So the NRL season proper is over with Parramatta doing what many said could no longer be done in the modern salary crap era by winning back to back errr wooden spoons. The salary cap and it's leveling forces proved no match for the poison that is Ricky Stuart.
Even the Tigers with their batshit mental board, two, maybe three coaches and an injury list that seems worse than the Gettysburg field hospital couldn't compete with the mediocrity that Parramatta made their own.
Replacing disinterested players with with less talented ones isn't a recipe for success. Some teams, such as the Tigers and the Dragons when faced with adversity unearthed talented youngsters that point to the future. Parramatta however couldn't even manage that. All they unearthed was evidence that their ability to retain their talented youngsters matches their ability to win games.
Look around the league at all the talented players who were Parramatta juniors and you wonder what the f**k the club has been playing at.
OK, so it's not all Ricky's fault - after all he inherited a pile of dung. But he's done nothing to galvanise the players he's had and while he's made efforts to start turning the club around by starting a much needed clean out he's stabbed Parramatta in the back and looked after himself.
Hopefully this will be the turning point for Parramatta and not the moment when they sow up the threepeat. Personally I believe its the best news Parra fans could have hoped for.
As for the Raiders - I really hope that Ricky is your answer as you're a club with decent supporters that deserve so much better than what I fear you're going to get. I wish you all the best and I'm glad in a way that the deal you signed was only three years and not the seven that was first mooted. Good luck, I mean that genuinely.
