The Sydney Morning Herald’s Andrew Webster believes that the speculation on the future of Parramatta Eels head coach Brad Arthur has caused a major distraction at the club and could impact the rest of the season.
The Eels were thrashed 36-14 against the Brisbane Broncos on Thursday night and now face the very real prospect of missing out on the finals entirely due to a tough run home.
Webster said that Arthur was already under immense pressure to start the week to retain his job and his side's latest defeat has added fuel to the fire.
“I think it was a bit of a distraction,” Webster said on SEN 1170 Morning Glory.
“He’s had to answer these questions for nine years.
“This is the madness of it because they extend his contract at the start of the year to try and take the speculation away.
“If the team is not performing well, the speculation is going to be there no matter what.
“Just because you re-sign him means jack.”
The Eels’ roster has come under scrutiny for not having the necessary firepower to win the competition and with a number of star players leaving at season’s end, the consensus is that the premiership window for the Eels is closing fast.
SEN’s Matty Johns disagrees that the roster is not strong enough and theorises that another coach has the ability to get the most out of Parramatta’s players.
“Is that a roster that can win the grand final and you look at the surface and you’d say they can’t,” Johns said.
“If another coach takes over, who knows?
“We’ve seen some clubs struggling and then all of a sudden a Wayne Bennett goes there and they win a competition.
“It’s more than just raw talent, it’s good coaching.”
The Eels face a tough test next week when they host the Penrith Panthers on July 29.