Brad Arthur draws line in sand as Parramatta Eels begin bid to make NRL finals

Five days ago, just minutes after Todd Greenberg dropped a bombshell at Eels headquarters, coach Brad Arthur turned to his devastated team and asked if they wanted to go ahead with the scheduled training session.

A few minutes later the car park at Old Saleyards Reserve was empty. They packed their bags and most of them weren't seen again until they returned to training on Sunday morning.

Back in the harness: Parramatta Eels forward Beau Scott at Sunday's training session. Photo: Michele Mossop

As the players began to huddle around Eels coach Brad Arthur, one couldn't help but wonder if this was the moment a miraculous run to the finals was born or whether it was the beginning of the end of what once appeared to be Parramatta's return to the top. For the ensuing five days, Arthur worked tirelessly trying to get his head around his club's breach notices and the implications it would have on his team.

But on the eve of his return to training, and with the immediate future of star playmaker Kieran Foran still unknown, he told Eels hierarchy that he was leaving it all in their hands. His job was now making sure this emotion-charged saga didn't derail the campaign of the talented football team at his disposal.

Huddled around him on Sunday morning, Arthur gave his troops a brief run down on where the club was at in its bid to accrue points in time for Friday's game against South Sydney, but focus quickly turned to what they could control. The result, the best session the Eels have had all season.

Playing for points, for now: Parramatta prop Danny Wicks. Photo: Michele Mossop

A vastly different attitude from a group of players who five days earlier couldn't muster the strength to lace their boots after Greenberg turned their season on its head with news they had lost all 12 points they worked so hard to gain over the first nine weeks of the season. "Maybe on the day there was a bit of frustration, but there's no point whinging and moaning about it because we're not going to get them back," fullback Michael Gordon said.

"Everyone was pretty respectful. It was good of [Greenberg] to front up and tell us himself. They could have just put it out through the media. Some players had questions ... then we got out of there and we were supposed to train. Brad just said 'do you want to train', and everyone said no.

"Everyone then took off and did their own thing for a week. Some of them wanted to know how they had come to the decision and stuff like that, but in the end they realised there was nothing they can do about it."

Five days it took for the Eels to go from disbelief to anger to frustration to hope.

And in five days, that hope and belief will either grow stronger or it will likely diminish to the point of no return. Every game will be like finals football. And every game will be built up like Origin. The players are no strangers to coping with adversity having played under the microscope for all of 2016.

"We've had the idea of losing points hanging over our head all year but we've still been able to play well and train well," club captain Tim Mannah said. "I think for us, the key is to maintain that and treat this like we've treated the last three months. It's not ideal to be in this position but we can control the way we play and train."

Beau Scott has endured his fair share of club turmoil in recent seasons given his experiences at Newcastle and now Parramatta. The latest drama at Parramatta has seen players questioned for their roles in it, but the veteran back-rower believes the accountability falls with the clubs and managers.

"That's what you pay managers for. It's for them to deal with and sort everything out," Scott said.

"There was nothing that raised my eyebrows [signing with Parramatta]. You pay your managers and I think they have got to have a bit of responsibility in what they do. As a player, over a 10-year career you might sign four or five deals. I'll tell you what, your manager is doing a lot more negotiations and deals than you'll ever do.

"You wouldn't have a clue [how it's sourced]. It's like me asking you what you earn for a living. If your manager has a few suspicions it's their responsibilities to look at it further."

"If you are going to do that better off just keeping him in Cup as a break glass option. Unless he is that much of a cancer and that negative to the squad that he needs to go."

Replies

Greg the Griffith Grape Grower May 8, 2016 at 9:13pm

Very interesting reading Scott's comments on player managers..
Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin 🐐 May 8, 2016 at 9:28pm

10/10 in the avatar department greg.
Top notch.
The French Fullback #1 May 8, 2016 at 9:46pm

Bloody oath about managers!! I'm glad a player has actually SAID it. The salary cap drama inevitably involves the officials of clubs, and thus the players through lost points, but managers rarely get a mention. Even with this one, the role of managers "will be looked at in the future" and weren't part of the preliminary findings or report. Sick and tired of managers manipulating clubs and never, ever being held accountable for anything that happens. It's always the club and players in the spotlight, yet when it comes to contract negotiations, they're happy to give a direct quote and leak a few BS lines to get a better deal for the player.
Prof. Daz May 9, 2016 at 11:21am

What has not received a clear answer is whether, after the 28 day period the NRL granted, they can still take all points accrued or just the 12? If all points accrued, that makes that line in the sand a shifting one.
- BiG G > Prof. Daz May 9, 2016 at 11:32am
  
  They can change the penalty. This is only what the Eels can fight.
  
  Nothing is set in stone
Greg the Griffith Grape Grower May 9, 2016 at 12:40pm

Yes this could get ugly and be drawn out for weeks / months.