Never had the roster’: How ugly freefall exposes fatal Eels ‘myth’
August 9th, 2021 8:54 am
NRL360 co-host Paul Kent has cast major doubts on the Eels’ premiership hopes, questioning if they were ever a realistic chance of claiming an elusive title in 2021.
The wait for a title continues for Parramatta and things have got much harder over the last few weeks.
Brad Arthur’s side have dropped three straight and after welcoming back Mitchell Moses, have copped the blow of losing Reed Mahoney for the season.
Arthur’s position has come under fire, while skipper Clint Gutherson was embroiled in an on-field spat with centre Tom Opacic.
But Kent questioned whether the Eels were ever a threat to challenge for this year’s premiership.
“I don’t think it [the Eels’ premiership window] was ever open,” he said on Triple M.
“I don’t think this roster has ever been comparable to the Melbourne or the Roosters rosters in recent seasons.
“You can listen to this myth that Parramatta window is open… it’s a small crack.
“It’s a chance if everything goes right. But there’s no way Parramatta have ever been the favourites in any of the last five seasons.
“Brad Arthur’s critics say here’s a team where they have finished top four and he’s been able to get them any closer to a grand final.
“What if the reality is that they are not a top-four team?
“But he has been able to, over 25 regular games, get them into the top four.
“They’ve never been really good enough to beat a Penrith or Roosters or Storm, which is what I think is the case.
“They’ve never had the roster which has been comparable.
“So for Brad Arthur to get his team into the top four was the achievement, not that he got them into the top four and didn’t go on to win the comp.
“They’ve got a competitive side and if everything went right they are a chance of winning a grand final but they have never been – to me – a favourite to win the grand final.
“Their inability to have won one in the last five or six years is not a failing because I don’t think they have had the side to do that. It’s no more [a failure] than Manly are, the Raiders and Souths are.”
Former Broncos great Gorden Tallis also raised concerns over the style the Eels have used at the back end of the season.
“Junior Paulo came out a couple of weeks ago and said they wanted to pass the ball more,” he said.
“I don’t think that suits them without Mitchell Moses, without the player in there who does that naturally. I think they are a high-energy, off-the-back-fence, quick play-the-ball type of side.
“To do that you need your forward pack steamrollering and it just hasn’t happened.
“I think the last month of footy they have gone away from what suits them.
“Since they’ve moved up to Queensland I think they have struggled and they have gone away from what works for Parramatta.”
