They’re two wins outside of the top four with two games to play, but Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur knows his troops won’t make an impact on the NRL post-season if they can’t 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 season’s most important time.
“We’ve showed what we can do,” Arthur told AAP.
“We 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.
“If we show that want and desire and it’s not good enough, I can live with that.”
Despite knowing what needs to be done, Arthur admitted that motivation was ultimately up to his players, and he hadn’t been using the prospect of a top four finish to try and inspire them as they should be energised enough.
“You’ve got a job to do, you’ve just got to do it. Motivation has got to come from within,” Arthur said.
“There’s plenty to play for. We don’t need to worry much about motivation, we feel our destiny is in our own hands.”
