2001 Parramatta Eels season
The 2001 Parramatta Eels season was the 55th in the club's history. Coached by Brian Smith and captained by Nathan Cayless, they competed in the National Rugby League's 2001 Telstra Premiership, reaching the 2001 NRL Grand final.
In 2001, Parramatta set a regular-season points scoring record in the premiership by scoring 839 points in 26 matches on their way to claiming the minor premiership. In their 5th consecutive Finals Series, the Eels dominated the Series, starting with a 56–12 demolition of the New Zealand Warriors at Parramatta Stadium in front of 17,336. After getting a week off, the Eels defeated the Brisbane Broncos at Stadium Australia, 24–16 in the rematch of the 2000 preliminary final.
The Eels went into the decider hot favourites after losing just once in 22 matches. Despite this the team was defeated in their first grand final appearance in fifteen years. They lost 30–24 against the Newcastle Knights, trailing 24–0 at half-time.[1] A second half resurgence was not enough for the Eels as Newcastle had already completed the damage in the first half.
| Position | Pld | Won | Drew | Lost | Bye | Points For | Points Against | Points Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (of 14) | 24 | 20 | 2 | 4 | – | 839 | 406 | +433 |
Awards:[2]
- Michael Cronin clubman of the year award: Brett Hodgson
- Ken Thornett Medal (Players' player): Nathan Hindmarsh
- Jack Gibson Award (Coach's award): Jamie Lyon
- Eric Grothe Rookie of the Year Award: Danny Sullivan
