Why are people getting behind the Eels?

This story was first written for and published by The Roar. On Friday morning, it finally hit me. This year, for the first time since 2009, the Parramatta Eels will be playing finals football. What’s more, after their 52-34 win over the Broncos on Thursday night, the Eels find themselves sitting in the top four. […]

Ladies who League: Rugby league bucket list

This story was first written for and published by NRL.com. One thing that always brings me back to rugby league is the live game experience. Over the years of supporting my various teams (whether that be the Parramatta Eels, the Australian Kangaroos, the Australian Jillaroos or the New South Wales Blues) I’ve had the opportunity […]

Women’s sport weekly wrap: All about participation in league and rugby

This story was first written for and published by The Roar. When our major sports talk about establishing women’s competitions, one of the key words is sustainability. It’s important that we aim to develop competitions that are exciting, marketable and that feature exceptional talent, but the core obligation must be to ensure our competitions are […]

Football or rugby league

This article was written by Melissa Muscat, Parramatta Eels Member and Parramatta Eels Members Councillor. Soccer or Footy? That’s the question I often get asked. I am openly passionate about both. But which do I prefer? People insisting I must have a preference to one over the other. Firstly, yes, I still refer to soccer […]

Our stadiums are empty, but does it matter?

This article was first written for and published by The Roar. Two games on consecutive days at ANZ Stadium last weekend each saw crowds of fewer than 7000 people. On Thursday 17 August, just 6826 saw the Parramatta Eels beat the Gold Coast Titans 30-8. The next day, Friday 18 August, 6213 people watched the […]

Ladies who League: Knights show the way

This story was first written for and published by NRL.com. Last Friday night the Newcastle Knights posted their third victory in a row, snapping the Parramatta Eels six game winning streak with a 29-10 victory at ANZ Stadium. This win was special for a number of reasons. It meant that the Knights found themselves out […]

Should Hayne stay or should he go?

This article was first written for and published by The Roar. Jarryd Hayne is one of the most naturally gifted players I have ever had the opportunity to watch. Being a Parramatta fan, Jarryd was on my radar before he burst onto the scene, at age 18 in 2006, making his debut for the Eels […]

Ladies who League: Learning to love the Storm

This story was first written for and published by NRL.com. ‘Over the last few weeks it has come to light that the Storm has engaged in a long-term system of operating, what might conveniently be called, two sets of books’. I still very clearly remember this press conference in 2010. NRL CEO David Gallop fronted […]

Who has been the most disappointing team of 2017?

This article was first written for and published by The Roar. My goodness there has been some dreadful football over the last couple of weeks. Given the point of the season we’re at, I’m not surprised. I tend to think about the NRL season in three distinct parts: the pre-State of Origin period, the State […]