Corey Norman and Mitchell Moses might be the future of Parramatta but coach Brad Arthur admits they got a schooling from returning North Queensland maestro Jonathan Thurston in their debut outing together.
Eels halfback Corey Norman returned from a knee injury to partner high-profile mid-season recruit Mitchell Moses for the first time in Darwin on Saturday, only to be thumped 32-6 by North Queensland.
The Eels were outclassed from the onset as Thurston made a near-perfect comeback in his first game in more than a month since being sidelined with a shoulder injury.
After their 2016 annus horribilis, there are high hopes in Sydney's west that the star pairing can get the blue and golds back on track.
But after they received a footballing lesson from Thurston, Arthur admits they've got some work to do.
"It wasn't great, we played way too sideways," Arthur said.
"They had two training sessions together, that didn't help. We'll have to do some work there."
While the Eels were wasteful with the ball and their fifth tackle options were lacking, Thurston piloted the Cowboys around the park and ensured they controlled field position.
"JT kicked us to death," Arthur said.
It was a bitterly disappointing loss for Parramatta, who had previously tasted nothing but success in the Northern Territory, with three wins from three matches.
Arthur said his side needed to find more continuity in attack with a tough clash against third-placed St George Illawarra next week.
Parramatta was unable to mount any serious pressure on their opponents, who reverted to a well-oiled machine under Thurston's leadership.
With the loss, the Eels dropped out of the top eight while the Cowboys maintained their standing in seventh spot.
"We take a couple of steps forward and then a big step backwards, that's what we did tonight," Arthur said.
