Parramatta Eels
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The Parramatta Eels are a team in the National Rugby League (NRL), the premier rugby league football competition in Australia.
Based in Parramatta a district city of Sydney, the Eels in 1947 were admitted to the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition, predecessor of the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and the current NRL competition.
The Parramatta Eels have been one of the most popular teams in the games modern era, since their admission to the NSWRL in 1947 the Eels have only achieved 4 premiership titles, all occurring in the 1980s when they dominated the competition along with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
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Club information
- Club Name: Parramatta Eels
- Founded: 1947
- Home stadium: Parramatta Stadium (1986-2003); Belmore Sports Ground (1982-1985); Cumberland Oval (1947-1981) Note: Cumberland Oval was known as Parramatta Oval (1947-1950)
- Head coach: Brian Smith (1997- )
- NRL Team Captain: Nathan Cayless
- Uniform colors: Blue and Gold
- Premiership Titles: 4 - 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986
- Premiership Runners-up: 4 - 1976, 1977, 1984, 2001
- Minor Premiership Titles: 4 - 1977, 1982, 1986, 2001
Club history
The Cumberland rugby league club which was a foundation member of the New South Wales Rugby League in 1908 is often referred to as the original Parramatta team. However, while Cumberland's team was made of many Wests rugby club players (formed from a merger of Parramatta and Wests teams of a district rugby union competition which began in 1900) - some of whom may well have come from the Parramatta district - the Cumberland team began with a meeting at Homebush and played all of its games in the inner city.
During the 1910s rugby league's popularity grew in all the major towns of western Sydney. At this time the Western Suburbs club maintained control of the sport in that area, there were local teams from Burwood to Penrith, including Parramatta, Wentworthville and to the south in Fairfield and Liverpool. With the growth of surrounding townships and suburbs in the Parramatta district a push was made for its own club in the mid-1930s.
In 1936 a proposal was made by the Parramatta Club to join the NSWRL. While supported by the Western Suburbs Club, other clubs rejected the proposal which resulted in failure to gain admission. Ten years later the Parramatta Club along with Manly made another submission, and in November 1946 the NSWRL granted Parramatta and Manly entry for the following season.
The Parramatta teams first captain was a former Parramatta Rugby Union player Bob Andrews who had previously been playing League with Wests.
Parramatta were extremely unsuccessful in its early years. Between 1954 and 1961 the club was wooden-spooner on all but one occasion. During 1959 and 1960 Parramatta was only able to score two wins in each season. In 1962 Parramatta reached the finals series for the first time, an achievement they would repeat on many occasion culminating in a Grand Final appearances in 1976 and 1977 but were unable to post a Grand Final win until 1981 which was the first of a flood of wins during the 1980s. The Parramatta side will arguably be remembered as the last ever ‘golden era' team of Australian rugby league - the introduction of salary caps and ‘talent equalisation' policies meaning sustained success is unlikely to be ever seen again.
Players of note
- Ken Thornett
- Bob O'Reilly
- Brett Kenny
- Eric Grothe
- Michael Cronin
- Peter Sterling
- Ray Price
- Steve Ella
- Ron Hilditch
- Steve Edge
- Nathan Hindmarsh
- Ron Lynch
- Dean Pay
- Arthur Beetson
- Brain Hambly
- John Peard
- John McMartin
- Dennis Fitzgerald
- Geoff Gerard
Officials of note
- Alan Overton
- Denis Fitzgerald
- Joe Joseph
- Jack Argent
- Jack Scullin
- Stan Simpson
Coaches of note
- Vic Hey
- Ken Kearney
- Ian Walsh
- Norm Provan
- Terry Fearnley
- Jack Gibson
- John Monie
- Brian Smith
External link
- Official Parramatta Eels Web Site (http://www.parraeels.com.au/)