Eels coach defends club amid player exits

2 years ago 507

Eels manager Brad Arthur says the nine "is successful a amended spot than it has ever been" contempt Parramatta losing respective cardinal players this off-season.

Star hooker Reed Mahoney earlier this week rejected a three-year hold tabled by Parramatta to alternatively instrumentality up a four-year woody with Canterbury for 2023.

Mahoney is the 3rd Eels subordinate to person signed with a rival nine during this off-season, with back-rower Marata Niukore (Warriors) and Isaiah Papali'i (Wests Tigers) having already committed their futures elsewhere from 2023.

Arthur admitted the nine had nary accidental of retaining each of its departees.

"We privation to support these guys, but it's conscionable intolerable to do," Arthur told the Sydney Morning Herald. "It's intolerable to person them all.

"Am I disappointed these boys person to leave? Definitely. I admit and recognize it's a brave determination from them – nary of them person enjoyed coming successful and telling maine they're leaving the club.

"Everyone has got a antithetic concern oregon request from the game, and I can't beryllium the 1 that makes judgement connected it.

In immoderate affirmative quality for the Eels, skipper Clint Gutherson volition stay with the club until the extremity of the 2025 play aft inking a caller woody earlier this month.

Meanwhile, prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard besides precocious agreed to an extension.

"We've tried to bash the champion we tin successful presumption of managing our cap. This is much astir absorption of the headdress than what we deliberation they're worth. But I'm not panicking astir it, I'm much than comfy and I don't instrumentality it personally. We volition get much players, and we volition make much players," Arthur added.

"The nine is successful a amended spot than it has ever been. It volition beryllium bigger than immoderate of us."

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