Eels Blogs

Please do not tell me I am the only one here that had a tear in the eye or am proud as ever from what we saw tonight?

We were on another level and in a different space tonight and very reminiscent of the back half of the end of last season. Let’s face it we were a high class racehorse how could you pick our form in recent weeks? Back to back losses form the Sharks at the bottom of the table to the Dragons the next week at the top.

Tonight was more than just a regular Club game or to get one back on the spoilers of last years GF. As much as the quotes Hindmarsh might have said about "just being another game for 2 points" it was far more than that. The gut wrenching feeling I had trudging out of ANZ last October would only be a pimple on a pumpkin the Eels would have felt after the fairytale ride we all had to get so close and so far. BUT we later learn after the event that we were up against the Storm who flaunted the salary cap rules and what might have been if we were on an even keel?

Let’s face it if we did not fire up when would we ever? The prime example of the dedication shown tonight is as clear as ever with Jarryd Hayne tonight when interviewed he knows deep he probably wont be part of SOO number 2 from a head-but incident however he again was trying to down play things by saying "things happen in the heat of the battle".

Whatever happens in 2010 and whoever takes out the title this year there will always be doubters that say "But the Storm were not there" or  say it is a hollow victory, One thing we supporters can take solace in is the fact the Storm had a full strength side tonight. They knew we would be up to the challenge smarting over the GF loss and have all intentions of throwing everything at them. Well guess what folks we did! There will be the others that will argue and say we have gluttony of possession BUT fact is we beat a team that continues to field a team of players that break the Salary Cap rules. If I were a Dragons supporter (and God forbid they ever win a comp – even if they get Gaz) at least they cannot lay claim to the fact they beat Storm this year nor will they get another crack to do so.

Another example of how much this game meant to the Eels tonight can be seen in Inu. He has been criticised as lazy bugger who has a "I do not give a shit attitude " however as late as Thursday he was playing for Wenty. What real motivation does he really have as he won’t be here next year? Well tonight showed either how well he can play OR how deep down the pain and effect of last years GF was to all. I am only mentioning Inu here to highlight a point as overall the whole team played fantastically.

Hopefully history will repeat itself after the Storm game last year and we are on the crest of another blue and gold wave to ride on and instead of getting dumped we ride through it at taste that elusive GF success that we have waited for since 1986

Bring it on!!!