State of Origin absence a worrying sign of Parramatta’s deeper woes

Parramatta have a massive nursery out west, stretching into the Hills District. Despite the strength of junior numbers, it hasn’t translated into top-quality NRL talent.

The Eels are the only Australian club not to contribute to the Origin stage for game one.

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Once a prolific source of State of Origin talent, on Wednesday night Parramatta will not have a single representative on rugby league’s biggest stage for the third consecutive year.

The likes of Ray Price, Peter Sterling, Brett Kenny, Mick Cronin and Eric Grothe were mainstays of the NSW side back in the day.

Even the Immortal Arthur Beetson was an Eel when he led out Queensland in the first ever Origin game in 1980.

But the Origin well has long since run dry at Parramatta, the result of a mixture of failures in both recruitment and development.

Parramatta players Ray Price (left), Peter Sterling, Brett Kenny, Mick Cronin, Steve Ella, Eric Grothe and Neil Hunt at SCG after their selection in the 1983 NSW Origin side.

Only Jarryd Hayne, Tim Mannah, Michael Jennings and Will Hopoate have represented the Eels in Origin since 2011.

Of that group, only Hayne and Mannah are local juniors. Jennings was the last Eel to don a sky blue jumper back in 2016, the year he arrived from the Sydney Roosters.

The Eels are the only Australian club not to contribute to the Origin stage for game one. The New Zealand Warriors will also go unrepresented.

REP PLAYERS 2011-18

CLUB	NO. OF REP PLAYERS
Broncos	16
Dragons	14
Roosters	12
Sea Eagles	12
Sharks	11
Panthers	10
Storm	10
Cowboys	9
Rabbitohs	9
Bulldogs	8
Titans	8
Knights	7
Eels	4
Raiders	4
Tigers	4
Warriors	2

The lack of elite representation at the Eels is symptomatic of deeper issues which have gone unchecked at the club.

Parramatta have a massive nursery out west, stretching into the Hills District. But despite the strength of junior numbers, it hasn’t translated into top-quality NRL talent.

Eels co-captain Mannah is aware of the issues and says the club is already addressing the shortfall.

He is confident the club cannot only return to the Origin arena, but do so with talent that has been nurtured from within the Parramatta catchment.

“[CEO] Bernie Gurr had made it clear that moving forward we are going to be a development club, so we are going to put a lot more time and energy in developing the guys that we do have,” he said.

“You’ll start seeing more and more of our local juniors coming through over the next couple of years as the club shifts in that direction.”

The Eels are the only Australian club not to contribute to the Origin stage for game one.

Already some of Parramatta’s brightest teenage prospects are gaining recognition at the junior representative levels.

David Hollis, Sam Hughes, Trey Mooney and Viliami Penisini have all been selected in this year’s under-18s team to take on Queensland in an Origin curtain raiser at Suncorp Stadium on June 5.

Forward Oregon Kaufusi, who at 19 has featured in the Eels’ NRL squad this year, was part of the Blues’ under-20s side in 2018.

The Eels have moved back home to the new $300 million Bankwest Stadium but, more importantly, now have plans for a $40 million high-performance centre in Kellyville to back up their vision to be a development club with bricks and mortar.

The centre of excellence will include four international-standard rugby league fields, an elite match venue, a 1000-seat grandstand, an all-weather field and high-performance facilities that will be housed inside a 5000 square-metre sport and community centre.

Oregon Kaufusi was Parramatta’s only NSW rep last year when he played prop for the under-20s. Picture: Brett Costello

While the Eels hope to replicate the success of Penrith’s centre of excellence, Mannah believes it is necessary to ensure the youngsters who come through the new facility funnel into first grade for the Eels and not a rival outfit.

“Over the years, I think we have been guilty of trying to purchase the big players and looking to recruit talent from elsewhere,” he said. “So I think it’s great that now we are focused on using the nursery and the juniors we do have to be an even stronger club.”

One of the current Eels in the NRL squad is shaping as a potential long-term Origin representative — albeit for Queensland.

Hooker Reed Mahoney has been on Kevin Walters’ radar as a replacement for the retired Cameron Smith.