• Jul 9, 2022 from 7:35pm to 10:35pm
  • Location: Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
  • Latest Activity: Jul 12, 2022

The Eels lost 12-30 against their bogey Souths last week. Not particularly surprising, but in doing so missing a golden opportunity to get closer to the all important top-four with an ordinary, middle-of-the-road performance against the resurgent Mitchell-inspired Rabbits.

Somehow Gutherson and Brad Arthur found some positives in that performance praising the Eels' defence that held up - at times - but still ended up leaking 30 points. I suppose when you consider the Eels have conceded 38-40 points for every game in the last four meets against the Rabbits, it's an improvement of sorts.

Can the Eels get back in the winners' circle next week against the basketcase we call the Wests Tigers whom are struggling to rise from the basement's bottom four?

Earlier this year, in round 6, the Tigers broke the Eels' hearts 20-21 at Commbank in the dying minute through a miraculous Hastings' field goal. Will the Tigers be up for it next week, and do it again? 

The last time the Tigers beat the Eels twice in a season was ten years ago. Back in 2012 when the Eels won the spoon. Ironically, the second loss back then occurred under Arthur's watch as interim coach of the last 6 games following Kearney's sacking. 

The Eels are specialists at losing games they should win, and playing teams into form.

And yet defying logic, the Eels haven't lost two straight all year - not since late 2021.

Not yet.

Will the cycle continue and the Eels win? Or will the Eels finally drop their bundle and let themselves perform at a mediocre level to lose twice in a row for the first time this year? Perhaps finally succumbing to losing habits.

In the post-Rabbits' loss, Cooper Cronk agreed with Brad Arthur's pressor summation that the Eels were not being individually accountable for playing well. He suggest the Eels were playing like some junior's teams that know they have ability but choose not to play their best all the time.

The real question is how to change it?

Former Tigers' legend Benji Marshall, now Fox commentator, made the comment that individuals in the Eels' team appear to be "choosing" not to play intensely in games they expected to win. And it's been an acute problem all year. That sounds like a leaf out of his former "performance psychologist" Dr Jauncey who believes teams and individuals fail because of the decisions they make - their actions before, during, and after a game - rather than due to poor motivation or poor attitude. 

Truthfully, it's been clear as day that the Eels need the damn good performance shrink. For many years now.

Whatever they are doing collectively from top to bottom - before, during, and after games - isn't working. They need a circuit breaker.

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