Heat didn't contribute to flogging: Eels

Parramatta have denied heat was a factor in their 54-0 NRL flogging at the hands of Manly on the weekend.

Eels head coach Brad Arthur looks on from the sidelines during a game.

Parramatta have stood by head coach Brad Arthur's (C) decision to warm up in 39-degree heat. (AAP)

Parramatta have denied Brad Arthur's decision to make them warm up in 39-degree heat contributed to their 54-0 flogging to Manly.

The Eels have endured a week of soul searching after copping their worst ever loss to their traditional rivals at Brookvale Oval last weekend.

Many, including former Newcastle great Matthew Johns, have questioned the Eels' decision to warm up on ground for over 30 minutes in unforgiving temperatures.

From the outset, the Eels looked off and Manly took the lead in just the fourth minute through Daly Cherry-Evans before romping home nine-tries-to-nil.

The shellacking was a wake-up call for the Eels, who many had pencilled in as a top-four side and title contenders.

They are winless and staring down the barrel of an 0-3 start heading into Saturday's clash with Cronulla at ANZ Stadium.

The Eels have refused to make excuses and centre Michael Jennings said they had no one to blame but themselves.

Asked if the decision to warm up, while the Sea Eagles only came on to the ground for a handful of minutes during the pre-game, had contributed to the result, Jennings said: "I wouldn't know. We just have ourselves to blame.

"We've had a big training session and reviewed it, we've put it behind us."

Skipper Tim Mannah refused to accept that the conditions had played a part in the result.

"I wouldn't say the heat was responsible for our performance," Mannah said.

"As a collective, we all went away from the part of our game that we pride ourselves on. We want to get it back quickly."


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Source: AAP


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