Theres no place like home how relocation has bitten Eels campaign
Of all the reasons for Parramattaâs late season slide, perhaps the most telling is that it began about the same moment that home matches were shifted away from Bankwest Stadium.
Perhaps no other club has been hit harder by the NRLâs relocation to Queensland. The Eels have made Bankwest Stadium a fortress since it was rebuilt, winning 24 of 32 matches for a winning percentage of 75 per cent. According to Champion Data, the average winning score at Bankwest is 25-16.
The Eels havenât played at Bankwest since round 15, the result of a block of scheduled away games and the relocation of the competition. Since then, they have won just one of their five matches, two of which were originally scheduled for Bankwest. One of those âhomeâ games was a comprehensive loss to the Roosters, while another was a two-point defeat to the Raiders. Prior to relocation, the Eels had won 18 of their 32 away games for a win percentage of 56 per cent.
At a time when blue and golds are clinging to a top-four spot, they have lost the advantage of having two of their last three games scheduled at home - against the Cowboys and Panthers - which are instead expected to be staged in Queensland.
The shift north has not only hurt the club financially â" itâs estimated that millions of dollars have been lost in crowd and corporate takings â" but a competitive advantage has also been eroded.
The Eels must rally from the setback and reignite a stalled campaign against Manly on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
While being on the road hasnât helped, other reasons have been offered for Parramattaâs slump. They include speculation over the future of coach Brad Arthur, whether the teamâs style of play is suitable for the big end-of-season games and concerns that contract negotiations could be an unwanted distraction for players.
Big names Clint Gutherson, Ryan Matterson, Junior Paulo, Dylan Brown, Shaun Lane and Maika Sivo are among those either off contract or have a get-out clause at the end of 2022.
There are already suggestions that Gutherson would be seeking a deal of almost $1 million per season to recommit, a rumour the Eels skipper was keen to shoot down.
âI have no clue where that came from,â Gutherson said. âPeople always talk about it. Thatâs up to Sam [manager Sam Ayoub], clubs, whatever it is. Iâll leave it to Sam and he can go about that business.â
The Eels arenât the same side away from Bankwest Stadium.Credit:Getty
Gutherson suggested the rumours were part of a campaign to destabilise the club.
âThatâs why itâs out there, theyâre trying to make it harder on us,â he said. âItâs part of the game, I didnât read into it.â
Isaiah Papaliâi, who will shift into the front-row in the absence of Regan Campbell-Gillard, said the Eels needed to get back to outmuscling their opposition from the kick-off.
âI think youâve hit it on the head, the physicality of the whole team hasnât been there for the past month or so,â Papaliâi said. âWeâve talked about that as a team and itâs a big focus for us going into this game.â
Fellow forward Ryan Matterson said the Eels had a team capable of contesting for a premiership if everyone played to their ability.
âAs players we donât go out there to lose games,â Matterson said. âThatâs something weâre going to turn around this week.
âAs a playing squad weâve been speaking about it and actions are something that need to change. Words are cheap and weâre looking to change it this week.
âAs a squad we know we are more capable than what weâve been producing.
âThe frustrating thing is we know we should be winning those games. Thatâs it, the line is in the sand; we know we are capable of winning games and itâs time to start doing that.â
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Adrian Proszenko is the Chief Rugby League Reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald.
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