The Parramatta Eels performance on Friday night deserves enormous plaudits but once again it’s the front office at the famous club that’s making headlines.
For a spare parts Eels side to almost roll the triple premiers Penrith was as gutsy as it gets and what’s now emerged about Reagan Campbell-Gillard being the latest player to be tapped on the shoulder makes it even more significant.
With the Eels struggling to move Maika Sivo and Ryan Matterson on the club has now told RCG he’s also free to go next season.
All of the uncertainty about players coming and going as new coach Jason Ryles attempts to fine tune the blue and gold roster is hardly conducive to a united club causing an upset over the triple premiers.
The Panthers once-again underlined what a champion team they are with a phenomenal final ten minutes of football but the untold story of the night was RCG.
The ex-NSW and Kangaroo prop showed what a true professional he is to put aside contract talks and the reality he won’t be at Parramatta next season and take on the best forward pack in the NRL.
The North Queensland Cowboys are circling Campbell-Gillard but the sticking point is Valentine Holmes has now told the club he wants to remain in Townsville next season.
That means the deal for RCG to head north can’t happen for now but it hasn’t stopped other rival clubs crunching the numbers to try to accommodate the Eels front rower.
The Eels are prepared to chip in for Sivo or Matterson to leave but for now have said they won’t be chipping in any of RCG’s $750,000-a-season contract.
We’ll let you be the judges of how that’s been received amongst the Parramatta playing group.
Campbell-Gillard and Parramatta captain Clint Gutherson showed the Eels front office what true leadership looks like on Friday night by taking control and leading by actions against the Panthers.
The fact Gutherson’s also had to put up with talk of a possible positional switch and talk of losing the captaincy further underlines the depths of problems at the Eels.
The way the Parramatta senior players still galvanised the team deserves credit.
They didn’t win but they forced the heavyweight champion Panthers side to find ninth and tenth gear in an epic final ten minutes.
We can’t wait for Thursday night when the Panthers host the Melbourne Storm in a game that seems destined to decide the minor premiership.
Replies
We need to stop giving the dickhead dooper hooper any clicks.
Also already a blog on this
You're an idiot right? This is a more recent article by penis head Hooper. It's good to read people's opinions on this.
The human testicle late to the party on this 1
Cockhead Hooper is doubling down on the Eels again this week. It seems he needs something to talk about on 360 and MMM.
He talks about true leadership, yet Gutho, the captain of the team was quite happy to let his contract negotiations play out in the media so he can get the best deal out of the club. That's not leadership. He set a bad example which others have followed.
As far as RCG is concerned, I love the guy but this is a cut throat business and at some stage players will be tapped on the shoulder for the benfit of the club. That's professional sport. We should be doing more of that and Gutho should be on that list as well.
One last thing, Hooper is right about the front office but let's start throwing MON's name around so fans know where the real problem lies.
Don't understand why Matterson and RCG would be given that message because other than the new coach, who would deliver it? If Ryles want's to protect his future, I would be careful of who he lets go, because I can see no replacements knocking the door down. He will not want to start a new season with those 2 gone! This is shaping up as a real agenda job for Hooper and maybe his noteriety has been interpreted by him to become a big star!
Anyone that watched on Friday night would realise Matterson is our best defensive forward and whilst I was critical on a lack of leadership from RCG in the last 10 minutes, it is/was hardly a sackable offence, just a comment made about him and Brown in that last 10.....maybe they were just so rooted they had nothing left to offer.
Maybe it is time for Ryles to speak up, because he is being white ant'ed!
You'd think there would be articles about the calamity that the premiers of the past three seasons almost got smoked by a team coming second last, with most of their best players out. Of course Penrith doesn't sell papers, so better off just making stuff up about Parra. It goes to show that the sports journalist industry is dying. Might as well use use AI to write these articles - it would do a much better job.
Is this his opinion?
Just saw your comment .Geez I hope so LB.
monday after our bottom of table side just scared the poo out of triple unstoppable premiers and this is what he has to say!
seriously someone needs to stop the man!
If I was Parramatta I would be saying to NQ we take Neame and pitch in for some of RCG's deal. Plus what a great team Penrith are allowing 34 points to be scored against them with no Moses.
Look RCG has been great this year, but he is in the twilight of his career, on big coin too. We need to start getting younger, quicker the better. Hooper is making out we are getting rid of RCG in his prime.
Gawd super disappointing to hear this! RCG is still on Penriths 200K chip in the guy has cost us bugger all for what he has done for us.
He'd be a great player to have with new coach I'd have thought. Not too many very honest workers left :(
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