After 14 games played, I've come to the conclusion that we have a better team than the 2022 team that reached the GF.
Cartwright, Hopgood, are revelations in the forward pack, Greig is having his breakout season. Shame about the long term injury. Hands shits all over Mahoney. Lil' Judas was like a tumbleweed everytime a forward or Sivo took a hard run up at him. The Eel players kept on looking for the the little midget with the headgear to run at.
Simo had made a centre position his with strong carries and good reads. Penisini is finding the white line more often. He's getting stronger with his runs and is sticking onto his man on 1-on-1's.
The bench is doing a wonderful job. Maka is playing his best footy and Oggie is Mr Dependable.
Once Big Joe O settles and Laney and Matto are back we will make a strong run.
We've been so unlucky with injuries to key players this year. Hopefully Dylan's dry root and wondering hands won't keep him out for too long.
We have the best offence in the comp (av. points per game) and in the last 3 weeks we've shored up our defence and have the 6th best.
We've lost 3 games due to Mitch's goalkicking. Could have easy had a couple more wins.
Good work from BA and Barrett who seems as though he's boosted our attacking structures.This Parra team is a very hard nut to crack for anyone.
I thought loosing Reed and Hodgo past his sell by we would be screwed but the footy goods handed us Hands. Marata, Nikuore, Nathan Brown, Stone losses are all... meh. Average for us and average for their news teams. BA can find those calibre players 10 a penny and improve them. We've not even missing Isiah Papali'i.
P.S We didn't just beat Souths our bogie team, but belted them. That was the last frontier for this team. We can beat anybody.
P.S.S I don't know if we can still make the Top 4 but we'll defo be in the top 8. I predict 5-6th. Proper contenders in 2024 to 2025 with our key players all locked up.
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Totally agree. The players we have lost I'll do a comparison to who has taken their place and I believe are playing just as good or better now.
Reed - replaced by hands/Hodgson both bring different dimension at way less cost to what reed was asking for and now the dogs are paying 😂
ice - replaced by Cartwright again who is playing a different style but is doing just as good job at a lot less of the cost
kafusi - replaced by Greg who was and will going forward better at way less of the cost
Marata - his power game was missed a little at the start but the signing of joe ofa will fix his departure. The likes of maka and Ogden are doing a fine job atm
waqa Blake - Simmonson who is one of my new favourite players and MUCH better than waqa
our defence structure and attack is better this year. I don't have this fear of parra not turning up to games anymore like they have done in past years. I'm so proud of this club and where it's comes. We just need to win the competition. It's Coming I can feel it sooner or later
We can make the top 4. We're 2 points out, we can go on a nice run with the friendly draw we've got.
once we get all our players back our bench can look like this,
14.Hands
15.Matterson (keeping Cartwright on the right with Moses)
16.Ofahengaue
17.Ogden/makatoa/doorey/Davey
That's a solid bench
Yes Hilly, getting through the Dyllan affair and Origin is key now.....if we can, I can see top 4 and no obvious side too good for us.
Wins cure all that ails you.
It happens in commentary too. Watch when the Eels rise through the ladder all the commentators who have ignored us or derided us will suddenly become fans.
Yes Mutts your not wrong....the fair wether flyers come out from everywhere.
Lol wasn't there some blog floating around saying our next win was going to be in 10 rounds or something? That was in round 5 I think! It's never as bad or as good as you think.
I was frustrated that we lost a couple of our early round games not because I didn't we think we were going to be playing finals but because I though we were squandering a great opportunity to finish top 4 and press again for a comp. I still think we are the second best side after Penrith again this year with a narrower gap between us.
There is a still a lot that has worked against us this year with injury and suspension, the Brown saga being the latest. Yet we are still a punchers chance of top 4
If the defence was the same as it was a few weeks ago then the 8 was no chance.
Well said, Parra fan.
Not going to count my chickens, as a few losses can cause severe climate change, but it's inspiring that they're playing for each other. Toughing it out.
I go back to what Simmo said a few days before we were bottom four & another loss in R11.
"We've definitely got the team. We believe in our systems. We believe in our team, and what we're capable of."
Part I: troubled waters R1-11, bottom four. 4 / 11
Part II: Redemption 3 / 3
Part III: ?
Part IV: ?
Nice positive blog & write up, PFOTH. Well said.
Another massive positive for me has been the difference mentally. We've turned up in every game, and not given up in any game, regardless of the score.
Last year, I think we give up in those games against Manly & Broncos, but we fought back.
There's a different energy in the side this season, and maybe some youth / competition for spots was far more important than we realised - last season we really lacked that competition for spots.
Its been far from perfect, and there's a long way to go, but get the feeling new combinations & the shifting puzzle pieces are starting to fit & work each other out.
DB is obviously now the biggest issue we face, but, if he can return in a few weeks along with Lane, Ofa & Matto being back, we are more than capable of finishing top 4.
We have definitely started to gel as a team after such a huge turnover of players this season. Maybe having the tuff start to the year will be a blessing in disguise. The tuff but close loses may have helped galvanise the team.
I wouldn't go throughing 3 of the loses on Mitch's shoulders as 2 of those game Gutho threw intercept passes that went the length of the field. That was diffence in those games, not goal kicking.
Our defence seems to be sliding better in the last month or so. Not as much jamming in. It appears that the team are buying in to Barrett's attacking style
There is also a lot less chatter in the press about how bad we are travelling. This seems to have taken some pressure off us mentally with other teams being criticised. The roosters who could do no wrong are finally being questioned, sharks haven't beaten a top 8 side all year and questions are now being asked about Fitzgibbon as a coach.
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