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For example Dean Ieremia debuts from 18th man for Storm and scores after a nano second. Lost in the Jake noise ?
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For example Dean Ieremia debuts from 18th man for Storm and scores after a nano second. Lost in the Jake noise ?
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ho...-mum-to-let-her-boy-play-20210516-p57sdz.html
How Eels players convinced Jakob Arthur’s mum to let her boy play
By Michael Chammas
May 17, 2021 — 5.00am
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Warriors 18 Eels 34
NRL 2021
‘A dream come true’: Coach’s son Jakob Arthur scores on Eels debut
Moses and Gutherson both phoned Jake, who was outside training in the home gym with fellow Eels squad members Sean Russell, Jordan Rankin and Joey Lussick because of the COVID restrictions that hampered Parramatta’s preparations.
“He came inside and he had this huge grin on his face,” Michelle recalled. “He said, ‘I’ve got to tell you something ... I’m playing’. You could see on his face he was so proud and so excited. It was so nice.”
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Jake has been tagging along with his dad to pre-season training for years. In the summer school holidays of 2018, when it came to fitness, there was Gutherson leading the way and then there was the 15-year-old son of the coach showing up the rest of the team. He has been ever since.
For the past few years, Jakob has also been alongside his father in the coach’s box during games, collating statistics and passing on information to help with the game plan. But Sunday was different.
Jakob Arthur in action against the Warriors on Sunday.CREDIT:GETTY
“Brad was quite calm for a lot of the week once he made his decision,” Michelle said. “But as it got closer, it got to him for a little bit there. He was just a bit cranky.
“[Sunday] morning he wouldn’t speak to me at all. There was no talking. He asked me to move tables at breakfast because I was talking too much. I’m a bit chatty anyway.”
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Regardless, Michelle couldn’t hide her emotions in the lead-up.
“I just hugged Jake and told him I was proud of him,” Michelle said. “Before the game, I sent him a message and said, ‘We’re so proud of you, you’re amazing’. I just wanted him to know that even if it was a disaster, we were still proud.”
Arthur walked out of a rushed press conference on Sunday night trying to contain his emotions. One reporter asked: ‘Where were the tears, Brad?’. The coach replied: ‘Why do you think I was so quick to get out of there’. Enough said.
Fitzgibbon’s strategic vision
Future Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon is contemplating fronting the media this week for the first time since he was appointed on a three-year deal from 2022.
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There’s been a lot of commentary around the way Cronulla’s football department is handling plans for next season, with Fitzgibbon considering addressing some of those concerns early this week.
Adam Reynolds is on the move, knocking back an offer to join the Sharks to link with the Broncos in 2022.CREDIT:GETTY
While the Sharks would have loved to have signed Adam Reynolds, the club knew it would be almost impossible to compete with the Broncos given the third-party opportunities available to the halfback in a one-team town.
The suggestion that they botched the deal has infuriated some at the club, with Fitzgibbon to outline his vision of the future when he fronts the cameras this week.
Morris at large
He's only the third SG Ball eligible player to debut this year. I suspect that's higher than for most years as well. It's a big deal.
You could see the effort gutho put in and it was amazing
He's fast enough over 40-100m, just not over the 10-20m required to truly threaten defensive lines. But he's always there and always pushing hard. That gives him a lot of opportunities to find a defender standing flat footed.
