Eels are in great shape to break title drought, but don't book the engraver just yet
https://static.ffx.io/images/$width_144%2C$height_144/t_crop_fill/q_86%2Cf_auto/c70709a77ff1890f06e07d7ebe9bc2bea0b0c70e 2x" alt="Phil Gould" data-pb-hidden="true" />By Phil Gould
Will this be the year Parramatta finally crack it for a premiership title?
Remember the scenes at the SCG in 1986 when Eels greats Ray Price and Mick Cronin were triumphantly chaired from the field, having won the competition in their final year as players?
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Gus wants the NRL to get rid of scrums
Phil Gould urges the NRL to get rid of the scrum.
The SCG was bathed in blue and gold. The Eels had just won their fourth premiership in six seasons. Parramatta fans thought these glory days would last forever.
If someone had suggested in 1986 that Parramatta would not win another title for at least the next 34 seasons, people would have laughed.
Yet, here we are, season 2020 and Parramatta’s name has not been engraved on the trophy since those halcyon days of the mid-80s.
Could this be their year?
Well, they couldn’t be better placed at this point in the season. But I still have a few nagging doubts.
After eight rounds of this crazy, disrupted season, the Eels sat alone at the top of the ladder, with seven victories and only one loss.
https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.662%2C$multiply_0.8862%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_283%2C$y_610/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/b26fa1216bae189fd4a3cdb03006bea6ad3aa68c 2x" alt="Parramatta have started the season on fire but a few question marks remain." />Parramatta have started the season on fire but a few question marks remain.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES
Parramatta fans are getting very excited. Rival fans are starting to nod in agreement that this looks promising. You can feel the media starting to leg themselves up on the bandwagon. If the Eels are going to be winning a competition, everyone wants a ticket to the after-party.
But is this their time? Are they the real deal? Should we order Price and Cronin new suits for grand final day so they can lead the celebrations?
No doubt there’s a great story brewing here. However, I suggest there is a long way to go before we go calling the trophy engraver to remind him how to spell Parramatta.
They've definitely shown promise during the first eight rounds, but there is some devil in the detail that deserves closer examination.
The Eels have played eight games for seven wins and one loss, to the defending premiers the Roosters. The Eels have scored 200 points, which ranked them second in attack at the start of the round. They've conceded only 92 points, which is the best of any team.
Defence wins premierships. Invariably the competition winner each season ranks in the top two in defensive stats, so give the Eels a tick there.
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https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.5519%2C$multiply_0.5685%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/1e976a5059548a631078b95eb11e92da57de2d47 2x" alt="Tim Sheens, Warren Ryan, Wayne Bennett, Jack Gibson composite for online." />The Eels have played six of their eight games at home at Bankwest Stadium. It’s been a cushy draw for them compared to many other teams in this COVID-disrupted season. While other teams have been living in hotels and travelling on buses and in cramped charter planes, the Eels have been sleeping in their own beds every night and strolling down to home base to play every weekend for the past five weeks. That’s a huge advantage.
To counter this slightly though, their only two games away from Parramatta this year have been in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, where they racked up big wins.
They have played four teams in the top eight teams and four teams in the bottom eight.
The Eels have certainly been able to bully the weaker teams. They beat the Bulldogs 8-2, Titans 46-6, Broncos 34-6 and the hapless Cowboys 42-4. That’s a combined tally of 130-18 against bottom eight teams. This competition may well have a really long tail of substandard sides, but this dominance by the Eels is extraordinary.
Their results against top-eight teams are also pretty impressive. At least on the surface anyway.
They defeated the Sea Eagles 19-16, Panthers 16-10 and the Raiders 25-24. They lost 24-10 to the Roosters, having hit the lead with 20 minutes left to play.
That’s three wins from four games against top-eight sides, with a combined score of 70-74.
I guess that’s not too shabby either. A lot of teams would love to have that record. But there’s no doubting it’s a far cry from the 130-18 dominance of bottom-eight teams.
Let’s dig a little deeper, though.
The Eels held a commanding 18-2 lead over Manly before squeaking home to win 19-16 in a cliffhanger. In fact, Manly had a try disallowed on the final play of the match, which would have snatched victory from the Eels.
The Panthers led the Eels 10-0 on the hour mark in their match-up and were seemingly in control. A magic three minutes from former Panther Waqa Blake turned the game on its head in a twinkling and the Eels snuck home.
Parramatta led the out-of-form Raiders by 12 points with five minutes left in the match. They squandered this lead and had to kick a field goal in extra time to get the victory.
The Eels hit the front at the hour mark of their match against the Roosters. At this point, the Roosters lost fullback James Tedesco to injury. With a big scalp victory seemingly in their grasp, the Eels again capitulated late, conceding 16 straight points in the final quarter of the game.
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While their record looks strong against other top-eight teams, the Eels could easily have lost all four of these matches. They struggled to maintain their performance for the full 80 minutes against any of them. They were heavily outscored during the final 20 minutes in three of those games.
Parramatta put the weaker clubs to the sword by big scores when they had them at their mercy. However, they’ve had real trouble containing the stronger teams at the back end of matches.
If you are coaching against the Eels, you need to be mindful of two things in particular.
Firstly, you need to be on your game from the opening whistle. The Eels start fast, run up a lead and hope you get disheartened enough to toss in the towel and let them cruise to victory. You need to go with them early blow for blow.
Secondly, take them down to the back end of the contest and see how hard the Eels are willing to fight for victory when the body is aching and the lungs are burning. History suggests they may well be found wanting during the final 20 minutes if they haven’t knocked you out beforehand.
https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.309%2C$multiply_0.8862%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_85%2C$y_27/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/64ba608e95a647a9b12d8717b8e022091a1c2f4d 2x" alt="The Eels haven't won a competition since the late Bob Hawke was prime minister." />The Eels haven't won a competition since the late Bob Hawke was prime minister.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe this is not a big enough sample of matches to be drawing such conclusions. But if I were Newcastle, playing host to the high-flying Eels in Newcastle on Sunday, the plan would be to nullify Parramatta’s fast start and take the fight into the final rounds; see who wants it the most at the back end of the contest.
Be confident in the knowledge that the Eels have been found wanting under real pressure before.
Simple plan. Simple mentality. Not easy to execute, of course. But it gives you something to work towards.
The Eels are a very good football team. They have quality players across the park. Their attack can be brilliant. There is no doubt they will be thereabouts come finals time.
However, if they want to break their premiership drought this year, they need to be brutally honest in their self-appraisal and prove that they have the 80-minute grit you need to beat the best teams on the big days.
They are not there yet. Not by a long shot. I will be very interested to see how they handle this big match against the Knights on Sunday.
Enjoy your Sunday afternoon football everyone.
Replies
Im not concerned. They are showing this year that they are learning from any mistakes they make. Funny though, he could have writen the same story about the panthers and the wins they have had
And all those capitulations in the last 20 minutes was our right edge leaking like a sieve.
The pumpkin with legs...
The Panthers sit top of the ladder. Man, i hope we win today.
Yet we found ways to win those games. What Gus didn't mention was that ww are improving week to week and learning from previous games. Yes we still have more to do, but the season still has some way to go yet.
He tried talking us up to put us off and now he is trying to talk us down to put us off. Sure i have no proof, i cant enter his thoughts and i surely havent had a conversation with him about this, but the way he comentated the penrith/parra game was attrocious. His affilation with certain clubs and players over the years has unfortunitely made it very difficult to label him anything but a biased sensationalist with an agenda.
Been saying this for a little while now we need to build consistency and put an 80 minute performance out there to be legitimate threats to go all the way.The mental lapses where we turn off during games for 15-20 minute periods is an issue.
BA and the spine guys especially in game need to be on top of this gauge the tide and minimise errors.Sometimes just completing and getting to your kick is the right play even if you are just getting to the end of sets multiple times.
Don't beat yourselves let the other team do that and when you get the chance foot on the throat and make the other team pay.
Hand-picked garbage from the supposed greatest mind in rugby league once again.
Have a look at all the games between the genuine top 4 contenders and you will find most have been in the balance for the majority of the contest.
Obviously the Roosters can't win it - they struggled and were arguably lucky to put the Storm away, it took them an eternity, a sin bin and a handfull of penalties to get in top of Parra. The Storm can't wn - the Raiders showed up their soft underbelly. Newcastle are hot and cold - unable to string good performances together. Penrith choke against the good sides - they had a match winning lead against Parra only to fold like a cheap sheet.
It's all about how you spin the bullshit.
He's an imbecile - on the one hand he says we are fast starters and slow finishers while on the other he says we were lucky to beat the Panthers by charging home late. He's just a product of the Channel 9 publicity machine - it might as well be Erin Molin or James Bracey writing this shite. The look on PVL's face the other day when Danny Weidler suggested Gould as NRL CEO said it all.
You hit the nail on the head, Gould knows we are a genuine premiership threat and doesn't like it
Bravo!!👏
Kram, you are correct. How often has Gould been wrong about things? He left Penrith in some good shape but what about their 5 yr plans..? Again there was some controversy also, and some other issues that has not come to surface and I doubt ever will. There has been rumours arond the club about how much was paid to him, the current coach and the extras, and also some items that occurred with the club during his time. Gould has left clubs at times in controversial circumstances but has enough around him to smell like 'The beach' scent (Kramer in Seinfeld)...
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