'Can't dislike him': Jurbo's candid, humble response to Blues question proves he's the perfect skipper
Jake Trbojevic opened up on what it meant to be given the Blues captaincy, admitting he was initially "overwhelmed" with the decision.
Parramatta coach Brad Arthur has refused to blame off-field distractions for his side’s decisive 36-14 loss against Brisbane.
After round 18, it came to light that the family of Eels playmaker Mitchell Moses had been targeted with death threats by two Sydney teenagers, who have since been identifiedby police.
Arthur’s future also became the subject of public speculation in the lead-up to the Broncos game when it was revealed his management had been in contact with a rival club, despite the coach’s Eels contract running until the end of 2024.
But Arthur said it had been business as usual in the lead-up to Thursday’s match against Brisbane.
“We prepared the same as we do every other week,” he said.
“(Distractions) didn’t play a part (in the loss).
“Once we get out there, in that 80 minutes, it doesn’t matter what has happened during the week.
“There are no excuses.”
The Eels had ample chances to work their way back into the contest but were consistently thwarted by strong edge defence and their own errors.
“We had so many opportunities to nail it and we didn’t,” said captain Clint Gutherson.
The Eels face five top eight sides in their last six games and are now a win and points differential out of the top four.
In the NRL era, no side has ever won the premiership having finished in the bottom half of the top eight but Arthur said his side could not focus on their ladder position on the run home.
“We can’t be worrying about where we’re finishing,” he said.
“We’ve got to worry about each week.”
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