So we have made it to the end of this series and to finish things off, we have last but not least, the lock forwards. Like being the last player in to pack the scrum, the locks are going…
Off the Cumberland Fence – July 2025: A History Of The Slippery Eels Bucking The Broncos
Well, what a win that was on Friday night! It was certainly one to remember, and a sure sign that these baby Eels are a team on the rise. Even though it was an early morning from where I was…
Off The Cumberland Fence Special Series, The Greatest – Part 8: Hooker
I have been stewing over the very difficult topic of naming Parramatta’s greatest ever hookers of the last 50 years. The topic was made even more difficult by the fact that the club’s two most capped hookers (John McMartin &…
Off The Cumberland Fence – The Galvin Saga: Secret Agents, Chinese Meals, Lies And Intrigue
Well, the long running Lachlan Galvin saga appears to be finally over, and contrary to the wishes of many Parramatta fans, it appears the lure of succulent Chinese meals with Gus ‘Pinocchio’ Gould at Canterbury Leagues has proven irresistible to…
Off The Cumberland Fence Special Series, The Greatest – Part 7: Second Row Forwards
We are getting towards the end of this series which reflects on Parramatta’s greatest players of the last 50 years by position, however there are still a couple of very important positions to cover. Today the focus is on second…
Off The Cumberland Fence: The Ten Commandments Of Being A Rugby League Fan
First of all, Happy Easter to all of those that celebrate. As we enter the upcoming Easter long weekend, what better time than now to appropriate the Ten Commandments into a “helpful” guide/series of directives for how Rugby League fans…
Off The Cumberland Fence – Tracking A Parra Fan’s Mood Index
The last six months of being a Parramatta fan has been tempestuous to say the least. To try and capture my emotions as a Parramatta supporter during this turbulent period, I have created this handy 3D Bar graph to demonstrate…
Off The Cumberland Fence Special Series, The Greatest – Part 6: Prop
To this point we have covered off Fullbacks, Wingers, Centres, Five Eighths and Halfbacks. Now we get to a position that might just draw the greatest debate. The position is one for the purists, for the discerning fans who value…
Off The Cumberland Fence Special Series, The Greatest – Part 5: Halfback
After a little bit of a break, we return to discuss the halfbacks. Full disclosure, the reason for the gap between articles was that I was waiting for the trials to finish to see if Ronald Volkman could potentially squeeze…
Off The Cumberland Fence Special Series, The Greatest – Part 4: Five-Eighth
Let’s talk about the five-eighth position. The pivot, the stand-off, or in Rugby Union terms, the fly half. One of two primary playmaking positions on the field, almost all of the best Parramatta teams in history have coincided with having…