I obviously want Blaize to stay an Eel but his development here is shaping as a complete disaster.
Last week BA said he didn't know what position Blaize should be playing. Deadset if you've had a prodigious junior coming through your system he should've been developed in the position the club needs from 2 years ago. It's clear the club has been in desperate need of a centre and a future fullback .. he's been given some off season work at fullback after never having played there before and then chucked in first grade. BA has said he's going to make errors and get things wrong .. first grade is not the place where that development should happen. It's clear he's come into the side way before he's ready .. he's been a shining light despite the mistakes but what next?
I've raised the comparison in other blogs but 10 clubs chased Bevan French as a youngster . He lit up the lower grades and was a red hot prospect . BA didn't know what to do with him . In the end he settled on him being a winger when he has always played the big battering ram winger style. It's clear in Super League he is a super quick talented ball player that shouldn't have been lost to England at his age. BA has had a real difficult time developing and identifying backs and spine players in his 11 years here .. you could count the quality players he's brought through on 1 hand which is diabolical.
If you were Blaize and his camp you would have to be asking serious Questions about where his future is at Parra and how he is going to be developed to get there . As much as it would be nice for him to show loyalty to the club that's bought him through is this the coach you would want to commit your early NRL years to ?
Replies
The club need to keep blaize and Brown. Brown needs to go to 5/8 where he belongs, maybe get a half decent back up half to cover Moses. Gutho needs to move into the centres or wing, leave if he wants. Sign up fresh young bloke's for the backs and forwards. Give a few a tap on the shoulder and tell them to look elsewhere because they will be playing in the lower grades. Bring in players who are going to fight for a first grade position and keep the regulars on their toes. We need a hooker as well and get hopegood on a free license to offload and play his style instead of the game plan he has been doing
We just plain old have shit players and shit recruitment. Whether that falls on the coach or the recruitment team, who knows. Probably a bit of everyone , but the cold hard facts are none of the " stars " some people here think are top shelf , are top shelf. It's about time we have a complete facelift. Young blood with something to prove over dickheads well into over 100 games that are paid like Origin stars and performing like entitled rockstars with mortgages on their positions. I don't care who goes right now , as long as it's more than just the coach.
^^ this
Coryn is right. It is not just BA who needs to go but a couple of the people above him. \
Our juniors are good but their development and retention are hopeless. How many time we hear about gun players coming through that used to be an eels junior. Gus has worked marvels with Panthers and Dogs juniors and even Warriors in his short time. We need someone like that.
Our recruitment group are duds. The number of players and mutual options shows that the club is being held ransom by players and their managers. You cannot plan for the future with these deals and offload shit players. Players know they can play shit and than just take the option or if they play good, than command more money. This has caused us to invest too much into Paulo and RCG. And allowing duds like Lane and Sivo to get extension after one decent season and than play poop. Then our club knows we have a lack of speed and quality outside backs in 2023. So for this year they sign only fucking Morgan Harper. The only thing they have done good this year is managing to offload Rodwell, Moimesia and Taumpeno and getting Lomax.
To be honest Wiz beside Moses we do not have another top 5 player in any position and that includes Dylan Brown and Gutho.
Our forwards who were once fighting for state of origin positions are shadows of their former selves due to the style of play (chasing the collision) that BA has had them play year in and year out.
They are broken
Moses, DB, Gutho and Hopgood are probably the top 5 in their position.
Cleary is better than Moses. But then I would put DCE and Renoylds at the same level as him. I think Hynes is a level below still as a halfback. Gun 5/8 though.
Munster is the best 5/8 on his day which is not as frequent anymore. I would put DB second and I reckon he would be the best under a coach like Bennet. He was so good for NZ.
Gutho is a top 5 depending on what you're looking at. Nearly every fullback is more exciting in attack but when you look at the all-ground game I reckon he is a top 5.
Hopgood is probably just behind Carrigan, Yeo, Murray and Tino.
They are indeed broken, from the board down to the coaching ranks and to the playing roster and recruitment.
That said i believe Moses is the #2 half in they game and Brown the #2 5/8. Put Moses at half for the Broncos and Brown 5/8 for the Panthers and they are super stars.
I guess that's my point Archie and totally agree if they were playing for different teams. Look how Dylan plays for NZ
Dylan currently isn't playing as a top 5 player under this current coach although to be fair he isn't currently playing 5/8. Munster, Man ,Luai, Keary, Burton in my opinion are all in front of him at the moment.
The team is flawed but so are the systems.
The culture of the squad is completely rotten . They play with spirit , energy and enthusiasm when things are going their way. Usually that's at commbank but you see on occasions like today where they scored points and then loved their footy for the next 5 mins .. the systems crack , the discipline slips and then they're off the pace . The contact is soft , they lose almost every collision .. these are all effort things. Some of the flaws in the systems are a result of personnel , most because they are shit systems. It's round 12 and our team looked like they've never even done a ball work session. The coach is completely washed .
The tigers whilst losing for me looked like a far better group of players . Maybe not on paper , but can't faullt their commitment. And it all come down to the injection of a proper leader with a winning culture in Api .
We shoud be exploring every get out clause that Tino has in his contract. Let's assume we can't get Bennett , Maybe a Holbrook / Tino double or add a Brimson triple. The Goldy guys may not have the winning culture , but fuck they have the commitment and competitiveness those two.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next