The Eels are long-time losers of the ARL/NRL era of rugby league.
They have never even won a modern premiership, and thus they have never tasted victory when the stakes have been highest.
The club has remained forever impotent in the modern, fully professional and national epoch.
Of course, the Titans and Warriors have also never won a premiership among the existing clubs. These are expansion clubs with less concrete resources and without the lofty expectations historically.
The Eels are privileged historically as a prehistoric heartland super club, perpetually hyped by the NSW media advancing their folklore legends of the past.
In the last Eels’ premierships, which were semi-professional local competitions, there were no dominating Broncos, Cowboys or even Knights, for instance.
Comparable Queensland teams could have beat them in 1981, ’82, ’83 and ’86. Even the Sharks and new merged teams like the Dragons and Tigers have captured glory in the modern epoch.
Any Eels fans objecting to this reality must ask themselves would anyone but a deluded fanatic argue that the pre-Origin interstate battles between Queensland and NSW were equivalent to the glorious State of Origin victories of either state? Arthur Beetson was even playing heroically for NSW.
Even when the Eels last won, the players were semi-professional. The Eels’ glory existed when it was not ARL or NRL, and all the players worked full-time. Peter Sterling himself even worked at the leagues club and ran bingo halls full-time.
Is Brad Arthur the man to direct this organisation toward its maiden glory in the professional, full-time, modern powerhouse era? Or will he continue to deliver mediocrity not up to the standard of the modern NRL?
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
A classic Parramatta Eels joke perfectly captures their compounding pressure – a pressure felt heaviest by head coach Brad Arthur.
The Eels supporter says “we are told that the premiership glory is already seen at the horizon. What then is a horizon?”
Brad Arthur says “horizon is an imaginary line, which moves away each time you approach it.”
Unfortunately for the Eels, is Brad Arthur not a classic example of the famous Peter principle?
The Peter principle argues a competent employee will end up in a position of incompetence eventually. This outcome is inevitable, given enough time and enough positions in the hierarchy to which competent employees may be promoted.
Is the formerly great assistant coach Brad Arthur not a perfect example?
The Peter principle famously states a competent worker (or coach in Arthur’s case) will earn a promotion to a position requiring different skills.
Which promotion could be greater than from assistant coach to the head honcho as head coach? It is something requiring a whole new set of skills.
If this promotion provides an incompetent worker at the new level, then they will not be promoted again.
Self-described academic Anthony Seibold was a clear example of the Peter principle manifested in a candidate failing to live up to their hype as the initial objective choice.
Can Arthur escape his Peter principle fate and deliver glory? Only the Parramatta faithful believe so.
matth
Roar Guru
Brisbane did win it one year, despite having to travel south for the mid week games. The wynnum team of 1984 was a gun team and there were attempts to have them play the Bulldogs that year in a ‘Superbowl’.
matth
Roar Guru
I must be old. I still see 1986 as the modern era!
Kerry Hanson
Guest
But you seem to have little trouble keeping track of the Roosters finances, even though you have no access to them.
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
if they have Sivo on one wing and the Semi on the other they’d be in with a chance
Carlos Marrickvillian
Roar Rookie
As if the rabbits aren’t cheating the cap. They’ll get done for it soon enough. Bunnies choked in the finals last year.
The Sporacle
Roar Rookie
Nope, like them but not my team :stoked:
andrew
Roar Rookie
Thanks Dwayne. That explains a lot of the bonehead bosses I've worked with over the years. I presume it's the norm in politics.
Ben Lewis
Roar Pro
Brad Arthur arrived at the club at a time when we looked hopeless, and felt worse. Kearney in 2011-2012 gave us a 15th and 16th placed finish, and Stuart gave us another 16th placed finish after sacking half our players and then high-tailing it like an utter coward when the going got tough. Brad Arthur arrived and in 2014 we only missed out on the finals by one game. Since he took over we've made the finals in three out of seven years under his guidance, including two top-four finishes but we haven't made it past week two of the finals since 2009. I can only assume the club is afraid of slipping back to the cellar like we did under Kearney and Stuart to risk moving Arthur on and finding a new coach. I don't think he is a bad coach by any means, but we have definitely underachieved in the past few years. He has done a lot of good for us over seven years and taken us back into top-four territory but I'm starting to get the feeling he isn't quite good enough to get us pressing for the final Sunday of the year. I've been fairly reluctant to call for his sacking over the last few years, but we really do need to start pushing and aiming for higher than being eliminated in the semi finals. If we don't make the preliminary finals this year at a minimum, I think I'll want him replaced.
Kick n Clap
Guest
Short Answer -NO.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi no one. Do you mean ‘beaten’ rather then ‘better’?
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Yep, yep, yep Forty. Jumping straight into this Parra team (not next year and buying and selling players), how would Bennet, Bellamy go? Put Brad at the Easts. Put Morris at East or Storm and I beat his couching stats success goes up. But a good couch is all more then that though, a good, good one can help build a top club also. It’s all part of ‘the wonder’. Lol. Getting those ‘proven’ couches is tough.
King in the north
Roar Rookie
Anything is possible. However, on this question, nope.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi andrew. I not a brain but it named after a guy with surname Peter who came up with it and sort of is ‘if you work in a sandwich shop and your the top sandwich maker, being the best helps you get a promotion. In the new role your rubbish, hopeless at the books and man management, hopeless at the pressure of running the business. You got promoted based on your success in previous job.’ A description that crack me up is someone in this is at a ‘level of incompetence’. Lol.
Malo
Guest
If their halves improve they can win it but it is hard to get pass the Storm.
Retro Rabbit
Roar Rookie
I can only hope mate. But then who could I engage in banter with? :stoked:
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Be easier if we were all Rabbitohs , no??
Retro Rabbit
Roar Rookie
Souvalis? Yeah, he set me straight on that already. The Sporacle is a Panther, yes? It's hard to keep track sometimes jimmmy.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
I think he's a Sharkies man.
andrew
Roar Rookie
Excuse my ignorance Sports Lover but what's this Peter principle,not being a captain of industry.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
preparing myself for the worst but hoping for the best.