Top 10 players Parramatta have let go since 2000

The Eels have let go of some quality this century.

STAFF WRITER | June 4, 2019 - 5:17pm

It is fair to say that Parramatta Eels fans have experienced more heartache than most in the past few seasons.

This includes three wooden spoons since 2012 as well as having to endure the repercussions of the now infamous salary cap scandal that led to the club being docked 12 competition points and fined $1 million by the NRL.

However, since the appointment of Brad Arthur as head coach, performances have been on a steady incline at Parramatta, barring the unexpected train wreck that was the 2018 season. This upturn in performances has led to Arthur attracting and assembling a top eight quality squad, but inept talent identification and salary cap management throughout the years has led to the Eels losing some serious star power that Brad Arthur and previous Eels coaches would no doubt have loved to have at their disposal in the recent trying times.

Here are the top 10 players the Eels have let go, not re-signed or released since 2000.

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3. James Maloney

While he debuted in the NRL at the Melbourne Storm, the State of Origin winning five-eighth James Maloney actually began his career in the form of a two-year stint at Parramatta from 2007-2008.

In his two-years at the Eels, Maloney only played NSW Cup for Parramatta’s feeder side the Wentworthville Magpies. In 2008 he was named in the NSW Cup Team of the Year thanks to his consistent performances in reserve grade. Despite this good form he was not afforded a chance in first-grade and moved onto greener pastures with the Melbourne Storm.

Maloney went onto make his debut in round 5 of the 2009 season for the Storm but only went onto feature a total of four times for the Storm that season despite impressing in both the Queensland Cup and in his limited opportunities in the top grade. This good form led to Maloney being courted by many rival clubs, and by the end of the season, Maloney had signed a bumper 3-year deal with the New Zealand Warriors to play as their starting five-eighth.

This move across the Tasman was a stepping stone for Maloney in which he could display his skills on a consistent basis at the top level, before joining powerhouse club the Sydney Roosters. Over the next six years at the Roosters, Sharks, and Panthers Maloney would spearhead his respective clubs to two premierships, win Dally M five-eighth of the year in 2016, as well as feature consistently at representative level with 12 Origins and 3 test matches.

If only the Eels afforded Maloney the same opportunities that were given to the largely inferior Kris Keating at the time, their number six jersey could have been sorted for years.