You wouldn’t last a week’: Eels star fires back at critics of coach

October 21, 2020 3:39pm
GEORGE CLARKE
Source: FOX SPORTS

Despite finishing third and assembling one of the best rosters the Eels have known over the last few years, coach Brad Arthur has come in for some scathing criticism since their finals exit.

The knock on Arthur is that since he joined the Eels, they’ve only won one finals game and that was against Brisbane 58-0.

The wagons have circled Arthur since Parramatta were sent packing by South Sydney.

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Ever since that defeat talk has raged that the coach, and his key playmaker Mitchell Moses, aren’t up to the task of ending Parramatta’s lengthy premiership drought.

In the eyes of prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard, however, talk of Arthur being out of his depth are way out of line.

“Brad is definitely the bloke for the (Eels) job, he has turned my football around,” Campbell-Gillard told AAP after being recalled to the NSW Blues squad.

“The respect he has for the players, and the players for him is massive.”

Since their capitulation against the Rabbitohs there have been a number of theories thrown up as to what to do next.

There is a suggestion that the Eels coach and general manager of football Mark O’Neill don’t get on.

While a story was flouted that Parramatta may look to bring in Tim Sheens or Shane Flanagan to help assist Arthur after both left Widnes and St George Illawarra recently.

Campbell-Gillard, however, says critics wouldn’t stand a chance if they were handed the reins of coaching an NRL club and should lay off the coach.

“I think all those opinions have probably got to be kept to themselves. Brad is an excellent coach, I will back him 100 per cent,” the prop added.

“All those reports, I found pretty off. That’s not what he is about and it’s not what should be around about him.

“It doesn’t reflect everything he does for everyone at the club.

“This competition is a very tough competition, if not the toughest in the world.

“It’s very hard to make semi-finals.

“If you think you could do a better job, come try and do it. You wouldn’t last a week.”

"Not sure what those figures were based on. The only clubs with bigger attendances are mostly 1 team cities like Brisbane etc. With a population of around 300,000, the greater Parramatta area is much smaller than those cities. "

Replies

Sir Col "THE NODDY MUSHROOM" October 21, 2020 at 4:49pm

LMFAO - selective copy and paste from 1EE blogs - classic.

Good to hear the players are backing their coach - now for some intelligent systems put in pace and we could be a chance sometime in the future.
Keith Lewis October 22, 2020 at 12:37pm

Please find a replacement for B.A. within a week.
I am sorry that Campbell Gillard has not looked at the team results after given B,A. full support.
We need smart players who can play regards despite a coach's plan is faulty.
Gillard has disapointed many supporters who had hoped a better coach to assist their side in the future.

This reply was deleted.

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