I understand how many Eels fans got very excited by the way the Eels performed early in the season. The team was playing well and there confidence was sky high. So going by the playing roster is the true Eels ability what they showed at the start of the season or is it what they are showing now?
When you think about it, how many Eels players would make a combined side selected from the current top 8 teams? I'll pick a team and I doubt many (if any) Eels would make it.
1 Tedesco
2 Addo-Carr
3 J Morris (this years form)
4 Manu
5 B Morris (this years form)
6 Keary
7 Cleary
8 Papalii
9 Smith
10 Klemmer
11 Cordner
12 Graham
13 Murray
14 Cook
15 Waerea-Hargreaves
16 J Paulo ...... could have been Fisher-Harris or Bromwich
17 Kikau
So, in my opinion only 1 Eels player would make my best team from the top 8 sides and even he only gets a bench spot and is not even must have sellection. I don't think many Eels players would even make a 2nd side.
Replies
Cordner has barely played this year though I am not saying Matterson or Lane should be there. Kikau should start for Cordner and Fisher - Harris joins the bench to replace Cordner. Would maybe actually have Yeo or Tuipiniau instead of Graham as well. I think Olam has been better than Manu this year. Olam is such an underatted player. He is up with J Moz and Jenko as the best defensive centres in the game.
All valid points. The fact is that the Eels don't really have any stand outs. They are also well off the pace in the key positions needed to win the big games.
I don't think we have overachievd. Selecting a top 17 team doesn't proove anything about overachieving.
Our spine is very young and they are your most important group of players. Gutho and Moses are both approaching their prime in their next few years. Brown and Mahoney are still very young and will only get better. I never expected us to win the premiership this year, but I expected us to finish in the top 4. Panthers also have a pretty young spine and in the big games I can't see them beating storm and roosters.
Yes - I do think either by luck or otherwise we have overachieved.
The problem I see is that we have some players who we have hyped up a little bit more than they deserve.
Take Lane for example (and he isn't the only one) the way the Eels were going on about him he was part of the second coming but there was a reason that he has filtered through a number of clubs. It's a power game and Lane is a pea heart. How Davey is always denied a starting position for this pretender is part of our problem.
Thankfully we have both Hollis and Hughes coming through because every other team are recruiting young tyros and we need to find some.
Agreed. We have improved slightly on last year but there is no way we will be there on GF day. We have done a St George and peaked too early. We are great in defence but are one dimensional in attack. Don't know what the answer is but BA needs to either get the fuck out of here or get some help with an attacking coach. Murphy isn't the answer.
I don't think it's fair to blame the coach if the team is overachieving. However, BA's record against the top coaches (premiership winning coaches) is abysmal. That could be because he goes into most games with a very similar attacking game plan. He also doesn't seem to be able to get the team to change there game plan during a game if the original game plan isn't working.
Spot on mate.!
No they haven't overachieved. They have a very good spine and good players all over the park. Go back and watch earlier games. This team can play. It is the way they are currently being coached. I even think MM is a quality half but has little guidance right now.
Ask the coach.
Andrew Johns.?