Parramatta coach Brad Arthur has reached a crossroad in his career, as the club searches for answers on a season that promised so much but delivered an all-too-familiar result.
Saturday's loss to South Sydney marked Arthur's fifth finals defeat in six appearances, the third time in four years the Eels have crashed out of contention in week two of the play-offs.
Few would dispute what Arthur has managed to build at the Eels, assembling a roster that is capable of winning a premiership. But as the dust settles on the reality of their shortcomings, there remains a huge question mark over the mental fortitude of his team, and how much he has to evolve as a coach to harden a perceived soft underbelly.
The Eels sat down as a group six weeks ago and were shown vision of Nine commentator Phil Gould declaring they were "kidding themselves" if they thought they were a chance at winning the title.
They just haven't got the underbelly, they haven't got it under the shirt," Gould said on 100% Footy. "I've looked at some of their second halves this year against quality sides - they've frittered away big leads."
The criticism stung, but six weeks later they did as Gould foreshadowed and surrendered an 18-8 half-time lead against the Rabbitohs at Bankwest Stadium on Saturday night to see their season slip away. They "capitulated", the coach said after the game.
Arthur tried to use the chorus of criticism surrounding his team to light a fire that would inspire a run for the title. Unfortunately, the run never came. Arthur, an old-school players' coach, has been afforded every opportunity to prove his way is the right way.
The club has backed him. But while his way isn't necessarily the wrong way, the club will now demand he works with head of football Mark O'Neill in the off-season to find a better way to ensure results improve in 2021.
Arthur has been somewhat reluctant to embrace the power of mindfulness when it comes to impacting results with the coach prioritising football matters over mental ones.
While the players all love playing under Arthur given how staunch he is in their support, there is a concern at the club and an understanding from the coach that mollycoddling the players may have only exacerbated a potential mental weakness.
Arthur has proved himself as a coach who can lead teams through adversity. He's now transformed into a coach who can produce regular finals appearances. The next step is there to be taken and while the club would love nothing more than to see him make it, the option of someone else doing so could become a reality if the Eels fail to capitalise on a premiership window that Arthur has helped force open.
The club recently handed Arthur a one year contract extension that sees him through until the end of 2022, but with Craig Bellamy, Trent Robinson and Wayne Bennett all off contract at the end of next season, don't expect the Eels to let an opportunity slip.
Nathan Brown took St George Illawarra to four finals appearances in five years between 2004 and 2008, failing to turn the opportunities into a grand final. It took Bennett's arrival for the club to finally shake the chokers' tag and end a 31-year drought in 2010. Parramatta now stand at 34 years and counting.
