Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur sacked effective immediately

Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur has been sacked on the spot as the club’s season went from bad to worse over the weekend.

NRL 2024 RD11 Melbourne Storm v Parramatta Eels - Brad Arthur

Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur has been sacked effective immediately.

The club delivered the bombshell news on Monday, but it was revealed the decision had been made weeks earlier.

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The axing comes a day after the club were blown off the park against the Melbourne Storm during Magic Round.

Arthur was grilled over his future in the wake of his side’s 48-16 loss on Sunday, a result which marked their fourth straight defeat.

“The Parramatta Eels have this afternoon informed Brad Arthur that his tenure as Head Coach has ended, effective immediately,” a club statement read.

“It was the view of the Board and CEO that the progress of our NRL team has stalled. Our goal is to win premierships and it is time for the Club to go in a new direction.

Arthur speaking after the heavy-handed loss to the Storm.

“We want to thank Brad who has worked tirelessly for the Club over a 10 year period. During his time as Head Coach, the Club has played in five finals series, including a grand final in 2022.

“We wish Brad and his family the very best in the future and we are very grateful for his services to the Club.

“Trent Barrett will take control of the team as Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the 2024 season.

“We will provide a further update as we move forward to appoint a Head Coach for the 2025 season and beyond.”

In the wake of Arthur’s axing however, the Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield revealed the club had made the decision weeks prior.

“The interesting part of this story was they’ve told me they made the decision that they were going to finish up with Brad on May 1,” Rothfield said on NRL 360.

“After the Darwin debacle where they were flogged by the Dolphins, they were then touched up by Manly at Brookvale Oval.

“After that game the board made a decision that Brad Arthur would finish up this year.”

Rothfield then revealed the club had been working behind the scenes to try and lure NRL mastermind Wayne Bennett to the club to replace Arthur.

“The big story is that for the last three weeks privately, secretly, whatever you want to say they have been talking to Wayne Bennett and trying to wrestle him away from South Sydney to become head coach of the Eels next season,” Rothfield said.

Coach Brad Arthur Picture: NRL Photos

Arthur became the Eels coach in 2012 when he stepped in as the interim coach.

He led the Eels to a Grand Final appearance in 2022 but the club has struggled to replicate that form since.

They missed the finals last season and are currently languishing in 14th spot on the ladder with three wins and seven losses.

Arthur labelled his side’s second half display on Sunday as “embarrassing”.

The Eels trailed 16-10 at halftime before conceding six tries in the second 40 minutes.

“The second half was embarrassing. We fell in a hole for a period of 10-15 minutes and lacked resilience in that period and just kept digging the hole deeper,” Arthur said in his post-match press conference.

“It’s happened too often in the last month or so. When we get under a bit of fatigue, we lack resistance in defence and we drop our head when things go against us.

“We’re putting ourselves at a level of fatigue from a lot of the stuff we’re doing in the first half.

“We only had 30 per cent possession in the first 15 minutes so we’re our own worst enemy with that and it catches up with you and we’re not resilient enough to hang in there and just defend one set.”

Barrett will lead the Eels out next Saturday night when they take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Accor Stadium in Sydney.