Despite the fact that they’ve been eliminated from the finals in the second week four times in the past five years, Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur insists his team are carrying no psychological weight ahead of their semi-final against Canberra.
It’s been 13 years since the Eels made it past the second week of the finals, but Arthur says the horror run hasn’t been spoken about between the playing group.
“I haven’t heard too much, and the players definitely haven’t talked about it because each year is different,” Arthur told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“The squad’s different. What happened three years ago, what happened three weeks ago, it doesn’t really matter. I think we’ve matured each season and game.
“We’re learning to deal with the pressure and stay in the now more. Last year in the finals I think we treated them with a bit more respect than the previous years, especially around the defensive part.”
The club has employed a mental skills coach – Andrew May - for the past two seasons in a bid to develop more mental resilience – and according to co-Captain Junior Paulo, it’s paying off.
“We’ve done stuff with (May) earlier this year, and he still works with individuals in a one-on-one setting,” Paulo told the Herald.
“The big thing we incorporate is being in the moment, and that kind of suits our footy – playing what you see. You do have to be in the moment.
“You can’t afford to look ahead much or look back on what’s gone wrong. It’s about being present and that’s what works with us.
“We can’t go into our shell and we won’t go away from the style of footy that got us to the finals in the first place.”
It’s been a frantic week for Parramatta, with halfback Mitchell Moses racing the clock to return from concussion protocols – but it looks like the star half will be ready to play. He’ll be replaced by Jakob Arthur, should there be any sudden developments in his recovery.
