Pressure was building on Michael Hagan the moment he signed on to coach a Parramatta Eels side with arguably the most gifted, yet inconsistent of playing rosters in the NRL.
After winning a premiership with the Newcastle Knights in his first year as coach, Hagan seemed the perfect replacement for then departing Eels mentor Brian Smith – the two swapping roles, with Smith heading to the Hunter and Hagan going to Parramatta.
When he arrived at the Eels, a man of Hagan’s coaching reputation was expected to guide Parramatta to a premiership. The players at the club were full of international experience, while some of the younger brigade were filled with talent.
Hagan had at his disposal potentially more to work with than he ever did at the Knights. Indeed, he would oversee and bring in potential superstars such as Jarryd Hayne, Krisnan Inu and Feleti Mateo into a team deemed real premiership material.
In his first year in charge, Hagan nearly brought long-suffering Eels fans an elusive Grand Final birth, eventually falling just one game short against the eventual premiers the Melbourne Storm.
And when one says just short, Hagan was very close in achieving mission impossible.
Playing a Storm side at the Telstra Dome in a Preliminary final was considered one of the hardest finals road trips ever.
But Hagan’s Eels nearly pulled off a significant coup with Parramatta matching their opponents right up until a disallowed try to Krisnan Inu broke their backs.
The loss severely dented Hagan’s resolve.
When league’s centenary year rolled around, Hagan and his Eels did not even qualify for the finals series, finishing the season a disappointing eleventh, a far cry from the rosy predictions cast before.
Again Parramatta underachieved, and Michael Hagan was left to wonder how on earth he could continue leading one of the most frustrating clubs in the NRL.
In the end, he couldn’t.
After coaching a team that can drive even the most hardened of souls to tears, good and bad, Hagan simply had enough.
In the end, he cited family and health issues as his reasons for departing the Eels coaching position, in the process sacrificing a $300,000 dollar payout check.
But at a club as inconsistent as Parramatta, no one can blame Hagan for deciding to return to a lifestyle far more secure than any Eels performance in 2008.
Souths fans will get another new halves pairing this weekend with Jack Wighton finally named in at five-eighth and Cody Walker moved to halfback…
Harry Grant clearly isn't too concerned for his Storm and Maroons teammate!
Eels prop Joe Ofahengaue was driven ten metres across the pitch and dumped over the sideline as Melbourne stamped a thumping 48-16 win.
The Eels couldn't even win a surefire Captain's Challenge against the Storm in a horror show.
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Munster was ruled out of the remained of the game with the Channel Nine pundits immediately casting their attention to the upcoming Origin series.
