The Parramatta Eels have made the bombshell decision to axe Brad Arthur from his head coaching role at the club, effective immediately.
The Eels have been on the slide for the best part of 18 months. Following the club making the grand final in 2022, they missed the top eight last year and have won just a single game since Mitchell Moses was injured back in Round 3.
Things compounded on Sunday for the Eels when Arthur's Eels fell 48-16 to the Melbourne Storm, with a majority of those points being ran on after Cameron Munster's injury, with Melbourne also missing Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes for the game.
The move may come as a major surprise for Parramatta fans given the possible lack of replacements available on the open coaching market, with Wayne Bennett set to put pen to paper on a deal to join the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Bennett replaces Jason Demetriou at the helm of that club, with Arthur now the second coach sacked in just 11 weeks of the 2024 season.
Arthur was asked about his future following the loss to Melbourne on Sunday, and while he said he could understand why he was under the pump, he was confident the club only wanted the best for him and his staff, revealing he had not been talked to at all regarding his future.
However, in a statement released by the Eels on Monday afternoon, Parramatta said that the club have stalled.
"The Parramatta Eels have this afternoon informed Brad Arthur that his tenure as Head Coach has ended, effective immediately," the statement read.
"It was the view of the Board and CEO that the progress of our NRL team has stalled. Our goal is to win premierships and it is time for the Club to go in a new direction."
The Eels have inserted Trent Barrett as the club's new interim coach for the remainder of the 2024 season.
