BreaKing news HE IS COMING……
Brad Arthur became the second head coach to be swiftly dismissed after South Sydney’s recent decision to axe Jason Demetriou late last month.
The Parramatta coach faced immense pressure since his team missed the finals last year, which only intensified with each subsequent demoralizing defeat, ultimately leading the Eels’ decision-makers to fire the club’s longest-serving head coach.
Arthur, who spent 11 seasons at Parramatta, fell short in his quest to end their long premiership drought, with a loss in the 2022 grand final being his closest attempt.
Taking over on an interim basis in 2012, Arthur navigated the club through challenging times due to salary cap constraints, eventually making them regular finals contenders.
“I’ve never walked away from a fight and we’re going to keep fighting hard,” Arthur stated following another disappointing second-half collapse last week.
The Eels suffered a 48-16 thrashing by the Melbourne Storm in Magic Round, which turned out to be Arthur’s final game, despite his confidence in turning things around.
“There hasn’t been any indication from the club towards me,” he said in the post-match press conference.
“All they want to do is get around us and support myself, the coaches, the rest of the staff, and the team. But ultimately, what matters is our performance on the field, and it’s not good enough at the moment.
“The reality is we’re not playing well enough, and I’m the head coach.”
A board meeting the day after their Magic Round defeat ultimately sealed Arthur’s fate as he was dismissed with immediate effect.
Trent Barrett has been appointed as the interim coach for the remaining 14 games of the regular season.
“We will provide a further update as we move forward to appoint a head coach for the 2025 season and beyond,” the club announced following Arthur’s departure.
Jason Ryles, a former St George Illawarra forward who has been an assistant under Craig Bellamy and Trent Robinson, is considered a potential candidate. He recently declined interest from the Dragons to return to Melbourne, assuming he would take over from Bellamy upon his retirement. However, Bellamy’s decision to continue coaching in 2025 has cast doubt on Ryles’ future at the Storm.
The Eels expressed their intention to move in a “new direction,” which Ryles could potentially provide.
Other potential candidates include Josh Hannay, part of Craig Fitzgibbon’s staff at Cronulla and the Maroons’ coaching setup under Billy Slater. Hannay has coached 30 NRL games in interim roles with the Cowboys and Sharks. His agent is set to meet with the Eels.
“The job appeals,” Hannay told The Age. “There’s a lot of potential for growth and a lot of exciting parts to that roster. I feel like, given my path, I couldn’t be more ready. If Parramatta is interested and does their due diligence, that question would be answered for them.”
Former Dragons coach Paul McGregor is the first to publicly express interest in the vacancy. McGregor, who coached St George Illawarra from 2014 to 2020 with a 46% win rate, has declared his passion for coaching and interest in the Parramatta job.
