Parramatta Eels
Riddell began the 2005 NRL season with the Eels in his regular role of hooker and becoming a vital part of the Parramatta Eels offensive tactics for the season often crossing the try line with his strength and elusiveness from dummy half. He had his worst season in regards to point scoring after having to share the goal kicking duties with team mate Luke Burt, finishing the season with only 50 points but ultimately helping his side to the minor premiership.
On 17 May 2006, Riddell was dropped from the Eels first grade side and fined a total of $5,000 for failing to show up to a recovery session on a Monday morning following a regular season fixture, he later admitted the reason he had failed to show up to the session was because he was intoxicated. His axing, along with that of Tim Smith's, was the first piece of action taken by Jason Taylor who just moments earlier was appointed caretaker coach following long-serving coach Brian Smith's dismissal.
Riddell stayed with at Parramatta through the 2008 season, playing a total of 86 games for the Eels.
Read more about this topic: Mark Riddell
Famous quotes containing the word eels:
“Going down for the last time, the last breath lying,
I grapple with eels like ropes—it’s ether, it’s queer
and then, at last, it’s done. Now the scavengers arrive,
the hard crawlers who come to clean up the ocean floor.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)