Clint Gutherson sets up Parramatta Eels’ win over Newcastle Knights
Parramatta coach Brad Arthur hailed his side’s defence as they won an arm wrestle in Newcastle to move back to the top of the table.
Parramatta coach Brad Arthur spent the week fine-tuning his side’s defence. So did Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien. That’s how the game played out at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Two teams who have exhilarated at times this season with their attack producing a good old-fashioned arm wrestle. Tries were at a premium and the attack was as ugly as the threatening grey skies that hovered over McDonald Jones Stadium as the game drew to a gripping conclusion.
This was another step in the Eels’ education. Neither they nor Newcastle were at the peak of their powers but when the game was in the balance, Parramatta captain Clint Gutherson came up with a moment that proved decisive as he took a quick tap, caught Newcastle napping and sent Maika Sivo over.
The Eels returned to the top of the table, their 10-4 win sobered somewhat by the decision of rookie forward Stefano Utoikamanu to naively celebrate his debut by embracing family and friends after the full-time siren.
The NRL was on Sunday night awaiting guidance from their biosecurity experts on the implications of Utoikamanu’s actions. As for Arthur, he preferred to focus on the positives to emerge from his side’s eighth win in nine games.
“It was a good tough performance,” Arthur said.
“We knew that we were going to have to play for the 80 minutes. What the club and Adam have done with the Newcastle team at the moment is they are playing a tough style of footy.
“They make you earn your points. We did a lot of defence at training this week. We just focused on defence. We hardly touched the ball.
“We knew defence was going to be really important for us.”
So did O’Brien.
“I thought we showed some toughness and grit defensively,” O’Brien said.
“I wasn’t happy with our attack. I kept banging on about defence so it was going to come back to get me at some stage.
“Our skill all over in the second half I thought was the area that let us down. I thought our high-note finishes to sets was impatient and lacked polish.
“We had enough ball down there to win a couple of games and we just didn’t ice it.”
The sides traded tries through the opening 65 minutes via Ryan Matterson and Andrew McCullough but it was the inspiration of Gutherson that proved the difference.
As it has on frequent occasions this season.
“He has really matured as a captain and leader of the team,” Arthur said.
“He is never stressed, he is never fatigued and he has a real clarity about the decisions he makes.”
Asked whether he was disappointed in his side’s response at that moment, O’Brien said: “The other guys needed to keep moving. It is taught to you as a kid — play the whistle.
“I thought we looked on top of the ground at the end. I thought of the two teams, we looked as though we were coming home strong.
“There is no doubt they are tired. It has been a big campaign. First time we have been home since round one … and we have been on that bus for a while now.
“It has been a big campaign. I am still pretty proud of them.”
Arthur felt the same. Then again, the fact that the coaches were in simpatico should come as no surprise.
As was detailed in the lead-up to Sunday afternoon’s game, they are very much aligned, Arthur having given O’Brien his chance in Melbourne and provided a sounding board for the Knights mentor since. They grew very much from the same coaching tree and on Sunday afternoon’s evidence and utterings, have very similar philosophies.
It helps explain why O’Brien was reluctant to be overly critical of his side in defeat.
They were slightly off kilter, star playmaker Kalyn Ponga among those to be below their best, but better days lay ahead.
“Sometimes the harder you try to get in the game, the harder it becomes for you,” O’Brien said.
“There is no doubt he is a by-product of what I have given the team over the last few weeks at training.
“He will benefit over thee next month if we can get some turnarounds when we can spend some time on attack.
“We had enough ball to win that footy game. But I stand by what I said — we need to be a good defensive team. Defence wins premierships.
“That’s a fact.”
Arthur no doubt agrees.
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