The already condemned grandstand and scoreboard at the Oval was set alight during the celebration by supporters and destroyed.[12]. They returned to poor form in the 70’s, earning the wooden spoon in 1970 and 72. Pressure started to mount around Parramatta for a local club to join the New South Wales rugby league premiership began in the 1930s. The club made it to the 2005 finals but lost to North Queensland. The first matched played at the venue was between Parramatta and the Wests Tigers. The club made the finals for the first time in 1962 and then followed it up by making the finals for the three seasons following. The district history with the game started way back in the early 1900’s and culminated in the beloved team that fans are so passionate about today. It was announced that the new competition would comprise only 14 teams out of the 22 who had competed in the two competitions in 1997. - Heathered marle fabric for contemporary styling, comfortable shawl hood construction, Dropped rear hem for enhanced fit. [48] [49], In Round 9 against Melbourne, Parramatta suffered one of their worst ever defeats losing 64–10 at Suncorp Stadium. The club has some notable supports, including a number of Australian celebrities, prominent sport stars and politicians. Long sleeve hooded tee. During the years of 1982 to 1985 whilst they waited for Parramatta Stadium to be builts, the Parramatta Eels played at Belmore Oval, which was the home ground of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at the time. In 1980, despite the recruitment of veteran Arthur Beetson and the emergence of notable players such as Eric Grothe, Steve Ella and Brett Kenny, Parramatta missed the finals for the first time since 1974. The Parramatta Eels have a long history in the game and are integral to the fabric of Australian rugby football. Rugby league matches were played at Cumberland Oval from the early 1900’s. - Rear vent for additional breathability. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Once they found their footing however they were highly successful. The logo remained unchanged, despite different versions of the jersey, until 2000. In the Grand Final Parramatta built a 12–0 half-time lead, which Brett Kenny extended after half-time and, with Cronin's conversion, the Eels lead 18–0 and ultimately won 18–6. Parramatta finished seventh in 1987, eleventh in 1988, and eighth in 1989. In a game that they were not expected to win, Parramatta came close but lost the match against a much stronger Brisbane side. Some of the highlights throughout the year were the club winning nine out of their final ten matches and defeating Brisbane twice including a 52–34 win at Suncorp Stadium and eventual premiers Melbourne. [28] The highlights being in Round 1 when Parramatta defeated Manly 42-12 and Semi Radradra scoring 24 tries in 18 matches. The colours originally suggested for the club were emerald green and white as these were the same colours worn by the rugby union club, however the colours were later changed to blue and gold. Along the way Parramatta lost 10 matches in a row including heavy losses to Manly & Canterbury. The following weeks were filled with disappointment as the club came close to pulling off upset wins against top of the table St George only for the club to concede two tries in 5 minutes to lose 20-18 and South Sydney after leading 20-6 late into the game only for The Rabbitohs to score late tries and win 26–20. In round 24 Parramatta were sitting 8th on the ladder and looked destined to play in the finals for the first time since 2009 and only needed to win one of their last two remaining games against sides lower than them on the table which were Canberra and Newcastle. Under coach Ken Kearney, Parramatta ended their run of six consecutive wooden spoons by finishing the 1962 NSWRFL season in fourth place, making the play-offs for the first time and emulating this feat in the lower grades. Parramatta’s entry into the league was put on hold by World War II. They finished last between the years of 1952 and 1961. [45] [46][47], Before the start of the 2019 NRL season, Parramatta were predicted by many to finish towards the bottom of the table or claim another wooden spoon. The teams current coach is Brad Arthur, a professional rugby league coach who previously played for the Parramatta Eels junior league. In the replay Parramatta were defeated 22–0.[10]. The club qualified for the finals in 2002, finishing sixth, but failed to do so in 2004, finishing ninth. After winning the games, fans of the club set fire to the grounds, which were soon to be demolished as a celebration of the win. Garments are exactly as the players wear to train in day in, day out. Despite meeting these criteria the Parramatta board explored mergers with both Penrith Panthers and Balmain Tigers but opted against the plan. The same scenario would reoccur in 1998 (4th), 1999 (2nd) and 2000 (7th) with Parramatta failing to qualify for the Grand Final on each occasion. Breathable polyester body wicks sweat away keeping the core body temperature at an optimum level. In the aftermath of the defeat, coach Brad Arthur and the players were placed under intense scrutiny but just a week after the loss, Arthur was given a two-year contract extension by the Parramatta board. Before the match, Easts needed to defeat Parramatta by 27 points to overtake Melbourne and finish first on the table. In 2009 the club reverted to their original logo, with the year of their founding added, as a nod to the clubs history. Round 1 saw Parramatta get off to the perfect start by beating The Auckland Warriors 24–18 at Eden Park in New Zealand. The Eels were expected to make it to the Grand Finals for 2010, but ended up falling short of the top 8. Like most NSWRFL clubs founded before the 1980s, Parramatta was established with no official nickname or mascot. The club qualified for the final in 1978, 1979 ad 1980, but they missed the final in 1980. Parramatta had a slow start in the league, taking thirty years to reach a Grand Final. In Parramatta, a large crowd of supporters greeted the team as they arrived back at the Leagues Club (situated adjacent to Cumberland Oval). Two successful goal attempts by Michael Cronin gave the Eels a 4–2 victory. The nickname became official in the 70s. Towards the back end of the season, Kearney's contract was terminated and Brad Arthur was installed as caretaker coach. Add to Cart. Wests were actually half a win ahead but were docked one match point for playing a replacement player who had not played the full reserve grade match as was required at the time. Parramatta lost both matches and missed out on the finals series by two competition points. John Quayle, NSWRL General Manager at the end of the 1987 season[15]. GBP CAD $49.00, $59.00 Coach John Monie departed at the end of the 1989 season and was replaced by Michael Cronin. The Parramatta Eels is a professional rugby league football club from Australia that is based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The final home game played at Parramatta Stadium was against The St George Illawarra Dragons in front of 13,553 spectators. In 1990, Parramatta finished eighth and Sterling in his last full season won his second Rothmans Medal, but in 1991 and 1992 the club descended in the rankings, only narrowly avoiding the “wooden spoon” in the latter season. The Parramatta Eels have some very passionate supporters, and quite a diverse fan base, owing to their district which is a melting pot of cultures. When the Sydney competition was formed in 1900, the Parramatta joined up with the Western Suburbs club and began to play some of its matches at Cumberland Oval. Parramatta went on to beat the Dragons 30–18. The Parramatta player with the records for the most points scored in the club is Mick Cronin, with 2001 points between the years of 1977 and 1986. Like a lot of the older NSWRL clubs founded prior to the 1980s, the Parramatta club was originally founded with no mascot or nickname associated with the club. In the final round of the season, Parramatta played against The Gold Coast with the loser almost certainly receiving the wooden spoon. - Lightweight mesh lining moves with the body. The 1997 season saw the recruitment of a new coach, former St George Dragons coach Brian Smith. [44], For the 2018 season, Parramatta were predicted by many before the season to finish in the top 8 and challenge for the premiership. Players from this era included current Hull Kingston Rovers coach Justin Morgan, injury-plagued Country Origin representative centre David Woods, Lee Oudenryn (who beat Martin Offiah in a half-time footrace in Great Britain’s 1992 tour match with Parramatta[16]) and former Australian representative Paul Dunn.