Footy legend Laurie Daley nearly collapsed over a heartbreaking comment under fire from Eels star Jake Arthur when a fan asked for an autograph
- The 20-year-old playmaker was abused by fans
- So I couldn’t believe someone wanted her signature
- Daley described the incident as unsavory
Former NRL champion Laurie Daley has seen it all on and off the football pitch, but the Canberra Raiders legend admitted hearing about intimidating Parramatta half-back Jake Arthur last weekend, which almost made him cry.
Arthur is the son of Parramatta coach Brad and has been maligned by a segment of the Eels fanbase who believe he is only chosen because of nepotism.
It came to a boiling point on Saturday in Canberra when the Eels lost to the Raiders with Arthur in half-time to replace concussed star Mitch Moses.
Outside the hangars, ticket holders were waiting for him and cursing at him despite playing a decent game.
Worse still, when a legitimate Parramatta fan asked for the 20-year-old’s autograph, the young playmaker couldn’t believe someone wanted his signature after the treatment he gave and asked them: ” Are you sure?”
Jake Arthur is just 20 but has already suffered a barrage of abuse during his short NRL career from fans who feel he was only chosen because of his father.
A Parramatta fan posted about the incident in a fan group which led to an outpouring of fan support for Arthur
NRL champion Laurie Daley said the behavior of Parramatta fans was unsavory and the incident almost brought her to tears.
speaking on Sky Sports Big Sports Breakfast on Tuesday, Daley called the incident “unsavory.”
“It will be great to have Mitch Moses back, but jeez, I feel sorry for Jake Arthur,” he said.
“He was harassed after the game there in Canberra by Parramatta supporters.
“I find it unsavory when people do that. He’s a young boy trying his best and people want to criticize him.
“How was he after that, Gutho?” Is he okay?’ Daley asked Eels skipper Clint Gutherson.
“Jakob is fine, he’s a very strong character,” Gutherson said.
“He cops a lot… he doesn’t deserve anything he has.
“It’s never anyone’s fault if you lose a football match, that’s why you play a team sport, you need all the members of the team to win.
“I thought Jakob at the weekend was good. He played good football, he probably kicked a kick badly at the start of the second half there.
“He is his own toughest critic.
“We all support Jakey when he comes into the team. It’s definitely not his fault that we lost this weekend.
Arthur was abused in Darwin when he was called up to play against the Cowboys and also in Brisbane when he made his NRL debut in the Magic Round.
The young utility disabled his social media accounts to block trolls while his teammates described him as a strong character
Daley went on to detail how emotional he felt reading about the treatment Arthur had undergone.
“I was just reading the article and honestly it almost brought me to tears,” he said.
“He was being abused and then they told these guys to move on and go. Then another Parramatta fan said “man can I have your autograph” and he said “are you sure?”.
“Terrible, awful. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen again.
The incident involving Arthur also sparked an outpouring of support from Parramatta fans who backed the young playmaker.
‘It’s so sad for me to hear that. Bagging it from the sideline makes me so angry,’ said one fan.
‘It’s so sad for me to hear that. Bagging it from the sideline makes me so angry,” posted another.
“Keep up the great work Jake you are an amazing player and you put your heart on your sleeve when you step onto the pitch don’t let the disrespectful fans take that away from you,” another added.
