Eels set to chase surprise replacement

 

Eels set to chase surprise Mahoney replacement

Brandon Smith’s move is set to put the transfer market wheels in motion.

 

 


The Parramatta Eels have begun their search to replace hooker Reed Mahoney, and a left-field link seems to be the most likely option.

With Brandon Smith expected to move to the Sydney Roosters in the coming days, it will leave Sam Verrills - once touted the future of the Roosters' number nine jersey - out in the open and possibly looking for a new club.

There is no question Verrills is good enough to be a starting number nine in this competition, and would walk into numerous teams' starting 13s.

The Gold Coast Titans, New Zealand Warriors and Manly Sea Eagles are all using stop-gap measures at dummy half, but it's the Eels who have now been linked to Verrills.

 

With Reed Mahoney set to link up with the Canterbury Bulldogs in 2023, it will create a vacancy in Sydney's west, with Brad Arthurreportedly a fan of Verrills.

The Daily Telegraph are reporting that, even though Verrills is contracted until the end of 2024 - two years after Smith is set to arrive - the Roosters may not stand in his way if he was to request a release due to being displaced as the side's starting dummy half.

It's well known a big part of the reason Smith is set to exit the Victorian capital is because he wants an assurance regarding being a starting dummy half, and with Harry Grant in the system, that's something which can't be guaranteed in Craig Bellamy's side.

It seemed odd for that reason that Smith would view the Roosters as his first choice given Verrills is in the system, but if he has, it can almost be guaranteed Trent Robinson has promised Smith the starting role.

The 22-year-old importantly wouldn't break the bank for the Eels should they manage to sign him from 2023 onwards, with the Eels' salary cap in a squeeze.

Already the club have lost Isaiah Papali'i and Marata Niukore, to go with the reported departure of Reed Mahoney, while Junior Paulo's future seemingly is hanging in the balance.

It means a cheap option to replace Mahoney could be at the top of the priority list for Parramatta, and Verrills would fill that description while still being an excellent option in the number nine.

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              • Edrick Lee played Origin mate - they'll pick anyone!

              • Reed Mahoney will never play SOO. 
                That's all Slimey Sam blowing smoke up his behind. 

              • They stuck with Grant because he was the incumbent. Cam Smith said he'd have picked Reed. That's someone who knows a little something about playing hooker at Origin level. We carried Api because Fittler wanted to try him in Origin. In the games that mattered Fittler ran with a utility. I maintain Reed is second in line behind Grant. He equalled Grant's try assist tally and had more than Brandon Smith, Damien Cook, Api Koroisau and Josh Hodgson. He also kicks a lot more than Grant. He would have played Origin this year if he wasn't injured.

                • Reed is a great player, he has shown that in numerous games for us. Now that he going elsewhere, he can't play, he will never become a SOO player, what horse shit! He & Papalli are leaving for more money & nothing else. And let's face it, we are talking hundreds of thousands more. This has nothing to do with BA or the club, admin, you offer more, they have no choice. I have full confidence in the club finding cheap replacement & BA & the coaching staff turning them into stars of the team. I've seen it with so many players, the problem is once that contract runs out, your looking at huge upgrades. 

                  • Tin Tim, my views have not altered on this since long before Reed signed elsewhere.  Feel free to browse my comments if you please. I don't swing both ways depending on who players sign with. 

                • Super, Cameron Smith wanted to play another season, Grants return put an end to his ambitions and without a doubt, had an axe to grind. His opinion didn’t sit well with media at the time and didn’t go down well with the Queensland camp.

                  You also need to consider that Grant shared the hooking role with Smith, this diminished their stats, yet Grant still managed to equal Reeds try assist stats.

                  Stats don’t consider the never-ending variables that determine the true value of the number.

                  Reed’s stats in 2021 are impressive, in fact, very impressive. In my opinion, we have the best forward back in the league, we have the best front rowers in the game and an embarrassment of talent of edge and backrowers, and our forgotten hero, N Brown running off the back fence with no regard to his wellbeing.

                  I don’t recall a game where our forwards were being dominated in 2021, perhaps matched but never dominated. Our downfall was our inability to take advantage of the momentum created by forwards and Mose’s kicking game. We seemed lost in attack and that can only be attributed to poor set plays and execution by our spine, Reed included.

                  Back to the point, Reed excelled behind a very dominant pack, but the majority of his 2021 stats are against lowly placed teams, he racked up big numbers against our big win against the Titans, Broncos, and the Bulldogs.

                  There are try assists and there are try assists, it’s a number that can’t be measured by its true value. Most of Reed’s assists are passes from the ruck to rampaging forwards on the back of momentum.

                  Line break stats are also skewed, Reed made two valuable breaks from my recollection, one against the Dogs and the other against the Raiders, he’s also been attributed to line breaks where he got out of dummy half, made the break, and lost the ball after being run down. To my recollection, he lost the ball more often after a break than not. I usually watch most games twice, that doesn’t make me a Rugby League scholar, but I am an informed observer.

                  I would have preferred to keep Reed, I don’t rate his as the gun the media have suddenly turned him into, but he is a courageous little fek that punches well above his weight. The club did screw up, I have no doubt that if we offered him a reasonable deal to begin with, he would have signed. Our ridiculous first offer opened the door for a desperate club to offer well above his market value.

                  Now that the damage is done, Verrills is a very good option, he’s no Reed but is good enough now to fill the void and has the potential to match if not surpass Reed in the near future. He has a premiership under his belt and was earmarked as the Roosters long-term number 9. He is bigger and faster than Reed and highly regarded by the Roosters.

                  Reed is a good player but he’s not $650000 good. He’s not an Origin player, Grant and Smith are ahead of Reed.

                  Who knows, there may be a sliver lining, we may end up with a decent hooker with loads of potential for a fraction of the price with cap space to keep Paulo, brown and sign a decent winger.

                  I’m sure most have seen this video posted on the flea bag forum.

                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYybGRuL_iI

                • They stuck with an injured Grant because he is simply better. You think they didn't dump other incumbents due to someone being better ?  Come on Super do I really need to go to the efforts of finding examples wheras they didn't stick with the incumbents ?  Surely not.  

                  Next year Ben Hunts the incumbent and the only Hooker to have won. So by your logic Reed will certainly not get a shot unless Hunt is injured or is playing another position. Then it'll be Grant , then Reed if he's unavailable . 

                  • Barring injury, Grant will be the Qld and Aust hooker for a long time to come.

                     

            • This reply was deleted.
              • Agree with the McMan.

                Mahoney is a good player, but Grant has it all over him.

                Much more dangerous out of dummy half and has already proven himself on the big stage.

              • and you know this how?

This reply was deleted.

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