It was the admission eight weeks ago that Brad Arthur must have hoped wouldn’t be revisited in September.
The Parramatta Eels coach conceded that only a push into late September would see him escape scrutiny and put to rest questions over his future. What’s more, he declared the current crop was the best he had assembled during his time in Sydney’s west.
“This is the best opportunity I’ve had since I’ve been here. But that doesn’t mean (the premiership window) is shutting,” Arthur said to the SMH.
“I’m nine years into my job and every year at some stage there is a question mark around whether I’m the coach moving forward. It’s a results-driven (business), I get it.”
Fast forward two months and that statement is firmly in the spotlight as the Eels face another season of finals disappointment.
After going down to the Panthers, the Eels will now run into Ricky Stuart’s red-hot Raiders in a sudden-death clash that could have a signficant impact on Arthur’s long-term future.
The Eels have lost seven of their nine finals games since 2017, only managing to beat the Knights last season and Broncos in 2019.
While Parramatta have been unable to mount a serious grand final charge in the past, The Daily Telegraph’s Buzz Rothfield believes other clubs “would kill” to consistently appear in the finals.
Parramatta have managed to slot into the top eight in five of the last six years, only missing out in 2018 with a 16th placed finish.
“You look at his finals record... nine finals appearances and he has lost seven since 2017,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
FINALS APPEARANCES SINCE 2017
LOSS: 2017 v Storm 16-18
LOSS: 2017 v Cowboys 16-24
WIN 2019 v Broncos 58-nil
LOST 2019 v Storm 0-32
LOST 2020 v Storm 24-36
LOST 2020 v Rabbitohs 24-38
WON 2021 v Knights 28-20
LOST 2021 v Panthers 6-8
LOST 2022 v Panthers 8-27
“The bottom line is though, in the last six years he has made the finals five times, but they just keep bouncing out.
“I think other clubs would kill for that sort of consistency, the fact we are even talking about Brad Arthur is a little unfair, I think other clubs would kill to have that strike rate he does.
“I hope he can prove he can win finals football games, but if they do bounce out, the blowtorch will be on him.”
Rugby league legend Laurie Daley conceded Arthur will almost certainly face the music if his side are bundled out of the premiership race this weekend.
But with a number of coaches already sacked this season, and the talent pool for elite coaches running thin — he questioned who could be the man to realise Parramatta’s true potential.
“I can understand the argument if he bounces out this weekend, he can’t take them to the next level,” Daley said.
“I get all that, but you still want a club that is set-up in good fashion, that is consistently there or thereabouts, obviously everyone wants to win a competition.
“But you also have got to realise, who are you going to get? Who is going to be that coach to take them to the next level?”
“The finals record is not good, but I’d love to follow a team as consistent as them,” Rothfield said.
Sharpening the focus on the must-win clash is the host of players the Eels will lose at the end of the season,
If Parramatta can’t clinch a drought-breaking premiership this year, they will have to compete without Reed Mahoney, Marata Niukore, Oregon Kaufusi, Tom Opacic, Ray Stone and Isaiah Papali’i.
While the Eels have recruited Jirah Momoisea, J’maine Hopgood and Josh Hodgson they will almost certainly be a weaker outfit.
Despite the player exodus, both Mitch Moses and Shaun Lane believe the Eels will still be competitive come next year.
“This is a good time to do it, we do have a good side,” Moses said to AAP.
“But it’s not really this year (as our last shot). We also have good players coming next year as well.”
“We’ve structured our team and salary cap so we have a good core group of players besides those going,” Lane said.
“We can rely on the core group of senior players to turn up each week.
“We can assist in the development of other younger players coming through.
“We trust the coaches that they’ll bring through some good young kids and Parramatta has a big catchment area and some great juniors too.”
While the pressure is on Parramatta to reach the preliminary finals, The Australian’s Brent Read believes only a grand final appearance will silence the critics.
“For Brad if he can get in the grand final I think that silences all the whispers and doubts about Brad.
“He doesn’t need to win it. He just needs to get there I think.”
SEASON REVIEWS
BRONCOS: $1 million elephant in the room as finals disaster exposes divide
DRAGONS: $800k call holds key for Dragons as awkward issue hits tipping point
SEA EAGLES: How Manly’s season came unstuck — and why it’s not Des’ fault
BULLDOGS: Barrett sacking a double-edged sword as Dogs face big unknown
They may have to get there without the services of their star half Mitchell Moses who suffered a serious head knock against the Panthers.
Fox League’s Corey Parker believes his omission could spell the end for Parramatta’s season, giving Brad Arthur’s side “no chance” of beating the Raiders.
“If he (Mitch Moses) doesn’t play, they’re no chance, absolutely no chance, jump on the Raiders everyday of the week and twice on Sunday,” Parker said on SEN.
“If you are just looking at the two teams, you would suggest that the Eels’ would be the favourites, which they are, but their performance against the Panthers on the weekend (left) a little bit to be desired.
“The Parramatta Eels will be no chance without Mitch Moses, but if he does play and they’re able to fix that right hand side of theirs, they’re a big chance of moving forward to the following week.”
Meanwhile Daley, who played for the Raiders 244 times, is backing the Eels to best his former team.
“They’ll win this week, they will win this week,” Daley said.
“I just think Parramatta will be ready to go, they (the Raiders) can beat them, but they won’t.”
