Heavily backed and expected to roll the under-strength Penrith Panthers on Monday night football, the hapless Parramatta Eels crumbled without a whimper in one of the darkest nights in the club’s proud history.
The Sydney Roosters might have put 50 points on them in Round 4 but at least there was some effort and even the most hardy of Eels fans will tell you the Roosters were simply a class or two above them.
But last night was something different altogether.
Penrith were missing stars right across the paddock and fielded a makeshift 17. Usual starters like Lachlan Coote, Josh Mansour, Blake Austin, Wes Naiqama, James Roberts, Cameron Ciraldo and Brad Tighe were all out.
Parramatta had this one in the bag.
But nobody told the Panthers how this story was suppose to unfold.
Most experts had Parramatta winning and winning handsomely. Instead, the thousands of Eels fans that trekked to Centrebet Stadium were left to wallow for another week.
There might have been bigger defeats in the past but the 44-12 demolition at the hands of the Panthers is easily one of their worst losses since their inception in 1947.
The question isn’t how does coach Ricky Stuart get his team out of this mess, because nobody has that answer.
The question is how the hell has this club fallen so far?
So far, in fact, you have to compare this Parramatta side to some of the worst rugby league sides since the birth of the National Rugby League in 1998.
You can argue it isn’t fair comparing different teams from other eras.
Other sides might have lost more games on a more regular basis and may not have had superstars like Jarryd Hayne in their squad, but in this modern age you are expected to be a whole lot better than what was expected of sides from the past.
Are they worst than the 1999 Western Suburbs Magpies?
The Magpies won only three matches in ‘99 and gave up a whopping 944 points.
Parramatta, man to man, are a better team than that Wests side but that was a different time. The NRL in 1999 wasn’t the even playing field it is today.
The point is, the gap between the Magpies and the premier sides of that year compared to the distance between the Eels and the top sides of 2013 is the exactly the same – possibly even worse.
South Sydney Rabbitohs of 2003 recorded only three wins for the season too and conceded 758 points.
It’s a fait accompli Parramatta will win more than three games this year and they definitely won’t concede anywhere near the aforementioned teams. But the fact still remains the Eels are just as bad as any other side the NRL has seen since 1998.
Coach Stuart didn’t have much to say post-match. But what he did say would send shudders down the spines of all Parramatta fans.
“It’s embarrassing when your two best players are an 18 and 19 year old both learning how to play the game or play at first grade level.”
For Eels fans you could say the only way is up.
When the ascent begins however is anyone’s guess.
Brazza
Guest
Ricky Stuart is an issue here. Look at his coaching career. Won a premiership with the Graham Murray built Roosters, then proceeded to see them sink. Offered absolutely zero at the Sharks. Failed to produce results with NSW. Lost the World Cup with Australia and now this. He's always portrayed as a saviour but never backs it up. Non Eels fans were dancing in the street when he was appointed. But somehow he keeps getting the big jobs. Eels - I think the problem is not having read your coach's CV closely enough.
Tim G
Guest
I think the Eels team is better than you give credit. I'm a bulldogs fan and I believe there is just one player missing - a decent 5/8 who can take the pressure off Sandow who was only good when Sutton was beside him. Jayne must stay fullback he needs the freedom. If they find that they will be very competitive. Funny how you ripped them for losing to Penrith and then look what Penrith has done since! This article sounds ridiculous. You shouldn't speak too soon!
Garth Jones
Roar Rookie
I wonder it if also has something to do with them not wanting the turf torn up for the main match and possibly damaging the ankles/knees of the star nrl players
Garth Jones
Roar Rookie
Centre would be the position I would be putting him in.
Rayza
Guest
Sadly I was at Lang Park in 1997 when that Crushers team beat my Eels 23-6. And I thought that was as bad as it could get, more fool me.
josh
Guest
That Sharks team is not even in the same postcode as this Eels team. That side lost most of those games by the slimmest of margins, and they didn't have any of the game breakers this Eels side has (or should have).
Gareth
Roar Pro
I wouldn't say they're the worst side of the NRL era. Maybe they've got the worst attitude, the worst morale or worst coach, but there's a lot of talent there. With the right carrot or stick, they're capable of being that team that upsets the finals chances of the inevitable 4-5 teams that can just scrape into the eight. Of course, if there are rifts due cultural, religious or other deeply personal reasons, then maybe there's no carrot or stick big enough and the whole place needs a cleanout.
Trent
Guest
Every team can't go good.. They should just start looking forward to next year..
Michael Waldron
Roar Rookie
Definitely close to the worst team of the NRL era - worst team I've ever seen was the Crushers from 1997 or Wests in 1999.
Ronald M
Guest
How on earth can you know this stuff ? How can you possibly know that when Messers Slater, Cronk and Smith retire that the Storm won't make the eight or the top 4 or win the premiership ? How do you know whether Manly or the Storm won't have great youngsters coming forward to fill those gaps or won't recruit some great players from the ESL or won't simply poach the best that other clubs have right now ? You cannot possibly know that and stating it on a website won't make it so.
Pies&Beer
Guest
Parra will get their eventually and so will Panthers. Once the big three retire Storm will be struggling to make the 8, once Manly's pack retires they'll be in the same boat. If the youth in the west is brought through properly by the Eels and Panthers then they'll eventually be the heavyweight teams. Wasn't tht long ago that Souths were the laughing stock of the comp, now they're a real force. Takes time, patience and dedicated people willing to juggle it all.
Goondiwindi Grey
Guest
Bjt you've summed it up.As a coach you back your players, especially this early in the season, not turn up at a press conference and talk about them being an embarrassment, and tip buckets on your juniors by saying there's no one below to put pressure on the first graders. One week he blames the ref, next week he blames the players. Watch out Steve Kearney, you're next.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Well it was their last ever match as the Magpies. I was there and in all honesty there was probably more like 6,000 but it sounded like 20,000.
Elijah Weightman
Roar Guru
I disagree. The Cowboys team of 2008-2010 was far worse than this Parra side. We had Heggarty and Bani in the same lineup for crying out loud!
bjt
No doubt, he basically got the sack for questioning Hayne's effort. After 3 years of lack luster performances, it appears that they have backed the wrong horse. A thing parra are becoming masters at. The thing about Anderson is that he was a real coach, covering all bases. They discarded him for Kearney, a very very lacking and failed Bellamy clone and then the "passion" fueled Ricky, who players “would die for”... and why, because of his whinging about Queensland for two years and barely won 2 games, giving QLD a sixth and seventh series. Why would you pick a coach who gave up and abandoned his players on his last post at the sharks, wrote an article last year stating his "unbending loyalty" to players who let him down, got him the sack from the Roosters.... Why would you choose a man of such weak standings to lead your club out of trouble? Backing the wrong horse… regardless they've made their bed, but will they sleep in it? Unlikely they'll have a choice… What round until Ricky walks away?
B.A Sports
No, I was replying to the first poster (Nev) but didn't get the reply in the right spot. To reiterate that point for Nev the Eels won 35 games in a 10 year period from 1952-1961 including 8 wooden spoons. As for the comparison to Souths and Maggies sides, I get your point, the counter would be that in those more uneven comps, there should have been more weak teams that Souths and the Maggies would have been competitive against, but they weren't. There was six teams in the 99 season that finished with a for and against worse than -150 Here is the line-up from their last game of that 1999 season, i know it is only jibber, but I think that team is a fair bit worse than the one the Eels are trotting out. http://stats.rleague.com/rl/scorers/games/1999/199908290224.html I'm trying to work out how they got 7,500 to that last round 60-16 point loss!
NickF
Guest
But Ricky said he would be happy if the NSW Blues won one out of three. He got that so I guess he is a successful coach after all.
Dazz
Guest
Gus is from the old school he played when I did in the Penrith juniors, he knows about going from a raw teenager from local club footy and running out on game day of an NRL match in a panthers jumper from any grade. The thing about what I saw last night with Matt Moylan was his timing and positional play, you can not teach that you can only finess it and with that comes confidence. Compare that to what we saw with Cronulla's Ben Pomeroy's pass to Beau Ryan against the Bulldogs. Moylan makes Pomeroy look the rookie.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
And Manu is playing for the Panthers. He is OK but nothing to get too excited about.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Dazz You are so right. In fact Gus has made Penrith take over the Windsor Wolves and wants them playing back at Penrith Park to be part of the club again. He also believes it provides a proper development path for the players, something that was missing previously. Interesting to note that debutant Matt Moylan was an u20's player and was made to play a year in reserve grade, again part of Gus's philosophy on development. I really think that year helped him step up last night and give a good account of himself.