Eels Blogs

Replies

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  Webby October 27, 2019 at 8:12pm

  Good experience being around an elite group
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  Snakey - Sack Dylan Brown October 27, 2019 at 8:48pm

  This will trigger his contract clause he has with us that if he plays/gets selected for Australia or NSW he gets a big bonus.

  Can anybody remember what that yearly bonus figure was?
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    SuperEel 22 > Snakey - Sack Dylan Brown October 28, 2019 at 8:57am

    He's bit going to play according to that article. Simply going across as squad depth at this stage. I believe that clause only gets triggered if he actually gets an Australian cap.
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    Chuck Norris. > Snakey - Sack Dylan Brown October 29, 2019 at 5:52pm

    $2.75 go being selected 19 th man.

     
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  Wizardssleeves official receipts October 29, 2019 at 1:19am

  Taking off my Eels glasses for a minute , I must say he’s the next best bloke available then Australia have massive issues . 
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  Michael Ericson October 29, 2019 at 4:18pm

  The standard of the game has never been been better so I don't know what you flogs are on about. Go put on a game from the 90's or even early 2000's and tell me that the players were better then? The game now is precision - one fuckup where you don't find the in goal with your kick or you kick it dead can basically cost you the game. In defence one bad read and bang it's try time. The athletes are quicker stronger etc. the halfbacks put the ball on a dime with their cross field kicks. The wingers only need literally half a metre of space and it's try time. I honestly don't understand how anyone can think the standard of players is less than before. 
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    Brett Allen > Michael Ericson October 29, 2019 at 5:47pm

    100% Michael, the game isn't better or worse, it's just evolved.
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      Michael Ericson > Brett Allen October 29, 2019 at 8:21pm

      Exactly. Basically the game is way more fine tuned these days with everything down to a minutiae of detail and precision. But there is no way known the players are less talented that's rubbish. Sure there is a little less opportunity for self expression on the field but some of the freakish things players pull off these days were unheard of 20 years ago. If you want to argue the game was better to watch 20 years ago that's a different argument and you might even win that one (although I'd argue some games were absolute bludgers back then) but it's not more skilful. 
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  Parra fan on The Hill October 29, 2019 at 6:18pm

  The game has moved from skill to size. That's the biggest difference I see. Little skinny guys don't really have a chance playing NRL these days.

  In the days before the 10m rule, halves had to use their wits in order to gain field position. A chip midway through the tackle count here, a little grubber there,  these days it 5 bash and barge runs up the middle followed by a kick to the corner to find your 200 cm winger.

  15-20 years ago, Bevan French would have been a franchise player. In today's game, he gets rag-dolled. All this skill and pace is wasted.

  Can someone confirm that the 20-40 rule will be applied next year? I think it would be great if it was.
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    Brett Allen > Parra fan on The Hill October 29, 2019 at 6:34pm

    I don't agree with that point of view. Yes size is important, but it always has been. What is different is the athletic ability of the players at the size they are playing at. Guys Like Taumalolo, Sam Burgess, Junior Paulo, NAS, David Fafita, Payne Haas, they're athleticism & motors are just so much better now. In years past the big boys got more tired more quickly, now that is simply not acceptable. 

    As the game has become more professional and the stakes have gotten bigger, the sports science has gotten more exacting, the game has evolved.

    30 years ago, the game was played at a slower pace even with the 10m rule, but the big guys still tired more quickly. 

    20 years ago they introduced unlimited interchange and with that came the explosive power big who you could roll on for 15m at 100%, give him a 20m rest and then roll him out for another max burst for 10-15mins. 

    10 years ago the started to roll back the interchanges, but coaches didn't want to sacrifice that running power so the big boys now had to be as big, but also mobile, athletic & with big motors who could punch out 20-30 minute shifts at at least 90% capacity with enough in the tank to give you a short sharp burst at the back end.

    Now, your big boys have to be able to give you at least 40 minute shifts, if not more to be a geniune starter. We saw Junior give BA two 30 minute shifts most games at basically 90%.

    But through all that, I don't think the skill level has ever really dropped, it's just evolved. If you look at some of the defensive structures, or lack thereof 30-40 years ago its easy to see why the greats in that era were able to play at lower weights, the physical contact was nowhere near as violent as it is now. 

    It's the pace that the game is played at now that's changed, and the game and its tactics have evolved with it.