Arthur v Arthur: Why Brad and Jake aren’t stressed over face-off
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Brad Arthur was making small talk with his son when the Parramatta coach made the mistake of asking Jake how training was going.
“Jakey threw off and said to my wife Michelle ‘Baldy is worried about us,’” Arthur grinned.
“We had a bit of a laugh and I said ‘We’re going to bash you anyway, so it doesn’t matter.’”
On Saturday, for the first time, Arthur will coach against his son. The latter recently switched from Parramatta to arch rivals Manly for a fresh start and will get the chance to be the starting No.7 in the absence of Queensland playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans.
Ironically, Arthur jnr left at a time when the Eels could have most benefited from his presence. Mitchell Moses is away on State of Origin duty, while Dylan Brown is suspended under the no-fault stand-down policy.
The result will be Arthur versus Arthur at CommBank Stadium.
Brad Arthur and Jake Arthur face off on Saturday.Credit: SMH
Some father-son combinations have struggled with such a dynamic. Ivan Cleary took no joy coaching against son and Penrith halfback Nathan when he was at Wests Tigers, one of the reasons they decided to reunite at the foot of the mountains.
However, when it comes to the Arthurs, this week is actually one of the less stressful for Dad.
“It’s probably easier for me on game day this week with him not being in the [Parramatta] team than if he was,” said Arthur, who has entrusted his son to the care of his good mate, Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold.
“If he was in our team playing for us this week I’d be a bit more edgy and nervy about it. Whereas now all I have to worry about is preparing the team and worrying about them and he’s got another coach worrying about him, what he has to do and what his job is.
‘He’s happy there, he loves the coaching, it’s a different point of view and different voice.’
“I don’t have to worry about that. I’m too busy worrying about how we’re playing to be worrying about how he’s playing.
“[Jake] was nice and relaxed and joking about the situation.
“He’s happy there, he loves the coaching, it’s a different point of view and different voice. He’s only ever known and listened to what I had to say and our coaches. Now he can help develop his game and work out the bits that he likes from us and the bits he likes from them.
“He can put it all together and work out what style of footy player he wants to be.”
The job of every coach is to break down the play of the opposing halfback and find a way to stop them. Eels skipper Junior Paulo, who is in camp with the Blues this week, is glad it’s not a situation he needs to deal with.
“I can only imagine what the video sessions are going to be like at HQ for the Eels,” Paulo said.
“Now that I’m thinking about it, it would be weird if I was coaching against my son too. I don’t know if Brad has got a strategy to target him or not, but it’s going to be a weird week.”
For Brad, however, it’s not a big deal.
“This year we are a lot more focused on ourselves because there are things that we need to get right,” Arthur said.
Jake Arthur only made the switch to the peninsula last month.Credit: NRL Photos/Gregg Porteous
“We probably do 70 [per cent] us and 30 per cent the opposition. The bit around Jake, the boys have trained with and against him for two or three years now in opposed sessions twice a week.
“They know what he’s good at, what he needs to improve on and where they might get him. The boys are all across it and they know more about it than I do.”
Only last month, after transferring to the Sea Eagles, Jake said he was looking forward to playing against the Eels.
“It would be cool if I got the opportunity to play in that,” Jake said.
“It would be a strange feeling. Some of those boys are my best mates, who I have never played against, like Will Penisini, Shaun Russell. Versing all those boys who have looked after me and taught me so much growing up, that would be a cool feeling.”
Dad, at least for now, is also comfortable with the situation.
“Until I get there, I’m not going to be sure,” Brad said. “But at the moment, I’m way more comfortable and relaxed with the situation that he’s not at our club than he is.
“I’m too busy worrying about how we’re playing to be worrying about how he’s playing.
“His mum is going for Parramatta, but she wants him to play well. That’s where the family sits with it.”
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