Michael ChammasChief Reporter
Timestamp Fri 11 May 2018, 10:13 PM
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The loser of Friday night's Canterbury-Parramatta clash was always going to kiss their season goodbye,
The loser of Friday night's Canterbury-Parramatta clash was always going to kiss their season goodbye, and the winner would retain a glimmer of hope.
That's why rugby league needed the Eels to win - for what might be, not what has been.
Because as underwhelming as they have been over the first 10 rounds of the season, one gets the impression there's plenty of improvement left in them.
That they are capable, albeit requiring a huge improvement, of winning at least 10 of their remaining 14 games to finish inside the top eight.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the Bulldogs. Unfortunately, regardless of how hard they try, it's hard to see a lot of upside in what Canterbury are producing.
What they have dished out over the first 10 weeks looks like it is good as it will get.
And if you're listening to the rumblings out of the club, it's probably as good as it can get for the next 18 months given the limitations surrounding the club's salary cap.
It's safe to assume the Morris twins won't be at the club beyond the end of this year. Same for Greg Eastwood
But apart from those three players, you'd be hardpressed finding an off-contract player on much more than the minimum wage.
Kieran Foran is on superstar money. Four years of superstar money to be exact. However, the harsh reality for Canterbury to come to terms with is perhaps his superstar days are behind him.
Not bad, but not great either. And Canterbury needs great. That's what they paid for.
They need a Shaun Johnson. They need a Nathan Cleary. They need a James Maloney. They need a Ben Hunt.
Yet, they are getting Jack Cogger.
Granted, he's a talented kid with a bright future, but he has one hell of an assignment ahead of him trying to change the fortunes of a once proud club struggling for answers.
And it's not like they are down on troops. Only Aiden Tolman is in the club's casualty ward, a player they are currently shopping around despite being contracted until the end of 2020.
Rookie coach Dean Pay finds himself in an unenviable position. He has inherited a roster that he can only tinker with when it has become clear it needs to be overhauled.
You can't accuse the Bulldogs of lacking desire or commitment. They are trying hard. But what they would give to have the strike power their opposition possessed on Friday night.
Clint Gutherson, Bevan French, Corey Norman, Mitchell Moses, Michael Jennings. And the Eels still had Jarryd Hayne, Nathan Brown, Kane Evans, Kaysa Pritchard and Tony Williams sitting on the sideline nursing injuries.
Parramatta should be better than they have been. And again on Friday night, they were nowhere near the team many tipped to challenge for a title in 2019.
But they can be. The same can't be said for the blue and whites.
