The pressure of six losses finally took its toll on Stephen Kearney on Sunday, the Parramatta coach admitting he’s fed up with his team’s performances after watching them lose to Cronulla 24-18 at Toyota Stadium.
The Eels genuinely looked in the contest right up until the final whistle – largely because of an outstanding game by fullback Jarryd Hayne – but Kearney admitted it was difficult to find positives after yet another defeat.
That they were still a chance to force extra-time until the last play of the game didn’t impress the coach either.
“In terms of being proud of them in defeat … I’d love to be sitting here and telling you I am. But I’m not,” Kearney said after the match.
Hayne did everything he possibly could to haul the Eels back into the game after they’d fallen behind 18-6 in the first half, with the Sharks scoring through Matthew Wright, Jason Bukuya and Ben Pomeroy.
The 24-year-old, having scored the opening try of the match, turned provider by executing a magnificent flick pass for Cheyse Blair’s try and then levelled the scores at 18-18 right on halftime when he completed his double.
While Hayne was brilliant, Kearney said he remained disappointed with the output of most of his squad through the first seven rounds of the season, suggesting there were only half a dozen who could be proud of how they’ve performed.
And that short list does not include high-priced recruit Chris Sandow, who was hooked with ten minutes to play as he struggled with a shoulder injury.
“With the game in the balance and the situation that it was, I wanted to make a call to pull him off,” Kearney said.
“He was carrying an injury and he’d been down on the ground a couple of times with it.
“… He’s probably part of a team that is struggling for a bit of form at the moment.
“I’m disappointed in how the whole team is going and obviously Chris is a part of it.
“He can contribute a lot more to the team than he is at the moment.
“It’s not just him. We’re a team here (and) we’re battling at the minute.”
Cronulla defended grimly and had enough class to get over the line thanks mostly to five-eighth Todd Carney, who threw a perfect cut out pass for Stewart Mills to score the only try of the second half, ensuring the win.
Cronulla moved into the top four with their first five-game winning streak since 2008, but skipper Paul Gallen is demanding more.
“It’s not really an outstanding thing to our playing group,” Gallen said.
“We knew from our pre-season … we’d be in this situation and now it’s just up to us to start to handle it.”
Eels skipper Nathan Hindmarsh was equally downcast about the game, lamenting their inability to score at the end when they had countless sets on the Sharks tryline.
“It is two weeks in a row where we’ve lost games we easily should have won,” he said.
Hansie
Guest
You got your wish. Sandow will be playing NSW Cup this weekend.
kiwidave
Guest
You could pretty much swap the subject and object of that headline and it would still make sense.
mfree
Guest
go on do it kearney stand down and do the players a favour. the world will see on friday that its not the players fault but the coaches in the anzac test, cause with the quality in the nz squad he cant blame the players like does with parra players so i would love to hear his excuse 4 y the kiwis WILL get beaten, cause judging his 7 wins from 30 games record in the nrl and the mess he made last year with nz squad getting flogged by eng 36-0 without wayne bennett by his side its destined to be another flogging for new zealand as long as he is coach.
PLANKO
Guest
GO on do it Kearney drop SANDOW to play for Wentworth LOL !!!
Paul
Guest
i wonder if its just there isnt the talent to warrent 16 teams. Personall i would like to see a 12 team competition with each team playing against each other twice. I dont know which teams should go except they should all be from NSW, IMO the following teams should make one Club. Dogs and Eels Panthers and Tigers Roosters and Rabbitohs Dragons and Sharks The quality of footy is making me lose interset, i use to watch all games but now i only watch the good teams when they play each other and my team. I know this wont happen but Rugby League is Stale atm.
steve b
Guest
yeh i bet the match tribunal dosent bring that up
steve b
Guest
Spot on Justin
Gareth
Guest
Headed out to Shark Park to watch yesterday and was surprised to have a game as close as it was. Lots of tension in the air right up until the final siren. Haven't seen anything in the media about Paul Gallen swinging a full blooded kick at Mitch Allgood's face though. I thought Gallen had supposedly gotten that rubbish out of his game but apparently he's just more aware of when the cameras aren't on him.
Cicero
Guest
It's a disgrace that someone of the calibre of Nathan Hindmarsh has to spend his final season with a team of non performers like this current mob. Perhaps he could be made an honorary member of a decent team and play his remaining games surrounded by players of quality and commitment befitting his status in the game. He deserves no less and his current predicament is no way for a champion to go.
Justin Mc
Guest
Kearney is an inexperienced head coach and the loosing habit the team has become accustomed too starts and finishes with him. Daniel Anderson was a proven winning coach who could see out a tough time due to the confidence that came from experience. Unfortunately Kearney is a Roo in the headlights at the moment and does not have the answers as he has panic written all over his coaching, panic due to not being able to call on past success to get the team out of this funk. In my opinion the Eels are a top 8 squad on paper. Hayne, Hindmarsh, Burt, Sandow, Tonga, Matuai, Moi Moi, Roberts, Mannah and Poore have all been tried and proven preformers, the problem isn't the ingredients, its the chef!! Time to go coach........
steve b
Guest
Well Mr Kearney why dont you bring back a few of our old players who just might add some spark Luke Burt the shack and the like he called you a f... wit on twitter - was he right? What do these guys need to do to get a run , your whinging every week but you change nothing .Burt is a strike player has proved he can score points but he is continually overlooked why the fans would like to know . Points are what we need yet Kearney leaves the tried and proven for the ones who are not performing .Whats the go at Parra.