Eels Blogs

Prop and Backrow:

For me those are the only 4 players I am convinced should keep their roles in the starting line up is Lane, Papa, Paulo and RCG. Lane is having his best season to date and developing a great combo with Dylan. RCG and Paulo are easily are best two props in our team. However, they have no pressure from anyone else to keep their spot. RCG normally our best prop every week. Paulo been on and off this year. Partly becausse I think BA doesn't utlise him well with this one out shit. Papali'i is still a gun backrower and clearly struggled last week with JA being his provider. Once Moses is back, I expect him to do good again. 

Dummy Half:

Mahoney: Was soo good last year but plays shit now. His service is still quality. However, he does not run from dummy half or engage the markers. He overplays his hand in opp red zone with his crash plays. He honestly needs one week at least in reserve grade before the finals because he is being useless. Defensively, he is giving me nightmares. Constantly making ineffective tackles where people either offload, get quick play the balls, he is left on the floor out of the defensively or just completely missing the takle. He is becoming a massive liability in defence and does not use his shoulders at all anymore. He just braces for contact and gets raged doll like he is in a washing machine. 

Rein: In reserve grade, he has been getting a try nearly every week with his scoots from dummy half. He has been running a lot in reserve grade based on the states I see. However, He does not play 80min in reserve grade so I would say he can't do that in NRL. He only played 38min last week.  One concerning thing that I saw in last weeks highlight was his shit attempt of a tackle for the oppositions first try.

Honestly. I think we have to rely on Mahoney to come good even though I complain how shit he is every week. I dont believe if we can rely on Rein defensively either. So someone shoot a rocket up Mahoneys ass. Get him to play like last year. Make him start runing the ball and engaging the markers and fkn use his shoulder in tackles. Break him this year because if he gets injured, its not our problem next year. 

Lock:

Matto is easily our best lock forward. However, he is not having the same effect since he signed that contract or arguable since he came into the starting side. His offloads are now kept to a minimum and he is not breaking tackles anymore. I would move him back to the bench and use the game plan BA was using. Bring him on at the 20th minute mark and keep him on the field for the rest of the game.

The question is who starts at lock to start the game. I don't like using Niukore at 13. Because our attack is crap in the first 20 min without a ball playing lock on the field. We can lack physicality to start games so maybe using N Brown for his line speed in defence is what we need in the first 20min before Matto comes on. He was great at the job and hopefully a stint in reserve grade his put some fire in his belly.

Bench:

Options: Makatoa, Kaufusi, Cartwright, Niukore, Matterson, Rein, Perham, JA, Ogden, Rodwell, Grieg

Utlity Role:

So Rein, Carty, JA and Perham are our option. JA is def no from me but BA's fav choice. I like Perham as a utlity but you can tell BA will not consider it. Rein has a couple games but I doubt will get another opportunity given Mahoney has been shit and still plays 80min. Therefore Carty is the probs going to get it like he has been last  few weeks. I actually liked what I say from Carty last week and he needs more game time.

Forwards

Matto and Niukore are pretty much locked in. Niukore covers centre and backrow, but will be used in the middle. Matto to play 60min at lock.

We really need a prop that gives that explosiveness for 20 min since our other bench spots our covered. Therefore Makatoa should not be considered. Greig has the body shape to be that type of forward but looks like he is way down the pecking order. So I have no idea how he is going given he has the potential. Rodwell looked good in his couple of games but like Greig not enough game time given. Ogden just got his first game and barely played the last 5min. So out of these three, we need to find the most explosive one who can give a 4 min burst of offloading, tackles breaks, quick play the balls and heaps of energy. I think Greig has the most potential out of those three to provide that. Kaufusi is the last option and while he does an alright job recently, we need to see if we can find someone who can does more.

My forward pack & bench:

8 RCG

9 Mahoney

10 Paulo

11 Lane

12 Papalii

13 N Brown

14 Carty

15 Matto

16 Niukore

17 Greig