Their season was effectively over several weeks ago but club legend Peter Sterling is already fearful about the Parramatta Eels’ prospects for the 2019 NRL campaign.
The bottom-placed Eels are the front-runners for the wooden spoon with just three wins from 17 games.
Coach Brad Arthur has put all players on notice for next season amid reports the Eels could shed a third of their roster after a hellish 2018.
But Sterling stressed the importance of buying the right players and urged the Parramatta hierarchy to follow the Newcastle Knights model of recruitment under Nathan Brown.
I’m concerned about the recruitment, I’m worried there,” Sterling told Triple M.
Meanwhile, Sterling also expressed concern over the ‘disconnect’ between Eels halves Michell Moses and Corey Norman and questioned Arthur’s use of his playmakers.
“I’m really disappointed that the combination between Mitchell and Corey isn’t better now because the second half of last season, which is when they came together after Mitchell came across from Wests Tigers,” he said.
“After being thrown together I thought their second half of the season was fantastic, they combined beautifully and they complimented each other and I thought with another off-season alongside each other that they’d be even better this year.
“But there just does seem to be a bit of a disconnect there in some shape or form and I said after Friday’s game that the one thing the Parramatta halves aren’t doing enough for me is passing the ball to each other.
“They really have gone back to playing that one side (of the field) and if you have a look at the successful sixes and sevens in the competition – Adam Reynolds and Cody Walker are great, Ben Hunt and Gareth Widdop play the same side when needed and Luke Keary and Cooper Cronk do the same.
“I think Parramatta would be better served if they weren’t just playing one side and getting together more because we do look stymied in attack and devoid of ideas sometimes and I think that’s part of the problem.”
Listen at Triple M
Replies
And this is why Sterlo is now just in the media. He is a Parra legend but when he puts out these pieces it's basically always him pointing out the bleeding obvious. There's zero insight or footy nous in his comments, zero ways to improve the side (apart from the suggestion thatbour halves should be more like the halves leading the top teams - which is silly one dimensional overly simplified advice).
Even the recruitment comment. It's so generic. Do what Newcastle did. What? Get a promising up and comer (Ponga) and some in form recruits. Well, Moses was meant to be our promising up and comer and we've now got Fergo coming. So what exactly does he mean?
Also the Knights are running 11th and are the only team with a worse points differential than us. So yeah, let's emulate them.
Be awesome for a few people to start coming up with some solutions instead of just calling out the obvious, that we suck this year. I like Sterlo in the media, but this is a rubbish article.
Sterlo's comments on triple m Saturday arvo. He still loves Bernie lol. Sounds like Arthur is under the bus now.
Yes he is pointing out the obvious. And Yes, we have been pointing out the obvious in here all year.
I think the key question is, How come nothing is being done about it? Is BA not making the right calls regarding the obvious? Or, is he being held down due to the limitations imposed on him by our board?
The board are reluctant to do anything because of the payout they would be staring at.
It's an unfortunate situation we are in really because this could put the club back years not only on the field but also through lost sponsors, members etc.
I know for one that I would sign up again as a member next year with the new stadium and a competitive side but if Arthur is coach I won't be wasting my money.
A simple solution is to make BA head of footy operations and bring in a decent coach. BA is Parra thru and thru and will do a good job imo but a decent coach he is not. His recruitment has been diabolical in the main and his tactics poor which he apparently is incapable of changing.
Hahahaha classic stuff
Really like your response here Captain. ..haha
one of our greatest but ‘kiss of death’ Sterlo...get Bernie get Foz copy knights copy what top teams are doing blabla
Interesting take on it Captain.
I read it as Sterlo saying that the coaching is below standard and the recruitment isn't what he thinks we need. He clearly states that, despite a full offseason under the coach, the halves have gone backwards.
All bleeding obvious I know, but still true.
I don't listen to TripleM footy that much but this sounds like a response to a question rather than an actual article where he is trying to give his full opinion.
Hi Kram, you don’t think there’s a slim chance Sterlo wants to deflect from his must get Bernie mantra? Norms and Moses don’t work anymore? What changed?
Besides the top clubs don’t run a botched up system as we are under his man.
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