“I spoke with Brad earlier,he’s in good spirits,” Arthur’s manager,Chris Orr,told theHerald on Monday night.
“He said to me,‘Had you told me I would coach 264 games for Parramatta,reach a grand final,and watch my son debut,then get sacked,I’d do it all again – I’d sign up for it all again tomorrow’.
Parramatta officials courted Wayne Bennett,but the Dolphins coach is poised to return to South Sydney.Credit:NRL Photos
“Brad didn’t bag anyone at the club. He said the club had been good to him. He still wants to be a coach. He will be back.”
Orr would not speculate on reports Arthur would be paid out $1.5m as part of a severance package.
Having failed to make the finals last year,the Eels slumped to their sixth loss in their last seven matches at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday,in a performance the coach labelled “embarrassing”.
Their shocking run has come after star halfback Mitchell Moses suffered a foot injury,which has kept him out since round three.
In a statement issued on Monday night,the Eels said:“It was the view of the Board and CEO that the progress of our NRL team has stalled. Our goal is to win premierships and it is time for the club to go in a new direction.
“We want to thank Brad who has worked tirelessly for the Club over a 10-year period. During his time as head coach,the club has played in five finals series,including a grand final in 2022.
“We wish Brad and his family the very best in the future and we are very grateful for his services to the club.”
Speaking after the Magic Round loss to the Storm,a defiant Arthur said he believed he was still the man to resurrect Parramatta’s season and “would never walk away from a fight”.
“I still believe in this team,but they’ve got to start to believe in themselves,especially when we’re under a bit of pressure,” he said.
“We’re five minutes after the game,but there hasn’t been any indication from the club towards me. All they want to do is get around us to support myself and the rest of the coaches and the team.
“But at the end of the day,what matters is what we’re doing on the field for 80 minutes and it’s not good enough at the moment.”
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Coaches expected to come into calculation for the job include Jason Ryles,Josh Hannay,Michael Maguire,Michael Ennis,Michael Cheika,Brian McDermott,Blake Green,Steve McNamara and Barrett.
Arthur almost single-handedly held the club together during the salary cap crisis in 2016 when the Eels were stripped of 12 competition points and lost their Auckland Nines title. The NRL found Parramatta had breached the salary cap in five of the previous six seasons.
He led them back to the finals the following year,making the top eight five times in six seasons.
The 2022 grand final appearance triggered a 12-month extension on his deal,which was due to run until the end of 2025.
Arthur had been working feverishly to improve the Eels squad in recent weeks,signing St George Illawarra star Zac Lomax to a four-year deal from next season after hosting the State of Origin hopeful at his house for a family dinner.
Arthur’s win record at the Eels was 51.89 per cent from 264 matches.
He will turn 50 on Tuesday.
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