How does Parramatta come back in 2023 a better team after that?
The Eels got bashed up all over the park. Brad Arthur was belted in the battle of the coaches. The Parra pack was hammered out in the middle. The back five were smashed from pillar to post.
The Panthers’ line speed was just phenomenal. They won almost every ruck with and without the ball. It was like the Panthers were playing with an extra man.
Parramatta looked to have everything going for them right up until the moment Clint Gutherson kicked off to start the match.
From that moment they didn’t have a hope.
The Panthers were just too good.
This is as good a football team as we have seen in the modern era.
But where that leaves the Eels going forward is the question Parra fans will want answered in the coming days given they are a team that look right now to have had their day before it really arrived.
In front of the most one-sided grand final crowd we’ve seen in years, the parochial Parramatta fans had virtually nothing to cheer until the finals minutes when they ran in a couple of consolation tries to at least put some respectability into the scoreboard.
But they simply had no answer to what the Panthers threw at them.
The Panthers forwards ran harder. Their backs ran harder. They all hit harder. They put more effort into their kick chase. The dominated every facet of the game.
The thing about big games is that it is usually the winning halfback who takes the spoils — and the losing No.7 is left to carry the can.
But in this instance poor Mitchell Moses was on a hiding to nothing because his team were getting whacked from every direction.
Up front the Eels middles Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Junior Paulo had no answer to Panthers props Moses Leota and James Fisher-Harris who were on a mission. Viliame Kikau and Liam Martin got the points over their opposites Shaun Lane and Isaiah Papali’i.
Jarome Luai was on another level to Dylan Brown. Brian To’o’s 142 first-half metres from 15 carries was almost as much as the entire Eels’ back five combined.
Dylan Edwards at that point had run for 122m, Clint Gutherson 39m.
Admittedly, the Eels had been starved of first-half possession. But they only had themselves to blame for the 18-0 deficit.
There was so much talk in the build-up about Nathan Brown’s shock selection. In fairness to Brown the Eels were shot by the time he hit the park at about the 30-minute mark.
But back to the question going forward, how does Parramatta come back in 2023 and improve on what they did this season when they are losing Reed Mahoney, Papali’i and Marata Niukore, with former Canberra rake Josh Hodgson their only significant signing.
While they have some decent young talent coming through, is it going to be enough to close the obvious gap?
Some might say the Eels will be better for the experience. After what we saw at Accor Stadium that is surely up for debate.
With Moses and Brown in particular coming off contract at the end of next season their negotiations will no doubt dominate plenty of discussions in the coming weeks.
It wasn’t the fault of the halves that they couldn’t get the job done on Sunday night.
But what the Eels certainly can’t ignore is that Arthur has spent the past nine years building this squad to get them to the point where they could challenge for a title.
But almost as soon as the premiership window opened, it now appears to have slammed shut.
Replies
Losing Mahoney is gonna hurt us, not sure why management couldn't just give him the deal he wanted. Papli is replaceable. Pushing the top 4 2023 not sure we will do better imo. Past season going to big chance will tell us we will have a horrible 2023
Mahoney is rubbish as is most of the team. Blake ( useless) (Gutho, Dylan Brown, Paulo, overrated), Sivo ( useless) Simmonson ( average) Moses needs a better partner and bigger ,stronger and younger forwards. Above all the coach is bog average
Another is, if Hodgson get injured again, who do we have will replace him??? This is on Brad
Isn't Matthew waiting in the wings for that role 🤔🙄
Hahaha bet your ass he is...
I can't see us winning a comp any time soon. I was 14 when we won the last one and we have been mauled in 2 grandfinals and cheated in another unless we get lucky with some juniors and strike gold with a few of them I can see us ever winning another, it is so depressing I was devastated last night we weren't even in it from the kick off this team won't win one sadly I think they need to look at wholesale changes we can't just tread water forever
I believe that we won't ever win another comp some teams are destined to win and have winning eras ours has come and gone
We will be a just happy to make the 8 team
Not for the mighty eels ! To important of a club , it's a premiership or nothing , that's the bar now ! As one of the biggest members & fans base , we deserve nothing less than a premiership , BA has had his fair chance after 9 years , we don't need another Brian Smith , one answer for sure 100% , BA is not the coach to deliver parra a premiership , it's time to go ! If management are happy we made the GF as bridesmaid , that's an insult to the members & fans suffering decades , & insults keep coming today from other clubs how parra has not won a comp in 36 years & counting
We have deserved it for years but you don't get what you deserve.
I've given up on that premiership dream
One things for sure, the longer the drought continues the more pressure the club will be in to break it.
Only so many excuses and patience fans and voting members will put up with. Time will come but not under BA IMO.
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