The 2018 Parramatta Eels season was the 72nd in the club's history. Coached by Brad Arthur and co-captained by Tim Mannah, Beau Scott and Clinton Gutherson, they finished the NRL's 2018 Telstra Premiership in last place, and did not qualify for the 2018 NRL Finals Series.[1]

Summary

For the 2018 season, Parramatta were predicted by many before the season to finish in the top 8 and challenge for the premiership. Those predictions were matched in the opening round of the season as Parramatta lead Penrith 14–0 early on but after a second half capitulation lost the game 24–14. In round 2, Parramatta were humiliated 54–0 by Manly at Brookvale Oval. Parramatta went on to lose the opening six games of the season before eventually winning their first game of the season defeating Manly 44–10 in round 7.

In round 8, Parramatta defeated Wests Tigers 24–22 to make it back to back victories for the club. The Eels then went on to lose the next five games in a row before eventually winning their third game of the season defeating North Queensland 20–14 in Darwin in which Jarryd Hayne returned from injury scoring two tries. The following weeks were filled with disappointment as the club came close to pulling off upset wins against top of the table St. George Illawarra only for the club to concede two tries in five minutes to lose 20–18 and South Sydney after leading 20–6 late into the game only for Souths to score late tries and win 26–20. In round 18, Parramatta lost 18–16 to Newcastle with the club being denied a last minute try after it was ruled winger Bevan French had put his foot over the sideline. The following week, Parramatta defeated arch rivals Canterbury 14–8 in what the media dubbed the "Spoon Bowl".

There were hopes that Parramatta could avoid the wooden spoon as going into the second last game of the season the club sat above North Queensland on the table due to for and against. In what was the retiring Jonathan Thurston's final home game, both clubs needed a win to avoid the wooden spoon. North Queensland won the match 44–6. In the final game of the season, Parramatta were defeated 44–10 by the Sydney Roosters ensuring that the club finished last and claimed their 14th wooden spoon and the Roosters claiming the minor premiership. Before the match, the Roosters needed to defeat Parramatta by 27 points to overtake Melbourne and finish first on the table.[2][3][4]

Standings

2018 NRL season
Pos Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 Sydney Roosters 24 16 0 8 1 542 361 +181 34
2 Melbourne Storm 24 16 0 8 1 536 363 +173 34
3 South Sydney Rabbitohs 24 16 0 8 1 582 437 +145 34
4 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24 16 0 8 1 519 423 +96 34
5 Penrith Panthers 24 15 0 9 1 517 461 +56 32
6 Brisbane Broncos 24 15 0 9 1 556 500 +56 32
7 St. George Illawarra Dragons 24 15 0 9 1 519 472 +47 32
8 New Zealand Warriors 24 15 0 9 1 472 447 +25 32
9 Wests Tigers 24 12 0 12 1 377 460 −83 26
10 Canberra Raiders 24 10 0 14 1 563 540 +23 22
11 Newcastle Knights 24 9 0 15 1 414 607 −193 20
12 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24 8 0 16 1 428 474 −46 18
13 North Queensland Cowboys 24 8 0 16 1 449 521 −72 18
14 Gold Coast Titans 24 8 0 16 1 472 582 −110 18
15 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 24 7 0 17 1 500 622 −122 16
16 Parramatta Eels 24 6 0 18 1 374 550 −176 14

Fixtures

Pre-season

Round Home Score Away Match Information
Date and time (Local) Venue Attendance
1 Newcastle Knights 6 – 26 Parramatta Eels Saturday, 24 February, 7:00 PM Maitland No.1 Sportsground 6,526
Source:[5]

Home and away season

Main article: 2018 NRL season results
Round Home Score Away Match Information
Date and time (Local) Venue Attendance
1 Penrith Panthers 24 – 14 Parramatta Eels Sunday 11 March, 3:10pm Panthers Stadium 21,506
2 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 54 – 0 Parramatta Eels Sunday 18 March, 3:10pm Lottoland 10,502
3 Parramatta Eels 4 – 14 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Saturday 24 March, 6:30pm ANZ Stadium 25,106
4 Wests Tigers 30 – 20 Parramatta Eels Monday 2 April, 4:00pm ANZ Stadium 30,420
5 Parramatta Eels 6 – 12 Penrith Panthers Sunday 8 April, 4:10pm ANZ Stadium 10,061
6 Canberra Raiders 18 – 2 Parramatta Eels Saturday 14 April, 7:30pm GIO Stadium 12,328
7 Parramatta Eels 44 – 10 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Sunday 22 April, 2:00pm ANZ Stadium 11,069
8 Parramatta Eels 24 – 22 Wests Tigers Sunday 29 April, 4:10pm ANZ Stadium 17,555
9 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 22 – 20 Parramatta Eels Saturday 5 May, 7:30pm Southern Cross Group Stadium 12,073
10 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 20 – 12 Parramatta Eels Friday 11 May, 7:50pm ANZ Stadium 15,683
11 Parramatta Eels 14 – 24 New Zealand Warriors Friday 18 May, 6:00pm ANZ Stadium 9,467
12 Brisbane Broncos 18 – 10 Parramatta Eels Thursday 24 May, 7:50pm Suncorp Stadium 21,555
13 Parramatta Eels 4 – 30 Newcastle Knights Saturday 2 June, 7:30pm ANZ Stadium 7,719
14 Parramatta Eels 20 – 14 North Queensland Cowboys Saturday 9 June, 7:30pm TIO Stadium 8,393
15 Parramatta Eels 24 – 42 South Sydney Rabbitohs Thursday 14 June, 7:50pm ANZ Stadium 8,047
16 St George-Illawarra Dragons 20 – 18 Parramatta Eels Thursday 28 June, 7:50pm WIN Stadium 6,933
17 Bye Round
18 Newcastle Knights 18 – 16 Parramatta Eels Friday 13 July, 7:50pm McDonald Jones Stadium 15,860
19 Parramatta Eels 14 – 8 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs Thursday 19 Jul, 7:50pm ANZ Stadium 8,437
20 South Sydney Rabbitohs 26 – 20 Parramatta Eels Saturday 28 July, 5:30pm ANZ Stadium 15,542
21 Parramatta Eels 28 – 12 Gold Coast Titans Saturday 4 August, 5:30pm ANZ Stadium 6,158
22 Parramatta Eels 40 – 4 St George-Illawarra Dragons Saturday 11 August, 7:30pm ANZ Stadium 10,541
23 Melbourne Storm 20 – 4 Parramatta Eels Friday 17 August, 7:50pm AAMI Park 12,136
24 North Queensland Cowboys 44 – 6 Parramatta Eels Friday 24 August. 7:50pm 1300SMILES Stadium 25,095
25 Parramatta Eels 10 – 44 Sydney Roosters Saturday 1 September, 7:30pm ANZ Stadium 11,543
Source:[6]

Players and staff

The playing squad and coaching staff of the Parramatta Eels for the 2018 NRL season as of 16 July 2018.[7]

Parramatta Eels
First team squad Extended squad Coaching staff

Head coach

Assistant coaches

Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice-captain(s)

Updated: 16 July 2018
Source(s): Eels Team Profiles

Transfers

In:

Nat. Pos. Name From Transfer window Date Ref.
Fiji PR Kane Evans Sydney Roosters Pre-season May 2017 [8]
Australia HB Jaeman Salmon Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Pre-season November 2017 [9]
Tonga SR Tony Williams Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Pre-season November 2017 [10]
Australia LK Ray Stone Youth Pre-season November 2017
Australia HK Reed Mahoney Youth Pre-season November 2017
New Zealand CE Dane Aukafolau Youth Pre-season November 2017
New Zealand WG Greg Leleisiuao Youth Pre-season November 2017
Fiji FB Jarryd Hayne Gold Coast Titans Pre-season December 2017 [11]

Out:

Nat. Pos. Name To Transfer window Date Ref.
Fiji WG Semi Radradra RC Toulonnais (rugby union) Pre-season January 2017 [12]
Portugal HK Isaac De Gois Retired Pre-season August 2017 [13]
Australia HB Jeff Robson Retired Pre-season August 2017 [13]
Tonga WG John Folau Blacktown Workers Pre-season November 2017
Australia SR Jack Morris Wentworthville Magpies Pre-season November 2017
Australia SR Cody Nelson Blacktown Workers Pre-season November 2017
Australia PR Rory O'Brien Released Pre-season November 2017
Australia WG Scott Schulte Redcliffe Dolphins Pre-season November 2017
Australia WG Honeti Tuha Blacktown Workers Pre-season November 2017
Australia SR Joseph Ualesi Released Pre-season November 2017
Australia LK Matthew Woods Wentworthville Magpies Pre-season November 2017
Australia HB Troy Dargan Brisbane Broncos Pre-season December 2017 [14]
Samoa PR Frank Pritchard Retired Pre-season January 2018 [15]
New Zealand SR Kenny Edwards Catalans Dragons Mid-season May 2018 [16]

Controversies

Tony Williams drink driving

On 14 February 2018, Tony Williams was fined $1,000, had his driver’s licence suspended for 12 months, and was placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond after appearing in Parramatta local court for mid-range drink driving. Williams had insisted on driving home when his wife came to pick him up after a birthday celebration at the Albion Hotel in Parramatta on 16 December 2016. His three young children were in the car at the time. His driving was so erratic that members of the public called the police, who discovered Williams had a blood alcohol level of 0.122. "Shame on you, Mr Williams," Magistrate Jennifer Giles said at sentencing. She said the "community does not feel safe with you with a licence; you are exceptionally lucky you did not hurt or kill someone, or yourself."[17] Williams also has handed a 2-week suspension by the club.[18]

Corey Norman drinking fine

In May 2018, Corey Norman was handed a breach notice by Parramatta and fined $20,000 for drinking alcohol and posting pictures of himself drinking on Instagram despite being on the injured list which is against team protocols. Norman reacted to the fine saying "I take full responsibility, I'll cop it on the chin".[19]

Kenny Edwards contract termination

On May 19, 2018, Edwards' contract with the club was terminated by mutual agreement as the player had been caught by police driving on a suspended licence. Edwards was alleged to have fled from police after trying to avoid a roadside breath test. Edwards subsequently failed to notify Parramatta of the incident for two weeks after it happened. Parramatta released a statement saying "Today, Kenny Edwards through his management company, request a release from his playing contract with Parramatta National Rugby League Club Pty Limited, this release was granted by the club effective immediately".[20]

Tony Williams and Nathan Davis failed drug test

On September 25, Davis and Williams were both terminated by Parramatta after failing a second drugs test. Both players were found guilty of testing positive for cocaine. As punishment, the NRL handed down a 12 match suspension and a fine to Davis and Williams.[21]

References

  1. ^ Brunsdon, Simon (3 September 2018). "Parramatta Eels season 2018 review: Peter Sterling's biggest fear after horror campaign". foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  2. ^ "Parramatta Eels NRL 2018: Season review, Brad Arthur, Jarryd Hayne". 3 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Expert predictions for NRL top eight in 2018". National Rugby League. 2 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Dragons edge out Eels in dramatic NRL comeback". www.abc.net.au. 28 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Eels secure trial victory over Knights". parraeels.com.au. 24 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-07-13. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  6. ^ "NRL 2018 – Parramatta Eels". Rugby League Project. Archived from the original on 2018-09-08.
  7. ^ "Teams".
  8. ^ "Parramatta Eels sign Kane Evans – Zero Tackle". zerotackle.com. 4 May 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-06-22. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Parramatta Eels welcome four new recruits to 2018 squad – Zero Tackle". zerotackle.com. 8 November 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-07-13. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Eels sign Tony Williams ahead of 2018 season – Zero Tackle". zerotackle.com. 17 November 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-06-22. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  11. ^ "Jarryd Hayne signs with Parramatta – Zero Tackle". zerotackle.com. 1 December 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-06-22. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Semi Radradra manager confirms future". parraeels.com.au. 11 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-07-13. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Eels pay tribute to retiring De Gois and Robson". nrl.com. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-07-13. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  14. ^ "Dargan Seeks His Chance At Broncos". broncos.com.au. 8 December 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-08-15. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  15. ^ "Frank Pritchard ends NRL career". nrl.com. 6 January 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-07-13. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  16. ^ "Eels release Kenny Edwards effective immediately". parraeels.com.au. 19 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-07-05. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  17. ^ David Sigston (14 February 2018). "Judge scolds NRL star: 'Shame on you'". Archived from the original on 2018-03-18. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  18. ^ "Parramatta Eels forward Tony Williams banned for two NRL games". 14 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-03-18. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  19. ^ "Corey Norman Parramatta Eels NRL 2018: Star reacts to drinking fine – Fox Sports". www.foxsports.com.au. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  20. ^ "NRL 2018: Kenny Edwards granted immediate release from Parramatta Eels". The Courier Mail. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  21. ^ "Williams sacked by the Eels after failing drug test". ABC News. 25 September 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Parramatta_Eels_season
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