EXCLUSIVE

It's been a tough, trying season for all concerned at Parramatta. Adrian Proszenko sat down with Eels coach Michael Hagan.

The Sun-Herald: Can you still make the eight?

MH: I still think we can, but we're going to need to play at a higher level than we've played in the last week or two … [The season] is at a critical point, that's for sure … we're in a fairly desperate situation as a team.

SH: Is it fair to say the team has underperformed to this stage?

MH: Given where we sit, you can say that …

SH: Any reason why the team isn't playing to its potential?

MH: We haven't handled adversity well. We haven't defended our line or defended the decision which goes against you. That little bit of resilience has been missing for some reason.

SH: How do you get that back?

MH: In the end, the attitude of the 17 players needs to be committed to turning teams away. Invariably in games, things go against you at some point. It's just the attitude and desperation that needs to be shown.

SH: Is that one of the major issues for the team this year, goal-line defence?

MH: It's been an issue nearly all the way along. Even some of the options Newcastle ran the other night, they weren't overly technical. They just needed to be defended with a bit of determination.

SH: Nathan Cayless said during the week that the team needed "a kick up the arse". Is that a comment you agree with?

MH: I spoke to Nathan about it. He was fairly vocal in our review of our game. As the captain and someone who has been here for a long time he's more than entitled to expect more from the guys he's playing with. I admire him for doing that.

SH: Has he sunk the slipper or is that a job for the coach?

MH: I've probably had my turn too during different times of the year. Against Manly, at half-time a couple of weeks ago, there wouldn't have been any misunderstanding about what I felt of that performance. In the end, you've got 17 adults that need to take some responsibility for what they do.

SH: The Michael Hagan that the media sees is a laid-back and mild-mannered man. Are you different in the sheds or with the team when some home truths need to be told?

MH: Yeah, but again, my personality isn't like a lot of other people. I'm sure the players know I'm not happy with how they've performed and where we sit currently.

SH: On the personnel front, the Eels haven't bought a lot of players in recent years. Is the club looking to get some new blood and make some changes?

MH: It's all a bit negative at the moment for obvious reasons, but I look at the number of Parramatta juniors that have come into first grade in the last 18 months to two years. There's some tremendous talent here that hasn't lived up to the expectations and that's the disappointing part of it for me and for the fans.

SH: What is the message to fans, who are frustrated with where the team is sitting on the ladder?

MH: I'm as frustrated as they are. I had to front up [on Wednesday night] for a fan forum, which was a couple of hours of genuine questions about where the team is at. That's good because people are passionate about their footy. Also, you look at how well the team performed and got within a game [of the grand final] last year, there's no guarantee that's going to happen automatically. The amount of work and the amount of things you need to get right in games to win, we simply haven't done that.

SH : For the fans that couldn't get to the forum, what do you want to tell them?

MH: We're frustrated as a group and that's not putting too fine a point on it. We want to see the players playing and performing at their best. In the end, I'll take responsibility for that as a coach. It's been frustrating for me and our coaching staff that we haven't performed better in some games, or parts of some games.

SH: You talk about personally taking responsibility. Do you feel under pressure?

MH: No. I just feel disappointed we're not travelling better. In the end, I know that I'm working hard, the staff are working hard to try and turn that around. That's all you can do, mate, the best you can. There's a process we have to go through every week and hopefully turn things around.

SH: Do you see Eric Grothe as a potential back-rower?

MH: I hadn't thought of that, no. I don't think so.

SH: There's a perception in some quarters that Parramatta are soft in pressure situations.

MH: In the last couple of weeks, there's been decent proof of that. There were examples of that the other night [against Newcastle] when we were defending on our line on some options that weren't that complicated. I'd agree with that in some respects.

SH: So some of that criticism is fair?

MH: Well, if you can't aim up and get the job done, that criticism is going to come at you.

SH: For you personally, you're contracted for this year and next year. Do you feel pressure to perform? Do you hope to extend your stay?

MH: I've only thought about getting the job done this year, at this point. Next year is a normal planning process for pre-season and what you've got to get done. I really haven't thought any further than that.

SH: You wouldn't be happy with where you are on the table, but generally speaking, are you happy at the Eels?

MH: If you'd ask me this time last year, I'd say I was extremely happy with the performance of just about everybody and the way the team is travelling. Twelve months down the track, we're not talking positively in the same way about the team and I'm part of that … it's disappointing.

SH: Is this your biggest challenge as a coach?

MH: Physically, we've been good. The year we had in Newcastle in 2005 we were poleaxed with injury and we didn't know where the next win was going to come from. With the quality of the team we've got, I'm entitled to expect a bit more.

SH: One thing that has been said - and Jason Taylor had a pot shot at you about it - was that you can't win without Andrew Johns. Is that something that irks you?

MH: No, because last year we demonstrated that we could probably sort that out with what we did as a team … I'm not too concerned about JT's appraisal of my performance - or some others.