In little than a year, I went from being a grand finalist to not making the top eight.
The Eels are experiencing a rather bleak return to reality as they now have some major work to do following what co-captain Junior Paulo recently remarked “feels like a year wasted.”
There was always going to be more of a problem this year. After all, the team had lost Isaiah Papali’i, Reed Mahoney, and Marata Niukore, three crucial players.
But coach Brad Arthur wouldn’t have prepared for the challenge of losing Dylan Brown to a seven-game suspension following a serious off-field incident.
Nor could he have predicted the 2022 Player of the Year suffering three different injuries. And he certainly didn’t plan for the club’s biggest off-season recruit to string together just 12 games before medically retiring.
In February, the team likely circled their Round 27 bye as an opportunity to freshen up before finals. Instead, the club held it’s annual awards night and the curtain fell prematurely on season 2023.
That was the Eels’ year though — nothing went to script.
Alarm bells threatened to go off after three straight losses to start the season, but fans breathed a sigh of relief when the Eels got redemption over the Panther in a thrilling grand final rematch.
They won three of their next five games to gain some momentum… only to lose to the Titans and Raiders in consecutive weeks.
It was a rollercoaster.
The Eels’ longest streak was five games before a bye, which took them to sixth on the ladder — the highest they sat all season.
That should’ve been the launching pad for finals, but it wasn’t. They lost five of their next seven games, ultimately ending any hope left that just maybe this was the year.
Then came the Eels’ last game of the season against a slightly understrength, but still start-studded Panthers outfit.
Who would’ve thought the Eels would upset Penrith 32-18 just a week before they were crowned minor premiers?
Again, nothing went to script.