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https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/wh...-eels-search-for-answers-20180407-p4z8a8.html
What's the matter Parramatta? Winless Eels search for answers
Everyone has a theory on how the Eels have limped into April without singing the team song. There’s the one about star players being off each other. Or whispers about them buying into all the hype about their premiership credentials and slackening off as a result. Or that old chestnut about Jarryd Hayne coming in and instantly tearing apart a culture that has taken years to build.
Brad Arthur has heard them all.
“People are looking for reasons and I can understand that because we should be going better than what we are,” Arthur says.
“We’ve got no one to blame but ourselves. All that stuff about Jarryd, about Mitchy [Mitchell Moses] blueing, this and that – it all just comes with losing games of footy, unfortunately.
“Jarryd is nearly a model citizen, he’s doing everything. He’s training, there’s no dramas at all.
“The players aren’t walking around not working hard or not concerned. They care. They just have to go and do it because at the moment what they’re doing at training is not transferring onto the field.
“We’re just not getting it done for the 80 minutes at the moment because we’ve only got a couple of contributors on game day.
“That’s as simple as it is. We haven’t changed, we’re not doing anything different.
“Sometimes you can look too hard and make it look like something that it’s not.”
Clearly, something is amiss. This is a shadow of the side that made the top four last year and then dominated Newcastle in a trial just six weeks ago. Those that witnessed that win in Maitland were amazed by the precision displayed so early in the season.
“They will go close to winning the whole thing,” one Knights official mused.
There was nothing to suggest otherwise when the competition proper started. The Eels pummelled Penrith for the opening half-hour of the season, but we haven’t seen anything resembling that form since. As they prepare for a rematch with their western rivals, there is the very real possibility the Eels will finish the weekend 0-5, effectively ending their season just after it started.
So how has it all gone wrong? This is a club that, even after their salary cap dramas effectively robbed them of a chance to play finals footy in 2016, continued to play with a unity and purpose that isn’t apparent now that there is everything to play for.
“That’s what we need to rediscover,” Arthur says.
“You don’t lose that overnight. That’s a want, attitude, desire thing, isn’t it?
“We’ve had all the talks. It’s about our actions now, we just have to do it. Your want, your desire, your attitude – they know how to play footy, nothing’s changed. We haven’t changed systems or what we’re trying to achieve out of the games, we keep it simple. We’re just not doing it.
“They just have to go and do it because at the moment what they’re doing at training is not transferring onto the field.
“I wish it was the other way around, that we were training shithouse and playing well.”
On paper, a place games are never won, Parramatta have a team capable of contesting for the title. Hayne’s return was meant to help offset the loss of Semi Radradra, while Corey Norman and Mitchell Moses seemed ready to take their games to a representative level after spending a full off-season together.
Moses, in particular, finished last year strongly, taking his Eels form into the World Cup for Lebanon. It appeared the halfback and former Cedars coach Brad Fittler would be spending more time together in the Origin arena. Yet Moses has conceded his form is “not up to scratch” and neither he nor Fittler know why.
“He’s a victim of what’s going on there, no one seems to be playing well there," Fittler says.
“Someone like Nathan Brown, who was consistently good last year, even he’s sort of [struggling]. The boat’s a rocking.
“The individual stuff [Moses] is trying to do, he’s getting some stuff on. He’s still looking dangerous, but not enough to get his team the tries they need.
“Everyone’s waiting for them to improve. How they’re going, it’s surprised everyone. Everyone’s dumbfounded, actually. I think I had them as premiers.”
At full strength, it could well be a premiership side. However, Arthur isn’t able to call on Hayne, Bevan French, Clint Gutherson, Brad Takairangi, Kane Evans, Greg Leleisiuao or Jaemon Salmon. Those vying to fill the breach aren’t making a compelling case for promotion. Feeder club Wentworthville are also coming last in the NSW Cup.
“You’ve got $2 million of your salary cap in five players sitting on the sideline, which is not an excuse, but it is what it is,” Arthur says. “That shouldn’t affect our attitude.”
While the Eels made last year’s play-offs without him, Gutherson’s loss cannot be overstated. "Gutho" has no fixed role in the team, but plays wherever required without complaint. There is no more popular player in the side, but there are fears the season will be over by the time he joins it.
“Round eight is what I’m hoping for,” Gutherson says of his recovery from his latest ACL tear. “It’s a long season, hopefully the boys start winning and we can go from there.”
Everyone at Eels HQ is adamant their predicament is not the result of easing off. The club’s new head of physical performance, Lachlan Wilmot, gave the troops a fair summer flogging.
“It’s been the toughest pre-season I’ve been a part of, of the few clubs I’ve been to,” says journeyman forward David Gower.
“We’ve done all the hard work, all the strength work. We’re bigger, stronger, faster and fitter than we’ve ever been, so that’s not an excuse.
“We had all the running in the last 25 minutes and we had made 60-80 more tackles than the Tigers [last week]. We’re fit enough and strong enough.”
They may be working hard, but they do not resemble a cohesive unit. The ability to defend a penalty or mistake – something that has been a hallmark of the Eels in the past two years – is no longer evident.
“There are only two blokes at the moment that can say they are doing their job week in and week out and that’s Tepai Moeroa and Daniel Alvaro,” Arthur said.
“It’s not spectacular, but they’re just doing their job.
“If we have 17 players doing their job, we might get a better team performance. Until we do that, it ain’t going to happen.”
Last year, Parramatta also lost four in a row before going on a run that stretched well into September. However, a run begins with a victory and the Eels are yet to register one.
“Obviously you mount a bit of pressure on yourself by not getting a win so far into the year,” co-captain Beau Scott says. “That’s where we’re at.”
Unless there is a turnaround, the theories and rumours will continue to swirl around the club. That there is something wrong with the culture and resilience of the men in the golden west.
“We can only go off the evidence and the evidence is not great,” Arthur says. “There is only one way we can change opinion, that’s to do something about it.
“We’ve talked about it enough to the group and the media. Let’s go and get it done.”
What's the matter Parramatta? Winless Eels search for answers
Everyone has a theory on how the Eels have limped into April without singing the team song. There’s the one about star players being off each other. Or whispers about them buying into all the hype about their premiership credentials and slackening off as a result. Or that old chestnut about Jarryd Hayne coming in and instantly tearing apart a culture that has taken years to build.
Brad Arthur has heard them all.
“People are looking for reasons and I can understand that because we should be going better than what we are,” Arthur says.
“We’ve got no one to blame but ourselves. All that stuff about Jarryd, about Mitchy [Mitchell Moses] blueing, this and that – it all just comes with losing games of footy, unfortunately.
“Jarryd is nearly a model citizen, he’s doing everything. He’s training, there’s no dramas at all.
“The players aren’t walking around not working hard or not concerned. They care. They just have to go and do it because at the moment what they’re doing at training is not transferring onto the field.
“We’re just not getting it done for the 80 minutes at the moment because we’ve only got a couple of contributors on game day.
“That’s as simple as it is. We haven’t changed, we’re not doing anything different.
“Sometimes you can look too hard and make it look like something that it’s not.”
Clearly, something is amiss. This is a shadow of the side that made the top four last year and then dominated Newcastle in a trial just six weeks ago. Those that witnessed that win in Maitland were amazed by the precision displayed so early in the season.
“They will go close to winning the whole thing,” one Knights official mused.
There was nothing to suggest otherwise when the competition proper started. The Eels pummelled Penrith for the opening half-hour of the season, but we haven’t seen anything resembling that form since. As they prepare for a rematch with their western rivals, there is the very real possibility the Eels will finish the weekend 0-5, effectively ending their season just after it started.
So how has it all gone wrong? This is a club that, even after their salary cap dramas effectively robbed them of a chance to play finals footy in 2016, continued to play with a unity and purpose that isn’t apparent now that there is everything to play for.
“That’s what we need to rediscover,” Arthur says.
“You don’t lose that overnight. That’s a want, attitude, desire thing, isn’t it?
“We’ve had all the talks. It’s about our actions now, we just have to do it. Your want, your desire, your attitude – they know how to play footy, nothing’s changed. We haven’t changed systems or what we’re trying to achieve out of the games, we keep it simple. We’re just not doing it.
“They just have to go and do it because at the moment what they’re doing at training is not transferring onto the field.
“I wish it was the other way around, that we were training shithouse and playing well.”
On paper, a place games are never won, Parramatta have a team capable of contesting for the title. Hayne’s return was meant to help offset the loss of Semi Radradra, while Corey Norman and Mitchell Moses seemed ready to take their games to a representative level after spending a full off-season together.
Moses, in particular, finished last year strongly, taking his Eels form into the World Cup for Lebanon. It appeared the halfback and former Cedars coach Brad Fittler would be spending more time together in the Origin arena. Yet Moses has conceded his form is “not up to scratch” and neither he nor Fittler know why.
“He’s a victim of what’s going on there, no one seems to be playing well there," Fittler says.
“Someone like Nathan Brown, who was consistently good last year, even he’s sort of [struggling]. The boat’s a rocking.
“The individual stuff [Moses] is trying to do, he’s getting some stuff on. He’s still looking dangerous, but not enough to get his team the tries they need.
“Everyone’s waiting for them to improve. How they’re going, it’s surprised everyone. Everyone’s dumbfounded, actually. I think I had them as premiers.”
At full strength, it could well be a premiership side. However, Arthur isn’t able to call on Hayne, Bevan French, Clint Gutherson, Brad Takairangi, Kane Evans, Greg Leleisiuao or Jaemon Salmon. Those vying to fill the breach aren’t making a compelling case for promotion. Feeder club Wentworthville are also coming last in the NSW Cup.
“You’ve got $2 million of your salary cap in five players sitting on the sideline, which is not an excuse, but it is what it is,” Arthur says. “That shouldn’t affect our attitude.”
While the Eels made last year’s play-offs without him, Gutherson’s loss cannot be overstated. "Gutho" has no fixed role in the team, but plays wherever required without complaint. There is no more popular player in the side, but there are fears the season will be over by the time he joins it.
“Round eight is what I’m hoping for,” Gutherson says of his recovery from his latest ACL tear. “It’s a long season, hopefully the boys start winning and we can go from there.”
Everyone at Eels HQ is adamant their predicament is not the result of easing off. The club’s new head of physical performance, Lachlan Wilmot, gave the troops a fair summer flogging.
“It’s been the toughest pre-season I’ve been a part of, of the few clubs I’ve been to,” says journeyman forward David Gower.
“We’ve done all the hard work, all the strength work. We’re bigger, stronger, faster and fitter than we’ve ever been, so that’s not an excuse.
“We had all the running in the last 25 minutes and we had made 60-80 more tackles than the Tigers [last week]. We’re fit enough and strong enough.”
They may be working hard, but they do not resemble a cohesive unit. The ability to defend a penalty or mistake – something that has been a hallmark of the Eels in the past two years – is no longer evident.
“There are only two blokes at the moment that can say they are doing their job week in and week out and that’s Tepai Moeroa and Daniel Alvaro,” Arthur said.
“It’s not spectacular, but they’re just doing their job.
“If we have 17 players doing their job, we might get a better team performance. Until we do that, it ain’t going to happen.”
Last year, Parramatta also lost four in a row before going on a run that stretched well into September. However, a run begins with a victory and the Eels are yet to register one.
“Obviously you mount a bit of pressure on yourself by not getting a win so far into the year,” co-captain Beau Scott says. “That’s where we’re at.”
Unless there is a turnaround, the theories and rumours will continue to swirl around the club. That there is something wrong with the culture and resilience of the men in the golden west.
“We can only go off the evidence and the evidence is not great,” Arthur says. “There is only one way we can change opinion, that’s to do something about it.
“We’ve talked about it enough to the group and the media. Let’s go and get it done.”
