The club announced it had extended the contract of Arthur until 2017 in November, but to terms less lucrative than those originally agreed to with Sharp. Arthur raised the issue of the discrepancy and the matter came to a head in February. Sources have told Fairfax Media that Arthur demanded a new contract be delivered and there were fears he would walk out on the club.

The former Melbourne assistant was in a position of strength given he had received a $1 million-a-season offer from Manly, which Sea Eagles officials believed would help convince star halves Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans to stay. However, Arthur didn't exploit the situation to agitate for further increases, only demanding the club keep its word.

The blue and golds were in a difficult position as Arthur was the main attraction for Foran to join Parramatta after the pair developed a strong bond during his time as an assistant at Brookvale.

The Kiwi captain would only cross to the arch-rivals if there was a guarantee for Arthur for the same duration. After Foran's initial contract was bungled, he agreed to a revised one with a get-out clause should Arthur depart.

Eels officials were also mindful that the recruitment of a marquee player of Foran's calibre would likely help the incumbent board at the upcoming Parramatta Leagues Club elections. Despite this, some board members were prepared to cut Arthur loose – even if it meant losing Foran – as they were keen for football general manager Daniel Anderson to be given another chance to guide the team.