There’s no panic in the Parramatta Eels camp just yet, co-captain Junior Paulo declared this week, despite last year’s runners-up failing to win either of their opening two fixtures in the 2023 NRL season.
Parramatta has lost by just four points twice in as many weeks to open their season, first falling to Melbourne 16-12 in a golden-point epic and then just missing the chocolates in a 30-26 slugfest against the Sharks.
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It may be an 0-2 start, but Paulo and Parra aren’t worrying about anything just yet.
“It’s a long season, we’re only in the early stages,” the co-skipper said.
The early season always sees the standings bunched up and while the Eels may be sitting in 16th right now with just the Tigers keeping them from dead last, there are actually only two points—one win—separating them from the Panthers all the way up in fifth place. That’s the mentality the Eels have been taking into training this week.
“It’s round three,” Paulo said. “If we get the win this week [they play first-placed Manly] no one will be talking about it. Really, it’s a good character test for us as a team. We are 0-2 but in both those games we had a chance to win right up until the 80th minute.”
He added: “We certainly can’t fault our effort but it’s coming down to our execution.”
While Paulo conceded early wins are always important, he reiterated the 2023 NRL campaign is going to be a long one and the main focus for Brad Arthur’s men right now is bedding in a handful of new starters.
“You want to be able to notch a few wins early on in the year so you’re tracking well at the end of the year, [but] we’re a fairly new squad with guys coming in so we know we’re right there, and hanging on,” the Parramatta prop explained.
“As long as we keep turning up week in, week out, eventually it will turn around for us.
“It’s quite hard to hit the nail on the head where we go wrong but it’s more about individuals owning their roles. It’s more proving to ourselves than proving to anyone else.”
Another chance for all the Eels to prove themselves (and chalk up a first 2023 win) comes this Thursday evening against the high-flying silvertails in the Manly Sea Eagles. The northern shores squad has charged out to an early lead on the ladder, though they’ve only won a single game and been given two points for the bye.
In other Eels news, coach Brad Arthur re-signed until 2025 earlier this week.
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