Parramatta coach Brad Arthur hit out at his players and says they only have themselves to blame following a shock defeat against the Wests Tigers on Easter Monday.
The Eels are priced at 10/3 to reach the 2022 NRL grand final and had been ticking along nicely before going down by a just a point against the struggling Tigers.
Late drama
No-one had given the Tigers a hope as they went in to the game on the back of five straight defeats but they left CommBank Stadium with two points.
Jackson Hastings was the hero as he booted a last-minute field goal and Arthur was not happy as he addressed the media after the game.
Related NRL news
Panthers notch 20 straight home wins
Munster stars as Storm down Sharks
Cowboys handed huge signing boost
“Our concentration around the details of the game wasn’t good enough,” Arthur told reporters in his post-match press conference. “We lacked a fair bit of patience. We were making a few linebreaks but were trying to score off every play.
“When you’re competing that low and are not prepared to build pressure that shows a lack of respect for ourselves and the opposition.”
Gutherson disappointment
Meanwhile Eels captain Clint Gutherson agreed with his coach’s assessment and says Parramatta fell well short of the standards they have set.
“We just didn’t complete,” he added. “Didn’t get to our corners where we wanted to and they made us pay.
“It’s disappointing. We beat ourselves. We had our opportunities but didn’t ice them. I think we completed at 55% in the first half. No matter who you play, that’s going to make it hard.”
