Danny's Sunday piece
Brad to worse
Parramatta have a growing problem: the division between general manager of football
Mark O’Neill and coach
Brad Arthur.
In the days since the Eels went out of the finals in straight sets, losing 38-24 in dramatic fashion to Souths last weekend, Arthur has been under real pressure – somewhat unfairly, considering they were a
Mitchell Mosespenalty miss and a
Damien Cook non-sin binning from potentially playing in a preliminary final this week.
The core of the problem is the division between O’Neill and the coach, but the cracks at the club are threatening to grow. The players and the football department are on one side; O’Neill is on the other, with the support of the club’s executive.
Minor Premiers Penrith Panthers take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs for a place in the grand final against the Melbourne Storm.
No one at the club denies the Arthur-O’Neill rift – just the level of tension between the pair.
O’Neill has been in his role for two years and, in fairness, the Eels have had considerable success in that time. But they now want a premiership and Arthur knows where the drive to change his approach is coming from.
There was a line that got under his skin this week. “The team is not going to improve by doing another three laps of the oval,” an Eels official told me.
It’s pointed criticism, implying that Arthur’s old-school approach won’t deliver the ultimate prize and end the club’s 34-year premiership drought.
The criticism of Arthur came at a sensitive time for the club as it dealt with the stunning positive drugs test for veteran centre
Michael Jennings on the morning of last Saturday’s semi-final loss to the Rabbitohs. Jennings denies being a drug cheat and says he will fight to clear hisname.
The Eels think the next stage in their development will come from improving the team in a holistic sense. A major criticism of the Eels has been that they are fragile and get frazzled when the blowtorch is applied.
The club has done plenty of work in the area of mindfulness and mental strength. I had lengthy chats with
Ryan Mattersonthis year about the work he did in that area and his approach has been adopted by other players.
Perhaps part of the issue here is that Arthur, while allowing this work to go on, wasn’t driving it. O’Neill is a big believer in courses and development. He is a disciple of a man named
Shane McCurry, who has had success with Richmond in the AFL. McCurry is described as a “thought leader” and he clearly wants the Eels to be the Richmond Tigers of the NRL.
While Arthur is criticised for being too old-school and not taking on new ideas, O’Neill and the Eels football department are castigated throughout the NRL for being “too bureaucratic”. Their slow decision making and negotiating frustrates many. Managers say, along with Wests Tigers, they are the most cumbersome club to deal with.
Last year’s negotiations with club captain
Clint Gutherson were a case in point. Rightfully, Gutherson felt disrespected and he has proved himself to be their best player. It was not how their leader deserved to be treated and every signing the club makes is like pulling teeth.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/mi...world-of-state-of-origin-20201017-p56630.html
