If the Parramatta side that won three straight titles in the 1980s took on Ivan Cleary’s Penrith, what would be the result? Several Eels legends have had their say.
If the great Parramatta three-peat side he captained had enjoyed all the benefits of sports science that go with being a professional athlete today, how would they fare against the current Penrith outfit?“You only have to look at the back line: Peter Sterling, Brett Kenny, Eric Grothe, Steve Ella, Neil Hunt, Paul Taylor at the back – all great players in their right.Sterling, the great Parramatta halfback, offers this.
Their long-time Eels teammate during those halcyon blue and gold days, Peter Wynn, goes a step further.“They are full-time professional footballers now, back in the ’80s – if we were faced with the same conditions – we would achieve [now] what we achieved then. It is said premierships are won on defence, and both teams were outstanding in this department. Penrith conceded an average of 12.89 points per game over their period, while Parramatta, during an era of lower scores, let in just 10.55 .
“But then again, I can’t forget the past, with that ball floating across the back line from Sterling to Kenny to Cronin to Ella and to Grothe. It’s a very difficult comparison for me because that was a special decade when Parramatta and Canterbury ruled the world.“And now I look at [Penrith] and they are a treat to watch. I was thrilled and amazed to watch a team win three grand finals back to back. It will come as no surprise to see Penrith join that band of elite sides.
“It’s such an honour, they’re absolute legends of the game and [it’s flattering] to be compared to them.
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