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Eels in the media

Johnny88

Johnny88

Juniors
Messages
1,335
KING ARTHUR’S COWBOYS REVENGE

It was the Sliding Doors moment that gives Parramatta coach Brad Arthur every reason to bring down the Cowboys in Friday night’s grand-final qualifier.

News Corp can reveal how close Arthur came to once coaching the Cowboys, only for North Queensland bosses to reject him in favour of Paul Green.

In October 2013, Arthur was short-listed by the Cowboys, reaching the final four candidates, joining Green, Trent Barrett and current Broncos coach Kevin Walters for interviews with North Queensland hierarchy.

Arthur was regarded as the front-runner to succeed Neil Henry, but he lost out to Green, who vindicated the Cowboys’ decision by delivering the club’s maiden premiership in 2015.

While Arthur was overlooked by the Cowboys, it opened the door for him to join the Eels, for whom he has served nine seasons since his appointment in 2014.

Now, almost a decade later, Arthur can return to haunt the Cowboys by shattering their grand-final dreams and propelling Parramatta to within one victory of the Eels’ first title since 1986.

Arthur’s manager confirmed the 48-year-old was pipped at the post by Green for the Cowboys job.

“Brad was very close to joining the Cowboys,” said Chris Orr of PSM.

Former Cairns Brothers player and coach Brad Arthur. Picture: Stewart McLean

“He was short-listed for the job and it was down to him and Paul Green for the job.

“From what I understand it was a split decision. The Cowboys were very impressed with both of the pitches from Paul and Brad, but they ended up going with Paul because of the Queensland factor and his links to the club and the area.

“Brad was ready to take the next step from assistant coaching to NRL head coaching and he liked the look of the Cowboys roster.

“They had Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott on their books and Brad thought they had a roster ready to win a premiership.”

Orr blasted suggestions he secretly shopped Arthur to rival clubs midway through this season.

“The talk about Brad being shopped around was rubbish,” he said.

“There were suggestions we were shopping him to the Bulldogs.

“With due respect to Canterbury, why would I consider taking Brad Arthur out of a premiership contender and send him to a club that won the wooden spoon last year?

“Brad has done a brilliant job at Parramatta. He has been through some really tough periods but he has consistently evolved and he has very close relationships with his players.

“Brad is contracted to the Eels for another two seasons and there’s no reason for him to leave.”

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I

Incorrect

Coach
Messages
12,707
f**k me dead... Another "Sliding Doors" moment article... without reading it I'm guessing that article was submitted by Hooper..... The only idiot in popular culture who doesn't seem to understand what a sliding doors moment actually is yet references the notion any chance he gets....
 
Johnny88

Johnny88

Juniors
Messages
1,335
NRL 2022: Parramatta v North Queensland: Enemies to teammates for Junior Paulo and Reagan Campbell-Gillard
Dean Ritchie

Eels co-captain Junior Paulo has lifted the lid on the 15-year animosity behind the intimidating front-row combination he has forged with Parramatta teammate Reagan Campbell-Gillard.
It’s the deep animosity that began more than 15 years ago that’s driving Parramatta’s premiership campaign.

Eels co-captain Junior Paulo has made the stunning admission that he grew up “hating” front-row partner Reagan Campbell-Gillard, with the pair having locked horns for more than a decade.

Paulo and Campbell-Gillard have stamped themselves as arguably the competition’s premier prop combination, ahead of Parramatta’s preliminary final against North Queensland in Townsville on Friday night.



While Paulo now describes Campbell-Gillard as a mate and “one of the best I have ever played with”, that wasn’t always the case.

Eels props Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Junior Paulo. Picture: NRL Imagery

The Daily Telegraph has been told the rivalry between the pair started at junior level 15 years ago when Paulo was playing for Cabramatta and Parramatta while Campbell-Gillard was with Rooty Hill, Windsor Wolves and then Penrith.

“I guess when you’re playing alongside someone who you grew up hating, pretty much, you tend to grow a better relationship and we have certainly been doing that off the field,” Paulo told NITV.

“Me and ‘Reg’ – it’s a combination and relationship we have been building over the past couple of years, since he got to the club (in 2020).”

Having dominated Canberra’s Josh Papali’i and Joe Tapine, as well as Melbourne pair Jesse Bromwich and Nelson Asofa-Solomona in recent weeks, the Eels have another tough task on Friday night. The pair will clash with Cowboys props Jordan McLean and Reuben Cotter with a grand final berth on the line.


If anything, he has probably been one of my favourite players to play with and he’s probably one of the best front-rowers I have ever played with,” Paulo said.



“You definitely know what you’re going to get from him when you take the field.

“I think everyone knows he probably has one of the best first-play carries in the game, the way he comes off the back fence. He will always go out there and put his body on the line.”

Paulo and Campbell-Gillard grew up playing against each other in the same age group in Sydney’s west with both players turning 29 this year.

“At that age, there are always rivals and there are fierce rivals,” Paulo’s manager Sam Ayoub said. “So, with both of them being good footballers and playing against one another, there would have been some hatred, as there is at that level of rugby league.

“However, from my understanding, they are now absolutely great mates and they’re both playing great football. There are no negatives in the story.”

Campbell-Gillard clashing with Paulo when he was a Panther. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

But the pair will be able to add a happy ending to their tale if they can lead the Eels to their first grand final since 2009, and potentially their first premiership since 1986, having not made it past the second week of the finals in more than a decade.

“That’s been the driving factor for us over the past couple of weeks,” Paulo said.

“The best part of it was kind of hushing those critics who have been able to come out … obviously they’re going to have an opinion saying we couldn’t make it past the second week of finals,” Paulo said.

“It was always going to be a hoodoo we were going to break and hopefully in a weeks’ time we will be at the big dance. But it will definitely be a big task ahead this Friday.”

But it won’t be enough to extract a compliment for his prop partner, with Paulo jokingly declaring: “I’d be lying if I said I was going to give him some raps.”

North Queensland are $1.72 favourites, according to TAB, with Parramatta $2.15 outsiders.



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1663838492143.png
 
L

lucablight

First Grade
Messages
6,528
Johnny88 said:
NRL 2022: Parramatta v North Queensland: Enemies to teammates for Junior Paulo and Reagan Campbell-Gillard
Dean Ritchie

Eels co-captain Junior Paulo has lifted the lid on the 15-year animosity behind the intimidating front-row combination he has forged with Parramatta teammate Reagan Campbell-Gillard.
It’s the deep animosity that began more than 15 years ago that’s driving Parramatta’s premiership campaign.

Eels co-captain Junior Paulo has made the stunning admission that he grew up “hating” front-row partner Reagan Campbell-Gillard, with the pair having locked horns for more than a decade.

Paulo and Campbell-Gillard have stamped themselves as arguably the competition’s premier prop combination, ahead of Parramatta’s preliminary final against North Queensland in Townsville on Friday night.



While Paulo now describes Campbell-Gillard as a mate and “one of the best I have ever played with”, that wasn’t always the case.

Eels props Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Junior Paulo. Picture: NRL Imagery

The Daily Telegraph has been told the rivalry between the pair started at junior level 15 years ago when Paulo was playing for Cabramatta and Parramatta while Campbell-Gillard was with Rooty Hill, Windsor Wolves and then Penrith.

“I guess when you’re playing alongside someone who you grew up hating, pretty much, you tend to grow a better relationship and we have certainly been doing that off the field,” Paulo told NITV.

“Me and ‘Reg’ – it’s a combination and relationship we have been building over the past couple of years, since he got to the club (in 2020).”

Having dominated Canberra’s Josh Papali’i and Joe Tapine, as well as Melbourne pair Jesse Bromwich and Nelson Asofa-Solomona in recent weeks, the Eels have another tough task on Friday night. The pair will clash with Cowboys props Jordan McLean and Reuben Cotter with a grand final berth on the line.


If anything, he has probably been one of my favourite players to play with and he’s probably one of the best front-rowers I have ever played with,” Paulo said.



“You definitely know what you’re going to get from him when you take the field.

“I think everyone knows he probably has one of the best first-play carries in the game, the way he comes off the back fence. He will always go out there and put his body on the line.”

Paulo and Campbell-Gillard grew up playing against each other in the same age group in Sydney’s west with both players turning 29 this year.

“At that age, there are always rivals and there are fierce rivals,” Paulo’s manager Sam Ayoub said. “So, with both of them being good footballers and playing against one another, there would have been some hatred, as there is at that level of rugby league.

“However, from my understanding, they are now absolutely great mates and they’re both playing great football. There are no negatives in the story.”

Campbell-Gillard clashing with Paulo when he was a Panther. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

But the pair will be able to add a happy ending to their tale if they can lead the Eels to their first grand final since 2009, and potentially their first premiership since 1986, having not made it past the second week of the finals in more than a decade.

“That’s been the driving factor for us over the past couple of weeks,” Paulo said.

“The best part of it was kind of hushing those critics who have been able to come out … obviously they’re going to have an opinion saying we couldn’t make it past the second week of finals,” Paulo said.

“It was always going to be a hoodoo we were going to break and hopefully in a weeks’ time we will be at the big dance. But it will definitely be a big task ahead this Friday.”

But it won’t be enough to extract a compliment for his prop partner, with Paulo jokingly declaring: “I’d be lying if I said I was going to give him some raps.”

North Queensland are $1.72 favourites, according to TAB, with Parramatta $2.15 outsiders.



View attachment 66439



View attachment 66440
Click to expand...
How would Paulo and RCG have come in contact if they played in different local comps?
 
Gary Gutful

Gary Gutful

Post Whore
Messages
53,010
Incorrect said:
f**k me dead... Another "Sliding Doors" moment article... without reading it I'm guessing that article was submitted by Hooper..... The only idiot in popular culture who doesn't seem to understand what a sliding doors moment actually is yet references the notion any chance he gets....
Click to expand...
There is more of a gap between that bald headed goon's front teeth than any f**ken sliding door could offer...
 
Gronk

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
77,719
yy_cheng said:
Is this why ba blames the plsyers when we think its the coaches job

Though ba did say he messed up preparing the team for the panthers final

www.smh.com.au

‘Everyone’s been called out’: Why Parramatta ditched their leadership group

An overhaul of Parramatta’s team hierarchy and dissolving of the modern-day leadership group has been credited with driving the Eels to within 80 minutes of a long-desired grand final.
www.smh.com.au www.smh.com.au
Click to expand...
BA blames the players or everyone owns their responsibilities?
 
Gazzamatta

Gazzamatta

Coach
Messages
15,647
Gary Gutful

Gary Gutful

Post Whore
Messages
53,010
Gazzamatta said:
Why, why YY. Paywall dude?
Click to expand...

‘Everyone’s been called out’: Why Parramatta ditched their leadership group​

Dan Walsh

By Dan Walsh​


An overhaul of Parramatta’s team hierarchy and dissolving of the modern-day leadership group has been credited with driving the Eels to within 80 minutes of a long-desired grand final.
With a ‘now or never’ sentiment pervading a Parramatta roster that has been a finals fixture since 2017, coach Brad Arthur made the call to steer away from the NRL leadership norm of recent years over the summer.

Previously the Eels have been as vocal as any club in celebrating its leadership group, publishing behind-the-scenes footage of the ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5’ voting format that saw Arthur’s squad decide their 2020 senior deputies.
But with 15 of Parramatta’s starting 17 named to take on the Cowboys boasting 80 or more games of NRL experience, Arthur took a different tack that spread leadership responsibilities further than ever before in his tenure.

“I’ve never been overly convinced on leadership groups,” Arthur told The Herald.

“I’ve got a lot of senior players as it is and by having a leadership group, it felt like it capped some blokes that weren’t part of it.
“So we focus more on our senior players having responsibility and accountability for their own performances.
“We did it to encourage everyone to own this team – talk up when they need to. It’s not my team, it’s not Gutho’s team or Junior’s (co-captains Clint Gutherson and Junior Paulo). It’s every single player’s.

“It’s the senior players holding each other accountable. It’s not me doing it. If the senior players play well, it allows the young blokes to play well.
“If the senior guys play poorly, don’t do their job or don’t have the right attitude, that makes it very hard on the younger players to make a difference.

“Once you’re out on the field, the players are the ones that hold each other accountable.”
That accountability takes the form of a smaller, mano-a-mano meeting to begin each training week between “seven or eight senior players” before Parramatta’s wider team review.

Those players review solely each other’s performance, with no other players or Arthur’s team selections discussed.
It’s a process NSW Origin forward Ryan Matterson says began late last year during the pre-season. And one he sees as the biggest difference between this current Eels side and previous outfits that have stumbled so frustratingly two weeks into the finals.
“Sometimes being honest hurts,” Matterson says.
“But if it means pulling someone up on an effort area then you don’t hold back anymore.
“I’ve been called out, I think everyone’s been called out. Especially during the pre-season. There was a big emphasis on making sure it was positive criticism and it would benefit the team.

“It feels like that’s where it started and it’s been working since.

“It could be punctuality, it could be wearing the right training gear, getting on a kick chase or an effort area, could be anything where if you feel like something needs to be called out, you say it.
“It doesn’t get silly either, everyone makes mistakes. It’s not about piling in on an individual, it’s about improving for your teammates.”
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