With Cronulla ending their title drought, Eels fans are going to hear plenty about being the fan-base forced to endure the longest time between premiership drinks.
Parramatta’s 2016 can be summed up as a season in four words; what could have been?
How far into the finals could this side have ventured had they not been docked premiership points due to the errors of the past?
Would Corey Norman have made a genuine play for the Dally M medal had he not been suspended due to mistakes made off the field?
Could the side have made the finals, regardless of the premiership points being docked, should Kieran Foran had stayed fit and played out the entire season in the blue and gold?
Was Nathan Peats the next great number 9, destined to lead the Eels for the better part of the next decade?
The harsh truth for Eels fans is, it simply doesn’t matter.
The points were taken, Norman’s decisions cost him personal glory, Foran has moved clubs despite committing to the Eels long-term just a year earlier. Peats, and I’m still shaking my head at the decision to move him on, is also gone.
Right now, none of that matters, and for the Eels to return to the NRL promised land, the past needs to remain just that, the past.
Obviously, lessons were learned from past mistakes, but it's time to move on.
The NRL has, albeit painfully slow, run through the Parramatta board, dismissing those responsible for the salary cap scandals of years gone by.
The punishment for such errors has been handed down, and served, and now needs to be put to bed for good.
Truth be told, despite some amazing performances on the field, 2016 needs to be written off and never thought of again by Eels management, players and fans alike.
Although Anthony Watmough’s contract status looks to not have yet been resolved, the Eels start 2017 with a clean slate, a home (temporary) home ground, and plenty to be excited about.
Despite his, at times, making headlines for the wrong reasons, Corey Norman remains one of the most exciting talents in the game today.
The 25-year-old five-eighth is the kind of a player a club can build a side around. He dominated the pre-season Nine’s Tournament and carried that incredible form into the NRL season proper.
In 2016 he laid off 16 try assists, made seven line breaks and crossed for a try in his 16 games. He finished on 17 Dally M points, nine points behind joint winners Taumalolo and Thurston.
Those stats came during a time where intense media scrutiny and pressure was on the club for a huge variety of reasons.
Given a chance to focus purely on football, Norman could outshine the star that is the now departed Kieran Foran.
Although Norman will be tasked with creating the majority of attacking opportunities in 2016, the man who is likely to be on the end of said opportunities is the ridiculously talented Bevan French.
19 tries and 11 line breaks in just 13 games during his NRL debut season makes for impressive reading on French’s exciting resume.
French only failed to find the line in two of his 13 games in 2016. It’s worth noting that French will now be more involved going forward having been handed the number one jersey on a full-time basis.
The combination between Norman and French shapes as a thing of beauty, and I have a feeling both will feature on plenty of highlight reels moving forward.
Helping French post four pointers is the lethal right edge combo of Michael Jennings and Semi Radradra.
After an underwhelming season by their own lofty standards, both men will be looking to silence those very few who are writing both men off.
Radradra needs to focus on his personal life right now, but come round one in 2017, he needs to rediscover the form that saw him handed a debut to the best side in the world, the Kangaroos.
Jennings is a superstar of the game and has exceeded at every level. He did not have an awful 2016 by any stretch, but given the potency out-wide, he and Radradra will look to be in the high double figures when it comes to tries next year.
Josh Hoffman and Frank Pritchard headline a large number of talent injected into the 2017 squad that also includes premiership winning centre Kirisome Auva'a and the ever improving Siosaia Vave.
There is absolutely no reason the Eels can’t threaten any side in 2017. With French and Norman signed to long-term deals, the future looks bright for the blue and golds.
Hopefully, the sites of management, players and fans are fixed on just that, as looking back won’t be either pretty or productive.
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