Eels legend backs embattled coach amid Bennett links

Nathan Hindmarsh has thrown his support behind under-fire coach Brad Arthur, claiming the Eels are “not that far off” despite sitting in 12th spot on the NRL ladder.

Pressure has continued to mount on Arthur, who still has another 18 months to run on his deal, following some disappointing results in the opening nine rounds.

The absence of Mitchell Moses has shone a light on the side’s reliance on the halfback, with the likes of Blaize Talagi and Daejarn Asi struggling to fill the void.

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The dramas continued on the injury front with Clint Gutherson ruled out for a month, while Bryce Cartwright has also spent time on the sidelines with a rib injury.

Clint Gutherson will be out of action for at least a month with a knee injury.

Speaking on Triple M, one of the club’s favourite sons addressed the recent run of form, which has seen the Eels win three games and lose five in 2024.

“With Mitch Moses out, of course it’s going to make things difficult,” Hindmarsh said.

“He’s the general there in the side, a lot of the stuff comes off him. Now with Gutho busted as well, it puts a lot of pressure on young Browny [Dylan Brown].

“It hasn’t been easy, they’ve gone through a bit of hard stuff.”

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Given the results to start the season and links with Wayne Bennett, the blowtorch has been applied to Arthur and there’s a belief he could be shown the door if things don’t turn around on the field.

However, according to Hindmarsh, there needs to be a show of faith in the man who took Parramatta to a grand final less than two years ago.

Eels coach Brad Arthur.

“Whether they need another voice, that debate can go on for years,” he said.

“What can another voice do? We like to say it, they need to go that one step extra and maybe Wayne can be that extra voice – but who knows what’s gonna happen.

“At the moment, Brad Arthur is the coach and he is doing the best he can with the troops he has … they’re not that far off, I don’t believe.

“I think we’ve got to give him a bit more of a chance. They have probably underperformed in a couple of games, but other than that they’re not too far off.”

Parramatta will take on an under-strength Broncos on Friday night.