You have to admire the Parramatta Eels fans. I certainly do.
They just keep turning up to support their team, year after year, without ever expecting to win another premiership. I guess they are just enjoying the journey?
For those who can remember, the last time they won a premiership was 1986. Bob Hawke was our Prime Minister, Allan Border captained our cricket team with an iron fist, and a blonde long-haired Peter Sterling was working his magic in the No.7 blue and gold jersey.
Parramatta got the job done that year on the back of a great roster including Sterling, Brett Kenny, Ray Price, Mick Cronin and Eric Grothe, defeating an emerging Bulldogs team 4-2 in a real slug-fest. Now, fast forward 36 years, and the blue and gold army are waiting patiently for another premiership.
Hawke passed away three years ago, Sterling doesn’t have a hair on his head, and Border’s now peddling blood circulation aids for the elderly.
The closest the Eels have got to winning another premiership since the days of the VL Holden Commodore was in 2001 when they were run down in the grand final by Andrew Johns’ Newcastle side, and then eight years later in 2009, when they were robbed by the creative accountants at the duplicitous Melbourne Storm.
Parramatta have had nine coaches since John Monie led them to a premiership in 1986, and seen nearly 400 players come and go.
Current coach Brad Arthur is now coming to the end of his ninth year at the helm and he has two more years after this year, but just how well have Parramatta performed under him? What have the Parramatta fans got to show for it?
The short answer to that question is three fifths of bugger all. The lowlight under his tenure, of course, was the 2018 wooden spoon, but even the highlights would leave most fans empty and wanting more.
Finals appearances in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021 looked good on paper, however the Eels failed to capitalise, and were eliminated in the semi-finals on each occasion. Last season they made it as far as the semi-finals, before being pipped 8-6 by eventual premiers Penrith.
It’s almost as if making the top eight is the ultimate goal, rather than winning the premiership.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Now, in 2022, a familiar theme is playing out for the blue and gold army. After finishing in a creditable fourth place on the ladder, and potentially just two games away from a grand final appearance, they’ve been blown off the park by the reigning premiers in a second half blitz, leaving their entire season on the line when they come up against Canberra next week.
Brad Arthur has the next couple of weeks to either deliver a premiership for the club or risk going the way of the Parramatta coaches before him, with 2013 coach Ricky Stuart now being the only former Eels coach still in charge of a first grade club.
2022 has to be the year for Arthur and the Eels as it won’t get any easier next season, with key players of the calibre of Reed Mahoney, Marata Niukore, Isaiah Papali’i, Tom Opacic, Oregon Kaufusi and Ray Stone all heading elsewhere in 2023.
It’s now been 36 long years since Parramatta’s battered captain Ray Price proudly held the premiership trophy aloft, a sight most of today’s blue and gold army have only seen on replay.
Brad Arthur, how many more years does an Eels fan have to wait to see it happen again?
Shinboner 1971
Roar Rookie
Actually it 13-8, but Penrith scored immediately after both Lane ( at 58:47) and Moses (at 59:04) where interchanged due to HIA. Check the game play by play on the NRL website. It seemed to take Parra about 3/4 minutes to recover but by that time the game was over, Penrith had scored twice.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Panthers, you need to check your calendar. Isaah Yeo played for Panthers NYC team in 2013 and debuted in first grade in 2014 against Newcastle in round one. Yeo was one of the first players going through the new pathways process that Gus started. In 2011, Yeo was 17.
Chris
Guest
Actually Penrith had taken a good lead 19-8 , before Moses copped his head knock. Then scored again immediately after Moses took a head knock. In the same set of tackles I think. So there was nothing Moses was going to do to stop that?
Panthers
Guest
Yeo first played for Penrith in 2011. So that’s before Phil Gould had actually rebuilt the juniors system. Phil Gould only came back at the start of 2011.
Panthers
Guest
To be fair, Parramatta field quite a few juniors that debuted in Sydney’s West. Of course they were Penrith players previously.
mach4
Roar Rookie
three-fifths of bugger all - what's that in metric, please?
Westie
Guest
The seasons not over yet! Parramatta can still beat the Cowboys & make the GF. From all the chat on here, you’d think the Cowboys have won the next game already. The Cowboys defence isn’t all fine, from their game against Cronulla. Didn’t they concede 30 points? The pressure is well & truly on the Cowboys, at home. Go Eels!
Bernie
Roar Rookie
i live outside Sydney in NSW, and i dont know any fans who "hate" Parra; i think most fans are a bit indifferent to them, underacheivers but not at the dufty level of the saints. its not like their the storm or anything .... now there's a team easy to hate, i was riding the raiders home.
Bernie
Roar Rookie
along with "needs to concentrate more" & "easily distracted".....
Bernie
Roar Rookie
and that's truly in question here isnt it? a long serving coach who's perceived inability to take his team to a GF leads to a feeling that he's not a "winner". as jack gibson said, there's only two types of coaches .....
Dumbo
Roar Rookie
"there’s a lot of cap space invested in Moses and Gutherson, neither of whom are among the elite players in their respective positions. That probably has a bit to do with how thin they are in the outside backs and the front row rotation. " Middle forward rotation is a real problem - some weeks BA doesn't use all his bench players: he thinks an exhausted RCG and JP are still better than his last fresh bench player. BA has had a long time to assemble a decent squad with some depth. He ought not to complain if the Board ask him step aside, should the team be beaten without at least making it to the GF.
Tony
Roar Guru
Yep. There's only ever one winner
Tony
Roar Guru
You make a great point there mate.
Smoked
Roar Rookie
2nd place is the first loser.
Tony
Roar Guru
:thumbup:
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
I would love to hear Ivan Cleary's perspective on this. Now, I think he is a great coach, but if Gus hadn't rebuilt the development pathways Cleary would have been coaching also rans, not home grown players like Yeo and To'o. Look at the Parramatta roster. Only five Eels juniors or players that debuted with the Eels. The Panthers had 15 players that were juniors or debuted with the club. The Eels have a massive junior base, how did it come to this? That is not Arthur's fault, the GM football needs to be providing the right structures to produce players. By all means change the coach, but nothing changes with your development pathways. The club has had years of in-fighting, nothing to do with Arthur. Salary cap breaches. Nothing to do with Arthur. It would seem to me that it's your front office that needs changing, not Brad Arthur.
Shinboner 1971
Roar Rookie
I wouldn't say Penrith blew us off the park, they were the better team, especially in the second half but it wasn't until both Lane and Moses were off with HIH that Penrith really got on top and scored those two quick tries. Whether we progress any further depends on Moses's health because Arthur isn't really answer at halfback.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Not sure about that. My gran could have won a few premierships with the cattle and leg-ups Rooster have.
DavMan
Roar Rookie
Thanks for another compelling article Tony. I think it depends on what you want as a fan. Wests Tigers won a very special GF back in 2005 and haven't done much since. Manly has won at least one comp every decade since the 70's and were dreadful this year. Parramatta have won more games than they have lost over the last decade and for the most part, made the finals. Plenty of other team fans would be happy with that- just ask a Newton or Norths supporter.
Tony
Roar Guru
:laughing: