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Arthur ready for more heat after flogging

3 minute read

Parramatta coach Brad Arthur expects more noise around his position after the Eels' top-four NRL hopes were shot by a 56-10 flogging from Manly.

Eels head coach BRAD ARTHUR
Eels head coach BRAD ARTHUR Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Brad Arthur concedes the pressure on him is only going to intensify after Parramatta suffered their worst loss in more than two years.

The Eels reached their lowest ebb in Saturday night's 56-10 flogging from Manly, poor in both attack and defence and now facing serious judiciary concerns.

The loss prompted club great Peter Sterling to rule them out of title contention, admitting they won't be able to perform for four straight weeks in the finals.

Arthur now has three weeks to turn the Eels' season around, with the loss to Manly their fourth defeat in a row and a tough run home still to come.

With their top-four hopes now all but shot, Parramatta must try to build some momentum before finals in games against North Queensland, Melbourne and Penrith.

But already under pressure before the season began for failing to make an impact in finals and again last week for their loss of form, Arthur admitted more heat was now coming.

"It's coming. It's what it is, it's footy," Arthur said.

"That part of it I can handle. I don't like seeing the players disappointed and not happy and not enjoying our footy.

"And when you get beat like that obviously there is no enjoyment.

"The other bit, it's going to be there we have to deal with it."

The long-time Eels coach admitted it was on him to turn his side around, after they executed poorly in attack and leaked 16 line breaks.

They have now scored just four tries in their last three games, and coughed up the ball in almost every good scoring opportunity on Saturday night.

"We have to (turn it around). We can when we need to," Arthur said.

"The responsibility falls on my shoulders and we will turn it around.

"We probably need to change things up a bit at training. maybe not focus on footy this week.

"Sometimes the harder you work, the more of a hole you get yourself into."

It's almost certain to get worse for the Eels before it gets better, with second-rower Ryan Matterson sent off for a shoulder charge on Brad Parker.

Matterson was almost immediately marched when his shoulder contacted Parker's face, leaving the Manly centre concussed.

Even a grade-two shoulder charge would result in a three-game ban, while a grade-three charge would result in at least a four-match ban and rule him out of the first week of finals.

"It was an accident, a tackle gone wrong," Arthur said.

"He used his right shoulder and it was meant to be a left shoulder tackle.

"He got knocked in the head himself. There was no malice or intent in it."

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