Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur seems to be a good guy who means well, and many current and ex-players regard him as a first-class coach.
But is that really the case?
Many ‘nice guys’ have coached at NRL level. Think Steve Price, Michael Potter, Matthew Elliott and David Furner as four recent examples. But when it came to coaching, as a whole, these nice guys failed (though Furner did take the Raiders to a finals series in 2012).
Those four coaches have a winning percentage ranging from 35 per cent to 43 per cent.
Brad Arthur currently has a 44 per cent winning rate.
Last year he had the best player in the game, Jarryd Hayne, as well as several other representative players, including Will Hopoate. Yet with a strong squad the Eels finished 10th on the ladder.
They recruited well in the off season, most notably with premiership, Origin and international player Anthony Watmough brought in to glue together a powerful yet sometimes fragile forward pack.
Yet six rounds into the 2015 season, I am worried about the Eels.
Apart from wins against an out-of-form Manly side and springing a surprise over Souths, they have been pathetic, in particular their last two weeks against the Tigers and then the Titans, who have the obvious off-field dramas to deal with.
Their efforts have been meek, with no spirit, no heart and no desire. When the going gets tough, the tough get going: that just doesn’t seem to resonate with the Eels. It’s this inconsistency that has plagued this club since 2005.
Their next two months of football are against quality opposition, and it wouldn’t be a total shock if they lost the remainder of their games before the bye round, which would leave them at 2-12. If that eventuates, then the blow torch will well and truly be on Arthur, who really hasn’t done a great deal as a first-grade coach, albeit in a relatively short career.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Eels board does with Arthur. Do they give him this year and judge him after next year with the prized recruit of Kieran Foran, or do they act on the 2015 results?
The way they are playing at the moment, the latter option could well be taken.
Adam Page
Roar Guru
So far, so good...
peeeko
Guest
i dont think anyone picked parra to make the 8, i think they are going better than expected
fazed
Guest
That is the core situation, prior to the injuries they were still going sideways & actually doing ok. There is something wrong with their real commitment to concentrate for the 80minutes, injuries aside they are not playing good enough for a team that has the so called quality in them. The aspect of Fa’aoso being delayed in having a clearance still does not mean the other players can not perform as expected of first graders. From what I have seen with Norman they would not have won any games, would not mind seeing him tried at half with Matterson at 5/8.
E-Meter
Guest
The injury situation is obviously a factor, but there are a few other clubs in the same situation and putting in, ie. Penrith. We have been playing terribly. That is at the core of it. Both in defence and attack. Too much sideways rubbish when we have the ball. The losses will keep piling up if that is the way we are going to play.
Parrafan
Guest
Don't forget the NRL stuffing us around in regard to Richie Fao'oso who looked very good for Wenty last weekend.
Chop
Roar Guru
I think we've been unlucky with injuries so far....especially in the outside backs. When you have to play over half a game with Gower and Ma'u in the centres you are in trouble. At the start of the season I thought we'd finish between 6-12 on the ladder depending on injuries. Then Parra lost 3 before the season started, another 2 wingers long term injured and we don't have the depth to cover that. Plus Reece Robinson has been a passenger because of injuries in other games. When you look at the list below all bar Pritchard and maybe Toutai would be in the starting lineup Brad Takairangi (knee, round eight), Semi Radradra (knee, round eight), Beau Champion (ACL, season), Kenny Edwards (ACL, season), Kaysa Pritchard (pectoral, season), Junior Paulo (suspension, round 11), Vai Toutai (ankle, round 12)
Kirk
Guest
The Titans are no where near as bad as what people think and the NRL is a comp where any team can beat any other team on their day. I think the Eels will finish around 7-12, which is expected after losing their most important player of the last 20 years.
fazed
Guest
One thing I forgot to mention is that I have concerns with the appoitment of Daniel Anderson to a position that puts him in a position of authority within the football club, while he may have the abilities in the specific area of his appoitment he still has coaching ambitions & could be a destabilising infulence. Sadly the world of board discontent that at least ended for several years when Fitzegerald was elected as emporer is now returning as the emperor is still raging.
Parra
Guest
I agree with this article and would go further a say parra will not make the finals. Something is not right with the club. It could be an inexperienced ceo, a dysfunctional board, poor relations between coach and football dept or simply Arthur is not suitable? Who knows. The Titans with all their off field problems thrashed parra, it's a worry going forward.
fazed
Guest
To me its early days but, I have to admit to concerns not just for this year but for next as well, especially with the repeat of previous outlays on old player signings. The signing of Watmough should have worked to lift the young players but, I sense he still is to fit in with the new club & players around him, but I worry about his age & for 4 years, Hindmarsh did it to an extent & like Moi Moi their last years or two were not up to their standards. Reports have Scott on contracts for 2 & 3 years, I hope the former is true, the prospect of another player who will end up with judiciary issues is also a concern, just as it with Lussick, if he goes we lose a younger prop for one all but at retirement & both with brain explosion problems. Now we have Fa’aoso at retirement age, the signing of Scott for next year & as mentioned above the return of a failed recruitment a short few years back, when the signings dropped out in rapid succession. I worry regarding the 2nd full year losses of Pritchard & Edwards, both on reasonable contracts but where do they fit in? They might be younger but injury prone. I would rather see a concentration of lifting the likes of Pauli & Moeroa to the main team, even if it means some losses the grooming of youth is a better option for the future. Hopefully though with the return of some of the players from injury soon things may lift, but there is certainly a brittleness around the edges, which reflects a lack of depth, or is it desire.
Hamish WIlliams
Roar Rookie
Of course having 8 first graders out and two players on the edges with 5 nrl games (Folau, Fairimo) doesn't help. I'll wait till the end of the season to judge. I'll just add if you look at our loses, against the Bulldogs we had four plays leave the field injured, with Radradra unable to come back on. Against Warriors we had 3 players concussed. Against Tigers, through necessity we started with a 2nd rower at centre, and our other centre went off concussed forcing another 2nd rower to play centre on the other side. I'll expect a big turn around as Takaraingi, Radradra,and Moeroa make their way back from injury and Junior Paulo back from suspension.
Tom G
Guest
When the likes of Watmough and Foran came out and stated that they wanted to go to Parramatta to take their game to a higher level under Brad Arthur I thought he may have gone off a little early. At best he is an honest toiler and whilst the Sea Eagles may well be in a world of hurt right now that is exactly where the Eels have a far more regular spot. No amount of throwing money at getting new players is the answer for a club that should be right up there every year. The really successful Eels sides during the 70's and 80's were built from the ground up by genuinely good coaches Fearnley and Gibson. Arthur is a competent second fiddle at this stage of his career being propped up by a cheque book
FrozenNorth
Guest
I said it at the beginning of the year, on paper I do not have this team in the 8. They look VERY similar to last year in the forwards, all size, power, flash and no grit. As a result we bleed points and when we lose we lose big. We need more workers in the pack, guys that do the tough yards and fight in the trenches so to speak. On a related note, i would let Sandow go, if they re-sign him we are back to where we started a few years back.