What will become of the Eels?

Today the Parramatta Eels announced that our hooker Nathan Peats will be out for the remainder of the 2014 season following an ACL injury to his knee.

Peatsy will undergo surgery as soon as possible and then begin his road to recovery.

This is shattering news for the club and for its fans.

It has been no secret that in my opinion Nathan Peats has been an absolute revelation for our team this year.

I would go as far as saying that he is the best buy of the season for any club and he has been a big reason for the turnaround in our performance this year.

Just a few weeks ago, Peatsy was being talked up as potentially getting a sky blue jumper.

He has been impossible to ignore at the Eels this year – he has been very physical attack and has provided some raw aggression which Parramatta have lacked in recent seasons.

In terms of attack, he has also helped in taking some of the attacking pressure off Jarryd Hayne. Through quick plays of the ball and his skill in keeping the opposition guessing, he has really transformed the side.

This season, anytime the Eels have played without Peatsy, they have struggled and it is going to be very interesting to see what becomes of the team for the remainder of the season.

There is no lack of quality players at the Eels this year. We have seen how explosive Jarryd Hayne can be and with men like Manu Ma’u, Will Hopoate and Semi Radradra leading the way, as an Eels fan I hope we can overcome this loss.

However, any football team plays its best football when its best team is on the park. Our best team includes Nathan Peats and it is going to be very difficult to replace him.

The next few weeks will certainly be important for the Eels and should be telling as to just how much of a loss Nathan Peats will be.

I would like to take this chance to wish him all the best for a very speedy recovery.