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Eels in the media

lingard

Coach
Messages
11,225
I was a little kid and didn't give a shit. I thought of Parra like I think of the Storm/Roosters/Panthers now. How could you get excited about such a team? It'd be like supporting Bayern Munich.

In fact I didn't start caring about the Eels until about 1991.
What converted you?
 

Avenger

Immortal
Messages
32,314
He also said Asi didn't get rewarded with a first grade spot when Moses went down as he wasn't playing well and didn't want to reward him for that. Had to work on things before getting brought up.
That's good to hear actually. Wish they asked about Sivo!
He also said the Lomax signing was imminent. He was pretty coy about a player swap to get him this year and stated that it was up to Mark O’Neill to work out.
 

JokerEel

Coach
Messages
10,529
He also said the Lomax signing was imminent. He was pretty coy about a player swap to get him this year and stated that it was up to Mark O’Neill to work out.


Yeah posted that in another thread will be interesting to see what is worked out.

It was a good interview to be honest.
 

yy_cheng

Coach
Messages
18,250
He also said Asi didn't get rewarded with a first grade spot when Moses went down as he wasn't playing well and didn't want to reward him for that. Had to work on things before getting brought up.
That's good to hear actually. Wish they asked about Sivo!
So was blaize form really good in nsw cup?
 

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
85,338
What converted you?
I was always a Parra fan. Both sides of my family are/were mad keen Eels fans. I just wasn’t excited about them until about 1991. I think because that’s when I realised they were underdogs, and the eighties were an exceptional time. My old man told me how shit the Eels were when he was a youngster, and how seasons like ‘87-91 were pretty normal in his experience.
 

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
11,790

Eels out to silence Arthur's critics​

Bryce Cartwright was "p***ed off" by external speculation about Brad Arthur's future and says Parramatta's players have it in their power to silence the coach's critics once and for all.

Prior to Saturday's defeat of North Queensland, the Eels had lost both their games since Mitch Moses went down with a fractured foot in round three as they struggled to readjust to life without their star half.

Arthur shrugged off speculation about his future following the Eels hefty round-five loss to Canberra, with Parramatta chief executive Jim Sarantinos taking the rare step of defending the long-standing coach in the media.
Internally, the criticism was hurting the players.

"To be honest, it p***ed me off a little bit," second-rower Cartwright said.
"I know how much Brad does for the team and for everyone who's come here and has played here.
"He's the best coach I've had. I don't want to be coached by anyone else."

Cartwright said conjecture over Arthur's position at the Eels had motivated him to recover quickly from a rib injury and line up against the Cowboys last week.
"I wanted to get back on the field as soon as I could," he said.

As the Eels look to continue their winning ways against the Dolphins in Darwin on Friday, they're also eyeing the chance to reaffirm their coach's credentials.
"Brad's got all our support," Cartwright said.
"We just need to keep winning games and (then) that stuff doesn't get spoken about.
"I know none of us would want to be coached by anyone else."

No player better exemplifies Arthur's abilities as a man manager than Cartwright, whose career was at a crossroads when he arrived at the Eels in 2021.

The 29-year-old had been contemplating returning to park football before Arthur transformed him into one of the NRL's elite second-rowers last season.

He has developed a defensive grit that eluded him even in his days as an elite young talent at Penrith.

"He's gotten extremely tough over the last couple of years," five-eighth Dylan Brown, who is playing on Cartwright's right edge while Moses is out, said.

"His defence has gone through the roof."

Cartwright has long credited Arthur for his turnaround.

"(Arthur) has really looked after me ever since I got here, he's been patient with me," he said.

"I've built a really good relationship with him and he has that with all his players."

 

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
11,790

Eels' long-term plan to keep NRL young gun Blaize-ing​


Brad Arthur believes Blaize Talagi could one day succeed Clint Gutherson as Parramatta's fullback as the teen star prepares for his first game as the Eels' bench utility.

Only days after the Eels confirmed the signing of marquee back Zac Lomax, Arthur insisted off-contract Talagi was part of his side's long-term plans.

Talagi had a sensational debut playing centre in the Eels' round-three defeat of Manly, before being thrust into the halves a week later when Mitch Moses fractured his foot.

Back-to-back losses forced Arthur to rethink his halves combination, but the coach has recalled Talagi to his bench for Friday's clash against the Dolphins in Darwin.

Talagi can cover the entire back-line so will bail the Eels out in the event of an injury, but the selection call runs deeper than that.

"This is about giving him experiences that you can't take back off him. (Young players) don't get experience unless you give it to them," Arthur said.

"It comes with its challenges because often they can come up with a big moment in a game, which is a negative moment and it costs you a game of footy.

"That's a risk that we're prepared to take as a club and as a team because we know that, long-term, he's got a future for us."

Both Arthur and Talagi himself are working to determine where the young gun is best suited once he returns to the starting line-up.

Talagi spent time at centre and fullback in the pre-season, training in the latter position this week while Gutherson was rested.

He now has two games of NRL experience as a five-eighth, and for a time played lock in the Eels' Under-16s side.
"(Talagi) is very keen on trying to see how he goes in the fullback role," Arthur said.
"Often their best position is the position they like, and he likes fullback."


Gutherson turns 30 this year and has no contract past 2025, but the captain appears unlikely ever to be forced out of an Eels side Arthur is coaching.

Talagi is out of contract himself at the end of the year but can trigger an option in his current deal to stay put for 2025.

He would be a tantalising prospect for rival clubs, particularly as Lomax's arrival is set to create competition for spots in the back-line from next season.

But firm on keeping him at Parramatta, Arthur said Talagi could one day be the Eels' fullback behind a Moses and Dylan Brown halves pairing.

"We're not in hurry to replace Gutho because he's our captain and we can't win without him," Arthur said.

"(But) Blaize is 19 and he's got 15 years ahead of him, so he's still got plenty of time to learn that role.
"I'm probably thinking that fullback long-term will probably suit him, especially in our team when you've got those two halves that are going to be there for a long, long time."

Talagi has already impressed Brown, who was himself thrown into NRL at a young age after Corey Norman left the Eels for St George Illawarra.

"I'm excited for him to come in at 14 (against the Dolphins) because I feel like there's less pressure, more chance for him to show X-factor," Brown said.

"Wherever he comes on he'll come on and he'll do it well."

 

the phantom menace

First Grade
Messages
9,026
Talagi is out of contract himself at the end of the year but can trigger an option in his current deal to stay put for 2025.

He would be a tantalising prospect for rival clubs, particularly as Lomax's arrival is set to create competition for spots in the back-line from next season.

But firm on keeping him at Parramatta, Arthur said Talagi could one day be the Eels' fullback behind a Moses and Dylan Brown halves pairing.

"We're not in hurry to replace Gutho because he's our captain and we can't win without him," Arthur said.

"(But) Blaize is 19 and he's got 15 years ahead of him, so he's still got plenty of time to learn that role.
"I'm probably thinking that fullback long-term will probably suit him, especially in our team when you've got those two halves that are going to be there for a long, long time."
So that player option is probably what all the talk and return to the NRL bench is all about, I reckon. Reassuring Blaize that his path to first grade isn't blocked by Lomax's arrival next season.

So I predict we might see Blaize utilised on the wing in first grade next year, prepping him for a move to fullback in 2026 - kind of like Hayne learnt/was mentored on the wing, before he took over first grade fullback from Luke Burt.

Which means Sivo, Russell and Simonssen might be fighting for one "first choice" spot between them next season... assuming Lomax is used at centre (as his reported distaste for wing would seem to imply).
 

King-Gutho94

Coach
Messages
11,790
So that player option is probably what all the talk and return to the NRL bench is all about, I reckon. Reassuring Blaize that his path to first grade isn't blocked by Lomax's arrival next season.

So I predict we might see Blaize utilised on the wing in first grade next year, prepping him for a move to fullback in 2026 - kind of like Hayne learnt/was mentored on the wing, before he took over first grade fullback from Luke Burt.

Which means Sivo, Russell and Simonssen might be fighting for one "first choice" spot between them next season... assuming Lomax is used at centre (as his reported distaste for wing would seem to imply).
I hope he learns more from Gutho then what Jarryd did off Burt.

As we know with Jarryd who just had natural talent like Latrell and coasted off that his career.
 

Eelementary

Post Whore
Messages
56,249
Plenty of talk again this week, it’s normally when we offer very little on the field.

It's been really weird, seeing all these quotes from BA in the media.

He normally doesn't talk to the media, so this is refreshing.

But you're right - the pressure is on, and he is feeling it, I reckon.
 

Avenger

Immortal
Messages
32,314

Eels out to silence Arthur's critics​

Bryce Cartwright was "p***ed off" by external speculation about Brad Arthur's future and says Parramatta's players have it in their power to silence the coach's critics once and for all.

Prior to Saturday's defeat of North Queensland, the Eels had lost both their games since Mitch Moses went down with a fractured foot in round three as they struggled to readjust to life without their star half.

Arthur shrugged off speculation about his future following the Eels hefty round-five loss to Canberra, with Parramatta chief executive Jim Sarantinos taking the rare step of defending the long-standing coach in the media.
Internally, the criticism was hurting the players.

"To be honest, it p***ed me off a little bit," second-rower Cartwright said.
"I know how much Brad does for the team and for everyone who's come here and has played here.
"He's the best coach I've had. I don't want to be coached by anyone else."

Cartwright said conjecture over Arthur's position at the Eels had motivated him to recover quickly from a rib injury and line up against the Cowboys last week.
"I wanted to get back on the field as soon as I could," he said.

As the Eels look to continue their winning ways against the Dolphins in Darwin on Friday, they're also eyeing the chance to reaffirm their coach's credentials.
"Brad's got all our support," Cartwright said.
"We just need to keep winning games and (then) that stuff doesn't get spoken about.
"I know none of us would want to be coached by anyone else."

No player better exemplifies Arthur's abilities as a man manager than Cartwright, whose career was at a crossroads when he arrived at the Eels in 2021.

The 29-year-old had been contemplating returning to park football before Arthur transformed him into one of the NRL's elite second-rowers last season.

He has developed a defensive grit that eluded him even in his days as an elite young talent at Penrith.

"He's gotten extremely tough over the last couple of years," five-eighth Dylan Brown, who is playing on Cartwright's right edge while Moses is out, said.

"His defence has gone through the roof."

Cartwright has long credited Arthur for his turnaround.

"(Arthur) has really looked after me ever since I got here, he's been patient with me," he said.

"I've built a really good relationship with him and he has that with all his players."

Extension is pending. At least we get to keep Matt Arthur. He’s the best I’ve seen in lower grades since Tim Smith and Jarryd Hayne.
 
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