Webb pulls the pin on his NRL career

[TITAN PETE]

By Ian McCullough AAP Tue, Aug 09, 2011 - 6:42 PM


Carl Webb has become the third player recruited by Parramatta at the start of the NRL season to announce his retirement before the end of the Eels' dismal campaign.

Having lost local juniors Feleti Mateo, Krisnan Inu, Kris Keating and Jonathon Wright to rival clubs, the Eels signed veterans Webb, Chris Walker, Paul Whatuira, Chris Hicks, Casey McGuire and Reni Maitua at the start of the year.

Maitua and McGuire have acquitted themselves reasonably well, despite the Eels battling to avoid a first wooden spoon in 39 years.

However, Walker, Whatuira and now Webb have all pulled the pin on their careers with just 12 appearances between them in the blue and gold.

Former Manly winger Hicks has turned out just six times for Parramatta, in what has been a difficult first season for coach Stephen Kearney, with his side going down to a record 56-6 defeat to South Sydney on Monday.

Eels chief executive Paul Osborne defended the decision to bring the players to the club, but admitted Kearney had no say in them being signed, with former coach Daniel Anderson rubber-stamping the deals before leaving the club last September.

"It was done by different coaches. Whoever is coaching the team at the time has the final say on who we recruit," Osborne told AAP.

"But you have to remember, we also lost Timana Tahu and Eric Grothe, who retired and Joel Reddy had a shoulder reconstruction.

"That was three of our starting backline out for the whole season or a major part of it so we had to grab what was available at the time.

"We had to ease the tide a little bit and these were the best guys available to us."

Osborne denied pressure had been applied to Webb to quit with a second year to run on his contract and Kearney paid tribute to the former Queensland front-rower.

"We've been lucky to have a player of Carl's experience in our squad," Kearney said.

"He's had a terrific career. His performances over the years, particularly at representative level, are ones I won't forget.

"Carl's had a tough time with injuries this year but, although he hasn't spent a lot of time on the field, he's been invaluable when it comes to helping out our younger forwards."

Tim Mannah insists second-last Parramatta aren't thinking about the grim prospect of claiming the wooden spoon in the wake of one of the club's worst performances in years.

The defeat left them just one point ahead of cellar-dwelling Gold Coast who they meet in round 26.

Mannah said the Eels players were desperate to make amends against red-hot Manly on Saturday at Parramatta Stadium.

"It has been a very sombre mood at training today," Mannah said on Tuesday.

"It is really important that we put last night behind us and move forward. It's hard, but that is rugby league. Some games are harder than others.

"But it is really important that we aim up on Saturday night against Manly.

"The wooden spoon is the last thing on our minds at the moment. I know it's a cliche, but all we can do is turn up every week and put in our best performances."

[Cowboy Titan]

Carl had so much potential but we only saw it on a few rare occasions. Good luck in retirement.

[DIEHARD]

Sad to see him go. As Cowboy Titan said he never reached his awesome potential but when he did he was a sight to see.

He was also one of the signings I wanted us to make early in our existence.

All the best for the future Carl. Hope we might see him playing some Rugby League at another level in the future.