. I will support the club I love and which you somehow still claim to support , rather than throw them under the bus. I will judge them with honesty at the end of the season.
Mr Hadley offered Parra his advice and criticism, so I offer him some in return.
Keep throwing stones but don’t you dare jump back on the bandwagon when they turn it around. Your not welcome, take your hateful and bitter revenge and spend your time focusing on defending your mate Bozo instead. Just leave us alone. You and your mate lost the battle accept it. Unlike you I don’t use words like apparently or according to, I have the conviction to say what I think and stand by it.
This is a worthwhile read for anyone who has skipped past opening up Shelley’s full comment.
I approve of the veracity of your comments in general Shelley, but I absolutely loved the final paragraph!
So what do you reckon now, Shelley?
I’m not even going to justify Hadley’s comments with a response because it’s simply and very transparently agenda driven muck.
One thing I will say is that, for better or worse, sports coaching is a results driven industry. The results of your past will determine your legacy, but the results of the present dictate your worth. Seasons past are seasons past, and BA will rightly be remembered as the stalwart who brought us through our darkest days with passion and pride.
But this season, the one right now, many passionate and pride filled Parra fans are struggling to reconcile how it all went so wrong. How a season that looked set to be our closest shot at a Premiership in over a decade faded away without so much as a whimper.
This is the voice of disappointed fans looking for answers. This is the voice of fans hoping for a 30+ year drought to be ended. No one in the league has waited longer than us right now. This is the voice of fans who have had to reconcile feeling supremely hopeful to feeling ultimate failure within 6 short weeks of the season starting.
I don’t for one moment consider myself part of the chorus asking for BAs head on a platter, but I can empathise with where they’re coming from. And I certainly don’t think it’d fit to lump those people into the same bucket as agenda pushing opportunists like Hadley. There are many genuine fans who have loved what BA has done over the past seasons, but rightly want answers from him regarding this season. There are many genuine fans who don’t consider our worst start to the season in decades as something they accept without accountability.
I have a massive man-crush for BA and I owe all the positives of these last seasons to his enduring strength of character, but I’m equally disappointed with this season and I am looking to BA for answers – and unfortunately not many have been forthcoming. As a fan, this is frustrating. Sure, some people will use this frustration to drive agendas, others will use it to vent in the extreme, neither of which I personally condone. But many of us just want answers because it seemed to be heading in the right direction and we seem to have done a 180 and we’re confused and disappointed. That’s understandable, and it’s something BA needs to take on board because part of getting through this mess (like it or not) is the expectation management of the fans who pour their hard earned money into ticket, membership and merchandise sales that keep the team afloat.
I support BA. I’m thankful for all he’s done. I see him as our long term coach. But I also want answers for the why and how of our early season derailment and I don’t think it makes me any less of a fan to constructively ask those questions and vent those frustrations.
My simple reason as to why we are poor now compared to last year is a simple one, all the teams below us greatly improved their rosters, and we didn’t. Imo we went backwards by a long way and I believe it is one player, Semi, that we miss most. BA under-estimated his loss and over-estimated our forward pack. I didn’t. I thought if we made the 8 we’d over-achieve. BA had to greatly strengthen our forwards to cover his loss and didn’t and unfortunately our results now show how badly BA misjudged our roster.
Not as badly as you’ve undermined any credibility your opinion may have had prior to this rubbish comment Glenn!
This reply from the Captain is the reasoned comment of someone wanting answers this year, holding BA accountable but not calling for ridiculous responses. Well said. I too understand the emotion behind fan reactions, but when we stop and think, we end up close to this observation.
Fair enough the club has certainly had some better results under brad but for mine we haven’t done enough in building a roster that can sustain winning consistently and improving every year.
I see there are many experienced players that are coming off contract and it seems that the generation that had success in previous years cannot continue, understanding a player’s peak period is between 24- 28.
Yes it is only 6 weeks but statistics show no team has made the finals after losing the first six. Now we can only look forward to 2019.
Joe, in retrospect, having so many off contract could be a blessing.
I didn’t realise OFarrell had left. I suppose we didn’t replace him? Hmm. I know we are cutting costs but there are certain coaches you need to retain. Didn’t Bernie say that the sole purpose of the leagues club is to ensure the success of the league side? Perhaps Bernie Max and the board are more responsible for the failures this year than Brad?
Either way, I honestly believe this year to be completely bust and Bernie, Brad and Co realise it and are planning for next year by finally getting the finances in order, ending the careers of some players and recruiting well to have a decent shot in 2019.
Anyone calling for BA to go must have an agenda, a bad memory or began following only this season! His leadership through the hell of the salary cap fiasco and to the top 8 was nothing short of miraculous and he was a hero. Now after a 6 week slump some would have him lost to the club and players who have had him as their saviour during those difficult times. I am so disappointed that a man who has shown such passion and determination to get the result he did with those men last year is being berated and belittled.
It’s unfathomable isn’t it!
Spoken like a true fan and with the most motherly loyalty it almost brought sincere tears to each of my blue and gold eyes. Well said Chickeel, very well said!
Coaches get too much credit when their team wins and too much abuse when their team loses. The same players could play last year against the same opposition. It is up to them to turn it around.
Spot on mate.
Take 2 …lol
Been a long time sence I listened to motor mouth Hadley. I listen to laws mr hello world ….
What I don’t get with Hadley is why he continues to hammer us eels with every chance he gets. Why can’t he move on like his old pal Dennis Fitzgerald … They don’t own or run the club in any shape of form.
Do we have an answer for our poor form …no
Did we see this coming in the offseason … No
Will the club get out of this situation this week ….no
But there is 1 thing I know bout parramatta eels is we are a proud club. A club with good jrs , strong history (good n bad).
What I do get is that when we are winning not a bad word said. When we are losing like know they the media 2GB, press smh,DT kick us when we are done n say stuff like our halfs are not talking to each other the coach has lost the dressing room it goes on n on.
I feel your pain brother sixties I really do. But like you n many of us older fans we have been through much worse then this. All we need to do is stay strong n solid stop all this BS talk about in fighting.
I’m a loyal fan n that is why I finish my post with #Eels4life#
P’s sixties don’t delete this post just older one ….lol god bless you all.
I’m liking this one mate.
I trust BA. I don’t trust Hadley.
Can’t see that changing anytime soon.
I certainly won’t be mate.
We can’t keep sacking coaches like the previous board. It will take us years to recover. Can you imagine if the old board was still in charge, I’m pretty sure they would’ve sacked BA by now and Hadley would be sticking the boot into our club about that. It’s clear that unless hi pal Fitzy is in charge of the club, he’ll always have a dig at us. On Brad Arthur, I’ve heard all the rumours and I’m hoping they’re just rubbish. I haven’t been on Twitter for 2 weeks, sure we’re losing, but the overreaction by some fans is just depressing! I back BA to turn it around and I hope it happens soon to shut up the haters.
The rumours are rubbish.
Best piece of writing you’ve written. Love your support of our Eels and our coach. I hope Ray reads this and is disgraced by himself. Jerk.
Thanks for the feedback Ashleigh.
Well said Sixties; the shock jocks are just that. Nothing to add
Might work in our favour yet!
Especially considering the side he has picked for this week.
I’d like to hear the sixties thoughts tho on one trial and our new coaching staff and why the boys aren’t fit? Were they trained to hard in the off season and are playing tired or the new regime hasn’t worked?
And also great read loved it especially about that germ that shall not be named!!
I have questioned their fitness from the first game, however this one trial stuff is a myth.
For the last few years we have had two trials but the first team hasn’t played in both. The Alice springs trial was basically for Wenty. Have a look at the team that was always fielded. The likely first grade team for the round one game has only ever played the final trial a fortnight from the first game. Fact.
True but we usally had one trial where we played our round 1 team usally against Penrith! Right? And then we play our stars for 45-50 mins against newcastle
I have been to both those trials against Penrith and the stars played for between 50-60 minutes.
Again, I have questioned their fitness, their physiques and general size but it isn’t because of not playing a few extra minutes at a trial. I am no expert on their fitness regime either, it is just looking for answers.
Gday Lyle,
I noticed that Chris answered about the trials. We used to send players to the Territory who would be likely starters for Wenty, with the NRL players trialling at Penrith. This year the Wenty boys (and a couple of NRL forwards) played in a Trial at Ringrose vs Norths.
All teams missed the Nines hit out.
The boys are fit but are being punished for poor completions and discipline with possession that fell well below 40% in the at least three of our games – the worst ones.
The squad recorded both distance and sprint PBs during the pre-season. They tapered just before the season so as not to overtrain.
As an observer it was hard to fault the work, but they would constantly review this. It looked very tough but the players said they enjoyed pushing each other in their work.
when we stop making the errors and don’t spend matches defending and working harder than the opposition, we can as observers, make better calls about that.
Great Article. Most clubs would be lucky to have a coach like BA. So we support him when he brings the place together, and turn on him in a time of adversity?? That’s not true support. He has earned the right to ride through this time. There is no question about that. As for Hadley, he should concentrate on keeping his own house in order before commenting ignorantly on someone else’s.
He has no valid source for his comments because it’s garbage.
I’ve not called for BAs head, not yet anyway, and consider he should see out his contract until end 2019.
However he is the architect of our present malaise. From poor defence, poor attack and poor roster recruitment BA’s finger prints are all over it. As such he has to bear the blame. From now on what he does to fix all the above will be a measure of his credentials as a coach.
What I’m most interested in is his recruitment for next year. If Paulo is coming back that is a good start but not the end. BA has been guilty of imo doing half a job on the cheap in the past. That time has passed!
Now is the time to start from scratch and build the roster to achieve his objectives, and that must be giving us a chance of winning the premiership.
Glenn, there is still a couple of player contracts organised by the previous administration which involve significant coin, and we did lose players as a result of the cap. But the roster is something that BA wouldn’t shy away from accepting the responsibility for. Your words are wise about giving him the time to restore the roster and our performances.
Sorry sixties i disagree BA has been here 5 years and has recruited and assembled the team he wants and they have been shown to be not up to it hes remained Loyal to under performing players and rightly should be put under the microscope.
Yes 16 and 17 were very good but lets put it into perspective we finished 4th but a few results the other way and we miss the 8 all together.
I believe based on information from people i know at the club i have that he has lost sections of the team. With that there are also some personalities clashes that are affecting the squad nake no mistake this isnt a happy club loosers are very rarely happy i feel Baa shouldn’t be sacked but has earned the right to walk away with his dignity in tact and shoukd do that sooner rather than later
I’d question your sources Offside. I have no question about him losing the sheds at all.
A team that finishes top 4 finishes top four. You can go back over any team, any season and pick circumstances that benefit them. Injuries, draw, opposition teams in slumps at the right time.
The Dragons are fantastic to watch right now. They have been able to field the same team every week. They were fantastic in the early rounds last year too. The teams that played them early season would have preferred to play them late season (though we thrashed them early season when they were in peak form).
You cannot justify your assessment of a coach as being poor in 6 weeks of ordinary footy after recent seasons of quality work.
I have my sorces and i believe them i dont think hes lost the dressing room but there is some disharmony in the squad that is to be expected with the way things are going.
Brad has earned some time but i have serious doubts about him as a tactical coach time will tell id love to be wrong
Appreciate your honest opinion mate.
Offside, I can commiserate with your feelings but must stand with Sixties regarding BA having lost the shed. Apart from the innuendo, there is no evidence to support that notion. Losing and being “a loser” are two completely different animals.
The men that currently make this club from Max Donnelly to #30 in our roster, including the entire coaching staff are not losers! If you were privy to what they are saying to insiders and among themselves you would be proud of their grit and encouraged by their own disappointment.
Well ive heard from people within the sqyad ill rephrase not lost tge dressing room but he is on the verge players are doubting him. This us a fact has that ment hes list them no. If things continue he will.
I’ll stand by this.
Spot on Rowdy.
Second time around for comment, after a nights rest and visit to doctors.
First off, re some comments about AGM’s. I have been to a few over the years more especially when the emperor was in charge, mostly especially the latter years any dissent caused uproar and challenges to your being a true eels supporter. Reason I stopped going until the year of Capone in 2010.
Wasn’ that a great meeting, when I raised the point of our history and was put down by some of the minders there, we don’t want anything of our past and the like, we only look to the future. Sorry said I, without a past and history, recognising our heritage and the work of so many to get the eels in to the Sydney comp as it was in those days. My late dad being one of the workers there, and sadly never lived to see a premiership despite his 70 years of life.
If it was to be taken to toss out our history, that would include the premierships, rip down all the photo’s and other memorabilia from the walls of the club, and the eels only begin in 2010. Now hasn’t that been a success, until we got lumbered with the salary and board issues. That’s our history folks, so based on those words at the AGM I mention, the emperors years should also be wiped away, both the good and the bad.
I could not recount the years of wooden spoons and sitting at Cumberland watching loss after loss, but I stuck there and supported the team, club and coaches at the time. We had a lot of great footballers who became coaches of the eels but none got the club to the heights we enjoyed in the 80’s and that includes players who were part of the premiership wins.
Today, according to one loud mouthed media jock sock has the club in crisis, and the team as such wants the coach sacked, well Jocko, you are not on the board (THANKFULLY) and have no say in the club again Thankfully. Go and look to your sources of the information and if you are any sort of man, or indeed a person then its time you did the right thing and reveal the source of where you got the info from, and who is involved. YOU NEED TO OUT those who are causing this problem especially when you put it out in the media, both on TV, Radio and print.
The best thing would be for you to out them to the club first and then out in the media you hide behind.
We DO NOT need you, nor want your attempts at undermining this club or for that matter any other club either. Go away and get under your rock with the others you hide with.
We have a coach that will take us into the future, and reading another media bit this morning the club is said to be looking at being rid of 10 players off contract at the end of this year and perhaps some on contract for next year as well.
We will have a future and without grubs as part of it and outside of it. No doubt that our current coach will also be part of the future successes as well.
What a great reply mate.
Yes, as such a long term supporter you have been through those harsh times.
I couldn’t agree more about Hadley. To make such comments he should either name the source or tell BA. He won’t because it’s fabricated.
Mate, I don’t want to go through them again, but I would if it happens, all I and all need is for the chosen 17 each week turn up and be prepared to play, and play hard.
Exactly mate.
After 6 weeks, nothing is going to change until a change is made. The question is, do we have the players who can step up and make that change? With Wenty performing poorly also, that leaves very few players to choose from. Maybe a spell for some in Wenty will do them some good?
Big changes today.
Heard Hardley this morning , said he wouldn’t back down on this comments as he heard it from someone who knew a player and then told someone that spoke to him, sounds genuine .
He is just like a jealous spurned lover, needs to get a life and stop white anting the club. If he was a true believer on teams losing the plot, Why hasn’t there been a comment on the Cowboys with a rep roster losing their last 5 games, then extending their coach for another 5 years, agenda much ?
There’s even a usual suspect suggesting that a) the club has withheld funds to employ staff b) BA couldn’t get someone to come to the club as he is the problem and no coach wants to work for him
These ferals are not assisting the club, don’t know if they have any contacts but it’s always like Hardley – someone in the club is telling me. Who the heck would talk to these 10 or so doom Sayers .
Certainly action needs to be taken, support for the club is paramount in difficult times, for instance the list of players to be shown the door are those off contract at the end of the year, easier to make a story out of that as a clear out.
You’ve nailed Hadley mate!
I dropped off 2GB two years ago for my footy radio fix. MMM is much better, particularly the Sunday show, as long as you can get past Paul Kent….
We hear many comments from disgruntled supporters and from idiot journos about the Eels situation, and I, much like you all am disappointed and frustrated about the start to this season.
To answer your final comment of “I truly hope that I’m voicing the thoughts of thousands of other Eels fans.” – in my case, yes you are. This is a man who single handedly (is that a word?) rebuilt this decimated club from within, and now with the support of Burnie Gurr and his management team will continue to rebuild. A swallow does not make a summer (I think I’m close) and whilst it’s difficult to see where the first win will come from, I think we all get the sense that there will be a turn around soon.
One thing I do notice, is that Burnie has not publicly talked about the performance of the team much, and that BA has not been given the death nell – the publicly stated support of the board. Which gives me confidence that the club is working as a single unit to address whatever is happening. Hopefully that will translate to the football team and we will see a shift in momentum.
Attacking BA is not fair, attacking individual players is not fair as it is clearly a whole of team “lack of” effort. I will continue to yell, scream, swear, and watch every single minute of every game either live or on TV. We need stability to get through this from within the club and from us, the Army!
Appreciate this reply Anthony.
As there’s no issue, you’d assume there’s no need for Bernie to comment.
As supporters, the time your support is most needed is the darker times. I’ll be there too mate.
I think a lot of the criticism about BA has been about his team selections rather than coaching ability. He seems too loyal to some of the older players. Even you Sixties would surely agree that BA has overestimated a number of our players, especially some of the forwards. And this is why other fans have been blowing up about junior retention because we have no one to come through who can replace out of form players such as Scott who clearly has played one year too many.
I haven’t agreed with selections and wrote a post demanding change to our team. I differentiate junior retention and recruitment. I have not seen one player that we didn’t keep who would have been better than our current roster (check my post on the subject). Maybe Josh Aloiai is one I would have liked to have kept, but Twal is not too different to Daniel Alvaro. Like many, I considered we may have been a prop short (see my crystal ball selections comment), and I think we’ve been caught short by the changing game with penalties providing rest times and bringing impact players back into prominence ahead of endurance.
Honest question Sixties at what point would u right BA off say if we get the spoon or is your belief unwavering?
I would be looking at factors such as team selections, purchases for next year, the types of performances this year. But it would impact whether he was to be signed beyond his current deal, not being sacked. Our club can’t afford to go back down that path. Look where it got us in the past.
But I do have faith that he will turn things around this year.
I hope your right
You most certainly are voicing my thoughts. I too am disgusted that BA has become the scapegoat. Jarryd Hayne has also copped the blame. I am disappointed that whilst we have vowed to MOVE FORWARD with the club as soon as we hit a depressing and seemingly hopeless form slump we automatically GO BACK to our old habits…. blaming one player and the coach.
I agree with most parts, but where does the buck stop? This is not only a football team with passionate supporters, but it’s also a brand and a big business. If like any other business model, if it doesn’t work you need to restructure the business plan and the appropriate changes need to be made to ensure not only the fianacial future but also the club culture which in my opinion is now shot.
I firmly believe that the purchase of Jarryd Hayne was a massive error in judgement as he only cares and thinks of himself as no longer a team player. The dressing room has been lost and we to get rid of the dead wood to love forward
Anonymous, Hayne has nothing to do with the losses, the dressing room hasn’t been lost. I agree that the buck stops with Brad, but there wasn’t anything in my post that said he wasn’t above criticism. I was critical of the lies about the dressing room and calls for his sacking.
That’s a bunch of really ignorant things to say anymouse. I enjoy your comments at times because they tend to be entertaining when I cajole myself into viewing them in that light. But mate you surely aren’t paying any attention to the facts that emerge from the astute footy heads or the insiders on this site. Mate, there are people on this site who actually know what IS going on in the sheds and among the staff and playing group. Pay attention my friend.
Well written and supporting of our great coach. However he now has to act and as the team announcement makes us all aware there has been some change and we have other offers out there to improve our ability to WIN
Well said Hadley a Fitzgerald puppet worh a massive agenda!
BA has shown his weakness in recruitment. Zero and six is not a coincidence. He deserves some criticism.
Parra4ever BA is getting it in bucket loads his copping it from everyone media, talk back , 100% league , footy show n coach’s corner. I think his copping his fair share. I’m waiting for us to go on a winning run n ppl start talking us up n totally forget about this 6 game losing streak.
#Eels4life#
Yes I agree rev. In a competitive envrionment it’s to be expected. Just hoping BA will learn from this mistake in the future, he is too loyal to his players.
Dear Parra4whenthingsaregoingwell, What measure do you use to assert that BA has made any mistakes yet? There are errors made in life about how we go about things or concerning how long we pursue a particular course of action. That does not necessarily constitute a mistake.
One thing is sure though. Loyalty is not a mistake!
LOL. Well said
Criticism yes. Demands for sacking or lies about the dressing room, no.
BA has given us four and a bit years of unwavering service. He has taken us thru one of the most turbulent periods of our clubs recent history. Other coaches would have walked away as some in the past have done.
Any attempt to remove him from his position before his contract ends after the service he has given the club would be a massive miscarriage of justice. I also have massive faith in Bernie to support BA in these times.
I believe that the squad overachieved last year and that was due to the great effort of the coaching staff and the players. I have said many times on TCT and other social media that the clubs best chances of a premiership will come in 2019 and beyond. Having said that I believed at the start of the year we were capable again of a top four finish.
I have seen on other social media and seen what so called fans believe that we need to do in order to improve improve our roster and these so called fans, not supporters by any stretch, either have no idea of what a salary cap is or are incapable of even basic arithmetic.
True supporters of the eels are the ones who get behind the club during these trying times and support the club not attempt to tear it down. If we had the level of representative players in our squad that some of the other teams have I could maybe understand the criticism but we don’t. Not yet anyway.
Couldn’t agree more John. This is the time for supporters to stick solid.
Well put John and agree totally.
Well put
Anonymous, you remind me of the old Big Dipper at Luna Park. Great High points and low, low points but always entertaining.
I think there is more than one anonymous. Clarity required
We have all seen this before. Think 2009 when Parra was written off mid season and came back strongly. I am not saying this is what will happen but, watching the games from afar tells me there is a problem within the team.
They are missing some key players with injuries and this does hurt. It seems to me the halves are not functioning like they did last year. The attack is misfiring and they seemed to be starved of possession which will always shut down a team.
They need to respect the ball better and cut out the useless penalties. There are good penalties and bad ones. Parra gives away the good ones and and seem to only get the bad ones – think field position.
As for Brad Arthur – there will always be critics. It comes with the teritory! Do we think he is not feeling it – I bet he hasn’t had a decent night sleep for weeks.
Brad Arthur can coach we know this but, what he can’t do is fill in for the players. The team as a whole is responsible for the six losses, what Brad has to do is turn it around. Even Wayne Bennett didn’t have the answers when Brisbane were performing poorly a couple of years back. It’s just a bad patch at the moment and penalties have been influencing Parra’s game along with poor ball control.
Sometimes our expectations are so high we can’t handle the failure of those expectations. Parra has a good team – they just need to get it together.
The one thing about Parra fans is their resilience – it is just second nature to go through the tough times.
Why not try making Corey Norman the skipper and see if he thrives on responsibility. If not Ricky will take him. Either that or Moses and and Will Smith/Cutherson in the halves. Could it be a case of too many cooks?
Just give a Brad a hug and tell him we believe in him!
And finally, why does someone tell Tepai M. to wear head gear – that man is seriously going to shorten his career unless he takes on some protection.
Good post Watson, your association with Holmes is evident here.
2009, doesn’t that bring memories and the hullabuloo the media and the moves against the emperor, the promise of a great future, gee, let me outa here trying to look at that time again and what happened afterwards.
The run of wins then many seem to forget, likely for convenience sake especially as they board the good cruise shop Agenda.
A change will take place and I believe it may come from something simple with the scoring of the first try, or a hard legal tackle that gives the eels the ball. The team runs and gees up the hitman, something that is a repeat of Browns hit against Penrith but the whole team to join in and say I want part of this.
I agree re the head gear and have been saying it for a while now, Scott chose to wear one for a while owing to his head knocks, they help but perhaps more in giving the playing a bit of confidence.
Anyone reading down this far needs to open up Watsons full comment. Top stuff mate.
I agree. All except for the notion of playing Wilbur in the halves at the expense of a real half, absurd in my opinion. I’m sure some of the things I suggest are seen as equally absurd also.
Any Brad?
But seriously Holmes, you’ve certainly made some valid points. Good post mate. I’ll give you a thumbs up there my friend.
Perfectly said, unfortunately clowns who have their own destabilising agendas will always be clowns. Hadley and Fitzgerald will not win!
Hadley thinks Fitzy will fix everything, does he not realise Fitzgerald was in charge for about 30 years. All 4 of our premiership came in his first 9 years. During his remaining tenure of 21 years we won NOTHING. Think about it for 2/3 of his leadership he failed.
Between 1986 and Superleague, his major signing was Bob Lindner. He tried to merge us with Balmain and Penrith. Invested many, many millions into soccer and rugby union clubs.
But the past grudges should be left behind. Attend an AGM and observe how it isn’t.
Of course, Hadley has come out to say that he has no axe to grind. Yet his claims are based on fabrications. Look at how he unloaded on Neil BREEN for having the temerity to disagree with him. Bully boy tactics at its worst.
Spot on bud; i once heard him off load on D Weidler when D Weidler was v young; he hounded him about his story and source and D Weidler held firm and Hadley tried in vain to bully him. Hadley should reveal his sources in this one? We will be waiting for a while.
Others are claiming Fitz was a champ, on other sites and he was good but didn’t buy anyone until S League…..and i almost forgot about the Balmain merger,,,,gee he made some calls.
Milo, Fitz did a lot in his first 20 odd years especially with the getting decent coaches but once the last premiership came our way and our playing squad that got us through those years retired, it became very much a ride on the blade of a cross cut saw, up and down with a lot of pain.
Colin the trainer of that great horse Phar Lap tried in vain to train many other horses after the great Phar Lap using the same technique without any success.
It quickly became apparent that it was in fact the horse that was the freak and not the trainer. Maybe it was the same with Fitzy.
He was there in a window of time where a talented group of juniors and others fell into his lap and they won four premierships. South Sydney did the same thing late Sixties early seventies
Since then we have basically pursued a team full of juniors. Only since BA arrived have we moved in a different direction
I read with interest this morning in the DT that BA has been extended to 2020. I was not aware of that.
Good post, and your right, the thing that sort of gets me though is the way that we have seemingly, at least in the visible sense, moved so far away from the inclusion of our juniors is a concern to me.
I acknowledge though that in the past couple of years there is a subtle shift with the way the club is going with our jnrs, and with BA, the CEO, other coaches as well as playing squad attending jnr matches to provide their support and watch out for talent. I certainly hope that will change with more going in to the NRL squad from our nursery.
I watched the game between dogs and chicks last nigh, and it was a good old fashioned grind game, 3 players stood out to me, Klemmer from the dogs, Napa and Ryan Matterson from the chicks. I would especially love to see Ryan’s final tackle count, as at a point around the 45-50 minute mark 9 put up the tackle stats, and Matterson was in front with 55 tackles. Watching the game overall and those last minutes of the game, Matterson tackle count must have shot up big time, thing is he did not shirk anything in his runs either.
Its taken a couple of years to cement his place there, but gee would love him to come back to the eels.
I hope with the appointment of Kidwell to the defense coach position that we will see a big lift in the teams performances, but I would still like to see some of those able to get runs in the top squad given a go.
Col I think that the problem in the past was the pursuit of large bodied players. This filled our junior teams and there seemed to be little or no place for footballers.
I am no expert but someone like Forty or Sixties may be able to confirm that players like Gallen, Maloney and Keary were all let go because of size.
I seen Matterson play a number of times in the NYC but he was always in the backs. Never seen him play in the forwards. Was always tall and skinny.
Look at the current group most likely to be next coming thru. Not necessarily big but good defenders aggressive forwards and plenty of football skills.
John I look forward to seeing some of the young fellows in the top squad, my hope is with Kidwell coming on board he can give them some of the qualified aggression he had as a player.
When Ryan Matterson left he was a skinny player in looks but he is over 6ft tall and made him thinner. Today he weighs in around 105Kg, and is still only 23, a bit of filling out and based on last nights performance he is a player of the future has developed very well indeed.
Nailed it Sixties.
Thank you for such an eloquent post that exactly echos my sentiments too…because whenever I discuss grubs like Hadley, it’s inevitably accompanied by multiple expletives.
I’m with Team Brad!
For what he’s done for our club the last few years I feel we supporters owe him.
I’ve supported this club for over 40 years. That doesn’t make me special, or better than any other supporter. It just means I have history. And I’ve seen a lot worse than what’s happening at the moment. And I know, and surely most supporters should be able to also see, that things would be a lot darker without Brad Arthur at the helm.
Thanks for the opportunity to show my support.
Cheers Craig. There’s been a bit of reading of this older post over the last couple of days. I hadn’t got back to some replies in a while, and there’s been tough times since this post. I stand by sentiments.
Thank you for the post 60s. It’s about time we started behaving like responsible adults. Sure I’m disappointed at the results but I will never betray the club, players or the coach by posting vile comments that are completely disrespectful. We’re all passionate about the Eels and we want results, especially a premiership. But to be disrespectful and in some cases downright mean is disgraceful.
I’m an Eel and proud to be one. But more importantly I’m father who believes in being a positive example for my kids, which means that even when things are going poorly or up the shit house, I will be a kind, generous and decent human being who will always be respectful whilst trying to come up with ways to overcome the challenges in front of me.
Being a disrespectful jerk doesn’t solve anything. Anyone can take the easy way out and play the blame game. It’s takes real character and courage to take the high road. It’s my hope that we do so now because the players and coach need our support more than ever.
PS- 60s I sent you a DM via twitter
Thanks for your continued support Adam.
There will be plenty of good to come out of the review, but our support is needed more than ever.
I’ve been a supporter since 1962, seen more losses than wins, seen good coaches nd bad. BA is one of the best, if not the best after Jack Gibson. Hadley has acheived nothing on the footy field and is a rwnj. Stick to one sided politics Ray and leave league to the experts.
Well said Ken.