What many around here have been saying since day dot. Good bloke / father or not... this sits squarely on BA.
How Parramatta Eels dropped the ball amid disgusting treatment of Jakob Arthur
So why should Jakob Arthur’s situation be handled any differently?
OPINION
Let me begin by making it clear that we are talking about a 19-year-old who is by all accounts a great young man.
The work ethic of Eels playmaker Jakob Arthur isn’t under the microscope here, he is a dedicated individual who puts in the extras and strives to be the best at his craft.
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During the minimal interactions I have had with Jake, he has always been well-mannered, and a credit to his mother Michelle and his father Brad, the coach of Parramatta’s NRL team.
In fact, I was so impressed with how he presented after making his debut last year, that I sent Brad the following text:
“Brad I was reluctant to text you, but as a parent I couldn’t help myself. What an amazing young boy Jakob is.”
In response, Brad pointed out the importance of his son being a good kid first and foremost before the footballing part, and that impressed me.
So clearly there is no issue with Jakob as a person, but the fact he finds himself in the middle of a minefield is no surprise - it’s an extremely delicate situation.
The son of the coach getting plucked from NSW Cup to play a key position, while the club’s first choice five-eighth Dylan Brown is shifted to the centres as cover for an injured player, was clearly a train wreck waiting to happen.
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My big query is that someone manning the station should have seen this coming a long time ago.
Arthur is a fringe player at this stage of his career, and the fact the coach selected him to play in such a crucial position opens him up to criticism.
Of course I don’t condone the abhorrent comments, the hate, or personal attacks. There is no excuse for any of that behaviour, but unfortunately, it comes with the territory.
NRL players are easy targets and when you play with the big boys, that’s the reality.: 1020px) 50vw,650px" data-ratio="2942:1961" />
Some of the comments I’ve read on social media would make your stomach turn but mostly the players and clubs cop it sweet.
However for some reason Parramatta found the criticism of Jakob’s performance so problematic that staff felt the urge to jump online and defend him, writing on the club’s official Twitter account: “the Arthur joke is enough. It’s not funny”.
Is it because it’s the coach’s son?
I’d hope that Jakob and any other NRL player would be supported by the clubs, but do fans really have to get told off through tweets on the official club accounts.
Yes, this situation is probably a little more delicate than most given he’s just 19, but again, this is one of the realities that comes with playing on the big stage.
I’m more concerned that many red flags were ignored. This was always going to happen, given Jakob is the son of the coach.
I get the fairytale stuff - a young kid who made his way through the Parramatta system, playing in the local comp with the Rouse Hill Rhinos on the way to realising his dream of pulling on the famous blue and gold strip.
But surely, protecting Jakob from the inevitable, and saving him from the added unnecessary pressure should have been the priority.
Off contract at the end of next season, Jakob will likely be thrust onto the open market at the end of 2022 where he will sink or swim.
I just hope he’s picked up by a club with no family ties and we are talking about him as “King Arthur” in the future.
And finally check your local guides, Brad has another up-and-coming star in his ranks, his 17-year-old son Matthew, a talented hooker, is nailing it in the Harold Matthews competition.
Replies
Sadly, BA will probably have wrecked young nepo's career by then.
Then he can slot young matty into rake to replace Reed and repeat the cycle.
We saw all this coming last year, it was always going to happen.
Sadly BA is so pig headed he wont think he's done canything wrong and wont change anything, he still thinks Jake is the next immortal..
It ends once BA leaves and not before. It's disgusting.
And I get the feeling it won't be for years to come such is the grip BA has on the board, the media and certain sections of the members...
I wish I had the courage mate, it would have happened a while ago.
If Jake leaves, which with both Brown and Moses off contract come November 1 so maybe not as certain Jake leaves if one of the two leave he might be re-signed, Matt will be the next one up and it will start again unless Matt shows promise straight away. The thing the media are not getting is that they feel we are knocking him cause he is BA's son, could it be he is not very good? or well at the moment? If his name was John Smith we would still say he is not very good, being BA's son as fuel to the fire.
But i am concerned the Eels board are going to be not overly concerned losing one of Brown or Moses with Jake being a cheap replacement to one of the two, being 21 in 2024 they will see him as "ready" Matt will be 18-19 then and he will feature at 14 at least. I think Jakob leaving Parramatta is not as likely as it seems, if Moses or Brown announce they are heading elsewhere for 2024 in november Jake will be signed quick smart.
I said this the other day, there wouldn't have been one eel fan praying this kid didn't turn out to be the next Sterling, Kenny or Hayne.
Fact is the kids not anywhere near the likes of the above mentioned and is closer in skill to a Billy Rogers or Luke Kelly tbh.
The kids copping it because of his dads stupidity. JA will never become a good player - never.
Also, no matter how much many on here dislike BA, at the end of the day, we all love the idea of finally winning another premiership more, and if BA can deliver we will all love him like we did Jack.
It was the wrong move to take Dyl Brown out of 5/8 but a lot of the comments on social media were an attack on JA. Jake didn't lose that game against the Cowboys and even with Dyl Brown out of position a loss like that was down to a lot more than a player move. For too long the Eels have been guilty of turning up to a game they should win with a poor attitude as they did on the weekend so JA and BA got smashed over it.
Eels fans are frustrated and rightly so and that is why so many lashed out on social media. I wasn't able to watch the game because my daughters wedding was on so I snuck a look at the score updates on my phone and as the Cowboys points went up I thought, Here We Go Again. I couldn't see what was happening but I have seen this many times before.
It was easier to take when we were just crap but how does a team that can beat the Storm in Melb turn up at home against the Tigers with a shit attitude and then not learn from that game to turn up a few weeks later with the same attitude. They often say, We have the best job in the world, and they do playing the sport they love for bloody good money so how can they turn up to a game with that attitude.
I don't agree with the comments on JA but I do understand the fans being pissed off and lashing out.
Well said, Jim. Congrats on your daughters wedding, which wouldve been far more enjoyable than the game.
JA seems like a great kid, but all these articles are acting like it was just one game that upset fans.BA has had JA on the bench many a time, this year and last, weakening the overall team.
Last week against the cows was the final straw for allot of fans. JA is just not a first grader, im still not convinced he's a half, he seems slow and not that skilful. Maybe he will be in time, but right now JAs place is NSW cup unless Moses is out.
Thats a good article, but both sides seem to want to blur the line between whats full on unacceptable trolling, and harsh but fair criticism to suit their agenda.
Brad Arthur & the club have handled this really poorly, and by doing so have given click bait journo’s an opportunity to write article after article that must have some sort of impact on the players / team.