While last weekend’s opening round was one to forget for most Eels’ fans, there appears to be plenty of light at the end of the tunnel.
Parramatta’s SG Ball side are the only undefeated team left in this year’s under-17 competition with three rounds remaining in the regular season.
The Eels handed a talented Canberra side their first loss of the year last weekend, scoring six tries in a 30-18 victory at Eric Tweedale Stadium.
“They are a really good group and the best part is that the majority of the boys are Parramatta local juniors who have been in and around our program for three or four years,” Eels Head of Pathways James Shepherd told Big League.
“Most came through our junior development squads and then played in our Harold Matthews program, so
its great to see them performing well together at the next stage of their development.”
The Eels’ players trained four days a week while juggling school or work over summer in the lead up to this year’s nine round competition and appear to be going from strength to strength.
Outside of a 22-all draw with the Roosters in round two, Parramatta have beaten Newcastle, Cronulla and Penrith as well as fellow competition front runners Canberra and South Sydney.
“They got their pre-season right and they’re understanding the significance of preparation for games,” Shepherd explained.
“That’s serving them well because their fundamentals are proving to be quite strong. They’re currently the second best defensive team in the competition which is typically a good
indication of how hard they’re working for each other and how connected they are as a group.”
The Eels face Western Sydney, North Sydney and Manly in their final three regular season matches and while Shepherd said the group was confident they could continue their winning ways, he said that wasn’t the main focus at Parramatta.
“Winning and losing are probably the most visible signs of the program, but they’re not the priority and not the purpose for us.
“The program is about developing future NRL and NRLW players and although results are visible and everyone wants to win, our focus remains on our players development on and off the footy field.”
If that’s the case, then Eels’ fans have plenty to look forward to in the years ahead.
