Eels discuss their season over pizzas
June 1, 2004
Parramatta players last night regrouped at Nathan Hindmarsh's home in a bid to salvage the wreck that their season has become, writes Brad Walter.
The Parramatta players threw in $10 each, Nathan Hindmarsh rang for pizzas and beer and then it was down to business.
"It was all of the senior squad," Eels skipper Daniel Wagon said. "We just wanted to get together and discuss the way we've been going. There's no dramas."
Not internally anyway, but the fans aren't happy and are planning a rally at their next home game, against Manly on June 13, to increase the pressure on the club to sack coach Brian Smith.
The players are feeling the pressure, too, having been booed from Parramatta Stadium after their 37-6 thrashing by the Dragons a fortnight ago. Some supporters even took off their Eels jerseys and threw them onto the field.
The meeting at Hindmarsh's house last night was organised to find a way to prevent the side's losing streak extending to six successive games in Newcastle this weekend.
"They're a bit harsh," said Hindmarsh. "It doesn't feel good when you're getting booed by your own supporters. I'd like to see them . . . do a better job."
Former Test prop Michael Vella disagrees.
"They would probably say get in the stands and support the way they do, and they would see that we're not as passionate as they are," Vella said.
Not that Vella and his teammates don't care about the way the Eels are performing. They just don't have all the answers to explain the club's dramatic slide from being the best team in the NRL in 2001, albeit losers to the Knights in the premiership decider, to also-rans last season.
"We've had a lot of injuries, that's contributed to it as well as the loss of key players," Hindmarsh said. "With the salary cap the way it is it's hard to keep those players. We would have liked to have kept them but in the end they become that good it's hard to afford them. [For the players], it's a job and puts food on the table so you've got to go where the grass is greener."
Whatever other reasons there are, the players are adamant that Smith is not to blame.
"We've got faith in Brian, we know he's not going anywhere and we want to stay together and work on it," Vella said. "In the years leading up to 2001 after Brian took over we always made the semis and made the grand final, but since then we've either just made it to the first week of the semis or not made it at all.
"We're in a bit of a hole at the moment and everyone's trying to dig their way out. The players want to work out of that hole and do the tough times; the players don't want to walk away from tough times.
"Something has got to give but it definitely won't be the coaching staff, I know that. The players are 100 per cent behind Brian so in the end we might have to drop a few or bring a few up . . . try new things."
To confirm their belief, the senior players asked whether any of their teammates had any problems or concerns they wanted to air at the meeting. Wagon said just two complaints had arisen. "Hindy was too tight to put his hand in his pocket and Vella ate all the pizza," he said.
