Parramatta Eels 2016 season in review

Before season 2016 ever kicked off for Parramatta, there was an aura of nervous energy hanging around the place (despite the best efforts of coach Brad Arthur and his charges to remain stoic and nonchalant) - for you see, the Eels' front office had made serious and reckless errors in judgement with regards to the NRL salary cap, which ultimately culminated in the Eels justly losing 12 competition points, their for and against they had accrued up until then and copping a large fine.

But prior to kick-off of season 2016, there was contagious enthusiasm and positivity emanating from Parramatta supporters' pores; for the first time in a decade, the Eels boasted a strong roster on paper, and a well-regarded coach to bring the best out of them. Yes, 2016 was set to be a bumper year for the Eels - and the incompetence of a few men and women on their board plunged a dagger into the hearts of Eels fans everywhere.

Before knowing the outcome of the NRL's investigation into their then-alleged breaches of the salary cap, the Eels hosted the Broncos at Pirtek Stadium in round 1 - sadly, without star off-season recruit, Kieran Foran.

Brisbane proved too strong in this encounter, winning 17-4.

Despite the loss, the club remained upbeat, and would go on a run of victories, beating the Cowboys 20-16, the Bulldogs 20-6, and the Tigers 8-0 in consecutive weeks.

The following week, the Eels hosted a high-flying Panthers team, which ultimately pipped the Eels at the full-time siren 20-18.

Parramatta then hosted the Raiders, themselves playing great football at that time, and put on a masterclass of attacking football in the first half, eventually running out 36-6 winners.

The Eels backed up that strong performance with a win at Brookvale, before succumbing to the defending Premiers 32-16.

Following that loss, the Eels played Canterbury, edging them out 20-12.

It was at this point that the NRL handed down their punishment, and the Parramatta club - despite their best efforts to remain focussed - let their guards down.

They lost 22-20 at the last minute to South Sydney; were comfortably defeated 18-6 at Pirtek by the Storm; barely held on to beat a struggling, yet gallant, Newcastle side 20-18; had a bye; defeated the Titans in Darwin 22-12; defeated the Rabbitohs at ANZ 30-12; had another bye; lost to the Sharks 34-24 in the Shire; defeated the Roosters 22-18 in a tough, thrilling contest; lost to Penrith, the Titans and the Tigers in consecutive weeks; defeated Manly 10-9 in controversial circumstances at Pirtek; suffered back-to-back defeats to Brisbane and Canberra; before easily accounting for the Dragons and Warriors in their final two matches of the 2016 season.

Overall, Parramatta's record finished at 13 wins and 11 losses.

It is worth noting that the spearhead of the Eels' attack, Corey Norman, was suspended for the last 8 weeks of the competition for off-field dramas, and with Kieran Foran walking out of the club, the coach had little choice but to use makeshift halves for the second half of the season, including Kenny Edwards, Clinton Gutherson, and eventually Jeff Robson.

The Turning Point

Evidently, the NRL handing down their final findings (and subsequent punishment) knocked the club for six; Kenny Edwards declared proudly that he would hate to be the next team to face the Eels after Parramatta officially had their penalties handed to them, and the match that ensued turned out to be a 22-20 loss to South Sydney.

At times, the Eels dominated that match; at times, they were unable to show the same focus, ruthlessness and defensive commitment that had seen the Eels go as high as 4th on the ladder in previous rounds; there is little doubt that the decision handed down by the NRL threw a spanner in the works, and the Eels' decision to offload popular players Nathan Peats and Junior Paulo to attempt to get back under the 2016 salary cap to play for points proved to be a divisive one, with many pundits declaring that the fabric of what was hitherto a tightknit group had been torn asunder.

The NRL's judgements took their toll on the club, and inconsistency on the footy field followed.

Adding to that, captain Kieran Foran walked away from the game at that point for personal reasons, and left coach Arthur with little choice but to

What Worked

Beau Scott might have been written off as a desperate signing by many prior to 2016, but he helped instill the Eels with a defense that was very difficult to breach; the Eels conceded 324 points for the regular season, second only to eventual Grand Finalists the Storm who conceded 302. Add the deducted points from the salary cap breach and the blue-and-gold still finished with the fifth best defence - not bad for a team with little play for the bulk of the season.

In addition to that, Parramatta finally found a way to win games away from Pirtek, winning 6 from 12 matches away from home.

What Didn't Work

Parramatta's attack officially finished as the worst in the competition (remembering that the club's for and against tally was reset when the NRL handed down its punishment), finishing with a mere 298 points scored.

Throw in second and third string halves combinations for the majority of the second half of the season, and points were hard to come by.

Best Players

Beau Scott rejuvenated the side's defense, and Clint Gutherson was a revelation for the club, playing in every position in the backline bar halfback, and performing admirably.

Everyone is aware of what Scott brings to the table, but Gutherson was an unknown entity; after suffering a season-ending knee injury in round 1, 2015 while playing for Manly against the Eels, question marks over Gutherson's mental acuity and physical abilities abounded - yet he silenced any critics with aplomb, putting in stellar performances at fullback and, later in the year, at 5/8.

Disappointing Players

Parramatta's front row was reliable and hard-working, but unable to win the wrestle for the most part, and struggled to contain larger, more physical forward packs. Danny Wicks, Tim Mannah, Daniel Alvaro and Rory O'Brien played tough and physical brands of footy, but ultimately, they were unable to set a solid enough platform for the star-studded backline to shine.

Rookies

There is only one name on everyone's lips - scorchingly-quick Bevan French. French showed his abilities as a finisher; the 20-year old scored 19 tries from a mere 13 appearances, and bagged himself several doubles along the way.

Despite French's lack of physical size, he showed great speed, acceleration and agility, as well as great instincts for the game of rugby league, and proved he will be an exciting player to watch develop.

Lower Grades Round Up

Holden Cup Under 20's

The Parramatta NYC team finished 7th in the regular season, winning 14 and losing 10 games.

Undoubtedly, their biggest hindrance was the revolving door of young players being promoted; Bevan French ended the season in First Grade, and regular halves Mick Doolan and Troy Dargan spent considerable time in NSW Cup to groom them to play NRL First Grade.

Parramatta bowed out of the NYC Finals with a big defeat to the Tigers.

Intrust Super Premiership NSW

The Wentworthville Magpies frustrated their fans with inconsistent performances the entire season; they eventually finished in 9th place, but began 2016 with a bang, winning 4 of their 5 opening games.

From round 8, however, they lost 8 matches on the trot, before picking up at the back end of the season to finish in 9th place.

2017 Chances

With the weight of suspensions to key players, points deductions, fines, player shedding and the stigma of being salary cap cheats lifted, there is a realistic possibility that Parramatta may become a force in 2017; they can boast essentially the same side as they did in 2016, with minor changes (the largest of which is a change in fullback and hooker, but Gordon was not a good fit for the Eels, and De Gois eventually played more minutes than Peats, regardless).

The Eels boast a backline full of speed, power and skill - Semi Radradra and Michael Jennings are two of the best players in their respective positions; Bevan French is an electrifying youngster with the world at his feet; Brad Takaraingi and Josh Hoffman are under-rated but highly valued utility players; and Clint Gutherson is a quality Mr. Fix-It.

The Eels can also say they have a very good back row - Manu Ma'u is a world-class edge forward; Kenny Edwards adds serious punch from the bench; Beau Scott, despite his age, is a tireless worker; and young Tepai Moeroa is a damaging runner of the ball out wide.

Where the Eels fall a little flat is the front row - their tight forwards are all competent, but unable to stand up to physically match larger, stronger and faster forward packs, although the additions of Vave and Brown should help remedy this somewhat.

Hooker is another area in which Parramatta possibly scores a lower grade when compared to the top sides; Isaac De Gois is an experienced campaigned, with nerves of steel and a gritty defensive attitude, but his service from dummy-half is not always as crisp as it perhaps should be, and his decision-making sometimes stifles the Eels' attack.

But given their performances with attacking spearhead Norman on the sidelines for so long, Eels fans have every right to take heart and feel confident that a top 8 finish is seriously plausible.

Best Line-Up For 2017

1. Bevan French
2. Semi Radradra
3. Michael Jennings
4. Brad Takaraingi
5. Josh Hoffman
6. Clint Gutherson
7. Corey Norman
8. Tim Mannah
9. Isaac De Gois
10. Nathan Brown
11. Beau Scott
12. Manu Ma'u
13. Tepai Moeroa

14. Kaysa Pritchard
15. Danny Wicks
16. Siosia Vave
17. Kenny Edwards