Parramatta coach Brad Arthur has lamented the gamers the membership misplaced within the low season because the Eels face the prospect of lacking the highest eight only one 12 months after reaching the grand last.
After falling to the Panthers within the 2022 decider, the Eels noticed the likes of Reed Mahoney, Isaiah Papali’i Oregon Kaufusi and Marata Niukore be part of rival golf equipment within the off season.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Arthur mentioned it was tough to look at gamers the Eels had nurtured serving to rival groups.
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“You’re changing combinations, changing players. We had a lot of players that were here for four or five years in our systems and structures and knew exactly how we did things. When you bring in new players it takes time,” Arthur mentioned.
“It’s not an excuse, you asked the question, it’s just the truth. You can’t keep them all.
“We would have loved to have kept everyone. Penrith would have loved to have kept everyone.
“It’s not nice losing players that you spent a lot of time with and developed and then go off to other clubs and they’re helping other clubs.
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“I’d like to have a wish list but this is what we’ve got. This is our team and I’m happy with it and I’ve got to do a better job.”
The NRL360 panel, nonetheless, mentioned Arthur and the Eels had no excuse and identified a giant downside along with his comparability to western Sydney rivals the Panthers.
“Brad just said there that ‘Penrith lose players, we lose players, it evens up the competition’,” the Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley mentioned.
“Well Penrith are still sitting first and the Eels are going to miss the finals.
“They’ve lost Niukore, Isaiah Papali’i, Oregon Kaufusi and Reed Mahoney and they’ve gone from the grand final to missing the eight. It’s unacceptable.”
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Crawley’s colleague David Riccio then revealed there are murmurs that at the least one high-profile departure might make a return to the Eels in what can be a significant increase to Arthur’s roster.
“There’s just way too much noise about Isaiah Papali’i at the Wests Tigers heading back to Parramatta,” Riccio mentioned.
“Time will tell and the ability of Benji Marshall to smooth the waters of the Wests Tigers early next season will be key to that.
“So too Stefano Utoikamanu. He’s the Wests Tigers front rower who has clauses galore in his contract to get out.
“Watching that space closely and knowing the relationship Papali’i has got back at Parramatta, I’m not ruling it out that he goes back.”
Papali’i joined the Tigers on a big-money, three-year deal solely to waiver following Michael Maguire’s sacking final season.
It prompted stories he was contemplating a backflip earlier than he finally packed his luggage for the merger membership.
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
