Some merkin from The Roar
Parramatta Eels ā sixth
Every year is going to be their year, and then, itās not. Itās been 35 years without a premiership, so anything outside of winning the grand final looks like failure.
Many fans are starting to agree with Ricky Bobby from Talladega Nights ā āIf youāre not first, youāre lastā. They were so close this year, and I believe very unlucky to not get the win over the Panthers in the second week of the finals.
What Went Right In 2021?
Isaiah Papaliāi was just on fire. He had a sensational season, played in 25 games, made just under 1500 post contact metres and had a tackle efficiency of 94.2per cent. All of which earnt him the Dally M Award for Second Rower of the Year, as well as Parramattaās Player of the Year Award.
The usual suspects went well. Captain Clint Gutherson was electric in attack and seemed to be everywhere. Mitchell Moses continued to grow in confidence, and Reed Mahoney was fantastic all year before he was injured.
Youngsters Haze Dunster and Will Penisini stepped up and did not disappoint. Junior Paulo was a wrecking ball, Maiko Siva was unstoppable, and Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Nathan Brown were consistently strong up the middle.
Their season will also be remembered for beating the Melbourne Storm twice.
And special mention goes to Jake Arthurās debut. When he and his dad Coach Brad Arthur embraced and cried together after the game, if that didnāt pull at the heartstrings nothing will.
What Went Wrong In 2021?
You just never knew which team is going to get off the bus.
Like always, the Eels started off the season well, winning their first four games, but they seemed to really lose their way in the second half of the year. The Eels had four losses in a row, including a 56-10 thumping at the hands of Manly, and a 40-12 one against Souths.
Gutherson talking down to his players on the field was not a good look, rumours of infighting started to circle, as well as the security of coach Brad Arthurās position.
Loosing Reed Mahoney towards the back end of the season hurt. He was one of the stars for the team all year, and young Ray Stone and Will Smith just couldnāt quite fill the void.
Many believe that Arthur made the wrong call in the elimination final against Penrith by starting Shaun Lane instead of Papaliāi. As earlier mentioned, he was the Dally M Second Rower of the year, and he played just 35 minutes at prop.
And Blake Fergusonās starring role in the motion picture āPretending to be Injuredā was just woeful.
What They Need Most in 2022?
To play at the end of the season the same way they do at the start of the season.
Dylan Brown also needs to aim up. Moses needs a five-eighth to run the ball and take some pressure off him.
And hopefully with Brad Arthur signing on for a few more years, that will help settle the team.
2022 Crystal Ball
They will finish comfortably in the top eight, but after that who knows. They are a team that should have some silverware from this century, but just canāt seem to bring it all together when it counts.
But if you ask an Eels supporter, they will tell you with certainty, ā2022 will be our year!ā
Last week Harry Ramage and I reviewed the teams that finished outside of the eight. Click here to read about the Bulldogs, Cowboys, Broncosā¦
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I'd also throw in the rise of young Rheed into a top shelf rake and Moses growing into a must keep 7 that other clubs can only dream of having.
