Eels neglect Juniors

THE Parramatta Eels are paying the penalty for too many quick-fix signings and the neglect of their giant junior rugby league nursery over the last decade.

While their western Sydney rivals Penrith keep pumping out stars on their NRL production line, not one outstanding local product has emerged in recent times from the Eels’ junior base of 6000 participants, the second biggest nursery in the country.

WARNING: Gutho’s no saviour

Kieran Foran was a big expense for Parramatta. (Matt Blyth/Getty Images)
Instead of investing in local juniors, the Eels have instead forked out huge dollars for the likes of Beau Scott, Kieran Foran, Anthony Watmough, Michael Gordan, Michael Jennings, Frank Pritchard, Corey Norman and Mitchell Moses looking for short-term success.

Only three local products were in the 17-man squad against the Panthers on Sunday — veteran Tim Mannah, Tony Williams and Tepai Moeroa.

Over the years they have allowed James Maloney (Wentworthville), Luke Keary (Hills Bulls), Dave Klemmer (All Saints Toongabbie), Paul Gallen (Wentworthville) and Blake Green (Hills Bulls) to drift away to rival clubs among other stars.

Where is the next Tim Mannah? (Phil Hillyard)
It’s an area chief executive Bernie Gurr turned his attention to when he first arrived nearly 18 months ago.

“We’ve rededicated our club to the junior programs in 16s, 18s and 20s and our academy teams,” Gurr said, “the main focus is re-engaging with the 6000 junior players participating.

“We’re the second biggest junior club and other clubs fish where the fish are. You’re always going to lose a couple.

“Our philosophy is we want out junior players to be aspirational to come through to the NRL level and Brad (Arthur) is absolutely committed to the program.”

The club still has faith in coach Brad Arthur. (Phil Hilyard)
“I’d like to think in five years you’ll find a very liberal sprinkling of players who have come through the junior program playing NRL for Parramatta.

“Our big thing is stability and having a very clinical and professional approach to our recruitment and retention.”

While disappointed after five straight losses, Gurr insists Arthur is still the man for the job.

Outside the embarrassing loss to the Manly Sea Eagles they have been competitive and there are no blame games.

Gurr insists the coach is coping with the pressure.

Ponga worth every penny
“We’ve got basically the same squad as last year when we finished fourth and won 16 games,” he said, “we had a good off-season and thought we were in good shape.

“We don’t have excuses and the key to fixing any problem is to understand why it’s happening.

“We’ve had penalty problems, mistake problems, dropping balls. We’ve been averaging about 40 per cent possession and making 80 tackles a game more than the opposition.

“In a very even comp, that’s costly. On Sunday we competed ferociously and it was one try all.

“There’s no substitute for hard work and smart work and that’s what Brad’s doing.”

They play the Raiders, Sea Eagles and Wests Tigers in the next three weeks.

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  • These bastards have been stealing my bloggs.
  • Lol it’s like the club is just catching onto their fk ups
  • Also imagine looking at young Klemmer and being like “nah”.
  • BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA Bernie, this bloke is a clown, what a load of shit and excuses from this hot air blower.

    We simply have nobody to say it how it is, we just cop a whole lot of spin from these guys, Bernie must think we are idiopts with no idea, thats how he talks.

    A lot of talk about working smart LOLLLL

    Thanks for the disgraceful strip Bernie you out of touch hot air blower, real smart.

  • ‘I’d like to think in 5yrs time you will have a liberal sprinkle of juniors coming through our system’....

    2 things here...

    1- it goes to show how bad BA neglected our juniors

    2- the current young ones playing for wenty have got no chance BA will be calling them into first grade.

    Fcuk me this is worse than I thought.

    • Don't change the statement if you're going to quote. 

      1 “I’d like to think in five years you’ll find a very liberal sprinkling of players who have come through the junior program playing NRL for Parramatta. NOTE PLAYING NRL - NOT "coming through our system". 

      2 The current young ones playing for Wenty - there's probably 3 young blokes there capable of playing FG > Stone, Niukore & Aukafolau. Of those, Stone has only just started after graduating from 20's. Aukafolau has been at Wenty for about a year. Niukore, if he was such a "gun" as everyone makes him out to be, would have played. But he isn't. Do you really think a FG coach would not play him if he was clearly a player who could help us? WHY would he do that? People are getting on the Nikuore wagon not because they've seen him play, or because he's a gun, BUT because we're losing, we want that to change, people want player change, so Niukore is the one who COULD be a change. It's just false hope that Niukore is somehow a gun player we're holding back, just because he is different to the current doesn't make him better. 

    • why is that you think BA has neglected the juniors? I don't get it...please explain.

      If you want to look at history, it shows that previous administrations and coaches since Smith have neglected the role of juniors in the pathways to NRL for quick, ahem, "success".

      The pathways were decimated until recent years where the NRL club had no interest whatsoever in having a successful junior program.

      The evidence is mounting that there has been a renewed focus on the pathways - 16's, 18', 20's have all been successful in recent years, winning state and national titles, appearing in grand finals etc etc. These things don't happen overnight they take a number of years to bear fruit. The next few years should see a return to the days of old where juniors are knocking on the door.

      Smith should be lauded for his role in structuring the junior pathways - Spaghetti, Sharp, Anderson, Stuart, Kearney etc should be pilloried for their inaction, abandonment and destruction of the pathways to the top grade and that is why there have been very few juniors reach the top level at this club.

      But hey, don't let facts get in the way of a good story and agenda.

    • Doesn’t Brad spend most of his time when not attending to the NRL team out watching the junior footy ?

      I’m confused ....... is he just there trying to pick up some hot milfs ? 

      • Hot milfs!!!! Hilarious wiz :-))

  • More dribble from the Bern.

    Massive imposter.

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