Parramatta coach Brad Arthur was left bemoaning his team's inability to kick a goal in the last two weeks after the Eels crashed to another narrow loss to South Sydney at ANZ Stadium.
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Refusing to blame the salary cap drama that engulfed the club on the eve of the match for Parramatta's 14-12 defeat, Arthur said the Eels could have been celebrating back to back wins if their goalkickers had done better on Friday night or in the previous week's 17-13 loss to the Warriors.
In both matches, Parramatta and their opponents had scored three tries apiece but Luke Kelly failed with all three conversion attempts against the Warriors, while Chris Sandow missed three goals and Reece Robinson was unsuccessful with his lone attempt against Souths.
"We have kicked none from seven in the last two weeks which hasn't helped us," Arthur said. "It might have been the difference between us being two in a row."
Sandow, who played fullback after being recalled from the NSW Cup, kicked eight goals from as many attempts against Wentworthville and Arthur said the pressure on the last placed Eels to win may be affecting him and the other Parramatta goalkickers.
"I think they can kick, it is just the moment isn't it," he said. "Chrissy kicked eight from eight last week so I suppose it is the pressure that is surrounding it. Everyone knows we are desperate for wins and those kicks just become a little bit harder than they probably need to be."
Insisting he had said Sandow would not be playing in the halves against the Rabbitohs but he had never denied the possibility of him making a return to the NRL in another position, Arthur said he had been happy with his performance at fullback and refused to blame a fumble by him in the 75th minute that led to the match winning try by Cameron McInnes.
Arthur also said the $525,000 fine and threat of starting next season on minus four competition points had not caused any disruption to Parramatta's preparations for the match.
"It is not an excuse, it doesn't have an impact on us," he said. "The boys are professional, they have trained hard and I couldn't be happier with what they are doing off the field.
"We are taking that effort and we are actually sticking to game plans, we stuck to a kick plan so we are heading in the right directions but we need to get some wins."
