The Cumberland Throw

The Spotlight – September 24, 2021: Astute Eels Management Predicted to Extend Arthur’s Contract

Less than two months ago, the Eels were in the middle of a four match losing streak.

Predictably, the media launched into the hackneyed “coach sacking” narrative, and names like Brad Fittler, Shane Flanagan and Paul Green were touted as likely candidates. As the push for the termination of Brad Arthur’s contract intensified across mainstream and social media platforms, many observers regarded the immediate dismissal of the coach as a given.

In stark contrast to the frenzied conjecture that was increasingly viewed as a fait accompli, Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos made a public statement about the club’s support of Brad Arthur.

Given that the old chestnut phrase “full support of the board” usually amounts to a coach’s death knell, certain commentators began referring to BA as a dead man walking.

Jim Sarantinos

What many in the media failed to recognise, and surprisingly some Eels supporters also didn’t understand, was that the Eels administration is now a different beast. The management and board of directors are far too astute to be concerned about the rumblings of people outside of the organisation.

As Brent Read correctly observed, the reactive sacking of coaches is no longer in the club’s DNA.

When quizzed further about the coaching situation by the Sydney Morning Herald’s Christian Nicolussi, Sarantinos had this to say:

“It’s all external. I understand people will comment on it, but it only becomes an issue if you allow it to become an issue, and I’m not worried about it … it’s my job to not listen to the outside noise.

In tough times you support your people and do what you can to give them the opportunity to get through it. The best thing we can do right now is support our people and give them the best possible chance to turn it around.”

Successful organisations don’t overreact to hiccups. They aren’t influenced by outside noise. They look to find the best way to assist their people when they need to navigate challenging times.

Eels management next proved that their support wasn’t just lip service when they extended the contracts of both Steve Murphy and Dave Kidwell, thereby aligning the length of their deals with that of Arthur.

Brad Arthur

Though the Eels were clearly out of form during that month of defeats, there was no loss of faith in the man who had steered the club out of far deeper crises during his tenure. Arthur was assured that his job was not in jeopardy and, unsurprisingly, the team’s performances soon improved dramatically.

When the Eels hit this year’s finals series, they did so with confidence and with fresh legs. The faith placed in BA was vindicated. An undeserved loss to the Panthers in the second week was correctly hailed as the arrival of the team as a genuine premiership contender.

With the Eels 2021 season now in the rear view mirror, the work behind the scenes has become even more critical.

This is where the Parramatta Club will reinforce their reputation as one of Australia’s elite sports organisations.

The club would also be negotiating with players such as Marata Niukore

Unlike clubs who leave their supporters and players in limbo regarding their coach, I expect the Eels to negotiate the extension of Brad Arthur’s contract before November. It will be a wise extension, probably in the vicinity of one to two years. Those talks are probably taking place right now, quietly and without fanfare.

Stability within the playing group and the football department staff has been critical to the Eels emergence as a regular finals contender. The Eels haven’t scraped into recent finals series. They have finished every round since the first round of 2019 inside the top 8. That type of consistency sells the team to corporate partners, it fills the stands and it helps to drive memberships.

Essentially, the Eels finances have been greatly improved by having a strong and consistent NRL team. And when there is success both on and off the field, the term “destination club” becomes appropriate.

The Parramatta Eels continue to set themselves for a bright future. They are a destination club.

Expect to see the contracts of the coach and key players secured in the near future.

Eels forever!

Sixties

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38 thoughts on “The Spotlight – September 24, 2021: Astute Eels Management Predicted to Extend Arthur’s Contract

    1. sixties Post author

      I reckon they understand that BA is recognised within the NRL and would attract offers if he isn’t locked up. He’s had big offers thrown at him in the past and stated loyal. And he’s a better coach now than he was when he had that big coin thrown at him before.

  1. Shaun

    I think people underestimate the disruption replacing a coach would cause at a settled club. It would definitely not guarantee a premiership. If BA does move on I’d hope for some good succession planning.

    1. sixties Post author

      Absolutely Shaun. It would impact coaching staff, support staff, possibly lower grade staffing. There is also a coaching philosophy and a player identification philosophy which extends through the entire organisation. You might find someone who can make the transition easy, but then again, the wrong fit could take years to fix.

  2. John Eel

    Watching the Panthers Storm game, now halftime, this game would have been Taylor made for the Eels the way they defended last week.

    I think that game by the referee cost us a lot last week.

    Looking forward to the second half.

    1. BDon

      Sean Keppie got knocked senseless, on the ground for 2 tackles then stumbled right into the ruck next to the play the ball. Not one but 2 reasons to stop the game, both I thought mandatory. Last week, play stopped illegally.
      DCE places his hand on the shoulder of Cody Walker as Walker attempts to catch the ball, exactly as Naden did to Will Penisini. Walker gets a penalty try ruling, Penisini zilch.
      What technique will Annesley use to skate around this?

    2. sixties Post author

      John, I am ridiculously biased. I accept that. But in my Blue and Gold eyes last night confirmed that the previous week stripped us of our best shot in recent memory of qualifying for the grand final.

  3. Wilhelmina

    I’d be surprised if our key players off contract at the end of 2022 (like Gutho and Mahoney) aren’t asking who the coach will be, and stating that they want BA. It’s pretty clear the players back him. If his re-signing is announced, I’d see it as a really positive sign that the player re-signings will follow in short order.

    1. John Eel

      Wilhelmina you are correct. The players do play for the coach. They responded with those exceptional efforts against Melbourne and Panthers last week.

      The question I would ask is there a better alternative out there that could replace BA?

      Our success will come through a continuity of building culture and success on the field.

      I agree it has been a long wait since 1986. I have run out of patience myself from time to time. However doing what the West Tigers were planning to do this week is not the answer.

      BA will sign, key players will sign and the junior process will keep delivering quality kids.

      That is how I see it going. We will win our next title when we have the players to do so.

    2. Milo

      Agreed Wilhelmina, spot on. The talk abt this is just off season chat IMO. Things will be sorted and players will be signed up……interesting one abt Mahoney i think for the next couple of yrs. I am sure he is happy at Parra, but maybe he could be offered large $$$ for the new Qld team, if they go for him.
      To me we need a back up hooker, shame about Lussick and also centre / wing role. Wish we had gone for C Scott…albeit with some baggage.

  4. greg okladnikov

    Apologies for the long post

    In all the talk about BA, it is interesting to read Bellamy’s profile – started in 2003, first legitimate title in 2012 ( after 9 years), 2nd in 2017 ( after 14 years as head coach), and 3rd in 2020. So in 18 years, he has won 3 legitimate titles and in that time he had a team that included 3 of the greatest players ever – Slater, Smith and Cronk…..and the 2012 team that was stripped also had the Big 3, and the 2009 team also included Inglis.

    So essentially it took 9 years to win a legitimate title with 3 of the best ever players,

    and 6 years with 4 of the greats of the modern era to build a team to win (which got stripped)

    It shows just how hard it is to win the comp – you need your best players not injured or suspended, an even share of the 50/50 calls from the refs, and the occasional good bounce of the ball, and it may come down to one mistake or one split system decision from a player – the margins are small, as we saw this year vs the Panthers,

    The other factor is your draw at the start of the year . As an example, Manly played 7 games this year against the other Top 6 teams, Parra played 11 – if the draw was reversed, the Eels finish Top 4 for sure, and Manly probably 7th or 8th. They got the second chance but it was arguably because of a favourable draw – not because it was well deserved.

    But what Bellamy has become great at is building a team that has a consistent core of players, and developing and recruiting well, and having a team and culture that made the finals every year. But this takes time and consistency at coach and board and management level. By making the finals each year, the Storm are a chance. Interesting to note that the last few years have been relatively stable at Board level at Parra as well ( like all the top clubs in general)

    And the Eels have done what the top few clubs have done in the last few years – developed a core group of players in key positions, some good recruiting eg Papali’i ( and not so good recruiting), juniors coming through ( Brown, Mahoney, Stone, Dunster, Penisini), and also being in the top 8 every Rd since Rd 1 2019.

    The one thing possibly missing is that one superstar that every team who wins the GF has had . The only team in the last 20 years that has one without a really top level genuine superstar was probably the Sharks ( but they did have 8 players who had played Origin in the starting team, and 3 players who had won premierships before )

    I think with BA we still have the opportunity , and the team next year will be better than this year.

    Go Parra

    From Wikipedia – Bellamy was appointed head coach of the Melbourne Storm for the 2003 NRL season. winning the 2007 Grand Final and the 2009 Grand Final though both of these were later stripped. He won his first legitimate premiership as a coach in 2012 .Bellamy won his second with the Melbourne Storm after a dominant 2017 season He won his third NRL premiership with the Storm in 2020.

    1. sixties Post author

      Terrific response Greg – and very astute observations about Bellamy. Now, with his history and reputation at the Storm, the culture is maintained because recruits have bought in before they have even strapped on a boot. Previous success breed future success, but as you point out, it took 9 years before a legitimate premiership came his way.
      As you also say, a moment or tough calls can change seasons. Even when the Sharks won, I think it was Chambers that should have passed the ball and the Storm missed the moment to win. Then you have moments out of your control like our final vs the Riff.
      I would like that game changing superstar but maybe that might be Will Penisini. Maybe Moses becomes the elite general. I’d still chase Manu if I was Parra.
      As for BA, I am obviously a huge fan of him as a coach. But I’ve been an Eels fan all of my life. If I didn’t honestly believe in BA I’d say so. I invest so much of my time and energy supporting Parra that I wouldn’t back someone who couldn’t get the job done.

      1. Big Derek

        The most disappointing aspect of that game agst Penrith and the sub standard refereeing was unfortunately the article penned by Mary from Ladies who Love league, which seemed to be sponsored by the NRL to soften what actually occurred. Just my take on the article.

        The difference in the bunker and even the adjudication in the last 20 minutes compared to the rest of the game was awkwardly laughable. Strangely enough the change impacted the side that was gaining control, and it did have a definite role in the outcome.

        The team and the coach need to respond in 2022 and with likely attendance at CommBank Stadium we need our support to be heard , as the manner in which we bowed out this year was completely unsatisfactory. Lessons seem to have been learnt on timing and resting, to complete that hopefully training and tactics are improved so it’s not a start to the season which hiccups into the back end.

        1. BDon

          I read Mary K’s piece and had the same thought. I totally get the negativity aspect of focusing on bad calls, but there are bad calls and there is bad refereeing, and there is really bad refereeing. As quality moves down the scale towards the latter, it should not be swept under the carpet. You accept the standard you walk past, it is a high stakes professional business.

          1. Anonymous

            So according to mary k its allright for coaches and players to lose their jobs over bad results but not referees from bad adjudication , head in sand mary !!

        2. sixties Post author

          Whilst I feel strongly about how poor the refs were in that game, I don’t for one moment feel that Mary K was in any way influenced to write what she did. She would not write anything but her honest opinion.

          1. BDon

            Yes sixties, my comments were more with Greg Hartley in mind than Mary K. Clearly I haven’t moved on. My granddaughter knows Mary K and admires her.

      2. John Eel

        I agree with your sentiments about chasing the outside back. However the issue as I see it is cap space.

        With the four players let go it is not going to free a lot of space. Fergo will account for almost half the money now available in the cap.

        It also must be remembered that all four spots have to be replaced and some like Papali’i and Penisini will need to be upgraded.

        1. Milo

          Agreed John, we will not see anyone big being signed imo. A few upgrades, and I would have thought we may have offloaded someone…..could be an interesting next month or so.

  5. John Eel

    Something to ponder. Only two teams beat the Storm this season.

    Panthers twice, Eels twice. Given the way the Eels played against the Panthers last week and given the opportunity on Saturday night we would have made it three from three.

  6. The Captain

    I maintain that BA should stay whilst the trend is upward – there was definitely a time during our poor run of form where I was very close to putting the final nail in the BA coffin, but then we turn out a few games that once again show improvement on last season, and the one before. Our finals campaign was a vast improvement on the prior years. We were one refs 50/50 decision away from a prelim, and seeing how it went possibly a grand final.

    So the trend has continued upward. And whilst that is the case we should stay the course.

    Who on earth would want to be an NRL coach? Honestly, terrible job.

    1. sixties Post author

      It’s a job for very few is it! Captain, as you said, the evidence was there about our finals performance this year. We are getting closer.

  7. Offside

    I know I’ll get shot down here for saying this I always do lol..
    But I don’t have faith in BA getting us to the next level.
    Keeping him is a safe bet he will get us there or thereabouts giving the faithful a glimmer of hope that hope sells membership and merchandise and for the buissines of a club that’s most important.

    I’d rather take a punt on change see if that change brings us the ultimate prize I can see and accept the title Brad Arthur quality coach.
    I just don’t see Brad Arthur premiership winning coach ever happening.
    As always happy and hope to be proven wrong

    1. BDon

      Offside, ive got an open mind to people with conviction and evidence. You’ve got loads of one and a basis for the other. I’ve thought we’ll never win a Premiership when we look so inept at defending out wide against slick teams, just wasn’t going to happen, not on,not today, not ever. Coaching, roster mix, skill and attitude set,selection? To avoid a long blog, I’m just saying all of the above. From the moment Niukore and Penisini were in the starting 13, it changed, why? Long blog cop out here again, other things changed but that to me was major. We defended, physically and mentally,as a team, not as sections or concepts or patch ups, for the last 5 games. I know it’s been 8 years(long blog avoidance again), but I reckon BA now has the right chess pieces. Craig Bellamy found that success walks hand in hand with failure on the NRL boulevarde. Bennett or Cleary will find that out this week.A heck of a lot has to go right, not much has to go wrong.

      1. sixties Post author

        BDon, I too had become frustrated with our defence during that run of losses. I don’t know whether it was the personnel/positional changes that fixed things, but whether there was individual improvements or a system tweak, it was much better.

        1. Offside

          I think it was a combination of all those things. Marata on the right edge and Penisini coming in strengthened that side.
          Don’t underestimate how valuable Brown is to that left when Jake Arthur was on that edge we looked diabolical as there was no trust inside and out of him.
          Waqa looked better on the left and once Sivo got injured Dunster defensive reads were better each week.
          So in some was it was attitude and a bit of Luck we were lucky that Sivo and opiacic both got injured and it allowed those 2 young fellas to come in.

          1. BDon

            Yep. The big problem was that good teams kept going to our right. My first ground attendance 2021 was v Manly at BankWest. We held the middle ok but our right side was diabolical. Marata had shown earlier in the year that better defence was possible (ie evidence). It was only in games where we controlled field position or our scramble was good that we didn’t get embarassed, but the weakness was always lurking. Until late in the year. I”ll be looking at start 2022 for consolidation of this, how do we make it systematic, not reliant on individuals?Just on our scramble, Dylan Brown cut Cleary down (after Korosau break)with a mtr to spare, and Moses wrapped around the front to prevent an outstretched arm. Scramble at its best, by 2 of our quickest.

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