Refreshing to see we have coaching staff with foresight.
and a roster that boasts depth, at last.
There is little value in having two reserve grade teams filling your roster with a couple of superstars limited by their team mates when this is a TEAM game.
The trials show the importance and reality of the previous paragraphs.
FACT: Hayne was great! while we were weak because of our dependence upon him.
FACT: Hayne is gone. Now we are strong in depth with some individually skilled footy players.
FACT: WE were a Jarryd Hayne dependent entity controlled and dictated to/by JH, this inhibited the essence of TEAM being fulfilled in the Parra entity as we did NOT consistantly play like a team.Therefore we were spoken of as an entity waiting for Hayne to do something. We played like a one man band!
FACT: Brad Arthur has changed that mindset and perception. BA put implemented the foundations of TEAM in 2014. Once again this great club is on the way back to greatness.
FACT: Good players want to play for Good coaches, with other good players, they also want direction and a vision. BA provides all of these.
WE have a formidable group of forwards (at least 10 of NRL standard) this year which will ensure we are never considered SOFT by our opposition. That will give our very talented halves and back three every opportunity to show their finishing skills. Our centres in particular and wingers/fullbacks have real competition have competition for the first time in "a long time"
God Bless Jarryd Hayne, I wish him well in the USA.
Replies
Welcome Randy, Are you saying Corey Norman is 'very talented' ?
You seem very familiar Randy, you might be getting a bit ahead of yourself here mate, the last few rounds last year showed we are still very soft in the head, we will have to wait until the seasons over to assess if BA has changed 'the mindset'.
Our depth is ok but our backs are way below NRL standard imo, apart from Hoppa, Semi and Chris, its a very average backline with the worst 5/8 in the comp, our backline depth is very average also.
But i agree our forwards are looking the best we have had for a while.
Im a supporter of BA, i like and respect the guy on many levels, but he has a lot of work to do.
We will struggle to make the 8.
Cheers
Thanks for your comments sneak! I mean Snake. by they way It's Rowdy .....Not Randy!
Snake, I appreciate your welcome too.
Yes, I do rate Corey Norman, he's no Keiran Foran that's true, but he did perform extraordinarily well in the Nines which showed he has either the mental toughness to perform under the pressure of all the talk that he'd be flicked next year if we got Foran.....or he's just a dope who didn't know his position was under the microscope for next season? Your call Snake.
Your comments are Interesting and valid, although I would attribute a little more to BA's efforts to date.
I reckon we'll make the eight if we don't get too many injuries to our top backs.
I hope your wrong Snake about Norman. Yes last year he was very disappointing but did show some good signs in the 9s. I just hope he carries that form into the regular games this year. He knows he is on borrowed time due to us chasing Foran (whether we get him or not) so maybe a change in mindset will bring out his best.
There is nothing like an ambitious supporter for any club, but this blog goes beyond that, its dreamland stuff, its off with the fairies and riding atop a unicorn effort. I would like an explanation of where this new found toughness has come from, so suddenly and in one offseason.....if anything, the eels biggest concern in ending the 2014 season was infact their toughness, both mental and physical, with the semi finals beckoning, 2 rounds to play and weaker opposition in front of them,the eels simply folded to a mere shadow of the seemingly much improved team that took the field under BA throughout that season. The playbook was ripped apart, and instructions left behind in the sheds as the players got spooked by the realization that finals football was in their grasp, they simply wernt ready, and neither was their coach.
Roll on to 2015, and the savior, the major moving mechanical part that made all good things tick for the eels has left for a different challenge, leaving a massive void in the eels structure and style of game, how big a void exactly, well the eels will find out soon enough.
Actually TD i cant argue with any of that, its 100% spot on, your only as good as your last games, our last games last season were nothing short of a disgrace, especially when we only needed a win to get in the semis, i said at the time they are a black mark over BA, i was very disappointed he just brushed it off at the time.
BA would have learned lots last year, over all it was a solid season from a rookie coach, but this years going to be much tougher, any more disgraceful performances like at the end of last year people will start to question BA's ability, and rightly so imo.
Randy, ive seen more competitive seal clubbings than Corey Norman has played good games.
Any 5/8 worth their salt should be carving up the 9s, his performance on the last day was poor, he was ok on the first day, but thats no gauge.
But i like your enthusiasm mate, lets hope we can make the 8, anythings possible in footy, i just dont see it happening when you compare our squad to others.
cheers
Enough about Corey Norman for now we can agree to disagree, the proof will be in the puddin' as my Nan would say.
I cant argue with Sneak or TD regarding our weak surrender in the last three games of last season,
But isn't that why BA brought in blokes like Watmough, Wicks and Fa'auso, for their mental toughness.
Watmough is renowned for playing above his weight in the BIG games. Fa'auso has come back from a broken Gregory Peck. Danny Wicks was the one who copped it on the chin at Newcastle (over something a LEGEND was forgiven of! When s..t hit the fan he copped his whack without shopping anyone else. He's also proven his mental toughness by sticking at his resolve to make a comeback for nearly 3 years and by all accounts is producing the same toughness on the paddock.
These three blokes will and have already had a huge impact on young blokes at the club like Tepai, Manu Ma'au and Kenny Edwards. You blokes may be under estimating BA's ability to recognise what they bring to the team/club!
Randy, youve been here for 5 minutes, there for youve missed our opinions on guys like choc, im a huge choc fan, ive actually written a blog on what i think his impact will be and why BA bought him to the club.
Im not doubting our pack, i think its going to be a great year for them, but we have fundamental floors in our backline, over the space of a season that will show.
I think we will pull some big upsets off and have some good wins, and yes i think our attitude will be a step up from last year, but its going to be a very tough year, im not getting ahead of myself atm, im not sure how old you are Randy, i suspect in your 20s, when you have been around as long as a few of us older guys you get tired of talking us up, ive heard it all before.
cheers
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