Fox League’s James Hooper and Braith Anasta have questioned the Parramatta Eels’ preparation leading into their grand final loss to the Penrith Panthers.
The Eels opted to scrap a team bus and instead travel to the team individually or with their partners as coach Brad Arthur attempted to drive home the message that it was simply another game of football.
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“As good as Penrith were I think that Parramatta weren’t at the races last night,” Hooper said on NRL360 on Monday.
“You watch them run out and they looked as though they were really in the moment, especially their big name players Mitchell Moses, Clint Gutherson, they looked like they were up for the occasion, but after the opening set it became very clear that Penrith were on another level.
“Look I don’t know if it was the emotion of the week, the fact that rather than get a team bus together and all go to the game together.”
“What happened there?” Anasta questioned. “Did they not all go to the game together?”
“No they all drove individually or with their partners or however they decided,” Hooper replied.
“That’s unusual for a grand final,” Anasta added.
It wasn’t the only preparation decision that caught the attention of the NRL360 panel. The Eels also rejected an offer to train at Accor Stadium, instead sticking to their regular training ground in Kellyville.
Hooper believed it reminded him of a similar plan the club had in leading into their 2001 grand final loss.
“You’d know you’ve been there, for me it sounded strange but they wanted to try and just stick to the process and treat it like any other game,” Hooper said.
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“Look last time we heard that was back in 2001 when one of the all time great Parramatta sides got rolled in a grand final that was dubbed the un-losable grand final by the Newcastle Knights.
“I think it was a stuff up during the week, the fact that they didn’t want to train at Accor Stadium either they knocked that back, just wanted to stick to their processes at Kellyville.
“I reckon they’ve dropped the ball there.”
NRL 360 host Paul Kent, however, disagreed, declaring the Panthers simply too good.
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“I’ve got no problems with Parramatta’s preparation,” Kent said.
“I think Penrith are so good they were going to do that to anybody last night.
“I think Penrith are so far ahead of every team in the NRL that whoever they played last night and look I said last week Penrith by 14, they won by 16.
“You know what I think most other teams would’ve been lucky to get within 16 as well.
“Penrith are at another level, they are doing things in the game, they’re playing a style, the combination, cohesions, the physicality, they are so far ahead of everybody.”
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