There is little doubt that when it comes to any sort of pressure on coaches in the top eight, none will be feeling it more than Brad Arthur.
Some have described the 2022 campaign as a โwin or bustโ type of deal for the veteran coach, who has now taken Parramatta to four straight finals campaigns.
That sentence almost doesnโt seem right.
How can a coach who has been in the top eight and in the premiership picture for four years in a row be under any sort of pressure? Particularly when last year's campaign ended in rather controversial circumstances, and by just two points against the eventual premiers in Week 2 of the finals.
But thatโs the case at the Parramatta Eels, where the club have been in the premiership discussion for much of the last four years, but donโt have even a preliminary final to show for it.
Three straight exits in the second week of the finals make this weekendโs semi-final with the Canberra Raiders potentially the most important game of Arthur's career.
Itโs potentially the most important game of the career for a number of others too - Mitchell Moses, Clint Gutherson, Reed Mahoney, Isaiah Papaliโi, Ryan Matterson and Dylan Brown among them.
These are players who are constantly talked about as the reason why Parramattaโs premiership window has been open, and yet, it could be about to slam shut with two of them (Papaliโi and Mahoney) leaving, without even moving to within 80 minutes of a grand final.
That, in anyone's book, would, or certainly should, be marked as an abject failure.
There is no doubt that a loss against the Raiders - or really anything other than at the very least anything other than a grand final appearance - won't be good enough for the Eels and their long-suffering fans.
And yet, it must be remembered that the Eels, before they started the run of finals appearances, were down the wrong end of the table and really had no clear path forward in sight.
That was the low ebb of the club, with salary cap issues also hampering their process.
Arthur has been the steady hand in guiding the turnaround, making a number of shrewd signings and turning Mitchell Moses into a somewhat consistent player this year - something that realistically never seemed possible in the lead up to the 2022 campaign.
Moses, as good as he has been over the years, has never been able to string a full season together to his potential, often falling apart on the road in particular.
But it would be arguable to say that Moses has had his best season this year, and on the back of a forward pack that is rolling, along with the consistency of Dylan Brown, this is a team who have all the cogs of one who should be challenging for the premiership.
Coaches certainly get the blame for the underperformance of clubs, and that's not going to change anytime soon, but Arthur has shown his pedigree as a coach.
For a coach sitting in the top four - or the top eight even - to be sacked and moved on from a role there really has to be a pressing reason.
And that pressing reason needs to be backed up by a coach who has proven pedigree to continue to get, at the very least, the exact same level out of the team.
When you look at the coaches currently available on the market though, it's slim pickings.
Kristian Woolf - who has led St Helens to back-to-back Super League titles since arriving in England - was maybe the most qualified option, but has already been snapped up by the Dolphins to serve as Wayne Bennett's assistant, and then take over in a head coaching capacity.
The Bulldogs, Warriors and Tigers have also made coaching changes, with Cameron Ciraldo, the next NRL coach in waiting, heading to Belmore.
But even Ciraldo would have been a bad idea for the Eels - why would you replace a top-tier coach with one who is a rookie?
Then there is Shane Flanagan. The former Cronulla coach was excellent, but brings with him baggage that a club like the Eels simply can't afford to take a risk on.
With no other seriously good options to replace Arthur, and a team about to undergo change - Mahoney and Papali'i are joined in heading for the exit by Marata Niukore, Tom Opacic, Oregon Kaufusi and Ray Stone, while the only signings are Josh Hodgson, J'maine Hopgood and Jirah Momoisea - a change of coach is the last thing Parramatta need, no matter the level of criticism and outrage which will no doubt land in the lap of the club should they bow out early once again.
So, regardless of what actually happens on Friday night at Parramatta against a fired-up Green Machine who are fresh off a stunning win in Victoria over the Melbourne Storm in the Week 1 elimination final, Arthur shouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon as the Eels' coach.
If it was genuinely poor results it may be a different situation, but right now, it's about stability for the Eels, and Arthur is their best chance at continuing good results despite a number of playing heading for the exit gates.
There is little question that the pressure on Arthur will only grow with a loss tonight, but few have the ability to achieve premierships, and when there is no better option, the blue and gold should stay the course.
