Sometimes, the numbers do tell the full story and with Parramatta’s NRLW revival this year the numbers in question are three and four.
Three is how many wins the Eels have had this season after four rounds, as the blue and golds emerge as the year’s surprise packets, catapulting themselves from a wooden spoon in 2023 into finals contention this time around.
Four is how many regular season wins the club accrued through its first three NRLW campaigns combined.
It’s a remarkable turnaround, one which will be put to another test when the Eels host Newcastle at Eric Tweedale Stadium on Saturday.
The two-time defending premiers are always formidable opponents but under new coach Steve Georgallis, the Eels refuse to take a backwards step.
“We were all disappointed in last year and we knew we had to make some changes. We’re all committed to the team and the end goal, which is to win the premiership,” said fullback Abbi Church.
“This year we’re a lot more hungry, we knew we had to do it for each other. Georgy brings a lot of that, he has so much experience in that tough NRL environment.
“He inspires us to get out there and we had to find more mongrel, which we’ve done.”
There is no secret or magic behind Parramatta’s rise – it’s based around effort and physicality, which was on display from their season opener against Brisbane where they shocked the Broncos in a 22-10 boilover, and it’s been present in every game since.
Church puts plenty of that down to Georgallis, who has extensive experience as an NRL assistant with Penrith, Wests Tigers, Manly, Canterbury and North Queensland.
“We go out there every week with clear goals for what we have to do in each game. We’ve developed that trust and respect with him, he’s just really committed to the team and our individual development,” said Church.
“He’s of the opinion that football is a simple game. Nothing we do is over-complicated – I’m very goal driven, so he gives me goals to go after every week and that makes it easy for me to do my job. I feel like I have more confidence out there, that’s what I put it down to.
“He plays on the strengths of every individual, our game plan is around what we can do rather than trying to mould us into a specific vision. At this stage I guess it’s working.”
It’s working particularly well for Church, who has improved out of sight this year to sit second in the player of the year voting.
The metre-eating custodian has long been one of Parramatta’s most consistent performers but she’s taken things to another level this year.
Church’s average run metres have sky-rocketed from 109 per game last year to 145 per game this time around and she leads the league in try-saving tackles.
“Nothing we do is over-complicated – I’m very goal driven, so Georgy gives me goals to go after every week and that makes it easy for me to do my job,” Church said.
“I feel like I have more confidence out there, that’s what I put it down to.”
The Camden product isn’t alone in her improvement. Lock forward Kennedy Cherrington is playing the best football of her career while halfback Rachael Pearson and prop Elsie Albert have both recaptured the form that made them stars during their time with St George Illawarra.
Church could feel the difference during preparation for the season as the Eels begin to reap the rewards of their investment in the women’s game.
“The pre-season definitely highlighted that for me, I’ve been here for a few seasons now and I’ve seen how things have changed. The whole structure of the pre-season was flipped on it’s head,” Church said.
“The club has put more full-time staff on, I think that shows their commitment to the growth of the women’s game and to our team.
“It gets us that little bit closer to that full-time, high performance environment.
“We’re not there yet, but we have a well-rounded approach with out strength and conditioning, our management, the coaching staff and it goes all the way through the club, right through the junior pathways. It’s a commitment to us and the future.”
But before that future arrives, the Eels have a present to deal with. A win over the Knights will go a long way to locking up a finals berth as the regular season crosses its halfway point.
It won’t be easy but the Eels have a true home-ground advantage on their side – Eric Tweedale Stadium is a place stooped in the club’s history with the men’s side using it as a training base in the 1980s and close to a sellout crowd is expected.
And even if Parramatta are outsiders, that’s just how they’ve grown to like it.
“It’s our first real home game of the season, the Knights are the two-time defending premiers so we know it’ll be a tough one,” said Church.
“But I love that we’re going in as underdogs, I love the challenge of being the underdog and I love proving people wrong.”
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