Off-contract Eels stars building irresistible case for new deals
Brad Arthur is the sort of bloke you’d want beside you in the trenches. When the going gets tough, Arthur leads the way for those around him, and he showed that resilience after the historic Easter Monday win.
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Brad Arthur is the sort of bloke you’d want beside you in the trenches. When the going gets tough, Arthur leads the way for those around him.
He did it during the salary cap scandal in 2016 when there wasn’t a Parramatta official to be sighted.
And he is doing it again this year with so much uncertainty surrounding the team with 18 players coming off contract, as well as the coach.
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All while the club’s management again stand in the background, seemingly not prepared to make the first move through fear of their own failure.
But instead of using the aftermath of Monday’s historic 51-6 flogging of Wests Tigers to push his own case for a new contract, Arthur wanted it to be about his players, and the fans. And he spoke like the leader.
“Everyone is fighting for their future but there is more than that,” Arthur said.
“We were disappointing last year and we let a lot of people down, probably no one more than ourselves.
“That’s the hunger and the drive at the moment.
“The boys don’t like walking off the field being disappointed and letting people down.”
But after the disappointment of last year’s wooden spoon finish, the Parramatta coach and players are doing everything in their power to move forward.
They now have four wins from their opening six games, and Monday’s thumping showed they are a team that can certainly challenge for a finals berth this year.
But it is about time they started getting the same support from the club’s administration before the uncertainty starts chipping away from within.
Most of the questions post-match on Monday again centred around the fact Arthur, skipper Clint Gutherson and halfback Mitchell Moses are among the group who don’t have any security about their futures.
If Parramatta chief executive Bernie Gurr and head of football Mark O’Neill think that they can find a fullback replacement that is going to offer better value than Gutherson than they are kidding themselves.
As Matthew Johns said in Fox Sports commentary, Gutherson is so much more than just a fullback.
Told of Johns’ comments, Arthur replied: “I said through the game at one stage it is just great having a fullback that is everywhere and his fitness levels are not by fluke, it is through hard work.
“I have always stated about Gutho, first in, last to leave … diligent with everything.
“I know coming to a game every single week what we are going to get from Clint Gutherson.
“Every single week.”
And hasn’t Moses stood up this year.
After failing to bond on the field with Corey Norman last season, Moses is showing again what a rare talent he is.
And at 24 his best years are to come.
But the key to everything that is going on at Parramatta starts and ends with the coach.
You just have to look at the way they turned up on Monday with so much on the line, and after losing their most influential player Blake Ferguson to injury.
The moment most found out Ferguson would not be playing they thought the Eels’ hopes had gone with him.
But Arthur had the team ready to play and boy did they play an exciting brand of footy that brought the big crowd to life.
“You know what, I have made no secret. I love this club,” Arthur said.
“I want to stay. We just have to keep playing well.”
Originally published as Off-contract Eels stars building irresistible case for new deals
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