Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns' new role at the Parramatta Eels as a halves coach is expected to reap massive rewards for the club in 2020 - and now he has revealed how the pair can improve.
Young gun Dylan Brown and future Origin halfback Mitchell Moses had a strong 2019 campaign, taking the Eels to the finals where they decimated the Broncos 58-0 in week one before bowing out.
And with so much pressure and expectation on them this year to hopefully bring a premiership to the club, Joey has been brought in to try and get the best out of them.
Since starting at Parra, the legendary Knights playmaker said he has enjoyed seeing what they offer and believes the side will go well this season.
“Freddy has done a lot of work with Mitchell Moses but I have been very impressed with him," he said on Freddy and The Eighth.
"And Dylan Brown – I knew he was a good player, but he’s got some special talent and they are really enjoying it.
"They are going to have a big year the Eels, if they can have luck with injuries I see them as a top four team."
But it's not just going to happen for them, and both players have plenty of room left to improve.
Johns believes with Moses, who could find himself in a NSW jumper this year, he needs to actually do less and settle down.
“Mitchell in particular has to pull it back," he said.
"It seems to me he goes out on the field and he has all the bullets and wants to fire them in the first 20 minutes.
"If he doesn’t see the scoreboard ticking over, he gets quite anxious. If anything, he needs to pull it back and have more game management.
"In terms of skill though, he is up there with the top halfbacks."
The 25-year old was the 'Player of the Tournament' during the RLWC 9s at the end of last year, and will be hoping to replicate that form in the 13-a-side game.
As for Brown, who last week credited Joey's influence in the pre-season, the Immortal feels as though communication and organisational skills can be enhanced in 2020.
"He’s fairly laidback sort of character," he said.
"The big thing for him is trying to communicate to the players around him what he wants to do and the organising side of things as well.
"But you see those players who just have time and without being too technical, he plays straight into the line which commits defenders.
"I think he is in for big year."
Replies
lol...reminds me of a copper mate who was patrolling in an Athens suburb when they were informed of a shoot out with automatics. Older partner said to him "We'll take our time nice and slow. Let the crooks sort themseleves out and we can then go and count the bodies nice and safe. We can't do much with handguns".
May explain why Gutho kept getting the ball at the 9s "yeah Joey says I have to do less so..."that's fine but whatever it was he was doing last year it was working before joey came along, hopefully Moses don't stop his natural instinct to take control and then noone does.
I don't think he means do less, he means not to try to do everything at once. Don't let the scoreboard dictate how you play.
This what I have been banging on about and should have been obvious to a head coach. We try to score every play instead of working to set it up and looking at other aspects like controlling the game and wearing the opposition down so holes appear. That is why we sometimes win 58 nil but then get a lesson from the smart teams. Hopefully we start playing smart too and Joey teaches the senior players when to hold and when to fold.
It's probably being our leadership group can't get a grip and have the nerves of children on riddlen. That's why I think Matterson is a great acquisition because he's a calm motivational type rather than Gutho and Moses running the show
Think most of us would agree with johns here.
Moses skills have been there for all to see it's his composure that sorely let's him down
is improving in that but now and then at critical times he goes off tangent again in big moments
really hope johns can help him in that area would be fantastic for us and he'll be a great pairing with Cleary in origin
Best player at the WC 9’s and Dally M half of the year. Must be doing a few things right, Macy?
BTW how did Corey go last year in comparison? ;)
He played in the team that ran second last. Despite that, he single handedly won them a few games and played for QLD in the halves ahead of Michael Morgan, Milford and Hunt.
LOL and how did they go?
The most satisfying part of the Eels performance last season was when Sivo put a shot on Norman and put him out for six weeks. Damn that was awesome.
Oh, as a leading play maker you’d hope he plays a major role in winning a few games per year, it’s the other 23 games that is the problem.
I already provided the answer to your question in my first sentence above. I liked it when Sivo decked him too. I think St George would have won that game if Corey stayed on the field (as Gus Gould later pointed out).
Corey was not the reason the dragons were horrible last year, he was close to their next player when fit. It was the injuries and Jack De Belin scandal that fingered them.
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