Parra Pride
Referee
- Messages
- 20,717
Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...e-benji-marshall/story-e6frexnr-1226007216287
THEY won just 10 games last year despite being pre-season premiership favourites.
They finished 12th in a 16-team competition and now have a new coach and captain. Yet the world's best player, Wests Tigers star Benji Marshall, has predicted Parramatta are the team to fear this season.
And Marshall is adamant that Eels champion Jarryd Hayne will recapture the stunning form that earned him the Dally M Medal in 2009.
Parramatta were the NRL's biggest disappointments last year.
After reaching the 2009 grand final and losing to an illegal Melbourne Storm team, the Eels bombed last year.
Their coach Daniel Anderson was eventually sacked and their veteran prop and captain Nathan Cayless retired.
Yet playing under new Eels coach Steve Kearney in the New Zealand Test side has convinced Marshall that Parramatta will be a threat this year.
"I think they will be the dark horses of the competition," Marshall said.
"I think he [Kearney] is good at relating to players and is good at knowing who needs a kick in the backside and who needs a pat on the back.
"I think he's trained Parramatta a lot harder than they have in the past.
"He'll definitely get the best out of the players and provide a culture where there's a lot of respect and [a desire to take] pride in their performance every week."
Hayne was brilliant at times last year but could not quite replicate his stunning efforts of 2009.
But Marshall is expecting Hayne to explode back to his best in the coming months.
"With Stephen Kearney there helping, I've seen him bring the best out in players and I'm sure he'll get the best out of Jarryd Hayne," Marshall said. "With Jarryd Hayne at the back they are a dangerous team.
"We'll see a big Parramatta and a great team performance from them this year."
Marshall will find out just how good Parramatta are going to be when his Tigers play the Eels in a trial match at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday night.
The Tigers five-eighth had a super season last year, winning the Golden Boot award and pushing his side to within one point of the grand final.
However, he doesn't want to live in the past.
"This is another season," he said. "You've still got to go out there every week and prove yourself.
"It's about playing consistently and doing my job. I don't want to let anyone down."
Kearney sure is having a lot of pressure thrown on him as far as being a first time coach goes.
