Eels Blogs

Replies

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  Slippery Steve January 28, 2015 at 6:22pm

  I'd be pretty confident that we will see Semi and Robinson on the wings and Takarangi and Morgan in the centres. All four have consistently trained in the "top squad" in team runs and as unfortunate as it is BA said Morgan would get first crack at centre. Whether that is in trials on Rd 1 who knows but the team runs indicate he is the most likely.
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  Semi-Trailor January 28, 2015 at 7:00pm

  If Folou and Lavaka kill it in the 9's I reckon they will start.
  
  I'm surprised that Morgan and Toutai didn't get named in the 9's
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    Slippery Steve > Semi-Trailor January 28, 2015 at 8:16pm

    I'd be very suprised if BA starts one let alone two players outside (presumably) the Top 25. That could potentially hamstring him later in the season if injuries strike. I think Lavaka would be further away given he has yet to play even one NSW Cup game. I don't think 9s would be a great guide to NRL success.
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  Poupou Escobar January 28, 2015 at 7:18pm

  I reckon Arthur is not risking anyone who isn't 100% fit. If it was an NRL match we might see a few different faces - top 17 players (whoever they are) will be allowed to (expected to, actually) carry niggling injuries into competition games, but for the Nines it's not worth risking a first teamer.
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  GRUNTA - Death of a Salesman January 28, 2015 at 8:48pm

  Great blog LB.

  It's a nice position to be in isn't it? Finally we have some depth and all positions we have back ups with NRL experience. We have a decent team but with an excellent and modern coach who takes no shite. We also have no prima donnas.

  This year we can finally say that we have a real team and I'm looking forward to who shines out of these 'nuffie' yet cheap signings we now have.

  I'm excited by the manly influence particularly.

  If there is a team I wish we could now base our club / team on it would be manly. I don't like them but respect the team more than any other over the past decade. We have their assistant coach, Hoppa, Gower, Watmough, Lussick and others and a big chance to have their absolute best in Foran.

  I don't want my beloved club to be Manly but BA will bring much more to the eels than being an excellent coach. He had a few team members at Manly who were big admirers of BA.

  We are soooooo lucky we didn't get Jason Taylor.
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  Poupou Escobar January 28, 2015 at 9:35pm

  To be honest, I'm a bit concerned about all the off contract players in the squad. It can be a massive distraction.
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  Big Dave January 28, 2015 at 9:46pm

  I wouldn't think that the players selected at the vacant centre and wing positions will be outside being a top 25 NRL contracted player.   

  It is my understanding that the NRL Squad Booklet is available for sale in the next day or two which should give us a better understanding where players such as Crooks, Faraimo, Champion etc., are in the pecking order. 

  The selection of Folau and Lavaka in the 9's would be to gauge and evaluate them against men or a higher standard them the u20's. 
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    Poupou Escobar > Big Dave January 28, 2015 at 10:28pm

    If we have cap space (and apparently we do) it's easy enough to change the top 25 by just upgrading the ones you want to bring in. If I was the coach of a squad with heaps of internal competition I would do just that. Wait until after the trials and upgrade anyone I wanted to bring in. It would probably just mean paying John Folau (for example) an extra $20k (or less) on top of his approximately $70k. An upgrade like that would jump him over half the (currently 40 man) squad.
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    Slippery Steve > Big Dave January 29, 2015 at 7:23pm

    It does become as issue to push players above the current 25th highest paid player and then play that player as you would be using up the 440k second tier much faster and limiting options further down the track. You'd be better off leaving say Lavaka 2nd tier And using less of that cap. His match payments wouldn't count against the cap so there is less risk.
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  genio January 28, 2015 at 10:37pm

  Is shannon McPherson at parra? Haven't heard a thing about him recently and no profile on site