As little as two years ago, on this very site, many were tipping the team to either miss the top eight or just scrape in.
How times change. In just two years the Eels have gone from "maybe top eight" to "top four and Premiership smokeys".
It's a comforting change after the up and down years experienced since Brian Smith resigned.
The change has been a gradual one though and definitely one the team has earned.
As much as the side has been criticised for its inconsistency, it's currently on an NRL-leading 772 days and counting in the top eight. Parramatta has not been outside the eight during the season since the end of 2018.
In that time the Roosters, Raiders, Storm, Souths and Penrith have all been outside the top eight at some point.
With Parramatta entrenching itself in finals positions then it's only natural that expectations begin to grow.
What was acceptable two years ago would not be acceptable now. And the reassurring part about that is the club management, staff and players all feel the same way. They aren't content with just finals anymore.
The consistency the team is now experiencing would also place Brad Arthur among some of the best coaches the club has had. Should the Eels make the finals this year, he'll be the first coach to make back to back finals series since Brian Smith, and just the sixth Parramatta coach to guide the side to three or more consecutive finals series.
That places him alongside Ken Kearney, Terry Fearnley, Jack Gibson, John Monie and Smith. Of course of those only Gibson and Monie won silverware that mattered, so BA could well and truly etch his name into legend in the not too distant future.
However, premiership dreams aside, it is refreshing to watch a side that is regularly talked about as being top four and premiership contenders. Not only that, but it's an expectation that two years ago most of us would have laughed at.
The premiership window is the most open it's been for the club since the late 90s and early 2000s. It's nice to have that expectation for once.
Replies
For me the most satisfying part is HOW we are winning. The game against the Dragons aside, what I've seen this year is a team which now (finally) truly understands and believes in the game plan required to compete with and beat the very best.
No longer are we happy with winning 30-24. No longer are we asking Moses, Ferguson, Gutherson (or Radradra or Hayne as we used to do previously) to pull a rabbit out of the hat with a miracle, low percentage play.
Only this year do I see a team that understands the strategy around how to play for the win over the full 80 minutes. That understands the importance of making yards through the middle, high completions, icing ends of sets properly and handing the ball back in the right spots or getting that repeat. A team that understands the work put in during the first 40 will absolutely pay dividends towards the back end of the game. No panic, no craziness. Methodical, clinical, ruthless.
This is the type of game that takes a team all the way. It's a thing of beauty and a pleasure to watch.
expectations-?----all or nothing seems to be what many want..Maybe a recipe for continual despair. Of course, I will be disappointed if we don,t win a premiership.. I like Mutts reference to the HOW we perform compared to the past few seasons..I think there is a lot in seeing a great football style being accomplished. There is a lot of reward in that if you look at that alone. A premiership is an added bonus. Sometimes dwelling on the instant simple pleasures of what the HOW brings can be viewed as a reward in itself.
Absolutely Mutt. We now have a base plan that we now trust to get back to when things get loose.
Excellent analysis and very uplifting reading
Go Brad A.
it all means nothing if you can't do it in the finals. I'll be judging Arthur on the finals series.
Some of you make too big a deal about BA not getting the team past week 2 of the finals without realizing we just weren't good enough.
The great Bellamy couldn't get the Storm to do it either in his first 3 finals campaigns
Should have could have would have but we didn't
We lacked depth. It's the reason Moses got rushed back early on one leg and the same reason Paulo and RCG had to play long minutes. Evans and Niukore were the only players giving us good punch off the bench. We missed Marata against Souths
Sivo and Fergo got injured in the game before so we had a debutant playing against Souths. Jenko who is crucial for eels attack and defense was also suspended the day of the game.
Games aren't won on the edges but in the middle.
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
of 7 Next