He need 3 months to work out why?
Why Arthur is still stumped by Eels slump
August 20, 2021 — 4.09pm
Save
Share
Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text size
0
Leave a comment
Advertisement
ROUND 22
MELvsCBR
26 – 16
SCS
STGvsPEN
16 – 34
SS
BRIvsSYD
20 – 21
SS
SOUvsGCT
36 – 6
CSS
NQLvsWST
16 – 24
QCBS
MANvsPAR
56 – 10
SCS
NZWvsCBY
24 – 10
Moreton Daily Stadium
CROvsNEW
14 – 16
Moreton Daily Stadium
ROUND 23
GCTvsMEL
20 – 34
CSS
CBRvsMAN
0 – 0
SS
PENvsSOU
Friday, Aug 20
20.05 SS
WSTvsCRO
Saturday, Aug 21
15.00 Browne Park
CBYvsNEW
Saturday, Aug 21
17.30 CSS
PARvsNQL
Saturday, Aug 21
19.35 CSS
STGvsSYD
Sunday, Aug 22
14.00 CBS
BRIvsNZW
Sunday, Aug 22
16.05 SS
ROUND 24
NEWvsGCT
Thursday, Aug 26
19.50 SCS
NZWvsCBR
Friday, Aug 27
18.00 BB Print Stadium
SYDvsSOU
Friday, Aug 27
19.55 SS
STGvsNQL
Saturday, Aug 28
15.00 Browne Park
CROvsBRI
Saturday, Aug 28
17.30 SS
MELvsPAR
Saturday, Aug 28
19.35 SS
MANvsCBY
Sunday, Aug 29
13.50 Moreton Daily Stadium
PENvsWST
Sunday, Aug 29
16.05 Moreton Daily Stadium
Embattled Eels coach Brad Arthur said it could take months to work out why his side’s season has crumbled since relocating to Queensland and conceded the time for talking was over after last week’s “humiliation”.
After another week in which the club was forced to deny bubble life had undone a promising campaign with four straight losses, Arthur accepted the majority of responsibility for Parramatta’s slide, which has dropped them out of the top four.
Play Video
https://forums.leagueunlimited.com/javascript:void(0);
Play video
0:42
Is Brad Arthur the right coach for Parramatta?
Parramatta head coach thinks speculation around his future at the club is crazy and that his side can turn around their recent form slump.
The Eels are favoured to return to winning ways against the struggling Cowboys on Saturday night before a torrid finish to the regular season against title heavyweights Melbourne and Penrith.
Arthur
gave his players an extra day off this week after Tom Trbojevic’s Sea Eagles
torched the Eels in a 56-10 rout last week. The coach said the break would not affect his side’s match fitness.
Asked about the ability of different clubs to handle hub life, Arthur said: “I’d be lying to you if I knew the answer. There might be 10 different people with different opinions on what’s going wrong.
“We could sit here for the next three months trying to work it out. Have we done too much? Have we not done enough? Do all the players get along? Do they not get along? I’ll never get to the bottom of that.
Eels coach Brad Arthur has shouldered most of the responsibility for the Eels’ slump.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES
“What I do know is we’re not playing well enough and every team has to go through the same situation we’re in. There’s been some adjustments this week to see if we can get a change of response. Now the boys are surrounded by their families and this is as close as we can get to being in Sydney.
“We’re paid to do a job - and at the moment we’re not doing it good enough.”
Advertisement
Arthur denied there was a squabble over hotel room sizes which had caused a fracture in the squad. The players and staff left the resort they were originally quarantining in to move to serviced apartments this week, but the move was pre-scheduled.
Nevertheless, Arthur has never needed a win more to quieten the noise surrounding the Eels - and they couldn’t have asked for a better opponent, with the Cowboys on a nine-game losing run.
“The result is important, but probably more so our response to a bit of humiliation last week,” Arthur said. “I need to see a response in a team that was hurting and embarrassed by the performance.
“There are 17 players and myself that contributed to what happened the other night. It’s hard to single out one person - and we haven’t done that. More responsibility falls on my shoulders than anyone.”
Arthur has recalled young outside backs Haze Dunster and Will Penisini at the expense of Tom Opacic and Michael Oldfield, while Ryan Matterson will start a three-game suspension after being sent off for a high shot on Brad Parker.
The Eels sent a letter to club members last Sunday acknowledging their frustration as another season threatens to unravel on the eve of the finals. Prop Junior Paulo penned similar correspondence the previous week, claiming the club still had “fighting spirit” and believed they were “still a top four team”.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
The Parramatta coach said the time for talking after last week’s “humiliation” is over, taking the blame for the side’s alarming dip in form.
www.smh.com.au
