No team can win an NRL premiership without a certain indefinable X-factor and Parramatta still don’t seem to have that spark.
The Eels are called electric by headline writers often when they peel off a win but while the cliche is convenient, it is not necessarily the case for Brad Arthur’s team.
Statistics show that Parramatta have been a very good team but they lack the ability to strike when in the opposition red zone that separates the teams who make up the numbers in the finals from the true trophy contenders.
Even a relatively dour premiership-winning team like Cronulla’s squad of grinders in 2016 still had an unpredictable element in the form of fullback Ben Barba.
On the back of a quality running game and Mitchell Moses’ raking kicks, the Eels didn’t have trouble getting into attacking positions during last season’s campaign which came up short in the second week of the finals when they were edged out 8-6 by eventual premiers Penrith.
Parra were first in the NRL for runs per game with 173.4 as well as kicks (22), second for metres gained via the boot (603) and third for running metres at a 1522 average behind the Panthers and Melbourne.
They trailed only Penrith (31.7) for the amount of times tackled in the opposition 20 at 30.7 but when it came to the crunch, they couldn’t get across the stripe as consistently as the big dogs.
Parramatta were ranked seventh for points (23.1), tries (4.1) and tackle breaks (33), eighth for line breaks (4.7) and ninth for line engagements (34.7).
They also struggled to put points on the board when they received a six-again call, ranking 15th overall.
Their strength was putting the ball through the hands – they were second overall for general play passes (109.6), offloads (12.4) and metres gained from them (86.6).
But it looks like they need some lateral thinking to stop sending the ball sideways in attack.
Arthur has an almost identical roster in 2022. Their only new recruits are Raiders utility back Bailey Simonsson and veteran Titans hooker Mitch Rein with winger Blake Ferguson (released) the only regular first-grader not still in blue and gold.
The spine is steady, which is a strength and a weakness, with fullback Clint Gutherson, five-eighth Dylan Brown, Moses and hooker Reed Mahoney.
Gutherson is an all-out performer, Moses is skilful with pass and kick while Mahoney will tackle himself to a standstill. They are what they are at this stage of their careers and Arthur is unlikely to get anything different from that trio in 2022.
Brown’s development could be where the Eels get their attacking boost. Although he has played 54 NRL games, the Kiwi playmaker is still only 21 and only just entering his prime years.
Will Penisini at centre also brings hope for Parra fans hoping this will be the year to break the club’s 36-year title drought.
Paulo: I re-watched our knockout final 20 times ????
???? https://t.co/0IJcatJ5nW#PARRAdise
— Parramatta Eels (@TheParraEels) February 10, 2022
The local junior was a schoolboy star at The King’s School alongside Roosters prodigy Joseph Suaalii and represented NSW under 18s in 2019 alongside the likes of Manly’s Josh Schuster and Dragons halfback Jayden Sullivan.
He was blooded in five games last season and the 19-year-old is another rising star who could help Parra get over the hump after exits at the semi-final stage in four of the past five years.
With several players, including Mahoney, forwards Isaiah Papali’i, Marata Niukore and Ray Stone, heading elsewhere in 2023 this season is one where the Eels might as well throw some caution to the wind as it could be their best chance to win a title in the foreseeable future.
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