In an effort to return to the Grand Final, NRL greats Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns have urged the Parramatta Eels to restructure their roster for the upcoming campaign.
The Eels have been in a downhill spiral since reaching the 2022 NRL Grand Final, which culminated in the dismissal of former head coach Brad Arthur last week.
The Eels, who are trying to win their first championship since 1986, have lost five straight games and don’t seem to be winning since Mitchell Moses and Clinton Gutherson’s injuries.
The club’s roster isn’t good enough to compete with other premiership contenders like the Panthers, Broncos, Storm, and Roosters, according to former NSW Blues coach and NRL star Brad Fittler.
This occurs as a result of their inability to locate worthy successors for Nathan Brown, Ray Stone, Marata Niukore, Isaiah Papali’i, Oregon Kaufusi, and Reed Mahoney, all of whom departed for new places following the 2022 Grand Final.
Brad Fittler remarked on Nine’s Freddy and the Eighth, “They failed two years ago, and then they let go six forwards and no backs.”
“I found it incomprehensible that all of the players that were leaving were either in their starting lineup or had significant roles as substitutes.
“They’ve had no depth to replace them since.”
Following Arthur’s firing as head coach, former Newcastle Knights halfback Andrew Johns echoed Fittler’s suggestion to trim the team’s roster.
Andrew Johns added, “A mini clean-out,” on the Wide World of Sports show.
“Not cleaning out the whole house, maybe just cleaning out the pantry.”
stating that it could be difficult for the team to do a “mini clean-out” of its present squad because many players, including Junior Paulo, Mitchell Moses, and Dylan Brown, are bound by long-term contracts.
After Jirah Momoisea, Ky Rodwell, and Tevita Taumoepenu were eliminated this season, Ethan Sanders will be added to the list. Conversely, the team has only brought back one player in 2024, hooker Brendan Hands (2025).
