Kearney confirms departure

Stephen Kearney insists his impending departure as coach of Parramatta was his own decision but he was unsure if he will remain in charge beyond Saturday's home clash with Melbourne.

After the story broke on Thursday that the club and coach were to part ways, Kearney confirmed at his regular Friday morning press conference that he would be leaving.

But while he was to training later on Friday and then call the shots against the Storm the following day, Kearney said he will meet with Eels chairman Roy Spagnolo and chief executive Bob Bentley to decide on his exit date.

According to Kearney, there were a multitude of reasons behind his decision to leave the club, chief among them the demands on his time which detracted from his family life and the enormous scrutiny of being coach of the famous club when it was battling.

"(I'm leaving) for a number of reasons: some about timing, some about opportunity, and some about best fit," Kearney said reading from a prepared statement.

"I have been unable to achieve the success I wanted for the Parramatta Eels and its wonderful supporters and fans and I think it's time to make a change.

"I feel I've tried my absolute hardest and best that I could have and I've always been mindful to act with integrity and with honour in the most difficult of circumstances.

"It's been a real difficult four months to be fair and it's been really challenging at times but I just thought the best thing for myself and the family and the club is to move forward and that's the only way I can look at it."

In his debut season in charge Parramatta only avoided the wooden spoon when they thrashed Gold Coast in the final game but after winning six of their matches in 2011 they are currently last with a 3-14 win-loss record.

Having also described his decision as 'a relief', Kearney struggled when asked if he felt like he had received enough support from those at the club, including the board, before dancing around the question.

"I've said in my statement I've come with all intentions to do the best job that I possibly could and I leave feeling that I did that and that I tried to do that I feel a bit of relief in that sense that I tried my hardest.

"From my point of view we could go through a thousand reasons: why and why not and how come?

"But I'm not here to give you all those reasons today, I'm here to tell you that I tried my hardest and I think it's time for a change and for the club to move forward and for myself to move on."

Captain and club legend Nathan Hindmarsh, who announced earlier this season that 2012 will be his last in the NRL, said the players accept their share of the blame for the club's lack of success during Kearney's tenure.

"I'd just like to say that the playing group supports Steve's decision," Hindmarsh said.

"(Are we) ashamed? I don't think that's the word to use.

"We're very disappointed because when it comes to the crunch we're not producing out on the field.

"In a way yeah I suppose we feel partly responsible for the results we've been giving out, definitely."