How Parramatta Eels lost three of their brightest young stars from junior pathways system in retention disaster
Parramatta finally got their junior pathways on the right track, only to be derailed by their own retention demons that have seen three of their most promising juniors walk out and leave the club reeling.
This was meant to be Parramatta’s Penrith moment.
A production line of outstanding homegrown talent with the potential of forming the core of an NRL premiership-winning dynasty.
Instead, the Eels have lost them all in a horror six-week stretch.
Blaize Talagi, Matt Arthur and Ethan Sanders represented the Eels’ bright future when they won the under-19s SG Ball grand final 15 months ago.
They were so prodigiously talented, they were all fast-tracked to make their NRL debuts this season.
Now, none of the impressive teenagers will be wearing blue and gold next year.
Fans deserve to be furious at how the Eels could allow three of their most promising juniors to leave the club.
And fearful about who could be next.
The pain of owning rugby league’s longest current premiership drought was only dulled by faith in a golden generation of youngsters coming through the ranks to try and end 38 years of pain. A barren run made worse by watching bitter local rivals Penrith charge to three straight titles, with a fourth beckoning.
Now, ending the 1986 hoodoo is even further away.
PATHWAYS TO NOWHERE
Almost a decade ago, the Eels made a commitment to fix their broken pathways system that had failed to mobilise their massive junior base.
While Penrith blooded Nathan Cleary, Stephen Crichton, Jarome Luai, Brian To’o and Spencer Leniu into first grade, the Eels’ nursery was failing to turn elite talent into first graders.
The likes of Will Penisini and Sean Russell gave cause for optimism.
The great hope, though, was the 2023 SG Ball class featuring Talagi, Arthur and Sanders, as well as Richard Penisini, Charlie Guymer, Sam Tuivati, Saxon Pryke and Te Hurinui Twidle.
So the Eels got their pathways on the right track, only to be derailed by their retention demons.
Rival clubs, on Wednesday, expressed surprise at how the Eels let their brightest young prospects hit the open market at the same time when they were ready for first grade.
SIX WEEKS OF HELL
Talagi, on Wednesday, informed Eels officials he wouldn’t be taking up a long-term offer with the club, having earlier rejected the player option in his contract for next season.
Instead, he will link up with the Panthers. In a cruel twist, Talagi will still play his home games at CommBank Stadium next season when Penrith share the venue with Parramatta while their own BlueBet Stadium undergoes an upgrade.
The revelation comes a week after young hooker Arthur was granted permission to negotiate with rival clubs “on compassionate grounds”, in the wake of his father, Brad Arthur, being sacked as head coach two months earlier.
In June, Canberra announced they had signed exciting young halfback Sanders on a three-year deal that’s been mooted for some time, after his path to regular NRL at the Eels was blocked by incumbent halves Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown.
THE ARTHUR EFFECT
Did the Eels fail to assess the risks, and not do enough to mitigate the fallout from within the playing group, of their decision to sack coach Brad Arthur in May?
It was never going to sit well with his son, Matt, who is seen as a long-term NRL hooker — a problem position for the Eels ever since Reed Mahoney defected to Canterbury.
Add to that, Matt Arthur and the departing Talagi are close.
In fairness, Sanders was Canberra-bound before Arthur was sacked.
THE TRBOJEVICS OF PARRA
The Talagi family are as Parramatta as it gets.
Blaize and his brother, Ryda, are Cabramatta juniors. Their dad, Byron, coached there.
Ryda is an impressive young prop in the Eels’ Harold Matthews side, and he’s now expected to follow his older sibling out the door.
This would be like Manly watching local juniors Jake and Tom Trbojevic quit the club before they became superstars.
X MARKS THE VACANT SPOT
The Eels underwent a failed search for an x-factor last year, with the likes of the Gold Coast’s Jayden Campbell and Canterbury’s Josh Addo-Carr linked with a move to Parramatta to provide the backline with spark.
They since discovered they had one right under their noses in Talagi the whole time.
Now he’s Penrith’s x-factor.
A WHOLE NEW RETENTION ISSUE
The Eels defended themselves from critics when they were unable to keep 2022 grand final stars Isaiah Papali’i, Marata Niukore and Reed Mahoney from cashed-up rivals.
But the decision of Talagi, Arthur and Sanders to walk wasn’t financial, and points to bigger issues at the club that should have supporters concerned.
Could they have been prevented?
Sanders is an outstanding young halfback, but he’s not about to oust Moses from the No.7 jumper.
When Brad Arthur was sacked, insiders were adamant Matt Arthur would want out, despite being contracted until the end of next year.
Talagi can play five-eighth, centre or fullback with ease. The Eels offered him a substantial deal for a 19-year-old with only 13 NRL games to his name, with plans on him being the long-term No.1 and shifting captain Clint Gutherson to the centres.
They are furious with Talagi’s decision, given the lengths they went to satisfy the teenager.
So why was incoming coach Jason Ryles unable to convince the local junior of a bright future at Parramatta?
The Eels have a challenging relationship with Talagi’s agent, Isaac Moses. But that hasn’t stopped them working out deals with some of his other clients, including their Origin-winning halfback, Mitch Moses.
Eels fans will look enviously at how clubs like Melbourne have been able to keep their young brigade at the club and happy, despite the likes of Sua Faalogo, Jonah Pezet and Tyran Wishart having limited opportunities behind established Storm stars.
WHERE TO NOW?
It’s hard to imagine, but things could get worse for Parramatta.
The first of two out clauses in Brown’s contract comes next season, with another for 2028. The New Zealand five-eighth has until Round 10 to inform Parramatta whether he will take up his deal beyond 2025, or if he walks away from the club.
That would be a disaster for the Eels.
The other issue now comes back to x-factor, their fullback and an ageing squad.
There will be no plans to shift Gutherson now because they don’t have anyone capable of filling that role to the same high standard.
Zac Lomax arrives on a four-year deal from St George Illawarra, but the Eels were envisaging him and Talagi in the same backline.
The Eels still have a number of good young talents coming through.
Charlie Guymer impressed in his recent NRL debut before injury ended his season.
Parramatta have high hopes for forward pair Sam Tuivati and Saxon Pryke, and outstanding fullback/half Te Hurinui Twidle could be a special talent.
But the reality is the challenge to end the longest premiership drought in the competition just got a whole lot harder.
And they could still finish 2024 with the wooden spoon.
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