Eels in the media

[JohnStoppafarty]

Haha Classic. I know exactly where you are talking about. I don’t live there now but the North Rocks/Carlingford/Epping/beecroft/Penno areas were fun places when I was a teenager

f**ken oath mate. As much as I hate my old man at times, I'll always respect him for allowing me to grow up in that environment. The stories I could tell you about some of the shit my mates and I used to get up to. The mind boggles. And we got away with nearly ALL of it. Geez we were f**king rats. LMAO.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

After watching that vid of a miced up Arthur yesterday

*minced

 

[JohnStoppafarty]

*minced

Someone in his family has to be.

 

[Gronk]

 

[Matty Bhoy]

I enjoyed reading that. Seems like he’s pretty down to earth.

 

[TheRam]

It's behind a pay wall. Pretty picture though.

 

[Matty Bhoy]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...m/news-story/f2133d4cc1774d4724380ac686c37090

Rookie sensation Dylan Brown didn’t know who Parramatta were when they signed him

Dylan Brown was getting on the bus.

After all, he wasn’t the 15-year-old, talent scouts from the Melbourne Storm and Parramatta, had flown to New Zealand to check out.

So the halfback, wearing the same boots he’d worn for the past two seasons, was going home.

The NRL club poachers had stood on the sideline of Puketawhero Park, a beautifully manicured footy field in the tourist city of Rotorua, on New Zealand’s North Island.

At the 2015 Rugby League Nationals Tournament, the Aussie scouts scribbled a thick black line under the name of Northern Swords five-eighth, Paul Turner.

Turner went bang like the gun he remains, scoring six tries in five games. He finished as the Player of the Tournament and has been at the New Zealand Warriors ever since.


On Wednesday, the rising star was named the club’s Jersey Flegg Player of The Year.

But as fate would have it, if it weren’t for Turner, Brown wouldn’t be attempting against Brisbane today to become the first blue and gold five-eighth to win a finals match since Daniel Mortimer in 2009.

“We were getting into the bus and I heard someone call my name,”' Brown told The Sunday Telegraph.

“He said: ‘Hey mate, you did all right today, we think you’ve got a good set of skills on you and we’re quite keen on you coming to Parramatta.’

Calling Brown down off the bus for a chat was Daniel Anderson, the former Eels recruitment manager, who is now at the Roosters.

Sheepishly, Brown admits now he had little clue who Parramatta were.

“If I was honest, I was like ‘Parramatta? Who are they?’,” Brown smiles.

“They were the last club I expected to be offered (a trial invitation) by.

“They (Eels) actually told me they were looking for someone else (Turner) and they ended up seeing me.

“I remember before one of the games that day, I had seen a Melbourne Storm jacket on someone and I thought ‘far out, that guy is from the Melbourne Storm’.

“Paul had so many people chasing him. He is a freak of a player. Me and him grew up playing together (for the Hikurangi Stags) so we had a good combination that day.”'

Less than two weeks later, the 15-year-old who had no idea who the Eels were was running out in a blue and gold jersey for a trial match at the club’s Old Saleyards training field.

The trial match was part of a three-day “apprentice” camp run by former Parramatta development and junior recruitment manager Craig Wilson — who is now at Canterbury.

The camp allows the Eels to assess not only the football IQ of a player they want to sign, but also their character.

So just like so many other juniors that have progressed for the Eels, Brown's first day of camp began by interacting with school kids with special needs before visiting the Westmead Children’s Hospital, where he cleaned windows, met patients and tidied gardens.

Brown, just 15, handled everything thrown his way. And as his flawless adaptability to the NRL this year shows, not much has changed.

“Everyone says I’ve always been quite mature,”' Brown said.

“But It all happened within a couple of weeks and so I had to grow up fast.

“I came over when I was in Year 10, moved into Parra-House — a home for young players who have moved from interstate or overseas — with other boys and went to Hill Sports High.

“I had to make new mates, I didn’t know anyone.

“It was about taking an opportunity because there’s not many like that.


“I came over and they (other boys in the Parra-House) were 18, 19, all Australians. It was a bit of a different environment.

“But we were all there for one thing and that was to play footy. All without family.

“I’m not going to say it was easy, but it paid off.

“In the first year I come over, we took out the Harold Matthews title, then SG Ball and then came second in the under-20s grand final.

“I quickly learned about the Eels outstanding development system and their rich history.”

Rising 11kg from when he arrived as a 15-year-old to be 85kg today, Brown’s driven mentality and maturity on and off the field are his greatest assets.

“We knew from the start that Dylan was going to be a special talent, just from the way he handles himself,”' Eels captain Clint Gutherson told NRL Tonight on Tuesday.

“He just goes about his business, he wants to get better everyday at training — he’s still only 19.

People underestimate his size and his ability — he’s a pretty big strong boy, people are trying to target him but he's getting his body in front and that’s what you want as a six.

“He’s got a great future and hopefully it's at the Parramatta Eels.'”

The Eels return to finals football for just the second time this decade.

Wearing the famous Parramatta No.6 jumper of Brett Kenny is a 19-year-old who has played just 13 first-grade games.

If Brown is nervous, he isn’t showing it.

Perhaps the greatest insight into the level of trust and belief in the former cross-country runner and rugby union schoolboy is that last Thursday, at the Eels all-in media opportunity, instead of being kept off-limits by coach Brad Arthur, Brown was the last player standing talking to the media.

“I don’t feel any pressure whatsoever,” Brown said.

“I’m just going to go out there and enjoy it. That's what Brad has told us.

“These opportunities don’t come around often, especially me in my first year. I can’t believe it.”'

 

[Gronk]

Win or lose today, Parramatta are the NRL's walking dead

Joe Frost
Editor

Come finals time, I wheel out my favourite statistic and tell certain teams that, even though they made the top eight, they can forget about winning the NRL premiership.

I was first alerted to this particular numerical pattern in 2017 when Fox Sports pointed out that no team in the history of rugby league in Australia has won a first-grade grand final after conceding 50 points in a match during the season.

Yes, there have been differences in the way the game is officiated and how many points were awarded for certain means of scoring. But it’s been consistent as gravity for 111 years – ship 50 or more points during the season and you won’t hoist the trophy.

So who can we rule out?

The Eels made a statement and a half for their first-ever game at Bankwest Stadium, giving the Tigers a 51-6 touch-up in Round 6.

(Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

In Round 20 the Roosters ran in ten tries over the Gold Coast in a 58-6 shellacking.

And last week Newcastle ended their disastrous season with their worst loss of the year, going down 54-10 to the Panthers.

So the Tigers, Titans and Knights weren’t going to trouble the engravers at NRL HQ. I know, what a total shocker.

However, one side that is still alive this season also conceded 50-plus in a match, effectively making them walking dead.

In Round 9 Parramatta travelled to Melbourne where a rampant Storm ran up the biggest win of the year, smashing the Eels 64-10.

What’s more, the blue-and-gold troops who had 11 tries scored on them line up pretty similarly to the team that will take the field against the Broncos today.

Parra deserve huge credit for their 2019.

They were abysmal last year, an embarrassment to their supporters, which was made all the worse by the fact they finished in the top four – and gave the eventual premiers Melbourne an almighty scare in the finals – in 2017.

As for what’s gone right in 2019, while it wasn’t a splashy recruitment drive, new faces Junior Paulo, Shaun Lane and Blake Ferguson have proven outstanding investments.

(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

And of course there has been Maika Sivo, who in his first season of top-flight footy was the comp’s leading try-scorer and, according to Ferguson, “is the best winger in the competition”.

But perhaps more important than the added troops was the soul-searching and honesty sessions held over the off-season. The result has been a side that looks much more unified than in 2018 and one with a far steelier resolve.

However, said steel was not on display on that night in early May.

In fact, while their defence has improved by almost 100 points on last year, it’s still the second-worst of the teams playing finals.

The only side that’s been worse? That’d be this afternoon’s opponents, the Broncos.

So I’m not going to write the Eels off today. They’re a fair chance of making another week. But they ain’t winning the 2019 grand final.

Because defence wins titles and teams that give up 50 points – at any point in a season – don’t have the defensive resolve to become premiers. As much has been proven for more than a century.

That said, I do look forward to people in the comments saying, “Yeah, but if…” because when I’ve pulled this stat out in previous columns, there are always those who love to rip out the hypotheticals.

Because if the Warriors, Dragons or Panthers had managed to win the comp last year…

Y’know what, it’s just not worth going in to. This stat is a truism. Doesn’t matter what might have happened, because it didn’t happen.

Get 50 put on you, you won’t win the comp.

So Parra have had an almighty season and their fans should be justifiably proud. I reckon they’ll even get past the Broncs.

But if Clint Gutherson is holding up the Provan-Summons Trophy on the first Sunday in October, I’ll do the Great North Walk in a pair of blue-and-gold dick stickers.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/09/15/win-or-lose-today-parramatta-are-the-nrls-walking-dead/

 

[Twizzle]

ARTHUR PUNTS POTTER FROM PARRA

PARRAMATTA Eels have punted assistant coach Mick Potter for next season.

Eels general manager Mark O’Neill says it was Brad Arthur’s decision, which is surprising considering the team have gone from wooden spooners to fifth on the ladder this year.

“Pottsy is a terrific bloke and has done a wonderful job,” O’Neill said. “I was consulted but it was Brad’s call. Assistants are appointed by the head coach.”

O’Neill said no decision will be made on a replacement until after the season.

Potter, a Dally M player of the year winner, has coached at Wests Tigers, Newcastle and Parramatta.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...t/news-story/8f187db8ea5fc14966445dd76a9493b8

 

[Gronk]

ARTHUR PUNTS POTTER FROM PARRA

PARRAMATTA Eels have punted assistant coach Mick Potter for next season.

Eels general manager Mark O’Neill says it was Brad Arthur’s decision, which is surprising considering the team have gone from wooden spooners to fifth on the ladder this year.

“Pottsy is a terrific bloke and has done a wonderful job,” O’Neill said. “I was consulted but it was Brad’s call. Assistants are appointed by the head coach.”

O’Neill said no decision will be made on a replacement until after the season.

Potter, a Dally M player of the year winner, has coached at Wests Tigers, Newcastle and Parramatta.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...t/news-story/8f187db8ea5fc14966445dd76a9493b8

Welfare check for @Avenger please.

 

[Happy MEel]

We’d have to have a pretty impressive assistant lined up because it certainly appears a strange decision on the surface.

 

[IFR33K]

ARTHUR PUNTS POTTER FROM PARRA

PARRAMATTA Eels have punted assistant coach Mick Potter for next season.

Eels general manager Mark O’Neill says it was Brad Arthur’s decision, which is surprising considering the team have gone from wooden spooners to fifth on the ladder this year.

“Pottsy is a terrific bloke and has done a wonderful job,” O’Neill said. “I was consulted but it was Brad’s call. Assistants are appointed by the head coach.”

O’Neill said no decision will be made on a replacement until after the season.

Potter, a Dally M player of the year winner, has coached at Wests Tigers, Newcastle and Parramatta.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...t/news-story/8f187db8ea5fc14966445dd76a9493b8

Wow. Big call after finishing 5th. Hopefully we’re going after some of RS’s assistants. Canberra have done a great job this year.

 

[Gronk]

We’d have to have a pretty impressive assistant lined up because it certainly appears a strange decision on the surface.

Wow. Big call after finishing 5th. Hopefully we’re going after some of RS’s assistants. Canberra have done a great job this year.

Well his title was NRL Development Coach, so perhaps he didn’t tick enough boxes there ? His high performance role with the fringe first graders might have been poor. To be honest, Parry, Oregon and Stefano have not come on as expected.

The Parramatta Eels Club is pleased to announce that former Newcastle Knights Assistant Coach, Mick Potter, has joined the Club as an NRL Development Coach. Mick will work alongside existing NRL Assistant Coaches, Steve Murphy and David Kidwell, under the direction of Head Coach, Brad Arthur.

https://www.parraeels.com.au/news/2018/11/02/2019-football-staff-update/

 

[emjaycee]

Win or lose today, Parramatta are the NRL's walking dead

Joe Frost
Editor

Come finals time, I wheel out my favourite statistic and tell certain teams that, even though they made the top eight, they can forget about winning the NRL premiership.

I was first alerted to this particular numerical pattern in 2017 when Fox Sports pointed out that no team in the history of rugby league in Australia has won a first-grade grand final after conceding 50 points in a match during the season.

Yes, there have been differences in the way the game is officiated and how many points were awarded for certain means of scoring. But it’s been consistent as gravity for 111 years – ship 50 or more points during the season and you won’t hoist the trophy.

So who can we rule out?

The Eels made a statement and a half for their first-ever game at Bankwest Stadium, giving the Tigers a 51-6 touch-up in Round 6.

(Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

In Round 20 the Roosters ran in ten tries over the Gold Coast in a 58-6 shellacking.

And last week Newcastle ended their disastrous season with their worst loss of the year, going down 54-10 to the Panthers.

So the Tigers, Titans and Knights weren’t going to trouble the engravers at NRL HQ. I know, what a total shocker.

However, one side that is still alive this season also conceded 50-plus in a match, effectively making them walking dead.

In Round 9 Parramatta travelled to Melbourne where a rampant Storm ran up the biggest win of the year, smashing the Eels 64-10.

What’s more, the blue-and-gold troops who had 11 tries scored on them line up pretty similarly to the team that will take the field against the Broncos today.

Parra deserve huge credit for their 2019.

They were abysmal last year, an embarrassment to their supporters, which was made all the worse by the fact they finished in the top four – and gave the eventual premiers Melbourne an almighty scare in the finals – in 2017.

As for what’s gone right in 2019, while it wasn’t a splashy recruitment drive, new faces Junior Paulo, Shaun Lane and Blake Ferguson have proven outstanding investments.

(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

And of course there has been Maika Sivo, who in his first season of top-flight footy was the comp’s leading try-scorer and, according to Ferguson, “is the best winger in the competition”.

But perhaps more important than the added troops was the soul-searching and honesty sessions held over the off-season. The result has been a side that looks much more unified than in 2018 and one with a far steelier resolve.

However, said steel was not on display on that night in early May.

In fact, while their defence has improved by almost 100 points on last year, it’s still the second-worst of the teams playing finals.

The only side that’s been worse? That’d be this afternoon’s opponents, the Broncos.

So I’m not going to write the Eels off today. They’re a fair chance of making another week. But they ain’t winning the 2019 grand final.

Because defence wins titles and teams that give up 50 points – at any point in a season – don’t have the defensive resolve to become premiers. As much has been proven for more than a century.

That said, I do look forward to people in the comments saying, “Yeah, but if…” because when I’ve pulled this stat out in previous columns, there are always those who love to rip out the hypotheticals.

Because if the Warriors, Dragons or Panthers had managed to win the comp last year…

Y’know what, it’s just not worth going in to. This stat is a truism. Doesn’t matter what might have happened, because it didn’t happen.

Get 50 put on you, you won’t win the comp.

So Parra have had an almighty season and their fans should be justifiably proud. I reckon they’ll even get past the Broncs.

But if Clint Gutherson is holding up the Provan-Summons Trophy on the first Sunday in October, I’ll do the Great North Walk in a pair of blue-and-gold dick stickers.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/09/15/win-or-lose-today-parramatta-are-the-nrls-walking-dead/

Sorry Joe. We didn't go to Melbourne to get flogged by 50+ points. We went north to Brisbane for Magic Round. Great research buddy - do they pay you for writing this crap?

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

ARTHUR PUNTS POTTER FROM PARRA

PARRAMATTA Eels have punted assistant coach Mick Potter for next season.

Eels general manager Mark O’Neill says it was Brad Arthur’s decision, which is surprising considering the team have gone from wooden spooners to fifth on the ladder this year.

“Pottsy is a terrific bloke and has done a wonderful job,” O’Neill said. “I was consulted but it was Brad’s call. Assistants are appointed by the head coach.”

O’Neill said no decision will be made on a replacement until after the season.

Potter, a Dally M player of the year winner, has coached at Wests Tigers, Newcastle and Parramatta.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...t/news-story/8f187db8ea5fc14966445dd76a9493b8

Way to present a united front, Mark.

 

[Tooooks]

Sorry Joe. We didn't go to Melbourne to get flogged by 50+ points. We went north to Brisbane for Magic Round. Great research buddy - do they pay you for writing this crap?

What a shit article.

I reckon I should start writing articles. You can be a complete spud and still get paid apparently.

 

[hineyrulz]

Nathan Brown come on down!!!

 

[Matty Bhoy]

Win or lose today, Parramatta are the NRL's walking dead

Joe Frost
Editor

Come finals time, I wheel out my favourite statistic and tell certain teams that, even though they made the top eight, they can forget about winning the NRL premiership....

(Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)


In Round 9 Parramatta travelled to Melbourne where a rampant Storm ran up the biggest win of the year, smashing the Eels 64-10.


https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/09/15/win-or-lose-today-parramatta-are-the-nrls-walking-dead/

Stopped reading after that. Could’ve sworn I was at Lang Park.

 

[Matty Bhoy]

Sorry Joe. We didn't go to Melbourne to get flogged by 50+ points. We went north to Brisbane for Magic Round. Great research buddy - do they pay you for writing this crap?

Didn’t even get as far as your comment before I dived in head first.

 

[Tooooks]

"What’s more, the blue-and-gold troops who had 11 tries scored on them line up pretty similarly to the team that will take the field against the Broncos today."

Yeah, similar lineup, except for:

4 - Blake for Taka
6 - Brown for Salmon
9 - Mahoney for Terepo
12 - Ma'u for Niukore
13 - Brown for Tep
14 - Taka for Mahoney
15 - Stone for Mannah
16 - Niukore for Kaufusi
17 - Tep for Ma'u

So apart from those 9 changes, nearly identical lineup.