Is the Parramatta glass half full or half empty?
I’ve decided that the glass is half full and that the Eels, with the support of us as fans, can fill it back up.
I choose to believe that our run of home games to finish out the season can give our wonderful supporter base the opportunity to lift our players.
It is not blind optimism. However, you would have to know nothing about league to not see the issues with regard to both our players’ willingness to play our style each week, and the structures that we use.
Souths applying kick pressure
In my opinion those structures have some obvious and terminal weaknesses against certain teams. After all, we lost to the Rabbitohs the way we always do. It saddens and frustrates me to say that.
I truthfully don’t know who to blame for the easy, almost untouched tries out wide. But what I do know is that we find it hard to beat teams that have quick wingers who play with width.
For that reason we struggle against teams like Manly and the Sharks as their wingers seem capable of scoring almost at will.
As ridiculous as it seems, I would choose to play Melbourne or Penrith in a final over Souths or Manly, despite the fact that they are both much better footy teams.
BA and our players must find a way for our structures to at least give us a chance against these type of teams. Maybe I am wrong and the way is there and the players aren’t playing to the systems or they’re making poor choices. Whoever is at fault, it needs to be fixed.
I won’t make excuses for it, and I’m sick of seeing it, but I refuse to turn on the team or the coaches. It doesn’t help our team if any of us stop supporting them. Accountability for performance must and should be sorted out by those charged with the responsibility of doing so.
Many, not all, NRL journalists love nothing more than stirring up fan bases and creating pressure until clubs crack and then spend the next few months tearing those clubs apart.
I will not be a party to that. It will serve us no good. I will wait and see and make up my mind at the end of the season. Professional and successful clubs do not make decisions based upon the writings of people who hold grudges or bias and or whose purpose in writing is to create instability to fill up segments on talk shows and to fill up space on the website. Don’t fall for it.
Brad Arthur
When said journalists comment with the same ferocity on Ricky Stuart and his shortcomings, and his team’s window closing, as they do BA, then maybe there will be more validity in their opinion. Until such time, I will consider it nothing but biased, agenda driven click bait.
Writing this column did give me cause to reflect on the “half full or half empty” question. Like everyone, I can see that a problem exists but I also want to do something that I’ve always done – that is supporting and standing up for my club and its players. My decision and assessment of the season will be made after the final game of the year.
This week, that will mean heading to Leichhardt Oval. It’s not the 8th wonder of the world, in fact it’s more akin to a recycling plant that really should have been destroyed many decades ago. We will pay too much money to sit on a cold wet hill and passionately support our players and coaches.
I will go hoping and expecting to be entertained. Footy is meant to be fun and for many it’s an escape from the day to day grind.
I hope the boys turn up, I hope we play our game and embrace our strengths. And my decision is to give them the opportunity to do just that.
The glass remains half full.
Shelley
The Parramatta Eels have the most loyal and committed group of supporters a football club could ever hope for. The plain and undoubted fact is that Brad Arthur would have been sacked by most if not all other organisations by now, certainly by the ‘big’ teams in the competition.
There is absolutely no way an organisation like the Roosters or the Storm would have put up with Brad Arthur for 9 years given that he hasn’t won anything. It’s a fact and no one can deny it.
As Parramatta fans, we are patient people but we arnt fools and there is a tipping point. At some point, these very fans are going to come to a point where they say – “hang on – enough is enough”
It’s just not good enough to lose games the very same way in the same fashion for years and years and escape criticism.
There just has to be a tipping point.
Whether it’s the players or the coaching to blame, there has to be someone ! We have had a turnover of players over the last five years so my money is squarely on the coach.
BAs use of the bench is a bloody joke. BA is an outlier , a maverick! For some reason, BA believes that the Eels should operate with 15 players whereas every other team plays 17. And then wonders why we fall apart and struggle ?
Look, I’m all for looking at the half full glass but most supporters want to grab the bald nut and and tap him on the head – “hello”
We arnt fools, there are lots and lots of well connected fans with coaching and league experience on this site who recognise this moment may not be here next year !
Whatever happens, the board had better be proactive in its analysis at seasons end.
Spark, over the last four years we have sat in the 8 at the end of every single round. So on your logic I’ll congratulate BA on that, especially with, as you point out, a turn over of players.
I agree totally with everything you said, Spark and I think you summed up the thoughts of most eels fans particularly well.
It’s a results driven business and no coach or players should be happy with consistently making the eight. It should be premiership or bust.
Personally, I want to see changes to the coaching staff and playing roster and if that means spending some time out of the eight, then so be it. There is just no way that without changes that we are going to win a comp.
Agree Grunta it is a results driven business. A bit like when Gus threw Hook from the riff because he could not see any benefits from keeping him although they were in the top 4 at the time.
I would be all for the coaching staff if there was progression but I won’t support the same mistakes being made time and time again – for years and years without being addressed. That’s just insane.
I too congratulate BA but my contention stands regarding his tenure. This year just has to be his defining moment.
Great read Shelley.
I really appreciate your column’s.
Is this another danger game? A team below, out of from and under the pump. Possibly a team that wants it more, has more to play for and turns up? These are the usual excuses as to how we lose. Nothing to be ‘concerned’ about right?
I really don’t expect that we win every game. But what I do expect is that the team is competitive and doesn’t give up for every game. I’m not seeing these characteristics each week. I hate the rollercoaster ride we are on this year.
Good post Shelley.
The one frustrating part of what I see with the eels is an age old problem that possibly gets the team bowled over and stumps sent spinning away as if a test batsman had the control.
How many years have we put up with cluttered defence with the outside backs constantly coming in and leaving the wings open as wide as Sydney heads? The leaving of Fergs with Dunster taking his wing spot tended to fix that area, at least on that side of the field, also it was almost the same level prior to Sivo’s return show. Sure, he scored a couple of times this year but its always down the edges close to the sideline and he dives to the in goal to score. I have seen but one decent run from him since his return.
Sadly Sivo still enjoys that style of running in and leaving his wing open, by the time he stumbles and tries to run to his side of the field the opposition has scored or his inside centre has covered that spot.
The game also revealed different tactics by Souths and they worked, they actually played a very close version of the Riff game, the long sideways kick allowed for 2 tries to be scored by Souths.
One other eels player has a real fancy to his game by kicking early and giving the ball to the opposition that has speed men ready to be gifted another try.
Very well said Shelly
I am sick to death of the whiners consistently bagging BA and certain other players. In my opinion if a different bench could have won the terrible losses, I’m whistling Dixie. The simple fact is we have had several strong years under BA. Last count 4 coaches have been sacked this year (Holbrook maybe cleaning out his office as we speak). Are their supporters rejoicing that a coach is sacked. Will their team play better and play finals. No.
Yes 🙌 m one of the lucky (old) ones who saw 4 premierships. It’s be just as long for me since the last one.
I too am very critical when the team don’t show up. I have to close the windows so there are no reports from f foul language. But
So maybe those “supporters “ who call for heads to roll should just support the team.
Here endeth the rant. Thanks for reading if you made it to the end
SL
Well said Stewart.
You can be proud to be a loyal supporter but by the same token you are delusional. I am not that ecstatic at coming 5-8 each year and if your measure of success and satisfaction is in Arthur having them in the top 8 for 80 weeks, then in a results driven world, you are kidding yourself. You only have to look at Cronulla and Fitzgibbon and some guile in recruitment to see the way that football can be played. Please – join the real world.
Tks Shelley. We live in hope. The mental lapsing and defensive issues are fitting in with the definition of insanity. Coaching and leadership must bear scrutiny, the fact we can match it with the best suggests we have the right ingredients, but just not always being selected,prepared, mixed and cooked the right way.
BDon, I feel that there is a missing on-field ingredient for those times when you can tell that the team isn’t on song. Whether it be further development of our leaders that is required, or a leader to join the club, I don’t know. Right now our aspirations are based on potential, because we can mix it when we are focussed and play with intent, but we fail to deliver that on a consistent basis. The way I see it, we could win a grand final with this team. That is – we could win it on the day. The trouble is i have the heart to believe in us, but right now I don’t have the confidence about winning our way through the finals series.
Sixties, i agree; to me its the on field leader. While i have not been a huge fan of Manly (hate / detest / loathe) the J Trobejvic type player as in leadership. He often seems to be there for Manly rallying them around him; he is the type of forward leader we need imo. I am happy Hodgson is coming but my concern with others are his knees. We need that Beau Scott type player and while Beau was not here for a long time he to me was the type of guy we needed. An old head on young shoulders…..
Gutho will give his all but when Gutho blasted Opacic last year during the game after he made a mistake, I felt Gutho may not fully understand leadership. Interestingly I’ve heard ex-Dragons skipper Mark Coyne talk about leadership a fair bit both as a player and in the corporate world and that was interesting.
Parra – hard running forwards – get over ad line followed by a Moses kick (usually uncontested ) and on we go. Our bench full of large hard running backrowers to do the same. I am capable of coaching in that vain. We require a progressive strategic thinking coach and bring back Noel Cleale as recruitment officer because he could spot what was needed. Desperately need a quality centre (move Gutherson there) and why can’t we find a young dynamic fleet footed fullback in this huge junior nursery. The Eels need to do what the swans did 2-3 years ago- new direction -youth and speed (like Penrith). Sure it will take a while but with a balanced outfit of 30 players and an adventurous coach we can get there. Swampy
Swampy, the usual sack BA tripe will always come up after a loss. Brad is there till the end of 2024. End of story.
The nursery doesn’t always have what you want, no matter how large. That’s why a club like Penrith will still find young players out in the bush. Have a look at where some of their brightest stars come from. Recruitment is also crucial.
You see sixties, I must say that any criticism of BA is pretty measured and backed up not by hysteria but quantified and stated facts. We all like BA as a person and I’ve met him quite a number of times and always had a great time talking to him. I won’t lump everyone who criticises BA in a collective basket of tripe. Yes, BA has a contract until the end of 2024 but I doubt that he will be able to stay afloat if we crash this year.
Contracts means nothing. The club has been very supportive and professional, giving BA everything he requires to succeed. He will live or die on the results.