Parramatta will take the field on Saturday night with three players on the NRL's minimum wage and another three players earning less than $180,000 a year.
In what only adds to the enormity of what the Eels have been able to achieve just 12 months after being decimated by the club's salary cap saga, Parramatta have managed to get the best out of a roster packed with players unwanted by any other clubs.
Bargain buy: Nathan Brown was named player of the season despite his $160,000-a-season price tag.
Photo: AAPHere's some perspective. Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo, who will square off against the Eels pack on Saturday night, will next year earn almost double what Nathan Brown, Cameron King, Will Smith, Kirisome Auva'a, Suaia Matagi and Siosaia Vave earned combined in 2017.
While big-money players like Corey Norman and Mitchell Moses have lived up to their lucrative price tags to help the Eels nab a top-four finish, it's been the bargain buys who have been invaluable in Parramatta's charge to the grand final in 2017.
Second chance: Injuries opened the door for Cameron King.
Photo: AAPSmith, King and Auva'a are on contracts between $80,000 to $90,000, the minimum any player is allowed to sign for in the NRL.Brown joined the club this year on a deal worth close to $160,000 a season - hardly the sort of money you would expect for a player who a couple of weeks ago was crowned the club's player of the year.
The former Wests Tigers and South Sydney forward still has another year to run on his contract, but given he's managed to at least double his market value in his first season at the Eels, and Parramatta will look to upgrade and extend his contract beyond 2018 at the completion of the season.
While roster management has cruelled the Eels for the best part of a decade, it appears the blue and golds have finally got it right by abandoning a policy that once saw them pay overs for players whose main reason for joining Parramatta was to thicken their wallets.
Lifeline: Kirisome Auva'a swoops around to score against the Storm in the qualifying final.
Photo: AAPHowever, coach Brad Arthur has turned to players not only in need of a new home, but in cases like Auva'a, Smith and King, an NRL lifeline.
The Eels will take the field against the Cowboys in Saturday night's do-or-die game at ANZ Stadium with their fullback and hooker - two of the four most pivotal positions on the field - earning the least money of the players in the 25-man squad.
Smith joined the Eels from Penrith knowing Clint Gutherson and Bevan French, not to mention recruit Josh Hoffman, would spend most of the season occupying the No.1 jersey.
But injuries have paved the way for Smith to make the fullback position his own. Even with French on the verge of returning from a hamstring injury, it's understood Arthur is considering keeping Smith at fullback should the Eels knock over the Cowboys for the right to play the Sydney Roosters in the preliminary final.
King was on the verge of throwing in the towel when he joined the Eels from the Cowboys last year. But the retirement of Isaac De Gois and injury to Kaysa Pritchard has seen him move up the ranks and will likely finish the season as the club's first-choice hooker despite Pritchard now being available for selection.
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Great article. Pity it Is a year old and we r not charging to the 2017 grand final at the moment. Maybe u should post an article about the 1981 grand final?
Just to add to the confusion I have the following information.
Sat 5 May 2018, 01:49 PM
The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles have secured their first-ever UNE Harold Matthews Cup, defeating the Parramatta Eels 26-18 in the grand final at Leichhardt Oval.
Time to join us in 2018 Col.
So then this year 2018 “Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo, who will square off against the Eels pack on Saturday night, will next year earn almost double what Nathan Brown, Cameron King, Will Smith, Kirisome Auva'a, Suaia Matagi and Siosaia Vave earned combined in 2017” and no one in nrl hq is questioning the cowboys cap !
Hello Greenberg, asleep at the wheel again
Interesting indeed. When I read the article, and then to now find that the date in the SMH article shows 2017 rather than 2018, so I for one apologise that it seems to be a dud article but I downloaded it from the SMH website yesterday morning. Interesting also is that the date shown where I posted it is shown as todays date May 5, at 0948, that adds to the intrique as that is todays date, unless I'm mistaken. At 0948 this morning I was actually around 10 kilometres away from my home and no where near a computer, I have a Bunnings Maitland docket to verify that.
So blowed if I know what has happened.
did I go back in time?
Still at least it gives a rough idea on how little our players are on in comparison and no TPAs to boot...kinda puts perspective on the bogus player payments Buzz wrote about to Rorters...can’t believe some believed it!
Bump!
I'm really looking forward to these finals with supercoach BA.