The clean slate the Eels needed

There’s no doubt that in the last two years you’ve read an article about how Parramatta can’t afford a player because they have no room in the cap.

A series of small recruitment and retention errors over a number of years by previous coaches and administrators eventually saw nearly one million dollars tied up in players no longer at the club in 2014.

Whether it was signing an older player for far too much and then moving him on, or too hastily upgrading a junior, the Eels managed to strangle themselves.

Throw in former fullback Jarryd Hayne who was, in his final contract, earning close to a million dollars a season, and the Eels couldn’t afford anyone of repute.

That was until the current administration moved in and began balancing the cheque book.

From outside looking in, it looks as though Parramatta is working on a Moneyball theory.

If you didn’t see the 2011 movie of the same name, Moneyball refers to a mathematical formula that American baseball team the Oakland Athletics used to build a competitive team on a restricted budget.

With Hayne moving on and many of the former players’ contracts expiring, the Eels freed up more than a million dollars for the 2015 season. This is where the club has cashed in. They’ve bought players to fill a specific role, rather than just buying players for the sake of it.

The forwards were where the Eels struggled this season. With an inexperienced and an injury-hit pack, the blue and gold forwards struggled to back-up week in, week out.

Nathan Peats was out for half the season with a knee injury, Manu Ma’u too suffered a season-ending arm injury, Pauli Pauli experienced burn-out come the end of the year, and it was obvious the side lacked an experienced head in the forwards.

Now you look at Parramatta’s recruitment and retention for 2015. Anthony Watmough is the obvious stand-out. If he were to play all four seasons at 20 games or more per season, he’d become the most capped player in rugby league history.

Richie Fa’aoso also brings plenty of experience to the side, with Watmough saying that Manly could’ve done with his services this season.

Danny Wicks is another. After doing time for drug trafficking, the former Dragon and Knight is now a solid ball of muscle with something to prove. He knows it’s his only shot at redemption.

Another issue for the side in 2014 was their centres. When Willie Tonga and Will Hopoate went down injured, they had very few players to call on to fill the void.

With Tonga moving on and Hopoate likely to play fullback, the Eels bought premiership winning centre Beau Champion, and former Titan Brad Takairangi.

Ken Sio has also left, so entering the blue and gold fold is Reece Robinson. The Canberra flyer has played both fullback and wing, an able replacement for a talented and underrated player in Sio.

As with any side that has bought a raft of new players, some time will be taken for those players to settle. However, these players have been bought to fill gaps, not just to spend money for the sake of it.

Guys such as Fa’aoso, Wicks and Champion want to prove their worth and to show they can get the job done.

The clean slate that good financial management and Hayne’s departure has provided will see the Eels benefit in the years to come.