Theyโre two wins outside of the top four with two games to play, but Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur knows his troops wonโt make an impact on the NRL post-season if they canโt iron out their biggest issue.
The Eels head to Suncorp Stadium this week for an all-important clash with the Brisbane Broncos, who dominated them a month ago but have since found their own fortunes fading.
The big home loss last time the teams met has haunted Arthur since, as it epitomised the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of his Eels outfit in 2022. Now the coach is demanding more focus from his troops at the seasonโs most important time.
โWeโve showed what we can do,โ Arthur told AAP.
โWe need to move past (being) the team that can do this and do that when we want to. We need to be the team that wants to do it all the time.
โIf we show that want and desire and itโs not good enough, I can live with that.โ
Despite knowing what needs to be done, Arthur admitted that motivation was ultimately up to his players, and he hadnโt been using the prospect of a top four finish to try and inspire them as they should be energised enough.
โYouโve got a job to do, youโve just got to do it. Motivation has got to come from within,โ Arthur said.
โThereโs plenty to play for. We donโt need to worry much about motivation, we feel our destiny is in our own hands.โ
