A very good read written By George Clarke for Foxsports.
Parramatta’s worrying slide has people firing shots from every angle. It has to be frustrating for their fans who, as September draws into focus, would love to give their side a Clint Gutherson-style spray.
Coach Brad Arthur has come in for scrutiny and their roster – one which was hoped could end their premiership drought – has been called into question.
If three straight defeats weren’t enough to cause concern, the Eels now face the unenviable run before the finals which sees them face Manly, North Queensland, Melbourne and Penrith.
And the nature of their most recent loss – a 40-12 defeat to the Rabbitohs – has people asking questions about the ability of this side to match the best sides in the big games.
“Within the first 10 minutes you knew they were going to get beat,” Mark Geyer said on Triple M.
They just didn’t turn up. That’s a really worrying sign for a side that’s been in the top four for most of the last few seasons.
“Just try things, you’ve lost three in a row and you’re going backwards at a rate of knots.”
Arthur has been told his future as coach is safe and he has called for calmness.
“The last couple of games, yeah, we haven’t been good but we can’t panic,” he said.
“We’ve done a lot of work early to get ourselves in a reasonable position but we just need to work out what we need to do and get right for next week.”
By the same token, he can’t keep going to the same well and expecting different results.
With doubts now cast over his coaching future and a depth chart impacted by the break of reserve grade the options to changes the losing habits are few and far
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DEALING WITH DYLAN
Of all the five-eighths in 2021 to have played more than five games, Dylan Brown has just one try assist.
The likes of Brandon Wakeham (three) and Tyson Gamble (six) all have more.
He’s also joint lowest for linebreak assists with Anthony Milford and Ash Taylor.
Even the coach’s son, Jakob Arthur, has two, while the other Brown, Nathan, also has two. Last time out, against Souths, he had just three runs, with no linebreaks.
Brown was expected to kick on this year and become one of Parramatta’s most important players, but for whatever reason that hasn’t happened.
One key explanation for Brown’s stagnated development might lie in the fact he took a position on the right edge, switching sides with Mitchell Moses.
He’s one of the most defensively sound playmakers in the competition (21 missed tackles v 440 successful tackles) and is great at breaking the line open himself.
But he’s yet to bring the creative spark to his game.
Geyer suggested switching the No. 6 and Clint Gutherson, with Brown then lining up at fullback.
“Dylan Brown has to find himself in the game,” Geyer said.
“I don’t know if he’s played fullback but to get someone in the game like him as a ballrunner so I’d probably swap him and Gutho, putting Gutho to five-eighth. I think he’s a really talented ball runner and Gutho is great with his hands.”
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That might sound a touch extreme given how good Gutherson is at bringing the ball out of his own end but the Eels could perhaps look at having them take different roles in attack.
If Gutherson were to go into first receiver, Brown could potentially get wider and allow himself more space and time to decide whether to run or pass.
The simpler solution would of course to be have Moses and Brown revert to the right and left edge respectively. But that hinges on what calls Arthur makes with his centres.
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THE TWO BLAKES
Speaking of centres, earlier in the year Arthur was forced to pick Marata Niukore with Waqa Blake sidelined with a calf strain and the yet-to-be-seen Michael Oldfield also out injured.
It was something he stumbled across. And somehow it worked.
The Eels won seven of eight games with Niukore at centre.
More importantly, he seemed to fix their defensive woes (1.3 missed tackles per game), made fewer errors and offered them better yardage.
With Blake back in the three-quarter the line the Eels are missing 1.9 tackles per game and are winning just 50 per cent of games played.
Niukore only lost his spot due to suspension and when he was cleared to play again Arthur reverted to the more familiar with Blake.
The Eels had to separate Blake and Blake Ferguson, with the former going to the left edge to partner Maika Sivo and the latter linking up with Tom Opacic.
Blake now has one of the most destructive wingers on his outside but doesn’t have a single try assist for the year.
PROTECTING PAULO
Could one way to ensure the Eels maintain their intensity depend on how they use Junior Paulo?
The Samoan international is consistently one of the club’s best performers and leads the charge from the front.
The concern for Parramatta, however, is that when Paulo goes off the field that they can lack the same bite up the middle as when the hulking prop is on the field.
The Eels’ problems are not necessarily about how they start games, but more how they finish each half.
It might not be so crazy to consider bringing Paulo off the bench once the game has opened up a bit and allowed him the space to pick out fatigued defenders.
Melbourne are employing that tactic with Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Newcastle have mirrored it with David Klemmer and Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has used Josh Papalii from the interchange sparingly over the last few seasons to great effect.
Replies
There is a lot to like about this article and it really throws up a lot of what the supporters have been saying for a while.
Coach is flogging our best, Paulo, RCG and Papa
I hate Papa at Prop and Marata for the same reasons
Arthur needs help with Coaching supports, bad luck if he don't want them...he needs them.
As old mate here says, try something different, switch it up a litttle, a Coach with blinkers is not a Coach he's dead in the water.
Moving Papa to prop is insane, luckily Manlys two biggest boys are out this weekend and Papa will match Aloai n Kapow. Papa go fwd has been down recently and so obvious he is our go to on the fringes.
Do the unexpected Brad...ffs
How seriously sad is this when a reporter has more insight and footy IQ compared to the Bush dud ... FMD he has nailed so many relevant points us Eels fans have been banging on for like ages. Sigh geez he's just dumb and slightly challenged.
I think the author of this article has been reading blogs on this site. Pretty sad when fans can see the issues and suggestions better than those running the show
agreed.
Nice to see someone agrees with my proposed switch between Gutho and Dylbags.
No effort player is worth 1 mil. Gutho should get off the turps.
IMO he should be moved to 5/8. His play-making abilities are lost at FB. Your FB should be a fast and strong runner. Dylbags would be better suited wearing the No.1.
LOL Dylan Brown, 1 line break all year, absolutely disgraceful, shameful.
Even Tyson Gamble has 6 in a shit broncs side.
Wasting big money on guys who dont deliver is one of our big issues, the kids a total pretender at everything bar defence.
Yup
Disagree. If he was at another club you'd grab him in a heartbeat because you know you could make something of him. He's being overcoached and wasted on a right edge. I like MG's idea of playing him at FB. Let him get involved and run the ball. Our Coaches have stifled his game.
It's a great point you make about Brown. Even watching MM in the games he played for the tigers he seemed to have so much flair.
Obvious statement-but-the style they are both being told to play isn't suiting either one of them.
It is without a doubt very structured with a very simple plan of do your job, make your tackles, kick long. It was clearly the message to JA who looked like a robot when he played.
Our halves look tense and the creative flair has gone. A few years ago Moses was chipping over the top and scoring tries on the regather-I can't remember the last time I saw him do that.
I have no doubt both Moses and Brown could be/are special players but at the moment they are playing nervous no mistake/do your job kick long footy which is a very easy read in defence for the opposition
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