I am a B.A. fan. I think there is some hidden mongrel in there and there is no doubt about his love for the eels. At the end of the day, he is at the mercy of what the players do on the field, week in and week out. That's why culture and belief are so important - as is on field LEADERSHIP - this is where we need to step up big time. Its not just about leading the team, its reading the refs and the flow of the game. Cameron Smith is the master par excellence. We need to BUILD a leader. Gutho has potential, he's cheeky and well regarded, but he'll need more gravitas than that to impact upon a game. He needs to build a profile - the more often the refs come to Eels training the better AND let's have a strategy to build that profile and rapport, and to make our leader stand out, just as the big boys (the Smiths, Thurstons, the Gallens) do.
Leadership is one of those 1, 2, 5 percenters that change games - instead of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, you bring it home. Let's get serious about some strong, hardnosed leadership that doesn't allow refs to make the eels an easy target. You want the 50 / 50 calls you've got to work for them. Its strategy, its part of the game.
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Couldn't agree more. The Eels certainly don't get the rub of the green so it is definatly an area that can make a difference to us. I have seen the likes of Thurston & Smith talk the refs into giving them a penalty.