For the first time in a decade, the Eels will start an NRL season with a well balanced roster that should seriously push for the premiership. Even those that passionately dislike Parramatta would struggle to place them outside the top 4. So what do we need to actually win? I'm not talking about making it to a semi-final and I'm not taking about making it to the GF and coming 2nd; I'm talking about lifting the Telstra Premiership once the final siren sounds.
Like any team, there are a number of areas we can improve. However, in my opinion, we can succeed with the cattle we have in most areas. Sure, we could do with a genuinely intimidating prop, an inspiring captain, a meter eater winger, a better kicking option from dummy half...etc, but I don't think any of that is absolutely essential.
In my opinion, the one thing that really needs to improve is maturity of our halves. They are both extremely talented (equally so in my view) but would you genuinely back them against the nouce of Cooper Cronk and Keary or JT and Morgan in a GF? I believe they both need to lift their consistency and game management this year; learn to be gritty and crafty in the big moments when the team needs it. Perhaps the only way they are gojng to learn this is if one or both gets selected in origin. Otherwise, BA will really have his work cut out for him getting them in the right frame of mind outplay the superstars of the NRL in the biggest moments.
Thoughts?
Replies
We need luck. Minimal injuries. The 50/50 calls to go our way.
But we are missing a really good prop
N Brown is our best forward we have
Outside from him we don't have much really..
Everyone needs to lift to another level next year.
I think we still need to improve our discipline at crucial times in games. All year we found ways to let teams back into games by giving away stupid penalties when completely unnecessary and made poor decision with miracle offloads again when completely unnecessary. I’m not saying we have to play boring predictable footy we just need to get the timing right and if we do we could be in for a great season as we have some serious strike power across the park.
The Lurrker has us coming 10th as a result of recruiting Hayne and on the back of our straight sets loss to drop out of the finals last season
Our pack isn't good enough to compete with the top sides it's as simple as that.
We can definitely compete with the top sides, our pack actually dominated a few of the more fancied packs this year including being the better pack against the storm in the finals.
Agree we need a quality front rower with size though.
The pack iant good enough to consistently do it every game needs more size and consistency
Thought we competed well against the Premiers in Melbourne.
Beat up the Broncos pack well home and away also.