The 2016 Parramatta Eels season was the 70th in the club's history. Coached by Brad Arthur and co-captained by Kieran Foran and Tim Mannah, they competed in the NRL's 2016 Telstra Premiership.
Summary Prior to the start of the 2016 NRL season, the Parramatta club faced the prospect with starting the season on -4 points due to salary cap indiscretions in 2015, however the NRL was satisfied with governance changes at Parramatta and no points were deducted.
Parramatta started the season with a 17-4 loss against the previous years runners up in Brisbane. The club would win their following three matches in a row including a 20-16 victory over the reigning premiers North Queensland. On 3 May 2016, NRL CEO Todd Greenberg announced that the club would be docked the twelve competition points they have accrued so far this season, as well as fined $1 million and stripped of the 2016 NRL Auckland Nines title it won in February. In addition, the NRL also announced that the Parramatta club would not be able to accrue any further competition points until they fell under the salary cap, which they were reported to be $500,000. Five officials, including chairman Steve Sharp, deputy chairman Tom Issa, director Peter Serrao, chief executive John Boulous and football manager Daniel Anderson, were also sacked.
On 9 July 2016, after over two months of club officials contesting the preliminary penalties, Parramatta were handed their punishment with the addition of their for/against points tally accumulated from rounds 1-9 being deducted. At the time of the points deduction, Parramatta sat just outside the top four on the table. Although the points deduction had been handed down, Parramatta were still mathematically able to make the finals if they could win 12 of their remaining 15 games. The first match after Parramatta were stripped of the competition points was against South Sydney at Parramatta Stadium. Parramatta would narrowly lose the match 22-20. It was around this time that star recruit Kieran Foran was released by the club having just played nine games for personal reasons and multiple off-field issues.
On 29 August 2016, Parramatta played their final ever game in the top grade at Parramatta Stadium against St. George Illawarra as it had been announced earlier the club would move into a new ground which would later be known as the Western Sydney Stadium. Parramatta would win the game 30-18 with Bevan French scoring a hat-trick. Parramatta finished the season with a 40-18 victory over the New Zealand Warriors to finish 14th on the table.
Standings
National Rugby League
National Youth Competition
Fixtures
Auckland Nines
Match No.HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and time (Local)VenueAttendance 1 Parramatta Eels 4 – 14 Melbourne StormSaturday, 6 February, 12:55 PMEden Park70,000+ over two days 2 Sydney Roosters 11 – 14 Parramatta EelsSaturday, 6 February, 4:25 PM 3 South Sydney Rabbitohs 11 – 24 Parramatta EelsSunday, 7 February, 11:00 AM Parramatta Eels 12 – 8 Newcastle KnightsSunday, 7 February, 1:55 PM Parramatta Eels 17 – 8 Melbourne StormSunday, 7 February, 4:40 PM Parramatta Eels 22 – 4 New Zealand WarriorsSunday, 7 February, 6:40 AM Source:
Pre-season Match No.HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and time (Local)VenueAttendance 1 Parramatta Eels 20 – 20 Gold Coast TitansSaturday, 13 February, 7:40 PMANZAC Oval2,405 2 Penrith Panthers8 – 22 Parramatta EelsSaturday, 20 February, 7:10 PMPepper Stadium5,580 Source:
Home and away season
RoundHomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDate and time (Local)VenueAttendance 1 Parramatta Eels4 – 17 Brisbane Broncos3 Mar 2016, 8:05PMPirtek Stadium17,324 2 Parramatta Eels20 – 16 North Queensland Cowboys12 Mar 2016, 7:30PMPirtek Stadium12,194 3 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs6 – 20 Parramatta Eels18 Mar 2016, 8:05PMANZ Stadium30,018 4 Wests Tigers0 – 8 Parramatta Eels28 Mar 2016, 4:00PMANZ Stadium36,112 5 Parramatta Eels18 – 20 Penrith Panthers3 Apr 2016, 4:00PMPirtek Stadium15,600 6 Parramatta Eels36 – 6 Canberra Raiders9 Apr 2016, 3:00PMPirtek Stadium12,947 7 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles10 – 22 Parramatta Eels14 Apr 2016, 7:50PMBrookvale Oval14,633 8 North Queensland Cowboys32 – 16 Parramatta Eels23 Apr 2016, 7:30PM1300SMILES Stadium19,308 9 Parramatta Eels 20 – 12 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs29 Apr 2016, 7:50PMANZ Stadium 31,815 10 Parramatta Eels20 – 22 South Sydney Rabbitohs13 May 2016, 7:50PMPirtek Stadium 16,013 11 Parramatta Eels6 – 18 Melbourne Storm23 May 2016, 7:00PMPirtek Stadium 8,941 12 Newcastle Knights18 – 20 Parramatta Eels30 May 2016, 7:00PMHunter Stadium 12,856Bye Round 14 Parramatta Eels 22 – 12 Gold Coast Titans11 Jun 2016, 5:30PMTIO Stadium 7,722 15 South Sydney Rabbitohs12 – 30 Parramatta Eels17 Jun 2016, 7:50PMANZ Stadium11,860Bye Round 17 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 34 – 24 Parramatta Eels2 Jul 2016, 7:30PMSouthern Cross Group Stadium19,124 18 Parramatta Eels22 – 18 Sydney Roosters8 Jul 2016, 7:50PMPirtek Stadium 8,464 19 Penrith Panthers 22 – 18 Parramatta Eels17 Jul 2016, 4:00PMPepper Stadium15,251 20 Gold Coast Titans 34 – 14 Parramatta Eels23 Jul 2016, 5:30PMCbus Super Stadium15,273 21 Parramatta Eels8 – 23 Wests Tigers30 Jul 2016, 5:00PMANZ Stadium14,428 22 Parramatta Eels 10 – 9 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles5 Aug 2016, 7:50PMPirtek Stadium8,143 23 Brisbane Broncos 38 – 16 Parramatta Eels12 Aug 2016, 7:50PMSuncorp Stadium 30,189 24 Canberra Raiders28 – 18 Parramatta Eels21 Aug 2016, 1:30PMGIO Stadium 18,825 25 Parramatta Eels 30 – 18 St. George Illawarra Dragons29 Aug 2016, 7:00PMPirtek Stadium 13,553 26 New Zealand Warriors 18 – 40 Parramatta Eels4 Sep 2016, 3:30PMMt Smart Stadium 11,129 Source:
Players and staff
First grade staff This section lists players who were in Parramatta's first grade squad at any point during the 2016 season Asterisks indicates player left mid-season Caret symbol indicates player joined mid-season Hash symbol indicates player retired mid-season
Name Position Joined Signed from Daniel Alvaro PR 2015 Youth Mitch Cornish HB / FE / FB 2016 Canberra Raiders Isaac De Gois HK 2014 Cronulla Sharks Kenny Edwards SR / LK 2013 Southport Tigers Bureta Faraimo WG 2014 Mackay Cutters John Folau WG / CE 2015 Youth Kieran Foran* HB / FE 2016 Manly Sea Eagles Bevan French FB 2016 Youth Tyrell Fuimaono CE / SR 2016 Youth Michael Gordon FB / CE / WG 2016 Cronulla Sharks David Gower SR / LK / PR 2014 Manly Sea Eagles Clinton Gutherson FB / CE / WG 2016 Manly Sea Eagles James Hasson SR / PR 2016 Manly Sea Eagles Michael Jennings CE 2016 Sydney Roosters Luke Kelly HB / FE / HK 2012 Melbourne Storm Cameron King HK 2016 North Queensland Cowboys Manu Ma'u SR 2014 Wentworthville Magpies Tim Mannah PR 2009 Youth Tepai Moeroa SR 2014 Youth Ryan Morgan* CE 2011 Youth Kieren Moss* FB 2016 Penrith Panthers Cody Nelson SR / FE 2015 Gold Coast Titans Corey Norman FE / FB 2014 Brisbane Broncos Rory O'Brien PR 2016 St George Illawarra Dragons Junior Paulo* SR / CE 2016 Youth Nathan Peats* HK / LK 2014 South Sydney Rabbitohs Kaysa Pritchard HK 2013 Youth Semi Radradra WG 2013 Youth Jeff Robson^ HB / FE / HK 2016 New Zealand Warriors Scott Schulte WG 2016 North Queensland Cowboys Beau Scott SR / CE 2016 Newcastle Knights Brad Takairangi SR / CE 2015 Gold Coast Titans Kelepi Tanginoa SR / LK 2016 North Queensland Cowboys Peni Terepo PR / SR / LK 2013 Youth Vai Toutai CE / WG 2013 Youth Honeti Tuha WG 2016 Newcastle Knights Alex Twal PR 2016 Youth Joseph Ualesi SR / LK 2013 Youth Anthony Watmough SR / LK 2015 Manly Sea Eagles Danny Wicks PR / SR 2015 Unattached Matthew Woods LK / SR 2016 Wests Tigers
Coaching staff This section lists members of staff who were in Parramatta's first grade squad at any point during the 2016 season Asterisks indicate member of staff left mid-season
PositionNameHead coachBrad ArthurAssistant coachPeter GentleAssistant coachSteve MurphyChief Medical OfficerDr Louis Shidiak Physical Performance ManagerPaul Devlin Strength coachJarrod Wade Contact Coach Brett O'Farrell Head Trainer Craig Sultana Assistant NRL Strength and Conditioning Coach Nathan Beutel NYC Head of Strength and Conditioning Video analyst Craig Crossman NSW Cup Head Coach and Development Coach Joey Grima Under 20's Head Coach Luke Burt
Transfers In: Name From HB Mitch Cornish Canberra Raiders FE Kieran Foran Manly Sea Eagles FB Michael Gordon Cronulla Sharks PR James Hasson Manly Sea Eagles HK Cameron King North Queensland Cowboys FB Kieren Moss Penrith Panthers PR Rory O'Brien St George Illawarra Dragons SR Beau Scott Newcastle Knights SR Kelepi Tanginoa North Queensland Cowboys CE Scott Schulte North Queensland Cowboys FB Clinton Gutherson Manly Sea Eagles SR Matthew Woods Wests Tigers CE Michael Jennings Sydney Roosters PR Alex Twal Youth FB Bevan French Youth CE Tyrell Fuimaono Youth HB Jeff Robson (mid-season) New Zealand Warriors
Out: Name To CE Beau Champion Retired CE Ben Crooks Castleford Tigers HB Zach Dockar-Clay Penrith Panthers PR Richard Fa'aoso Retired SR Fabian Goodall Manly Sea Eagles SR Tui Kamikamica Rugby union PR Darcy Lussick Manly Sea Eagles FE Ryan Matterson Sydney Roosters FE Adam Quinlan St. Helens FB Reece Robinson Rugby union HB Chris Sandow Warrington Wolves LK Joseph Paulo Cronulla Sharks SR Josh Aloiai Wests Tigers WG Halauafu Lavaka Manly Sea Eagles PR Eric Newbigging Illawarra Cutters SR Pauli Pauli Newcastle Knights CE Ryan Morgan (mid-season) Melbourne Storm FB Kieren Moss (mid-season) Bradford Bulls SR Junior Paulo (mid-season) Canberra Raiders HK Nathan Peats (mid-season) Gold Coast Titans FE Kieran Foran (mid-season) Released
Representative call-ups
Domestic Player Team Call-up Semi Radradra World All Stars 2016 All Stars Match Beau Scott World All Stars 2016 All Stars Match Clinton Gutherson NSW City 2016 City vs Country Origin Nathan Peats NSW City 2016 City vs Country Origin Michael Jennings New South Wales 2016 State of Origin Series
International Player Team Call-up Semi Radradra Australia 2016 Anzac Test Manu Ma'u New Zealand 2016 Anzac Test Brad Takairangi (18th man) New Zealand 2016 Anzac Test Vai Toutai Tonga 2016 Polynesian Cup Peni Terepo Tonga 2016 Polynesian Cup Junior Paulo Samoa 2016 Polynesian Cup Kaysa Pritchard Samoa 2016 Polynesian Cup Kaysa Pritchard Samoa v Fiji, 8 October 2016 Manu Ma'u New Zealand v Australia, 15 October 2016 Manu Ma'u New Zealand 2016 Four Nations James Hasson Ireland 2017 World Cup Qualifiers
References