Last night was disappointing. Despite some positives, we were rusty in our 16-12 golden-point loss to the Storm. It's time to make amends next week against the heavyweight Sharks.
We also haven't lost two straight in the regular season since 2021 (lost 4 straight, R19-R22). So, we've been good at bounce backs, recently.
In last year's corresponding round-two game against the Sharks we also lost a close one, 18-16. But it was at Pointsbet. We haven't won there in almost a decade (since 2014).
That aside, we've had a reasonable recent record against the Sharks winning 3 of the last 5.
We also won our only encounter against them at Commbank in the previous year's early season encounter (R3, 2021, 28-4).
Unfortunately, right now, we are out of the top-eight for the first time in four years (around 102 weeks). It ends a proud record Arthur kept up his sleeve whenever the Eels' hot-and-cold multiple-personalities came up. And last night, we had plenty of opportunities to win last night.
The Storm loss also ends our four-year winning stretch (2019-2022) of first-up wins after the annus horribilis of 2018.
Additionally, it ends the Eels' record four-game winning run against the Storm.
As an aside, Sivo missed an opportunity to equalize Radradra's record against the Storm. It's a game of inches. If Only.
Arthur too, missed a rare opportunity to go neck-and-neck 8-8 against Bellamy (now 7-9). Let's stop there.
Omens? Who knows, either way, it adds salt into the wounds.
Naturally, it's too early to draw any real conclusions but we've never lost two straight at Commbank (from 2019), hitherto. That record is on the line in round 2.
It's also who-knows-where-he's going under fire, Mitchell Moses' 200th NRL game.
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