If Brad Arthur were deposed tomorrow, you'd hardly find an Eels fan who would disagree.
Only 18 months after a somewhat unexpected grand final appearance, Parramatta's fall from grace has been swift and brutal.
A massive injury toll cruelled their 2023 season, despite showing glimpses of the side they could be. Despite a pre-season that promised improvement, the side has done nothing but regress, and now the pressure mounts on head coach Arthur.
While injuries to Mitchell Moses and Clint Gutherson have had, and will continue to impact the side, they have been no excuse for some of the insipid displays put on by the blue and gold.
Two second half maulings at the hands of the Raiders and an extremely under-manned Dolphins led Arthur to state his side were only part-time footballers.
A more spirited yet still mediocre performance against Manly showed there was still some fight in the side.
More than there has been at fellow cellar dwellers Souths, anyway.
But as much as Arthur has called on his charges to step up, the calls for Arthur to change aren't quite as loud, nor is he being quizzed about it in the media.
Arthur's classic tactic is to bash and barge using his middle forwards to plow a hole through the opposition's centre. Maybe he's a student of the likes of Alexander the Great, or Napoleon, who would famously use their most damaging weapon (For Alexander, his cavalry, for Napoleon, his cannons) to attack the opposition's middle and cause them to break?
However, he probably wasn't paying full attention as both legendary generals were known for their flexibility and adaptability. For Alexander it was his ability to draw out and decimate the Persians at Issus and Gaugamela, for Napoleon, it was his ongoing battles against Austria and the 1st and 2nd coalitions where his manouevrability allowed him to separate and demolish opposing armies.
There have been valid criticisms over Arthur's squad. Concerns over the ages of his middle and edge forwards, while in the backs they haven't replaced those that have come before.
But further thought should be given to how Arthur is using the players at his disposal.
A lot of sides are moving away from having their forwards doing all the dirty work. Penrith use their back 5 in yardage to allow their forwards to attack in good ball, and pile on defensive pressure, the Raiders did the same to great effect against the Eels.
Parramatta is clearly vulnerable both on the edges and, as the game winds on, through the middle, particularly around the ruck.
Arthur could try to assuage this by either copying the same tactic, or reduce the minutes of his ageing middle forwards and use some of the younger cattle such as Wiremu Greig and Luca Moretti to inject greater energy into the side.
Plenty of focus too should be on Mark O'Neill. He may have been the one in charge when Parramatta executed a squad refresh in 2019/20, but you can't rest on decisions made 5 years ago.
A cursory look at what the best sides were doing last year should have been enough to realise a change in both tactics and personnel were needed to pick things back up in 2024.
Alas, none of that has happened.
Arthur's current strategy is like trying to use the Schlieffen Plan when Blitzkrieg is far more effective.
The coming month could very well decide Parramatta's future and Arthur's fate. Brisbane, Melbourne, Souths and Cronulla. Only against the Rabbitohs would the Eels be favourites and there's no guarantee they will actually show up.
Replies
Under Arthur, we've had 49 blowout losses (18-point margin or more). That one-and-only 6-straight-win stretch was over 6 years ago (2017). We've always been on Sybil's razor: up & down, on & off, often week-to-week, half-to-half.
It's just the sharp falling-off-a-cliff regression since 2022 that has been too much to bear, now, as we're no longer winning enough to make the finals which countered all that.
Wins over the last 12 months plus have been small-margin wins, often grinding affairs, whereas our losses have often been huge beatings. That also hasn't helped.
So, unless we have some sort of a cattle-culture-coach transplant, we'll probably have some sort of renaissance at some point this year and then fall off a cliff again at some point.
It's a fact many power metrics for players decline in the late 20s-30s. It's already started for us. Our yardage, and power running game have fallen off a cliff (ranked 15th; we used to be top-four 2019-2023) despite being top-three for possession.
Gutho is our top yardage maker metres per game but bottom 41% for fullbacks. Our four wingers used (Harper, Sivo, Simmo, Russell) form four of the bottom eight wingers for yardage per game. Sivo's yardage per game is only ahead of part-time Storm winger, WIshart and Munro (who lasted 19 minutes this season). So, practically he makes the least metres per game of any full-time winger in the competition. Paolo just makes the top-20 list for front rowers as our top prop for metres per game.
So, we're going to regress even further than the current predicament over the next few years without some significant recruitment or hope our juniors come good (a real long shot in the short run).
So in other words, the bush bum errored again signing sivo until 25. It's totally on ba. Fk him
HOE that blow out stat just shows just how far out of being quality we are...forty bloody nine blow out matches. It's the one stat that highlights the coaching staffs inability to lift the side and bring the best out in all of them on a consistent basis.
part time coaching ??
just don't see consistent blow outs for teams with good coaches on payroll.
Razor on a yo-yo
Some good observations there HOE. I think having another better performing club to follow on the quiet Is how to survive disappointments with Parra..My memories of the Jack Gibson era still keep me hanging in there. It must be difficult for those who hadn't lived through those times to keep fronting up.
I can still vaguely remember the Grand final against Newcastle where we were expecting to do well. 20 nil against us in the first 20 minutes.
Maybe burning out Cumberland Oval was the wrong thing to do. Probably ancient native sacred ground having revenge on us
Hey mutt without compromising yourself have you found anything out about the direction the board is heading in regards to the clubs dire situation?.
This is pretty bad reading for any BA fans still out there.
We need to end this horror show now.
There's plenty don't worry and regardless of the stats it's not his fault...
Questions I have for these dickheads is:
If BA as coach has no effect on the results of a year why have a coach?
And when is it time to sack a coach and what KPIs should they have?
But, but , but BA is only responsible for the good things that happen.
lol soooooo true
and they are " real fans "
we are not
Again HKF whose the problem because the powers that be continually aren't listening.Theyve had multiple opportunities to do it but for some reason won't.
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