Corey Norman says his relationship with Eels coach Brad Arthur is healthy

STAR Eels playmaker Corey Norman has admitted he does clash with Brad Arthur but he says the coach’s stern approach is sometimes exactly what he needs.

EELS coach Brad Arthur is serious. Stern.

Corey Norman is anything but those things. He is laid-back. Carefree.

A lot has been made about the working relationship between the two.

The nature of their relationship even made the headlines. That a rift between a coach and his star playmaker had the relationship at breaking point with the latter rumoured to be wanting out.

The 27-year old admitted their personalities clash but in true Norman fashion he laughed off any suggestion that their issues run deep.

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Corey Norman says he knows how to stir up coach Brad Arthur. pic Mark Evans

“Sometimes we do [butt heads], sometimes he gets annoyed at how laid back I can be,” Norman said.

“I’m not annoying but I know which buttons to press with him and I can stir him up a little bit and I think the relationship I have with Brad is really healthy.

“We don’t always agree with each other and we don’t always have to.

“I think that’s healthy and I think we have a good relationship.”

The five-eighth revealed Arthur does step in and rein him in sometimes but he does concede it’s usually warranted.

But it’s not only the coach willing to tell him he needs to pull his head in, other players call him out and it’s a system that is encouraged at the Eels.

“A lot of players do that as well [tell me to pull my head in], we do that with each other so it’s about being accountable,” he said.

The Eels went into September riding high on the back of nine wins from 10 games but stumbled at the most crucial point.

Eels players after a Cowboys try during their Semi Final match.

A lack of experience at finals level was blamed for their losses in week one against the Storm and then the Cowboys in the semi-final.

The hurt still lingers from their ill-fated finals campaign and Norman says it was one of the first things Arthur addressed when they returned for pre-season.

“We’ll be better for that. Even though it was very disappointing, we are very proud our performance but it still hurts,” he said.

“We addressed it early this preseason and for now it’s over and done with but like I said we’ll be better for it the experience and we are ready to rip in for 2018.

Originally published as Corey Norman says his relationship with Eels coach Brad Arthur is healthy