Rumours and Stuff

[Stevie]

I said it last week. Parra were awful beating the Cows. I said they have simply kicked the can down the road.

We are a poor football side.

 

[lingard]

My little birds come to me today with some info.
Moses will be fit for the Brisbane game

Too late.

 

[Half a chance]

I think Harper was signed to give R. Penisini, AMS and Blaize another year and to see what happened with Ethyn Martin's development. Staggs and Co were always staying in Brisbane I reckon.

And I agree, the young crop are 25/26 ready.

with the cup and JF teams losing, I can’t see any players there that would be worthy of a first grade spot in 2025. I mean would any improve us?

what I’d be doing is looking at some of the broncos players and juniors. They look like having a settled squad for the next few years, so there may be a few qld cup players looking for a shot.

 

[Stevie]

Another note. I often hear people tear strips off Hindy for being a public clown.

I really reckon it’s such a cheap shot. Hindmarsh I know is funny, but he is one of the best Eels to ever don the jersey and has created a great media career for himself. Regardless of my mood, his segments are sometimes the only thing to give me a genuine belly laugh. That’s a special skill and I love watching him (and fletch).

 

[Poupou Escobar]

What the f**k is going on at the Eels Centre Of Excellence?

I believe it still isn't finished. If we had more money of our own we wouldn't be waiting on government to sort their shit out:

Someone was nice enough to post this in the stadiums thread in the NRL forum.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n...k=981801ae1f197812a2eed562af20b005-1707174148


The Parramatta Eels are one step closer to calling north west Sydney home after winning approval to kick off constructing the final stage of the club’s $53 million Centre of Excellence and Community Facility at Kellyville.

In January, the Hills Shire Council ushered through the approval to begin constructing a 6000 sqm high-performance Centre of Excellence at Kellyville Park, the crown jewel of the State Significant Development.

The Centre of Excellence will house world-class training and administration facilities for the Parramatta Eels’ NRL and NRLW teams and pathways athletes – including gyms, lecture theatre, review rooms, aquatic rehabilitation facilities and a cafe.

It will also feature a boardroom and meeting rooms and new female change rooms, as well as 40-space car park that increases the total number of on-site parking spaces to 330.

Once the project is completed Kellyville Park will be the largest community rugby league precinct in Australia, which will be “focused strongly on driving engagement between the Parramatta Eels and the wider community”.

“It will be one of the only elite training and match venues in Australia that will also include facilities for multiple community sports clubs, allowing grassroots participants to train and play within the same precinct as their sporting heroes,” the club said of the project.

The Centre of Excellence will stand beside a multipurpose community facility, which features a function and education rooms, match day media rooms, and 1500-seat grandstand.

The project was first announced in 2019 and has been jointly funded by the NSW and Federal governments, The Hills Shire Council and Parramatta Leagues Club.

Liberal federal Liberal MP Alex Hawke secured $15 million worth of federal government funding for the project, and claimed it as the largest federal government commitment The Hills had ever seen.

Mr Hawke said that the “lack of sporting social infrastructure” in The Hills was “the number one issue for families in our electorate”.

Construction of this final stage is set to be completed by 2025.

Parramatta Eels Centre of Excellence Build

It will be nice to finally have a COE and training facility that the club of our ilk deserves. I think we have been 5 years behind where we should be. Took too long to get the ball rolling before inevitable delays with these projects happened. Penrith had there one up and running in mid...

forums.leagueunlimited.com

 

[JokerEel]

Remember all the changes we made after 2018? Was pretty awesome, and exciting.

What were they?

 

[lingard]

But then the coaching staff keeps telling Talagi, "You're a centre. No, wait - you're a fullback. No, wait - you're a 5/8. No, wait - you're a benchie."

Hard to develop youngsters when you keep stuffing their position around.

The club has seemingly looked to a "Moneyball"-type of recruitment strategy in the last few years, and it's beginning to show.

I have nothing against cheap, diamond in the rough signings, but is Arthur's success rate at turning them into quality First Graders that high?

Brian Smith was a master at taking a cheapie from another club, and developing them into consistently solid players - Craig Stapleton, Daniel Wagon, Lee Hopkins, Jason Moodie, Brad Drew, Matthew Petersen...he just had a knack for getting the best out of average players.

Arthur has done well with blokes like Wicks, and Sivo, but that's pretty much it, off the top of my head - but he keeps dipping into that well.

Cartwright.

 

[lingard]

Actually, this is a decent discussion on direction and needs. No real nasty personal insults, just differing options floated

F#ck off, you idiot!

 

[Legal Eel]

My info was that he won't be out of the moonboot until the week of the bye (following his next scans).
Hopefully your birds know more than Mitchell does.

My info is the same and that he will be back for Melbourne

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I assume you mean more than Parra thought he was worth. Tigers got him for $300K and it has been worth every cent and he is now starting to repay everyone of those dollars.

He was at the club for a single season before he demanded an upgrade: https://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2022/01/31/wests-tigers-re-sign-stefano-utoikamanu/

He's probably been the highest paid forward in the game since then. His win rate this year is a career best, at 33%. Even the Eels have won more than that.

 

[Tiger5150]

275k actually.

Rounding error

And even when the Tigers were trash they were making better signings than us...

Lets not get too excited. Way have made some bad decisions over recent years.. Last 18 months has been good though.

 

[Eelogical]

I believe it still isn't finished. If we had more money of our own we wouldn't be waiting on government to sort their shit out:

Parramatta Eels Centre of Excellence Build

It will be nice to finally have a COE and training facility that the club of our ilk deserves. I think we have been 5 years behind where we should be. Took too long to get the ball rolling before inevitable delays with these projects happened. Penrith had there one up and running in mid...

forums.leagueunlimited.com

So all we need is a building and everything will be fine?

 

[Tiger5150]

Actually, this is a decent discussion on direction and needs. No real nasty personal insults, just differing options floated

 

[oldmancraigy]

No, I am not mocking anyone. I am genuinely excited for the changes ahead. Whatever they may be.

You sound more like someone standing near an aviary.

Yes/ no?

 

[Legal Eel]

I have been giving it some thought (in mass of all places, so extra fuel for Gronks mockery) and i couldn’t help thinking this:

1) 2005 we got hammered 54-14 on Brisbane similar to this game and won the minor premiership;

2) 2007 we got hammered in Canberra and made a preliminary;

3) 2009 had many horrors;

4) 2019 had melbourne in magic round;

5) 2020 had south’s flogging us 38-0 at commbank;

6) 2021 had many horror including 56-10 against manly;

7) 2022 had cowboys in Darwin, bulldogs on queens birthday and Brisbane and souths at home

these are just from memory but a few conclusions can be drawn:

1) SOME hope can be drawn from the above results and the eventual resultant seasons;

2) BA is clearly not a coach capable of providing a team that can be consistently Good like Penrith or the Melbourne and Roosters teams that precede them - he just can’t achieve that consistency;

3) parrramattas best hope under BA for “success” is to just compete in the finals and try to lose honourably

4) based on 2 and 3 above, BA must be sacked - we need success to be a premiership and he just can’t achieve the team that is consistently and reliably good enough to do this…and to pre-empt Gronk, no I don’t know who will do it as his replacement, but I know from the above that he can’t do it, so it’s clearly time to move on

 

[Tiger5150]

He was at the club for a single season before he demanded an upgrade: https://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2022/01/31/wests-tigers-re-sign-stefano-utoikamanu/

*earned.

He's probably been the highest paid forward in the game since then. His win rate this year is a career best, at 33%. Even the Eels have won more than that.

But not this year.....Tigers signed him for the future which is just now starting to pay off and will pay off even more in the future. Kid played prop for SoO at 22 years old. Is a gun. you had him, now you dont but you keep telling yourself he gets paid more than Hass, AFB, JFH or RCG. You watch RCG stumble into the future and Ill watch Stef....deal?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

And even when the Tigers were trash they were making better signings than us...

Trash teams make 'better' (i.e. bigger name) signings by definition of being trash and needing to change. We made our best signings of the last decade after 2018. It's not a coincidence. We certainly weren't "better run".

 

[Poupou Escobar]

And we have a HoF that refuses to go above a ceiling of a pre-conceived idea he has in his head on the value of players is, regardless of their quality and how much we need them.

Doesn't this describe any valuation process?

 

[gaffer]

Monday Buzz: Parramatta Eels chairman Sean McElduff Q&A on Brad Arthur coaching future, disastrous Dolphins performance
A chat with Eels chairman Sean McElduff put a spotlight on the fact Parramatta are a club in denial, refusing to concede there’s any problem with coach Brad Arthur. Phil Rothfield reveals the Q&A that exposes what’s wrong at the Eels.

Phil Rothfield

The Parramatta Eels are sadly in denial.
After a pathetic performance against the Dolphins on Friday night, Eels chairman Sean McElduff has refused to concede there is a problem with coach Brad Arthur.
They have now conceded 105 points in the last three games against the Raiders, Cowboys and Dolphins and face a tough three weeks against Manly, the Broncos and Storm.
I spoke to McElduff over the weekend about the current situation.
Read on and you’ll see what I mean about them being in denial.
Buzz: How’s the coach looking?
McElduff: It’s not panic stations yet.

Parramatta Eels chairman Sean McElduff. Picture: Brett Costello
Buzz: That was terrible on Friday night, they showed no heart in the second half.
McElduff: It wasn’t a good performance, I agree. You heard what the coach said afterwards.
Buzz: And you were flogged two weeks ago against the Raiders.
McElduff: In between that we had a good win against the Cowboys. Before the Canberra game we beat Manly.
Buzz: But surely the coach is under pressure.
McElduff: I wouldn’t say so at this stage.
Buzz: But you didn’t make the eight last year.
McElduff: We expect to be a finals team but we’re just seven games into the comp.
Buzz: So you’re not even looking at the coaching position?
McElduff: No, we’re not. It’s too early. Obviously we’re missing Mitchell (Moses). He’s a massive loss.
Buzz: Okay, if you don’t make the eight, is Brad safe?
McElduff: It’s too early to have that conversation.

McElduff refused to admit Brad Arthur is a man under pressure. Picture: NRL Photos
Buzz: It’s a fair question.
McElduff: It’s a reasonable question but it depends. If you get lapped every week, it’s one scenario. If you miss the eight but have injuries, it’s how the team’s performing for the coach.
There’s a whole host of things. It’s futile speculating now because we’re only seven games into a 25-game season. That’s the way I think about it. As I said, we beat the Cowboys last week.
Buzz: You’ve conceded 85 points against Canberra and the Dolphins.
McElduff: Canberra in Canberra is a tough game. The Dolphins performance was terrible. The coach said that. Let’s see how we respond. Brad’s been good for a long time. It’s not even something we’re even contemplating at this time.
Buzz: Your fans are very angry.
McElduff: I can understand that after the performance on Friday night.

A dejected Clinton Gutherson on Friday night against the Dolphins after his team shipped eight tries within 25 minutes. Picture: NRL Photos
So on that note we ended the conversation.
That second half performance in Darwin on Friday night was the worst I’ve seen from a Parramatta Eels side for 10 years.
Arthur said after the game: “We gave up.” And he was spot on.
Somehow the Dolphins scored eight tries between the 50th and 75th minutes. That’s almost a try every three minutes.
It’s easy for people in denial like McElduff to blame it on the absence of Moses.
Not to mention the Dolphins were without Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Tom Flegler, Felise Kaufusi and Herbie Farnworth, close enough to their best four players.
Besides, I’m not sure Moses could have saved any of the eight tries in those 25 minutes. I’m also not sure he could have stopped Canberra scoring 41 points two weeks earlier. This team has conceded an average of 35 points a game in three weeks.
All clubs suffer injuries to key players.

Other clubs are coping without their best players, so why can’t Parramatta cope without Moses? Picture: NRL Photos
Look how Penrith keep finding ways to win without Nathan Cleary.
The Broncos seem to manage when Adam Reynolds is not there.
Storm had Cameron Munster out for the first five weeks but kept winning.
Moses is not the reason Parramatta is in crisis.
More Coverage

Dolphins in the box seat for Vegas debut as QLD rivals scatter

‘Never seen anything like it’: Legend slams Eels as pressure mounts
This goes back to the last season’s premiership capitulation.
They have now won just six of their last 15 games.
The players are not responding to Arthur’s coaching. It’s as simple as that.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/monday-buzz-parramatta-eels-chairman-sean-mcelduff-qa-on-brad-arthur-coaching-future-disastrous-dolphi

"players not responding to arthurs coachin " is that code for he's lost the dressing shed

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Actually, this is a decent discussion on direction and needs. No real nasty personal insults, just differing options floated

GET. f**kED.