The Reject Shop: The discarded NRL stars that turned Eels into a title contender – Fox Sports

You know, the guy who brings together a rag-tag bunch of misfits and turns them into a championship winning dodgeball team.
Except instead of the four weeks La Fleur manages this feat in, its taken Arthur and his Parramatta recruitment team the best part of four years to assemble a squad highly capable of winning an NRL premiership.
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Round 9
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Sitting atop the competition ladder after eight rounds, the Eels are currently second favourites to win the 2020 grand final, rated behind only the Roosters with most bookmakers.
Its a far cry from the side that took home the wooden spoon in 2018. And even farther still from the club that was on its knees after being found guilty of salary cap breaches in 2016, docked of all competition points and forced to offload players.
The straits were so dire it threatened to cost coach Arthur his job.
Now in the seventh year of his tenure, Arthur is being praised for compiling a roster that many believe is up there with the Roosters as the best in the league.
Hes done it by snatching bits and pieces largely from the NRL scrapheap… in the nicest possible use of the term.
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First of all we were trying to make sure we got the right people to our club and people that fit the style of footy that I like to coach, Arthur told NRL 360 last week..
We like to play a high energy game, like to play physical. We had a bad year in 2018 and I dont know if we were physically good enough and big enough.
So we recruited some size. We got Junior Paulo back, Shaun Lane came to the club, and now Ryan Matterson and (Reagan Campbell-Gillard), and Blake Ferguson and Waqa Blake.
I like their body shapes. They are big, strong, physical men who are hard to handle, and I think thats made a big difference to our roster.
Welcome to the NRLs version of Average Joes Gymnasium. We all remember how that story ended.
Tigers can’t tame Joey
1:46
RECRUITMENT BREAKDOWN
Every squad change for every year since 2016 to present
2017
Players out: Michael Gordon, Luke Kelly, Nathan Peats, Junior Paulo, Danny Wicks, Kieran Foran, Isaac De Gois, Vai Toutai, Cody Nelson, Bureta Faraimo, John Folau.
Players in: Josh Hoffman, Suaia Matagi, Nathan Brown, Frank Pritchard, Siosaia Vave, Kirisome Auvaa, Will Smith, Mitchell Moses, Nathan Davis, Cameron King.
2018
Players out: Semi Radradra, Rory OBrien, Jeff Robson, Frank Pritchard, Nathan Davis.
Players in: Kane Evans, Jarryd Hayne, George Jennings, Tony Williams, Marata Niukore, Reed Mahoney, Jaeman Salmon, Oregon Kaufusi, Ray Stone.
2019
Players out: Corey Norman, Beau Scott, Kenny Edwards, Kaysa Pritchard, Bevan French, Suaia Matagi, Siosaia Vave, Kirisome Auvaa, Cameron King, Jarryd Hayne, Tony Williams.
Players in: Junior Paulo, Maika Sivo, Blake Ferguson, Shaun Lane, Dylan Brown, Ethan Parry, Waqa Blake.
2020
Players out: Tim Mannah, Manu Mau, Tepai Moeroa, Josh Hoffman.
Players in: Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Ryan Matterson, Jai Field.
Hodge calls for Boyd move
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WHERE THEY CAME FROM
MITCHELL MOSES
Recruited: mid-season 2017
NRL games previously: 67 (Tigers)
Games for the Eels: 71
His story: Moses was a Parramatta junior before being snapped up by Wests Tigers and thrown into a halves pairing with Luke Brooks from a young age. The pair played juniors together before making the leap into first grade side-by-side, and were touted as the young stars who could lead the Concord club to glory.
Instead it ended suddenly in mid-2017 when the Tigers Big Four were split up and Moses snapped up by the Eels, still only 22 years old but threatening to become a State of Origin representative at any stage.
His 2018 season was less than inspiring at his new club and he struggled to gel with halves partner Corey Norman, as many believed the pair were trying to share too much ball. In 2019 Moses became the senior playmaker with Norman gone, and he finally hit his straps last year and has continued that stellar form into 2020 alongside rookie five-eighth Dylan Brown. The pair have also worked with Immortal halfback Andrew Johns this year.
Moses last year signed a lucrative contract extension with Parramatta. He’s now firmly back in Origin discussions for NSW and other representative honours.
Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses.Source: News Corp Australia
MAIKA SIVO
Recruited: 2019
NRL games previously: 0
Games for the Eels: 33
His story: One of the more remarkable underdog tales of the NRL in recent memory is how this hulking try-scoring machine came to be in the blue and gold.
Sivo grew up in Fiji and had never played rugby league until, purely by chance, he met an Australian couple who convinced him to move Down Under. So in 2015 he landed in Gundagai, country NSW, and began learning the game playing for the Tigers in Group Nine.
Sivo moved to the big smoke and played for a couple of different lower grade teams before being signed by Penrith for the 2018 season, but he never played an NRL game for the Panthers.
The Eels took the opportunity to snap Sivo up on a bargain price deal and in his rookie NRL season he crossed the stripe 22 times for Parramatta. Hes now one of the most feared wingers in the game, having steamrolled James Tedesco a couple of weeks ago.
After Sivo scored four tries against North Queensland in Round 8, Arthur was asked how the flying Fijian was transformed into one of the games most devastating wingers.
Sometimes you just have to give them an opportunity. Put some belief in them.
Parramatta’s Maika Sivo scored four tries against the Cowboys.Source: News Corp Australia
WAQA BLAKE
Recruited: mid-season 2019
NRL games previously: 88 (Panthers)
Games for the Eels: 17
His story: Blakes mid-season switch from Penrith to western Sydney rivals Parramatta came as somewhat of a shock.
In October 2018 he had signed an extension with the Panthers that was meant to keep him at the foot of the mountains until the end of 2023. Only a few months later he walked out the door to don the blue and gold jersey hed been taught to hate.
Even the man himself wasnt exactly sure how the switch happened so fast.
Im not too sure to be honest, Blake said at the time.
My manager came up with this option and we talked about what is best for me and my family.
Hes scored six tries in 17 appearances and has formed a big, dangerous right flank with winger Blake Ferguson.
Parramatta’s Waqa Blake.Source: News Corp Australia
REAGAN CAMPBELL-GILLARD
Recruited: 2020
NRL games previously: 114 (Panthers)
Games for the Eels: 8
His story: The big props talent is such that he represented both NSW and Australia in 2017 and 2018. But in 2019 his form began to slide and he found himself out of favour with new Panthers coach Ivan Cleary.
Ultimately Campbell-Gillard left his beloved Panthers in somewhat acrimonious circumstances, despite not even beginning a huge five-year contract he had signed with the club. After leaving Penrith he admitted he hated rugby league this year and needed a fresh start.
Parramatta is the beneficiary of that falling out and Campbell-Gillard is now in arguably the best form of his career to date. Hes averaging 145 run metres this season, including efforts of 190, 187, 233, and 192 metres in separate games.
Hes now very much back in representative discussions, whereas this time last year he was struggling to get picked in the NRL.
Reagan Campbell-Gillard of the Eels.Source: Getty Images
SHAUN LANE
Recruited: 2019
NRL games previously: 48 (Bulldogs 14, Warriors 1, Sea Eagles 33)
Games for the Eels: 33
His story: A journeyman forward whose career was a little slow to get off the tarmac, Lane is now a vital piece of the Parramatta puzzle.
Arthur and the Eels wanted big men in the side and Lane is just about as big as they come, standing at almost two metres tall.
This season hes averaging 76 minutes per game, running for 124 metres on average and has eight offloads to his name along with 16 tackle busts.
Another example of a player finding their best form under Arthurs guidance.
Shaun Lane of the Eels.Source: Getty Images
JAI FIELD
Recruited: 2020
NRL games previously: 11
Games for the Eels: 1
His story: A St George Illawarra junior once seen as the future of the club, but fallen to the wayside and almost lost to the NRL forever.
Field looked set to be without a club for 2020 after ending his association with the Dragons, until the Eels convinced him to move west on a base development contract.
His poaching by the blue and gold now seems a masterstroke after he filled the shoes of injured Mitchell Moses last week and did the job with aplomb.
He wont be in their best 17 but hes proven his worth with the ability to fill an important role in case of injury. And that could make a world of difference to the teams fortunes come the pointy end of the season.
Jai Field of the Eels.Source: Getty Images
NATHAN BROWN
Recruited: 2017
NRL games previously: 29 (Tigers 1, Rabbitohs 28)
Games for the Eels: 57
His story: Brown might not bring the size Arthur was looking for but he certainly makes up for that in aggression and physicality. Those traits have cruelled him on several occasions and it was unfortunately what he was known for early in his career at the Tigers and Rabbitohs.
But when he can stay on the paddock hes proven to be one of Arthurs biggest weapons, and one of the first guys picked on the teamsheet every week for the club.
Brown was recently mentioned in State of Origin conversations, such is his form, and his work around the middle of the field is vital to the Eels game.
Nathan Brown and Maika Sivo of the Eels.Source: Getty Images
NOTABLE MENTIONS
The players not listed above who have been recruited by Parramatta in recent years specifically for Arthurs purposes are Junior Paulo, Blake Ferguson, and Ryan Matterson.
But they dont exactly fit into the misfits category as they wouldnt have had too much trouble finding work elsewhere if the Eels had not come knocking… with plenty of money.
All three were established stars in the prime of their careers.
Paulo had previously been at the Eels before taking a two-year sojourn to the nations capital, and picking up a Mal Meninga Medal in the process.
Ferguson was a fresh premiership winner with the Roosters before making the move east, citing personal reasons.
And Matterson had a bitter falling out with Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire last year, forcing him out of Concord and into the arms of the Eels.
So we couldnt rightly claim any of these players were on the NRL scrapheap before joining the blue and golds.
Current skipper Clint Gutherson is the other story here but as he arrived at the club prior to 2017 weve decided also to leave him off the list.
Still, his tale alone – overcoming multiple knee injuries to become club captain – is inspirational and noteworthy.

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