Parramatta Eels Blog: The 1Eyed Eel

Having spent most of the prior year playing for Souths’ premier league team and with Luke Burt in spectacular early season form, Wade McKinnon probably had cause to think it would be a tough road into Parramatta’s top grade.

However, McKinnon claims he never thought that way. “Burty’s a good player and I knew he would start the season at fullback, but I always had confidence that I’d be able to work my way in,” McKinnon told 1Eyed Eel this week.

It’s that confidence and passion that has spurred McKinnon’s sudden rise from near obscurity in Parramatta’s Premier League ranks to being one of the NRL’s outstanding fullbacks, week in, week out.

In Round 8 and only his second week back in the top grade, McKinnon played in a Parramatta team that was soundly beaten by an out-of-form North Queensland Cowboys. At the ensuing press conference coach Brian Smith criticised his players for lacking intensity but singled out McKinnon for having a “fire in the belly”. That same fire has burned bright in every match that McKinnon has played since.

Asked if that intensity was born out of a desire to hold onto his number one jumper, McKinnon replied with a much simpler answer. “I just want to win”.

McKinnon was in Parramatta’s reserve grade ranks when the Eels went on their record-breaking run through the 2001 season. Brett Hodgson was the NSW fullback and McKinnon, desperate for an opportunity to play first grade, signed a contract to play for Souths, who had just been allowed back into the NRL.

McKinnon’s early form for Souths impressed many observers, although he characterised his 2002 season as only “ok”. However, in 2003 he struggled to get a run in Souths top team after Paul Langmack took over the coaching reigns. “I didn’t really agree with the new coach and some of the stuff that was happening,” McKinnon said.

So when Parramatta expressed an interest in having McKinnon back at the Eels in 2004 he jumped at the chance.

“I couldn’t wait, they’re a great bunch of boys, a great coach and I really don’t have a bad word to say about the club,” he said.

Arguably, McKinnon has been the Eels buy of the year and fans applauded when McKinnon recently signed on for another two seasons. And McKinnon seems equally as happy to have secured his next two years in the Blue and Gold.

“When I left I didn’t really want to leave, it’s just that the opportunities weren’t there, so now that I’m back I’m happy to stay here for as long as I can,” he said.

McKinnon has impressed in any number of ways since his rise to the Eels’ first choice fullback. His ability to beat the first tackle when returning the ball and his support play have been superb, but it’s probably been his tremendous last man defence that has most impressed Parramatta fans.

“It’s a pretty big part of my game that I’ve worked hard on this year and towards the end of last year,” McKinnon said. He said at that time he came to the realisation that as the last man between the opposition and the tryline it was imperitive that his defence was up to the task. And then there’s that competitive spirit, again.

“I don’t like to be beaten,” he said.

McKinnon’s never-say-die defence was best highlighted in the St George game when big bopper Ashton Mills trampled over the Eels goal-line defence and only had to get the ball down to score. However, somehow McKinnon managed to strip the ball from the young prop and save a certain try. Then last week, rampaging young Panthers second rower Frank Pritchard broke through the line and attempted to run over the top of the much smaller McKinnon. However, McKinnon not only stood his ground, he put a shoulder charge on Pritchard, jolted the ball loose, saved a try and put the Eels back on the attack.

Asked what goes through his head when faced with a rampaging footballer like Pritchard charging at him, McKinnon said he simply focuses on the fact that if a player has the ball and is coming at him, it’s his job to knock them over. It's a job he's been performing admirably and arguably he's established himself as one of the best defensive fullbacks in the League right now.

Perhaps McKinnon’s only unhappy game this year came against the Broncos. While outstanding in every other area, he failed to hang onto two towering Darren Lockyer bombs, both of which, directly or indirectly, led to Brisbane tries.

“I knew Lockyer has always had a great kick and I dropped two bombs there, but I worked hard on that last week,” McKinnon said.

It was fortunate he did, because Amos Roberts who kicks the ball as high as any player in the competition also targeted McKinnon with the bomb. This time, however, the Parramatta custodian was up to the task. While he didn’t attempt a catch on the first bomb, with the ball fortunately bouncing over the dead goal, he caught both of the next two high kicks

“I just think that it’s my job and you’ve got to get on with it, because occasionally it (a dropped ball) is going to happen.”

Many Eels fans believe that McKinnon has representative honours ahead of him, but the Eels fullback said “at the moment, I just want to make sure I’m playing well for Parramatta”.

As for the rest of this season: “The goals are to keep my form up and obviously, it’s both a personal goal and a team goal to get into the top eight. I think if we can all play well, we’ll be there in the semis at the end of the year”.