Harold Matt's made second week of finals
SG Ball making GF (going undefeated in regular season)
2nd in Jersey flegg
Top 4 in NSW Cup
Looks like forwards and halves are deep while outside backs is thin
Our pack looks of the future great Sam Tuivati, Will Latu, Jeziah Fanu, Demascus Neemia, Tony Matale, Ryda Talagi.
Lorenzo Tailatana (SG ball player of the year), Twiddle, Hunt, Lincoln's Fletcher, Lachlan Cokknias.
Obviously not all of them will be stars but haven't seen this amount of talent in a while.
Hopefully 3-4 make debut next year.
Replies
Hopefully.
You never get it soughted it's a continual process of improvement like any other part of your club once you think your soughted someone overtakes you.
Pathways on paper look great now we just have to see the transference and stacking of talent to FG that's the key.The above results while nice and all if we don't get the mentioned the pathways aren't soughted.
What concerns me Yeah Man, we have been in this position a lot of times with our junior teams making finals, winning comps etc etc, in large, our system has failed to transition those players into very good Eels first graders.
'In the past our system falls down with
1). Identifying the talent at an early stage and retaining them. Players like Mitch Moses, Lachie Galvin, Luke Keary, David Klemmer, James Maloney, Daniel Tupou, Paul Gallen, Reagan Campbell Gillard and Matterson were juniors that left and come back. In Recent times we have Sanders, Talagi, M Arthur all played rep / state of origin and were not able to be retained.
2). Providing a club that Juniors want to stay at and an atmosphere of being wanted, and treated fairly. Recent examples could include young Hindmarsh and young Cayless playing at Penrith and Roosters.
Untill we find out where we are going wrong with retaining the right talented juniors year after year. I can't see us improving on identifying and retaining the best talent.
Surely we must look at the Administration / Recruitment & Retention / Negotiator / Contract Closer / List Manager / Junior Scouts areas and discover where we are going wrong . Find out the system or the person or both with whom is dropping the ball year after year, I can't see us improving our transisition of juniors to good Eels first graders ratio anytime soon, without working out where or whom is stuffing up in identifying and retaining those best talented juniors. I'd submit that until these areas are fixed and improved on, we will continue to bleed talented juniors to other clubs that can spot them and can whoo them into their systems.
Really up to Ryles if he wants to give juniors opportunities they will stay.