- Dylan Brown says Brad Arthur’s firing was unfair
- Says players are to blame for Parramatta’s woes
- Brown is the first Eels player to speak publicly on the issue
Parramatta star Dylan Brown says it was “unfair” Brad Arthur was sacked as the club’s coach at this stage of the season and reckons the players are to blame for his demise with the Eels languishing in the bottom four.
Brown is the first Eels player to speak publicly about the veteran coach’s dismissal, with Arthur sacked following a tough loss to the Storm in the Magic Round, where they lost 48 points to a team that lost some of its biggest stars.
Arthur and Brown had a special bond from the moment the Kiwis playmaker made his NRL debut in 2019, and that explains why he was gutted to see his mentor shown the door after guiding the Eels to the grand final in 2022.
‘We are all adults and things happen that we don’t want to happen. “It was unexpected what happened and it’s disappointing to see him go because a lot of us are very close to Brad,” he said.
Dylan Brown says it was ‘unfair’ for Brad Arthur to be sacked as club manager
Arthur oversaw a torrid run of six losses in seven games, which led to his departure.
“For him to go away like this, especially at this point in the season, is disappointing.
“We are disappointed, but we have to keep going and get results because there are fans waiting for us to perform.” Brad wasn’t going to perform on the field, it’s us players who have to do it.
“It’s disappointing that the results were the reason he was fired, and that’s on us.”
“A lot of us think about it and think it was our fault, but the only thing that’s going to get us out of this is each other.” “There’s nothing we can do about it except act, and we’re not doing that right now.”
The timing of Arthur’s sacking coincided with Parramatta’s secret mission to try to sign Wayne Bennett, who confirmed the following day that he would be leaving for the Rabbitohs in 2025.
The season is far from over for the Eels, who are likely to get key men Mitch Moses and Clint Gutherson back from injury on Thursday night, which is why some people were surprised Arthur was sacked rather than given more time with their stars back.
“The decision came from the top and we don’t know the exact reasons why it was at this time, but we always knew there was pressure on him, and he knew it,” Brown said after the 42-26 loss to Souths. .
‘I felt it was unfair, but there are reasons behind it why they decided to do it.
‘We are the ones who go out every week. If you talk to anyone, not just the leadership group but players 1-30, it’s our responsibility. It is shameful.’
Co-captain Junior Paulo sat next to interim coach Trent Barrett at the post-match press conference and said he was “shocked” when he heard the news about Arthur, and now it’s up to the players to turn things around with just three wins in 2024.
Dylan Browns says it’s the players’ responsibility to turn the season around
That starts with their defense, which has been terrible at times this season, with the Eels conceding 30 points per game and winless on the road despite having one of the best offensive squads in the league.
“I think that’s been the story of our season. It’s not the points we didn’t score, it’s the points we got,” Brown said.
“It’s pretty embarrassing again, but we just need to find some momentum and keep going.” We’re having the same conversations behind the posts every time they score (where we say) ‘win the set and get the ball back’, but we’re not doing that.’