‘It’s a cruel part of it’: Gutherson says Eels players let Brad Arthur down

Parramatta captain Clint Gutherson says it was frustrating that he couldn’t be on the park to try to help save Brad Arthur’s job, but he remains confident his former coach will have no trouble at all trying to find another job in the NRL.

Gutherson didn’t have a line of sight on a possible replacement for Arthur, who was sacked by the Eels last week after more than a decade at the helm which included taking them to the 2022 Grand Final.

The coach axing came after registering just three matches so far this season, with the club revealing they had chased master mentor Wayne Bennett to take over, only for him to sign with Souths instead.

Gutherson and Arthur were very close, with the star fullback missing the past few games following minor knee surgery and unable to help him on the field.

“It was frustrating, but it (the injury) was one of those things that’s a part of the game, and so is people coming and going. It’s a cruel part of it, but it happens,” he said.

“I was very fortunate to be coached by him for the past nine years, but it had to come to an end eventually. I would have loved for it to have gone on forever, but it was one of those things where we’ve let him down and some of the staff down by some of our performances.

“The club made the decision and we can’t dwell on it. We’re here to win games of footy but we’re not doing that at the moment.”

Arthur isn’t expected to be out of a job for too long, with the experienced coach confirming last week that he still has a desire to work in the NRL.

“Any club that is looking for someone or wants to go down the path of a new head coach, I think Brad would come straight to mind,” Gutherson said.

“He’s shown what he’s done here over the past 10 years. We were in a bit of a hole when he first came here and we then had some great seasons. The players and everyone involved here loved the way he worked and the work ethic he had.”

As for who takes over the Eels in 2025, that remains a mystery with Trent Barrett currently serving as interim, with the board having to decide if they want someone experienced or to give the job to an assistant who is ready to step up.

Regardless of who comes in, the Eels have a strong roster that can be competitive again with a few tweaks to the squad.

“The performances we’ve had this year probably haven’t shown the team that we do have,” Gutherson said.

“We’ve probably had our best team on the field once or twice, and that’s the frustrating thing with injuries which are part of the game. When you do have your full squad out there and your main 17, that’s what you want.

“When we can get that team back on the field and playing together, that’s when we’ll probably click.

“It’s a great club and I’m sure there are plenty of people putting their hat in the ring, but we’ve got Baz here and that’s all we’re focused on.”

The post-Arthur era didn’t get off to a good start with the Eels going down to the battling Bunnies last week, but they should receive a boost with Gutherson and halfback Mitchell Moses expected to be named for the game against Cronulla.

Moses hasn’t played since round three when he fractured his foot, while the skipper has been missing for a month following work done on his troublesome knee.

“I’m happy I got it because I couldn’t have kept doing what I was doing,” he said, confident he and rookie Blaize Talagi can both play in the same team.

“I was getting fluid sucked out before games and getting it needled. How long could I have done that for? I don’t know.

“We had the bye and thought I could save a game, and I’ve only missed three games to date.”