Another Arthur to take centre stage for the Parramatta Eels

“My old man, he’s been helping me a bit, he’s relentless.”

The Arthur name has been synonymous with the Parramatta Eels since 2014, but while Brad Arthur may no longer be the coach, another member of the Arthur family will continue the legacy at the club this weekend.

After leading the NSW Blues as co-captain to the U19s State of Origin title, Matt Arthur has been named to make his NRL debut on Saturday afternoon against the Newcastle Knights as the Eels look to move off the bottom of the table.

It also comes three years after older brother Jake Arthur made his NRL debut for the Eels against the New Zealand Warriors during the 2021 season before later departing the team for the Manly Sea Eagles for further opportunities.

One of the club’s next generation of stars, Matt Arthur has been a key figure in the NSW Cup after earning his reserve-grade debut at the age of 18 and even inked a three-year contract at the end of 2023 which will see him progress from a developmental contract to the Top 30 roster in the coming seasons.

While he won’t play under his father on Saturday, Matt Arthur spoke about how important he has been in developing his game since he was a kid and how he has continually pushed him to the limits, which has allowed the youngster to get better over time.

“My old man, he’s been helping me a bit, he’s relentless (and) helping me a lot with my game since I was a kid,” Arthur said as he gets ready to make his NRL debut.

“He’s been enjoying a bit of time off. He’s getting a bit bored at the moment, but he’s good.

“As a kid, he was always pushing us, teaching us little things, taking me and Jake to the park to do little extras, doing the little things and just what it takes to play each week.”

While the Eels may have gotten rid of Ethan Sanders, Arthur is just the one player who is seen as part of the club’s long-term plans.

Others include star outside back Blaize Talagi, U19s NSW Blues representative Sam Tuivaiti, Jersey Flegg Cup winger Mohamed Alameddine and former Penrith Panthers hooker Ryley Smith.

As the Eels prepare for the next generation and rebuild their team under a new coach in 2025, Arthur will be looking to impress and attempt to retain his spot in the first-grade team next season.

However, the youngster is happy to bide his time and learn from first-choice and second-choice dummy-halves Joey Lussick and Brendan Hands.

“It’d mean the most (to cement a spot in the team) but I’ll just keep chipping way. Joey [Lussick] and Handsy [Brendan Hands] are going pretty good up there, so I’ll just keep chipping away and bide my time,” he added.

“Joey and Handsy are really good for me and helping me a lot, sort of took me under their wing in pre-season and they’ve been looking after me helping me heaps with my game.”