Arthur the Third to sign an NRL contract
There will be more Arthur family members in the NRL in the future.
Matt Arthur is expected to sign a Top 30 contract with the Parramatta Eels, meaning that yet another member of the Arthur family will be joining the NRL.
News Corp. reports that he will play in his father’s side for the following two seasons on a development deal before entering the Top 30 in 2026, the year the pact expires, albeit his rise into the Top 30 in Sydney’s west won’t happen right away.
At the age of 18, Arthur made his NSW Cup debut and made an impression for the Eels, having been highly regarded by talent scouts.
Arthur, a dummy half, is regarded as one of Parramatta’s most gifted youngsters, and the club will do everything in its power to prevent him from leaving, much like their older brother Jakob did.
Following a challenging year with the Eels, the half has since moved to the Manly Sea Eagles, where he will play a few first-grade games for Anthony Seibold’s team towards the end of 2023.
In 2024, he will probably trail Daly Cherry-Evans and Luke Brooks, although he might be included in Manly’s long-term plans with Cherry-Evans nearer to retirement.
Matt Arthur is seen as a long-term member of the Eels, but if he performs well at the reserve grade level the next year, those plans may be expedited.
With the medical retirement of former Canberra and English rake Josh Hodgson, the Eels currently only have Brendan Hands and Joey Lussick in their Top 30 as recognized dummy halves. Development players can be promoted into the NRL after Round 10.
