Dyldam Parramatta Eels Head Coach Brad Arthur has refused to be drawn on external distractions following the Blue and Gold’s 18-6 loss to the Melbourne Storm.
Arthur was quick to praise the Storm’s effort and execution, as well as the tenacity of his half, Kieran Foran.
Click through to see the video highlights from the Eels v Storm
“They’re a very good team and they just keep turning up for each other,” Arthur said.
“I thought in the second half there was a period where they had 7 sets to our 1, and that’s where it sort of got taken away from us. They managed the game a lot better than us in terms of discipline and not turning the ball over, and some penalties.”
The Eels ran in a late try through centre Michael Jennings, but were held up over the line more than once in the Round 11 clash at Pirtek Stadium.
“We got held up over the line 3 or 4 times, didn’t we?” Arthur said.
“I think that’s a credit to them (the Storm). And if we got a bit of luck and we get one of those tries maybe it would have been a bit of energy we needed to find.”
“It’s not an excuse, (the media coverage of the Eels),” Arthur added.
“Once they get out on the field [the players] have got 80 minutes to try and get the job done, we can’t be offering up excuses. We just need to focus on each week. We had to keep it positive [when the club was issued a breach notice by the NRL] and we still need to be keeping it positive.”
“At the end of the day we need to keep it the same: do our review, be honest, and then find some energy at the back end of the week and give the boys a reason and a way of how we can win the game.”
“Nothing’s changed.”
Second-rower Beau Scott left the field early in the game with a corked thigh, while Kieran Foran looked to be struggling with an injured shoulder throughout the match, but Arthur was hopeful both would be fit for the Eels’ Round 11 match up with the Newcastle Knights.
“[Kieran] made a bit of a half break on that right edge in the first half, and landed awkwardly and had to get needled up,” Arthur said.
“They targeted him and got some play the balls through him, but he didn’t want to come off and we needed him out there. He plays nice and tough, you know, and he put on some good plays. Now he’ll go back for a couple of days [to a treatment facility in Queensland] and they’ll reassess him and see how he coped this week and make a decision from there.”
“[Beau] got a cork and he just couldn’t run it out, so that’s another one that with a 7 day turnaround he should be okay.”
