Blowtorch to be applied to Eels after meek capitulation to Manly

And you thought there were rumblings coming out of the greater west last week.

Brad Arthur’s future, Clint Gutherson’s contractual status, non-existent edge defence, Parramatta’s ability to win big games, Parramatta’s ability to win any game for that matter; it will all be fodder for at least another week after one of the worst performances in the club’s recent history.

That they produced it with so much at stake – with a top-four spot on the line against their arch rivals – will raise further questions about how such a promising campaign has unravelled so spectacularly.

To make matters worse, Ryan Matterson was sent off for a sickening shoulder charge on Brad Parker which will undoubtedly result in more time on the sidelines. When Marata Niukore was sin-binned late, the Eels were reduced to just 11 men. It’s not like the Eels were able to hold out Manly when they had their full complement on the field.

Joey Lussick, the replacement hooker for Reed Mahoney, was also placed on report for a cannonball tackle. If suspended, Brad Arthur could struggle to find a No.9 next week.

This latest defeat, a 56-10 capitulation on the Sunshine Coast Stadium, is the Eels’ fourth in a row. The Eels have now won just one of their past eight clashes against top-eight sides and have surrendered their top-four spot to the victors. This marks the first time Manly have beaten Parramatta twice in a season since 2013.

Another season that promised so much for the Eels appears set to end in disappointment.Credit:Getty

A catchphrase at Parramatta is “front-load your energy”, but the directive to dominate the early exchanges fell flat. The Eels had to wait until the 10th minute before they touched the Steeden for the first time. By then they were already trailing by 10 points.

Things didn’t get any better thereafter. The margin was 26 just before half-time and all the Eels could muster was a sole try, to Tom Opacic, in reply. One can only imagine what the scoreline would have been had the conditions Sunshine Coast Stadium surface not been so greasy.

A problem that Parramatta have failed to address for several seasons is their edge defence. The Eels continue to defend up and in, the wingers come off the sideline in a bid to compress the defence. The good sides, as well as some of the ordinary ones, take full advantage.

In Daly Cherry-Evans, Kieran Foran, Tom Trbojevic and Josh Schuster, Manly had the playmakers with the vision to exploit the deficiency. Whether they went through the hands or threw cut-out passes, they created countless try-scoring opportunities. Most were converted.

Trbojevic, in particular, didn’t need a second invitation.

By his standards, he was kept relatively quiet against Melbourne. Here he was back to his superhuman self; scoring a try, setting up five others, notching two line breaks and six line-break assists as well as running for 170 metres. This is what a million-dollar fullback looks like.

As much of a focal point as Trbojevic has become, he is not Manly’s only threat. He is one of three Sea Eagles backs ranked in the NRL’s top five tryscorers, along with Jason Saab and Reuben Garrick. Saab finished with two tries and Garrick three as part of a personal tally of 28 points. Garrick notched a club record in the process, surpassing Matthew Ridge’s mark of 257 for most points in a season (including final games).

Any concerns that Manly would be physically or emotionally sapped after pushing Melbourne to the limit were quickly allayed. This is not a team anyone wants to face in the finals.

As the game wound down, it became a training run for the Silvertails. Moses Suli, coming on late to replace the concussed Garrick as 18th man, scored two tries virtually untouched.

Adding further insult is the fact that many of Manly’s stars spent time in the Parramatta system. Schuster, Saab, Suli and Kurt De Luis couldn’t get a start at the blue and golds, while Foran’s fortunes improved after he left.

Des Hasler was in the same position in April that Arthur is in now. Hasler could no longer coach when his side lost four consecutive games to start the season and had to be sacked. Now Dessie is a genius again, albeit a mad one, and the heat is on Arthur. Both their teams sit on the cusp of the top four, on the same number of competition points.

Unfortunately for Arthur, whose side finishes the regular season with clashes against Melbourne and Penrith, their chances of improving their station appear remote.

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