After a very up and down opening 10 rounds, the Eels languished in 14th place and were staring down a South Sydney side in first place and playing some breathtaking rugby league.
Given Parramatta’s well documented recent struggles against the Rabbits, many Eels fans and prepared for an annihilation with Souths running rampant.
However, Brad Arthur’s charges stood up and ended up handily beating their more fancied opponents 36-16.
The Eels haven’t lost since then, going on a four match winning streak.
So just how have things turned around for an Eels side that was happy to score points, but seemed incapable of defending?
Parramatta started 0-3, losing games they all probably should have won.
Against Cronulla and Manly, they scored more than enough points to win, but were unable to defending, conceding 30 and 34 points respectively.
This is not something you want to see from a supposed premiership contender.
Round 4 saw Parramatta grind out a golden point victory against the Panthers before enjoying a very up and down next seven weeks.
At the conclusion of round 11, Parramatta had scored 264 points – the third best attack in the league. They had also conceded 240 points – the 11th best defence in the league.
They were scoring, on average 24 points per game while conceding 21.8.
However, since that South Sydney game, the Eels have greatly improved their defence while maintaining their attacking strike.
They are scoring an average of 32 points per game in the last four weeks, yet they’re conceding only 12 points per game.
This increase in scoring rate now sees them as the best attacking team in the competition, while improving to the 6th best defensive side.
In total, the Eels are scoring 26 points per game, but conceding 19 points per game. They have improved their differential by a net total of four points.
Parramatta’s points differential of +104 is second only to Penrith’s +167.
It’s the type of steady improvement the side needed to push its premiership credentials.
It’s a long season and Parramatta will need to continue improving to truly challenge for the title, but it seems that Brad Arthur has found a way to improve the side’s defence mid-season while ensuring the attack stays slick.
And this has all happened with players falling off all around the side.
Parramatta has only been in a position to name its best 17 once this season, in that loss to Brisbane in Darwin.
And that game saw Reagan Campbell-Gillard suffer a long term groin injury.
Parramatta’s issues in previous seasons have been fast starts that have tapered off as the season has worn on.
Last year was a very clear step in the right direction with the side coming into its best form at the end of the year, but it failed to really string together a set of performances like it has this season.
If Parramatta continues at least its defensive improvement of one point per week, then by the business end of the season it will be among the best defensive sides in the competition, and priming for another tilt at the grand final.
Replies
Good blog ...a lot of IFs but us Eels fans are eternally hopeful.
Currently, things are moving in the right direction but an injury or 3 will certainly stretch the playing group. Given the piss poor form of our 'development' reserve grade I cannot see much to warrant FG selection from the players there except if we are in dire need.
Pleasing thing to see, we have now won 5 games by 13+ and yet to be flogged
That's a good point, we usually get flogged 3-4 times per season. I'm telling you there is a different feeling about this team, premiership on the way?.
Every year with BA we had at least one game where we had 50 put on us, now it hasn't happened since 2021 ahahha.
I'm half way writing a blog similar to this, but concentrating on our average winning margins and losing margins and how we compare to the rest of the league. The numbers show that we have the 3rd best average winning margin and the 2nd best margin losing margin. The Panthers and Rabbitohs are the only other teams in the top 5 for both. We have the 2nd best differential between average winning & losing margins behind only the Panthers.
I'm calling it now. We'll have another western derby GF.
Big call Brett with plenty of rounds to go. I'm not sure Penrith will get to the big dance this year but I give us every chance.
I think they will but will be running on fumes by the time they get there
Penrith are nowhere near as dangerous as they were last year without Kikau and Api. Still a very good side but unlikely to tear us apart like they did in the GF.
Their defence is still elite though
Yeah I kind of think the Bunnies will be there this year. We should fear no one....
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