I hate these headlines always end up with a loss on the weekend
Confidence is so high at Parramatta right now the Eels think they can end their 33-year title drought and match a dramatic turnaround only managed once before in more than 100 years.
It's a feat achieved only once in the 108-year history of rugby league but Parramatta believe they can go from wooden-spooners to premiers in a season.
The Western Suburbs Magpies finished last in 1933 but then went on to win the competition in 1934.
No other side has emulated the achievement since.
The Sydney Roosters went from last in 2009 to a place in the 2010 grand final but lost to the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Only seven teams — Cronulla, Melbourne, Roosters, Canterbury (twice), South Sydney and Newcastle — in the NRL era have finished at the bottom of the table and then gone on to play in a finals series the following year, according to Fox Sports Lab.
This season the Eels will become just the eighth side to do so and Brad Arthur’s men believe they have what it takes to win the club’s first premiership since 1986.
“We’ve got a goal as a club to win the grand final this year and nothing is going to stop us from focusing on that. We’ve still got our eyes on the prize,” Parramatta forward Kane Evans said.
“No one wants to play to come third or fourth or fifth. We just have to get to the finals and it’s a whole new ball game.”
Captain Clint Gutherson said it’s a turnaround that has reinstalled a sense of faith in Parramatta’s capabilities.
“We’ve got the belief,” Gutherson said. “We’ve got belief in our team and our staff.
“If we finish up there we’ve got two shots, if we can win four of four or three of four it’s going to go a long way … we just want to be there and we know we can make a big splash when we are there.
“Everyone asks about last year and how it went so wrong. Confidence and form, when it’s down, it’s all down. When it’s up there, everyone is confident and you win the games you should be winning and that’s the feeling we have at the moment.
“No matter what time it is in the game we are confident we are going to win.”
The Eels are charging into the finals having won seven of their last nine games, and Gutherson credits the 22-16 come-from-behind victory against Canberra in round 15 for his side’s resurgence.
“It started against Canberra in Darwin when we were 16 points down, we didn't really worry, we stuck to what we knew and it ended up working and we ended up getting the win,” he said.
“Last weekend against Newcastle we found ourselves down with 25 or 30 to go. That's the positive thing we've been taking out of it, last year we'd probably end up losing by 30 instead of winning by six or four or two.”
Flyer Blake Ferguson wasn’t named again for Friday night’s game against the Gold Coast Titans as he continues to recover from an infection in his knee.
But Gutherson revealed the NSW Blues winger has returned to training.
“Fergo is looking good. He ran [Tuesday] and [Wednesday], which is a positive sign,” Gutherson said.
“As long as we keep winning we don’t need to rush him back so we can let his mind and his body get back on track the way it needs to.”
After winning only six games in 2018, the Eels are currently in sixth spot on the ladder and could end the regular season as high as fourth.
Replies
If they get asked can they win the comp,there not going to say no are they, hmmmmmm
Never listen to the back slappers they are only trying ot distract your focus. Small steps, small steps will win you the prize.
One game at a time.
This mindset is more for the players really, to keep their confidence levels up. That is the right mindset, but I doub't any Parra supporters would actually expect them to win the comp this year. As Gutho says though, anything is possible once you are in the finals. We almost did it in 2009, and would have were it not for the cheats.
I think what could have been said is something like - "The Storm and the Roosters are the benchmark of this year's competition and the two red hot favourites to lift the 2019 trophy. We would need to perform like both these teams on a consistent basis to even be considered for a title".
Were in a great position considering our inexperienced 9 and 6. Can we win it - i think we can, but if the club can keep the core group together we'll become more of a chance each year
this is a nothing story, every team aspires to be playing in the Grand Final every year and if your are still in the 8 at this time of the year you should really be believing you can make the GF
Just another DT Click Bait piece
We are two to three classy top tier players short to genuinely compete with the top four. We may Jag a game here or there. Weirder things have happened. But when the fire is applied no. Not this year at least.
Only way is 1.Roosters get done for dodgy TPA for Teddy and get stripped of points.
And 2. Refs are told to heavily scrutinize the Storm tactics and penalize them out of the game.
Other than that belief will get you most of the way, bit of luck and about another 20%improvement would get us to the Storms level.
I have no issues what was actually said , I just hate the headline from DT, it's always a ominous sign for us to lose on the weekend. I've been too scared from the past decade from headlines such as that
Let's just say everything goes our way and we somehow wind up in the GF against Storm or Roosters, how does the team prepare for that.Roosters packed full of big game champians and Storm ruthless and clinical. I have lost a couple of GFs by big margins 64-4 and 66-6 two years in a row, it is so demoralizing, such an anti climax I would hate to see Parra go through that.
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