He’s yet to win a premiership but that doesn’t mean Brad Arthur’s coaching isn’t of title-winning standard, with one player rating the Eels mentor ‘right at the top of the list’.
Trust in Brad Arthur.
That’s the message Ryan Matterson has for nervous Parramatta fans desperate to end the club’s 34-year title drought in season 2020.
Speaking to News Corp ahead of Saturday night’s blockbuster clash against Melbourne, Matterson said Arthur is in the same coaching echelon as premiership winners Trent Robinson and Michael Maguire.
The 25-year-old would know, having worked with both coaches.
“He’s work ethic is exactly the same if not more so … and the love he has for the game and the dedication he has for his players here and the whole group, really. I’ve never seen a coach as dedicated as Brad,” Matterson said.
“He’s working all hours of the morning, he’s watching clips, he’s so good in the sense of putting the team first.
“I’d put Brad Arthur right at the top of the list with the other premiership winning coaches.”
Matterson was part of Robinson’s premiership-winning outfit at the Roosters in 2018 and at the Wests Tigers worked under Michael Maguire – who in 2014 delivered South Sydney’s first premiership since 1971.
Like Robinson and Maguire, Arthur is a master at disguising any pressure he is feeling.
“As a coach he bears the weight of the success of the club, and the expectation of success, on his shoulders,” Matterson said.
“But to be able to show up every day, no matter what is going on, and not show that any of that burden is affecting you is massive.
“Brad does that a lot.
“As have the other coaches I’ve had like Robbo and Madge. They always presented a calm front even if maybe they were feeling some pressure in the background.”
Eels fans witnessed Arthur wearing that exact disguise over the past six weeks as he did all he could to present a positive front despite the side’s patchy form at the back end of the season.
While Parramatta managed to win seven from their final 10 matches, their form had many pundits questioning if they were genuine title contenders.
After averaging 25 points per game in the opening two months of the season, the Eels have scored only 16.4 point per game since round 10 and were kept tryless twice.
Matterson conceded his side did fall into a “slump” but revealed it was the doubters who forced the Eels to face their shortcomings in time for the finals series.
“What people don’t realise is, if anything all the noise probably bought us closer together and made us an even tighter group,” Matterson said.
Parramatta’s attack should receive a boost when rising five-eighth Dylan Brown returns from an ankle injury.
Another point of concern for Arthur has been his side’s right edge defence - where 45 linebreaks have been conceded between centre Waqa Blake and winger Blake Ferguson.
Blake said injuries to key players hasn’t allowed the right side to form combinations in defence but that was no excuse.
“We need to be connected and look as one edge not separated, we know how to fix it and that’s what we’ll do,” he said.
Replies
100% agreed Brissyeel.
I think he's just saying he's as hard working and passionate as the other two . Cares about his job and players , all things we know .
Bottom line is if you want BA in charge we need high quality assistants who he's happy to designate control of their areas to while he does what he's good at .
Have to agree with you GWF.
He is a great bloke, passionate and dedicated to the Parramatta club but to be a great coach you need to be strong at this time of year. He has yet to prove this and needs to take that next step.
The first half of the season the Eels looked a premiership winning side however the second half we have looked far from that. This is concerning and on the current form of both teams, is it surprising that we are huge underdogs.
I wish BA all the best and hope he can turn our form around tomorrow night. Short of that and if we get bundled out in 2 matches, again, he should face criticism.
Another point of concern for Arthur has been his side’s right edge defence - where 45 linebreaks have been conceded between centre Waqa Blake and winger Blake Ferguson.
Blake said injuries to key players hasn’t allowed the right side to form combinations in defence but that was no excuse.
A true Premiership coach would have fixed this problem YEARS AGO when it first became apparent we did not have a right side defence.
Instead we now have the left side defence doing the same thing.
Lil Timmy Mannah had a bad habit of blowing hot air up our knickers to placate the frustrated fans and look at the success he had.
The only reason I have backed off giving it to The Bush Coach over the past few weeks is the fact that no matter how ugly, or late in the game, we continue to win.
SHOW ME how good you are - DON'T TELL ME !
When the trophy is in ths cabinet I will relent - AND happily admit I was wrong - until then I will expect them all to be responsible and accountable for what transpires.
I don't know how you fix a problem "years ago" when that right side has only played together about 10 times.
Sometimes Super your deliberate STOOPIDITY can be amazing.
Biggest complaint about EG Jnr and EVERY winger since then is the way they all come in too far leaving the 10 - 15 metre channel down the sideline wide open.
[Edit] without Rod Reddy on his inside it would have been as diabolical as it is today.
right side has only played together about 10 times.
Ummmmm - any half baked semi intelligent person would have been looking into this after NO MORE than 3 games.
Excuses for failure are still your mainstay.
The consistent failure of our right side defence to stay on thier man is a coaching fault which has plagued us for YEARS! - Can you understand that comment at all?
LOL....You can't even wait till we are knocked out of the finals to whinge about BA
Just go back to jizzing on the family photos, or whatever, just piss off you loser