It has been revealed Brad Arthur handed Bryce Cartwright a career lifeline in 2021 because the Eels coach knew he could “fix him”.
And fix him, he has.
Cartwright spent several years “in the wilderness” but is now back in the form that early in his career had him on the brink of bolting into the NSW Blues squad.
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The backrower made his NRL debut at the Panthers in 2014 and then had a tumultuous three-year stint at the Titans before joining the Panthers and eventually.
Cartwright, 29, was a controversial omission for the 2022 grand final but is now a staple of Parramatta’s back and will start when they face the Panthers on Friday night.
“I like Cartwright. We always knew Carty had it in him, he went to the Titans and maybe it was the wrong coach, the wrong atmosphere,” Eels great Nathan Hindmarsh said on Fox League.
“He was at the Titans and I spoke to Brad Arthur when they bought him and I said to BA ‘what are you doing buying him’ and he said ‘mate I know I can fix him’.
“Well he’s done a good… (Cartwright) had a number of years in the wilderness,” Matty Johns responded.
“He’s really responded and is playing some good footy. Yeah he still has those rocks and diamonds moments when he throws one out the back. But he’s been impressive and on the back end of last year he was on fire as well,” Hindmarsh said.
“He gives them some variation,” John said.
“It’s probably the crowning glory or Brad Arthur’s tenure, he made a grand final but what he’s done for Bryce Cartwright is terrific.
“Because I remember Bryce when he first came into first grade, in his second year he was that close to State of Origin, he was fantastic and it’s good to see him back playing good.”
Cartwright conceded earlier this week he was a “part-time” player when he started his career at Penrith and said he wished he joined Parramatta sooner where Arthur has unlocked his true potential.
Cartwright’s stunning revelation came after his dominant display against the Bulldogs where he scored two tries and was one of three players to pick up a maximum six Dally M votes.
“I just think last year I had a bit more time on the field and earned a bit more trust with Brad and the team,” Cartwright said when explaining his form.
“I love Brad as a coach. I wish I came here earlier in my career because I think he would have been a bigger help to me from a younger age.
“With age, experience and spending time on the field, it’s helped me out a lot. This is a bunch of blokes that I want to play with, and I don’t want to let them down.”
Plenty of people thought Cartwright’s career was at a crossroads, and he was struggling to even get into the 17 with the edge forward playing 10 games off the bench in their grand final year, stuck behind guys like Marata Niukore and Isaiah Papali’i.
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But something clicked in 2023, with the one-time All Star scoring seven tries and popping 51 offloads in 24 games as he stripped everything back and emerged as one of the best back-rowers in the competition.
Those numbers are great, but Cartwright and his coach are more pleased with his defensive stats which include a career-high 94.7 per cent tackle efficiency to start the season, while he’s also averaging a personal-best 15 runs after one game.
He credits Arthur for all of it and just wishes he joined the Eels sooner.
“He’s simplified my game,” he said.
“He’s wanted me to play tough and simple, and then the other things will come off that with a team-first mentality. He reminds me of my dad in some ways because he can be very cranky and loving, so I resonate with that.
“I feel like when I was younger that I was a part-time, inconsistent player.
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“I’d do some really good plays and them some really bad plays, but I feel like as I’ve got older over the past couple of years, I’ve turned myself into an 80-minute player with more composure and a team-first mentality. It’s working out for me now.
“I probably didn’t have someone like Brad to rein me in back then (when I was 21). I’m a lot older now and more experienced, and I now realise what it takes to be a complete and consistent first-grader and a team player.
“I probably didn’t appreciate the little things like that when I was 21 – things like kick chases, simple runs in the middle of the field and yardage carries.
“It’s taken a while to learn, and I’m still learning, but like I said, I wish Brad was my coach when I first came into first grade. I’m here now and I’ve got to make the most of my opportunity.”
– with NCA Newswire
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