On completing his selections for his starting 17 to play in this weekend’s ‘Battle of the West’ Grand Final, Parramatta coach Brad Arthur has made one of the most high-pressure decisions he has ever had to make – selecting his son Jake.
Rightfully or wrongly, there will be a contingent of naysayers who expresses the belief that Jakob’s position on the interchange bench would be better suited to a player with increased versatility or physical presence that will guarantee them game time against an imposing Panthers outfit. There will also be the unavoidable sentiment from some quarters that nepotism has played a part in his decision-making process.
The short-sightedness of such individuals will not change, even though Brad’s proven recipe to success involves carrying a specialist half on the bench. The negativity that this publicity creates, at a time that will quite possibly be the peak of the professional careers of both father and son, is disappointing.
To combat the pessimism of the minority, it is important to highlight the potential for Sunday to be one of the most rewarding, joyful and personally special moments for Brad, Jake and the extended Arthur family. They have the potential to achieve what only an extraordinarily select few have the chance to do – winning an NRL grand final as a father and son combo.
As any parent involved in their children’s sporting landscape at any age will attest, very seldom does the motivation to be a part of the team revolve around providing an unwarranted leg up, rather than a sense of fulfillment and pleasure of being part of something that brings so much joy to the most treasured little people in their life. It is one thing to be on the sideline to witness that first try, goal or basket, however, it is a whole other feeling of exhilaration to be an active part of it.
Whether it is the World Cup final, or C Grade under 10’s netball, this feeling never gets old.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
However, as our kids get older their lives evolve. For some, study and work will become a priority, while others would rather socialise, or travel as opposed lacing the boots up on a Saturday afternoon or hitting the track early on Sunday morning. While the lives of our once little bundles of joy continue to be fulfilled by other pursuits, the exhilaration and feeling of shared accomplishment for parents will be lost forever. These emotions cannot be replaced.
So far in their father/son sporting journey, Brad Arthur has not had to say good-bye to this experience. Fortuitously, Jakob’s professional pursuits and source of fulfillment following childhood has aligned to coincide with a shared involvement in rugby league, a fact that has not alluded to him in reflecting on Ivan and Nathan Cleary writing their names in history as coach/player NRL premiers only last year.
“That was really cool seeing that, and it would be an unreal feeling if we can win a comp together, “ said Jakob.
“We watched that game as a family in Cairns. To be honest, we were thinking, ‘This could have been us’. That’s what we were hoping.”
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To describe the feeling as ‘unreal’ is to understate the achievement. Scrutiny on any coach leading into an NRL grand final will ultimately bring pressure, let alone one that has picked his son in front of others who on merit would not be out of place in the 17. To alleviate this pressure in his own mind, Brad Arthur could do a lot worse than think about the opportunity he has to achieve something with his son that very few will have the chance to fulfill.
The shared experience between father and son, in winning the biggest game on the NRL calendar cannot be replicated. This is something that as a game, community and as parents we should all celebrate.
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