THE last week of May was the most eventful for the Parramatta Eels this year.
On the field it started with a bang when Jarryd Hayne was named man of the match for NSW in State of Origin 1. It finished on a sour note with a big loss to the Panthers on Friday and then the devastating news that hooker Nathan Peats will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
It was brighter news off the field with Eels co-captain Tim Mannah getting married on Saturday.
Then came the news the club had hit a record number of members in 2014, overtaking the previous highest tally reached last year. The current total, 17,268, eclipses the 2013 figure of 17,205.
"It's fantastic to see the growth in our membership numbers this season — to have more of our fans sign up and show their commitment to the club means a lot," said Eels chief executive Scott Seward. "This year we've made our membership options more affordable and varied to suit more of our supporters. The positive response is fantastic."
The Eels start June hoping to keep their perfect record at Pirtek Stadium against the North Queensland Cowboys on Friday night.
Membership: 1300 BLUE GOLD (1300 2583 4653) or parraeels.com.au.