A number of people on this site had their say last week on Jakob's debut. Here's an article in the SMH putting it in perspective.
How Eels players convinced Jakob Arthur’s mum to let her boy play
https://static.ffx.io/images/$width_144%2C$height_144/t_crop_fill/q_86%2Cf_auto/781f7a16cafe800fcc64fb756b16fc18cd9baf9d 2x" alt="Michael Chammas" />By Michael Chammas
May 17, 2021 — 5.00am
If Brad Arthur had listened to his wife, Michelle, at the start of the week, their son would not have made his NRL debut on Sunday.
Following the suspension of Dylan Brown last weekend, the Parramatta coach approached his wife to broach the subject of picking their teenage son Jakob Arthur for the biggest game of his young life.
“He kept saying to me, ‘What do you think, what do you think?’” Michelle Arthur told the Herald after Jakob’s memorable debut at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday afternoon. “At the end of the day, my opinion wasn’t really going to count, but at the start of the week I was a definite no.”
Michelle had been told by her husband that it was the players who were pushing the hardest for Jake to fill in at five-eighth in Brown’s absence. Still, she wanted to hear it for herself. Michelle picked up the phone and rang a couple of players, including Marata Niukore. She also called assistant coach Steve Murphy.
“I said to them, ‘Tell me straight, is he going to be up for it?’ All the players were messaging Brad saying they wanted him to play. I thought it was ridiculous.
“I didn’t actually think it was a possibility to happen. He told me that Clint Gutherson went in to see him to get him to play. I told Brad, ‘You tell Clint that my son is only playing if his girlfriend can play as well’. The truth of it is, I honestly couldn’t thank the players enough. They’ve been so supportive of him and helped him get here.
“Junior Paulo has been there from day dot. Mitchell Moses has helped him develop and Gutho has taught him professionalism. They’ve been huge for him. Deep down I knew Brad wouldn’t put him out there if he didn’t think he was up for it. Your son is the last person you’re going to try and destroy. As the week progressed, I could see it was the right thing.”
Michelle knew before her son that the 18-year-old, who grew up training with the NRL squad, was in line to make his debut.
In normal circumstances, it is the honour of the coach to inform the player of his promotion to the top grade, but Brad – an emotional wreck for most of the week – couldn’t do it himself.
Moses and Gutherson both phoned Jake, who was outside training in the home gym with fellow Eels squad members Sean Russell, Jordan Rankin and Joey Lussick because of the COVID restrictions that hampered Parramatta’s preparations.
“He came inside and he had this huge grin on his face,” Michelle recalled. “He said, ‘I’ve got to tell you something ... I’m playing’. You could see on his face he was so proud and so excited. It was so nice.”
Jake has been tagging along with his dad to pre-season training for years. In the summer school holidays of 2018, when it came to fitness, there was Gutherson leading the way and then there was the 15-year-old son of the coach showing up the rest of the team. He has been ever since.
For the past few years, Jakob has also been alongside his father in the coach’s box during games, collating statistics and passing on information to help with the game plan. But Sunday was different.
“Brad was quite calm for a lot of the week once he made his decision,” Michelle said. “But as it got closer, it got to him for a little bit there. He was just a bit cranky.
“[Sunday] morning he wouldn’t speak to me at all. There was no talking. He asked me to move tables at breakfast because I was talking too much. I’m a bit chatty anyway.”
Regardless, Michelle couldn’t hide her emotions in the lead-up.
“I just hugged Jake and told him I was proud of him,” Michelle said. “Before the game, I sent him a message and said, ‘We’re so proud of you, you’re amazing’. I just wanted him to know that even if it was a disaster, we were still proud.”
Arthur walked out of a rushed press conference on Sunday night trying to contain his emotions. One reporter asked: ‘Where were the tears, Brad?’. The coach replied: ‘Why do you think I was so quick to get out of there’. Enough said.
Replies
Why in the fek is BA asking his wife what she thinks about 1st grade NRL selections?
If he needed her input or blessing on the issue, he needs to give himself a massive uppercut.
LOL, are you married Snake?
thats a negative Axel lol
BAHAHHAHAHAHA
hold on, i have a partner of 15 years give or take, i dont run everything through her.
Im the king of the jungle here sneaky.
yeah right! which jungle would that be???
As long as it's not everyone , Grunts .
His lunch box ;)
In my jungle where men dont require a womans permission to do anything.
Especially not football related issues Axel, its just not a womans, mother or wifes territory to be having a genuine say in.
What BA should have said is, ''Hey babe, Jakes playing on the weekend''
Theres no debateing the issue, its just a simple statement. He could have left out the 'hey babe', thats just fluff, just a simple 'jakes playing on the weekend' as he was walking past her to get in the car and drive off for training.
BA needs to take control here and start being a man.
if you keep going like this, we will need to activate Goodwin Law.
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