The Eels have sacked coach Brad Arthur fresh off a horror loss during Magic Round, but the call was actually made weeks ago and players didn’t even know when it became public.
The club confirmed the news on Monday evening following several reports of his termination.
They attempted to sign Wayne Bennett as his replacement but failed to convince him to abandon his plan to rejoin South Sydney.
The only place to watch every game of every round LIVE with no ad-breaks during play is Fox League, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >
Fox League understands Eels players were unaware of Arthur’s sacking until it was made public late in the afternoon.
The Daily Telegraph’s Buzz Rothfield reported on Fox League’s NRL 360 exactly how the call went down – including the surprising detail of the decision being made back on May 1.
“At 4pm this afternoon at their HQ, Brad Arthur was called in for a meeting with Jim Sarantinos and Sean McElduff the chairman, and he was informed straight off the bat that his contract has been terminated,” Rothfield said.
“They then rang the senior playing group – the Guthersons, the Moses, etc – explained their decision and then the rest of the top 30. They then sent a text message out.
“The interesting part of this story was they’ve told me they made the decision they were gonna finish up with Brad on May 1, so after the Darwin debacle where they were flogged by the Dolphins (on April 19).
“They were then touched up by Manly at Brookvale Oval (on April 26). After that game the board made a decision that Brad Arthur would finish up this year.
“The big story is that for the last three weeks, privately, secretly, whatever you want to say, they have been talking to Wayne Bennett and trying to wrestle him away from South Sydney.”
Arthur had no clue about his looming exit based on his public comments.
After Sunday’s loss to the Storm, Arthur said: “It’s five minutes after the game but there hasn’t been any indication from the club (that he’s under pressure).
“All they want to do is get around us and support the players, coaches and the rest of the team but at the end of the day, what matters is what we do for the 80 minutes on the field.”
Warriors pull off unreal upset | 02:13
The club confirmed the news on Monday evening.
“The Parramatta Eels have this afternoon informed Brad Arthur that his tenure as Head Coach has ended, effective immediately,” a statement read.
“It was the view of the Board and CEO that the progress of our NRL team has stalled. Our goal is to win premierships and it is time for the Club to go in a new direction.
“We want to thank Brad who has worked tirelessly for the Club over a 10 year period. During his time as Head Coach, the Club has played in five finals series, including a grand final in 2022.
“We wish Brad and his family the very best in the future and we are very grateful for his services to the Club.
“Trent Barrett will take control of the team as Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the 2024 season.
“We will provide a further update as we move forward to appoint a Head Coach for the 2025 season and beyond.”
Arthur took the coaching reins in 2012 when he stepped in as an interim option and has been at the helm ever since.
He led the Eels to a grand final appearance in 2022 but the club has struggled since then.
The Eels missed finals last season and are sitting 14th with three wins and seven losses.
The news comes after Parramatta lost 48-16 to a heavily depleted Storm outfit. It was their fourth-consecutive loss.
Source: www.foxsports.com.au