The pressure on embattled Parramatta Eels coach Stephen Kearney is mounting, with his team anchored to the bottom of the NRL table.
The situation surrounding big-money signing Chris Sandow is approaching a farce. First Sandow wanted to head home to Cherbourg for the weekend, then he was told to play in the NSW Cup.
A shoulder injury prevented him from playing for Wentworthville that time, but he missed the Eels’ next game against Wests Tigers after making an appearance for the NSW Cup side. He was seen in the stands laughing as Parramatta were pumped by the Tigers, but later the Eels got their act together in the last 20 minutes and salvaged some pride.
But they remain on just one win from nine games this season, clear last on the ladder.
Kearney’s record now stretches to just seven wins from 32 games since he took over as coach of Parramatta. The Eels face Canterbury in a local derby this Friday, another club in desperate need of the two points. Sandow has been named to come off the bench.
Then comes this strange and antagonistic piece in The Daily Telegraph – http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/NRL/parramatta-coach-steve-kearney-refuses-to-expand-on-problems-affecting-star-recruit-chris-sandow/story-e6frexnr-1226344123314 – yesterday.
What it revealed is that Kearney is really feeling the heat, and is struggling to get the Eels out of the hole they are in. He appears as a man without ideas. Some of his decisions, like the dropping of Luke Burt, giving Nathan Hindmarsh half a game and the chopping-and-changing handling of Sandow have been surprising to say the least.
In the story, Jarryd Hayne says Parramatta played the last 20 minutes against the Tigers without fear. The inference is that Kearney has them playing them too conservatively, too structured, too Melbourne-like. It is true that Parramatta had great success with its ad-lib style – it got them to the 2009 grand final against the Storm.
Will we see that style from the Eels again?
Kearney needs to get his selections right, and dropping Ben Roberts is a good call. But putting everything on Sandow to be the Eels saviour is the not right way to go about it. One man cannot lift Parramatta that far.
If the Eels lose to the Dogs on Friday, or rather they don’t turn up for 60 minutes of the game like they did against Wests, then their 2012 season is probably over. Will the club’s board be happy to write off 2012 already? How much more time does Kearney have?
The clock is ticking.
Follow John on Twitter: @ johnnyddavidson
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