Hi everyone
I love we are doing well let me say that first!! But I am worried about our defensive structure. I know there has been many blogs written about our middle against good teams and I do agree. However am I the only one who has noticed how weak we are on the edges.... particularly on Sivos edge. I know Jenko has been out a few weeks (and he is a great d centre) but every time other teams spread the ball wide I’m nervous. Against manly they had it on play two and if you look at the last few weeks as soon as the opposition spread the ball we are in trouble. Even against the teams we have beaten it seems the difference isn’t whether our defence is good - it’s more whether the opposition are able to execute the play. Furthermore it seems they are actually trained in this formation as sivo looks to be trained to rush up with a “ball and all” tackle which has seen him in trouble this season. My concern is that this seems to be a gaping hole in our defence and it doesn’t even seem to matter whether forwards are on the back foot or not....
Replies
Pops & BB, Way I see the game today is that we are looking too much at structured defences, which is fine for the likes of Storm, chooks, perhaps raiders and Manly, where the lock plays more like a prop, as per the middle forward tag given them, go back some years, and consider the locks of old, giving two eels players in particular and one from the riff as the other, Price. Quayle & Sattler jnr, who did not stick to the centre of the field but were roving defending locks as well as coming into play in attack, I would personally like to see NBrown, in the immediate future given that role especially in defence as I believe he has the ability to read the game, once Stone is back he could also be groomed to take that role as he is quite aggressive and mobile also, a perfect utility.
If, and gee there's a lot of ifs in supporting the eels, Evans can maintain his aggression as shown especially against the draggo's, he along with Jnr is going to dominate the opposition forwards for time to come, we need two replacement props to come on for them off the bench.
Our backs miss Fergo ATM, while taka has done a fair job, and MJ just back and slowed a bit in attack, he needs perhaps to take on more a role of backline playmaker in attack to ensure Sivo is given his best chances, like happened with Semi, but I think we have a better Trailer, more akin to a B double on that side of the field. Mj should be working with him on defence and ensure he passes the ball to Sivo more. With Blake and Fergo, we have a strong right side as well both in attack and defence, with all that, I would suggest that Gutho would form the extra help needed as the opposition move the ball across to Sivo's side.
I don't see us winning this year but with some new blood and youngish blood brought into the side, we can only get better. Still see more of the future with a few of our juniors though, as they are eased into the side.
Did they score a try down that edge at all on Sunday? No that means it works. Sivo is actually a good defensive reader of the game but he needs his centre working in conjunction with him. He and Hoff were on a different page completely. I have no issues with that edge with Jennings back in the side.
Exactly right. Alvaro and jr more often than not get caught up in the ruck and get caught laying on the ground instead of making it back to marker. This gives the opposition hooker a chance to run and make good metres. This in turn compresses our defence in as cover, this leaves us short out wide. Smart teams like manly or melb use this to their advantage. Get the quick 10-15m out of dummy half then spread the ball wide where we are short.
We need to dominate the ruck in defence and make sure we get our markers up and square. It's no coincidence the last few weeks where Evans has really stood up in first contact and dominating the ruck, as soon as he comes off the opposition get on the front foot.
It’s starts in the middle. What a difference Kane Evans made with his dominant hits. It slowed everything down. Then when they shifted to the edges we had a set defence coming forward not a retreating defence following a quick play the ball.
Own the middle and the edges will be fine.
we have excellent edge defence in marata/lane and jennings/blake. Its definitely about owning the middle.
Sivo is forced to rush up because he can see is about to be left with a 2 on 1.
With our current squad, we are not and we will never have in place for the rest of this season the same defensive and attacking structures the likes of the Storm and the Roosters have in place.
Our only real strengths that can tip the apple cart of the Raiders, Manly, Sharks, Rabbits, Roosters and Storm and win this years Grand Final is to completely tip their sacred defensive and attacking apple carts and the only way we can do this is to not play our game into their hands, and instead, use our 80 minutes of defensive intensity up in their faces, while we add lib as we go for heaps of off loading come second phase plays, playing a very wide, left to right, right to left, left to right, right to left.... expansive game.
The only battle we need to win is the one between the ears of our NRL squad and there is no other battle to be found (concerned about) anywhere else.
If we really want to win the big prize this season, our boys must from now on until the end of this season, be willing to bleed and suffer at all cost for all their team mates, without a care for self-preservation of their bodies from injuries, and be willing to play composed for 80 minutes while dishing out our style of intensity, come legal brutality dished out on to the opposition, both in defence and in attack.
If we do this, our add lib to offload and our willingness to get straight back up in-spite of the immense pain our boys will experience, will create our control over the ruck and from there give our brilliant composed spine the time and space to expose the weak spots in the opposition and pile on the points.
When Fergo is back and with our current backs playing off the back of our composed forwards brutal aggression, we will have the best back line in the NRL to pile on big scores and blow the opposition completely away.
It is time to take the shackles off our boys because at the top of this game-style, no opposition coach or squad can counter such audacity without breaking the rules repeatedly.
Over the coming 8 or 9 games that ends this seasons campaign, we must make sure to rotate some of our players so they can have a weeks rest from the Spartan barrage we are dishing out, which means we need 8 players..... 5 or 6 forwards and 2 to 3 backs coming out of Wenty and from our bench to cover for those players having a planned break and have it all timed so that the final two games of this seasons campaign is fixed on our best top 17 come top 21 and they go on to win this years trophy.
No team is unbeatable - we just do not play into the structured game plans of our oppositions and controlled refs and we play our intense, brutal add-lib game that can't be coached against. This is how we win while entertaining all sports fans joining in on our brilliant end of season spectacle.
It starts this weekend v Knights. We beat them 24+, ideally 40+ and continue rolling along as we did back in 2009.
Can our boys play as good as they did v Storm Melb Final 2017 + the other day v Dragons in defence + v Broncos and the 1st game v Tigers @ Parra Stadium this season and roll it all into one fanfare package????
And lets manufacture thousands of blue and gold t-shirts with large white writing saying, front & back... Eels 2009 Premiers and wear them to all our games ASAP. Why can't we get a group amongst us to pitch in the $$$$ to manufacture these T-Shirts and sell them through this forum and all the profits goes to legally sponsoring our players = TPA's, next season.
Imagine PEOPLE POWER, tens of thousands of Eels fans all around the stadiums saying FUCK YOU (Eels 2009 Premiers) to the NRL-News-Limited crime syndicate operating behind the corruption that stole the 2009 Premiership from us. Are all the cameras and photographers no longer going to pick out the Blue and Gold crowds of Eels fans wearing these T-Shirts.
What better way than to end this blatant corruption ruining our great game since Super League first appeared.
And just get Semi back for the rest of this season. Do what the Dragons did with Gasnier, French Rugby, 2010. We then open up more options for our spine with Gutho there to cover 6 or 7, leaving our big ram rods Sivo, Fergo, Semi, Blake & Jennings to thrust and thrust and thrust and thrust into the oppositions defensive lines and with our forwards, force them back and back while our boys keep piling on the points.
We have the room and dollars to bring back Semi NOW, so come on Parra, bring back Semi so he can feature in this great 2019 finals spectacle he would love so much to be part of. Who would not want to be part of creating history?
And under such pressure with all eyes looking more closely at the corruption, just how much will these T-Shirts intimidate the refs and lines men to do the right thing?
What better way than to end this blatant corruption ruining our great game since Super League first appeared. - We wee blatantly cheated by the NRL-News-Limited cartel in the finals, v Storm in Melb 2006, v Storm in Melb 2007, v Storm GF 2009.