Eels couldn’t escape the headlines in 2016 but their players showed resilience on the field
FINAL VERDICT: The Eels couldn’t escape the headlines in 2016 but on the field players at the embattled club never took the easy way out.
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THE Eels couldn’t escape the headlines in 2016 but fans of the embattled club but on the field the players never took the easy way out.
Daily Telegraph journalists Matt Logue and Nick Campton give their final verdict on the Eels.
By MATT LOGUE
What went right:
Resilience through endless adversity. Obviously it was a forgettable season for Parramatta off the field, but they never gave up and it’s a platform they can use to build a brighter season in 2017. The emergence of future star Bevan French was also a highlight for the embattled Eels. French scored 19 tries in just 13 matches to arrive on the NRL stage in style.
What went wrong:
Everything. From the salary cap scandal to boardroom battles and multiple off-field indiscretions, the Eels couldn’t escape the headlines in 2016.
By NICK CAMPTON
What went right:
Parramatta endured an awful season off the field but what will give their fans and coach Brad Arthur hope for the future is that the players themselves never took the easy way out. With so much uncertainty surrounding the club and a horrific injury toll it would have been easy for them to pack it in but they remained steadfast in their commitment to the very end and would have made the finals were it not for the 12-point deduction due to salary cap breaches. The form of Corey Norman, Manu Ma’u and Clint Gutherson and the unearthing of Bevan French were particular highlights.
What went wrong:
Nearly everything else. The Eels were involved in a lengthy and embarrassing salary cap saga that saw them become the fourth club of the NRL deducted points for their crimes. They were forced to gut their roster mid season, losing Nathan Peats and Junior Paulo. Semi Radradra is facing a domestic assault charge and was reportedly within inches of quitting rugby league. Jarryd Hayne came back to the NRL, but with the Titans. Norman was hit with drugs charges and was filmed in a sex tape. The sheer breadth and variety of their off-field dramas was exhausting.
Originally published as Eels couldn’t escape the headlines in 2016 but their players showed resilience on the field
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