http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/give-daniel-mortimer-a-break/story-e6frfgh6-1225904675941
"APPARENTLY Daniel Mortimer is gone. Done.
Lost his mojo, they're saying. Suffering Second Year Syndrome. Yet another halfback killed off by the expectation that comes with donning a jersey worn by Parramatta legend Peter Sterling.
But here's the thing ... Morts isn't going anywhere. In fact, I'm tipping he'll be back at seven next weekend when we return to Parramatta Stadium to continue our run to the finals against Wests Tigers.
Because there's a big difference between someone being dropped and rested. And Morts is being rested. Poor bloke needs it, too.
A quick look at the statistics will show you exactly how opposition teams have really done their homework on him this year and, as a result, bashed him from pillar to post. Honestly, Morts has spent more time defending for the Eels than even Geoff Bellew QC.
Racking up more tackles than any other halfback in history a couple of weeks back. And then you have to consider the battering he's taken off the field.
It was always going to happen, of course. Every time a new halfback comes to this club you only have to wait a short time before people start talking about how he is/isn't/could be/never will be The Next Sterlo. And to be fair, we have gone through a few halfbacks in my time. Dave Penna, Andrew McFadden, Jason Taylor, there have been a host of guys who've played a year in two in the playmaker role before moving on. But it's a trend that stops with Mortimer.
Which isn't to suggest his game hasn't been down on last year. But that's what happens when you're so heavily scrutinised. When you have so much traffic come your way. When rival packs draw a target on your forehead and then try to rub it off with their boots.
I've heard a few people saying Morts is suffering Second Year Syndrome. He's not. The bloke is simply being targeted - heavily - and I know he has the skills required to change things up and come out the other side.
He can lead Parramatta to a premiership and tonight we have the chance to help him.
There's no doubting our season will be defined over 80 minutes tonight. Win and we can revive the spark that saw us go all the way to a grand final against Melbourne last year. Regain that feeling where every week you play not like you have nothing to lose, but like you can't.
That's the feeling we can regain against the Broncos tonight. One we can showcase against the Tigers next week. When we're back at home with Morts leading us around in the No. 7."
It's great to have an insider's view of the situation. Well worth a read.
Replies
This has got to be THE most positive thing I have seen from the Eels for a very long time.
Talk about giving us hope.
We ain't going to Briz Vegas to come away with our tails between our legs
GO YOU GOOD THINGS.
Has all the similar traits that that bloke uses in his awful puff pieces he does.
The problem is not that he is getting targetted, it's that other teams know what way he is going to step and its nullified his running game, and he doesn't have the passing game yet to counter that. I keep going back to Tim Smith - all the skills in the world but by his second and third season clubs had still worked him out. If you don't have that electric pace which is far more difficult to shut down, its very hard to have enough weapons in your game to counter the microscope of the NRL.
In the off-season, Mortimer just needs to desperately develop a passing game, because if sides are worried about his supports it will open up his running game again. Our problem is we expected him to learn this on the job this year. It was too much too expect and we've paid the price.