Matty Johns in staggering Dylan Brown call amid brutal truth for Eels in the NRL

Pressure is starting to mount on the Parramatta Eels, with calls growing louder for Brad Arthur to change their halves combination after Sunday night's NRL mauling by Canberra. Dylan Brown's display at halfback in the absence of regular No.7 Mitchell Moses been been heavily scrutinised, with league identity Matty Johns among those to suggest things need to change at the Eels.

Brown found himself at the centre of controversy after earning one point in the Dally M voting, despite his side being thrashed 41-8 by the Raiders at GIO Stadium on Sunday evening. Brown had one try assist, one tackle break and made 25 tackles in a heavily beaten side, but many fans suggested numerous Canberra players were more worthy of the consideration for the Dally M vote.

But it's the Kiwi international's halves combination with five-eighth Blaize Talagi, who has struggled to adapt to the playmaking role, that is being questioned by Johns, as well as league great Laurie Daley and veteran journalist Phil Rothfield. For the second week in a row, Brown struggled to get Parramatta's attack to click and Johns argued his natural running game was simply not the style of halfback the Eels need at the moment, with Parramatta desperately missing an organising No.7.

“Dylan is a fantastic runner of the football... I just don’t think at this point in he’s a career that he’s a seven," Johns said on Fox League's Sunday Night with Matty Johns. "Not the sort of the player at this point of his career to steer the side around the park. I think it’s weighing on him."

Calls for Eels to make shake-up in halves

Rothfield and Daley suggested Arthur's side will need to make a shake-up to their halves combination if they want to return to form. “They had no halves depth, they had to move Brown to where he’s playing now and is Clint Gutherson an option to move to five-eighth now and move the young kid, Blaize Talagi out?” Rothfield pondered on the Big Sports Breakfast.

“The bottom line is there’s not a more demanding fan base than the Parramatta Eels, it’s been so long since they won a premiership. When they are getting knocked off 41-8, by a side, when you look at those two rosters at the start of the season... who would you rather be coaching? Parramatta on paper have a clearly superior roster to the Raiders, but Ricky got them up." Daley added: “I think they’ve got to do something in the halves, they have to do something very, very quickly.”

Brown has already said that Arthur wants him to play his natural game and not try to copy what makes the sidelined Moses so effective in the No.7 role. And Eels legend Nathan Hindmarsh thinks Brown is more that capable of doing a job in the halfback role, if he gets the ball in his hands more often.

“He can lead this side around. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea,” Hindmarsh said. “He’s a better ball runner than a organiser so put the ball in your hand and run. Do it more.” Parramatta have now lost two straight and play the NRL's top two sides in the Cowboys and Dolphins before a tricky away game at Manly's 4 Pines Park.

RELATED:

• Young slapped with NRL suspension as sickening high shot leaves fans fuming

• Jason Demetriou facing brutal ultimatum amid Latrell Mitchell drama at Rabbitohs

• Dylan Brown under fire for Parramatta flop amid 'farcical' Dally M scenes

Brad Arthur brushes off calls to move Dylan Brown from halfback

But Arthur looks reluctant to shift Brown back to his normal position at five-eighth after being asked whether he's tempted to pick rookie No.7 Ethan Sanders and move Brown back to No.6. “No, because I thought Dylan was very good,” the Eels coach said after the defeat to the Raiders. “He kicked well, he ran well, he scrambled well. Like I said, when you have everyone across the board not owning their fundamentals, that does put pressure on Dylan. That’s not going to help us.”

Rothfield said the Eels coach would be certainly feeling the pressure after describing them as being in "all sorts" at the moment. The veteran league journalist said the tricky upcoming draw for the Eels makes it that much more precarious for Arthur's side.

“They are in all sorts, I had a look at their draw... they have got an ugly draw, they’ve got the Cowboys, Dolphins who are leading the comp, then they’ve got Manly,” Rothfield said. “Then the Broncos, and then the Melbourne Storm. That is a really tough draw without their champion playmaker and the halves they are using right now, it’s just not working... They are not entitled to get beat in the manner in which they were (against Canberra). There’s huge pressure on Brad (Arthur) and the team now.”