What improvements do individual players need to make?
IMO we have a team with some players who make the same errors on a weekly basis- constantly giving away set restarts, poor ball control, lazy defenders etc etc that kill our chances of being a consistent side like the Storm, who are the bench mark.
Bellamy demands perfection (as close as you can get to it anyway)- very rarely do you see the same player making the same mistakes and hold his spot.
If these can be rectfied and some variations in our game plan (something, anything BA!) - The eels 2021 premiers...why not?
All the players have strengths... but what are their weaknesses?
My take-
Clint Gutherson
Guilty of overplaying his hand at times. Premediated decisions in attack (cut out pass to Sivo) Panicks when this is not an option and gets kick happy.
Maika Sivo
Getting caught infield when defending. Positioning on kicks, slow on turning. Clutching the neck hoping for the crusher tackle penalty when a quick playball would have been more effective.
Tom Opacic
More a coaching decision/mistake than an individual one IMO. Tom inevitably takes the second hit on a kick return, I know that seems to be the roll of a centre across the NRL, I just think he lacks size on this play & is ineffective.
Waqa Blake
Plays with blinkers on in attack, first option is to cut back inside instead of seeing if his outside man is marked. Defence....where do i start. Tackle technique- shoulder contact, not arm grabbing.
Blake Ferguson
Has always had issues under the highball. You just hope his hands are on in the big games. Defence- guilty of being caught taking no one, regardless of the defensive stucture (which is flawed) even on a misread your better off taking someone. If he was dropped for rushing infield, instead on staying on the sideline marking up on his opposite, it should be an easy fix. IMO the problem starts with the inside defenders not sliding. BA obviously sees it differently....no matter how many times Sterlo gave him the blue-print.
Dylan Brown
Not being creative enough in the red-zone. (game plan/coaching issue not an individual one)
Mitchell Moses
Playing like he forgot to take his ADHD medication. Same as above- Not being creative enough in the red-zone. (game plan/coaching issue not an individual one) Neither of our halves know how to ball-play what is infront of them. Block play from sideline to sideline. Kick happy (coaches game plan or lack of)
Nathan Brown
Always good for at least 2 set restarts a game no matter how many times the ref calls his name in th ruck Shooting out of the line (penalised half the time for being off-side or hitting the attacker high) The game has changed, get in wrong and your in the bin or sent off. Risk V Reward... too risky IMO. Can't win a game with 12 men for 75 minutes for a ill-diciplined rush of adrenaline.
Ryan Matterson
Lazy sliding in the defence line and staying alive. Premediated off-load which often results in no post contact metres & being put on his back causing a slow play the ball. Tunnel vision with ball in hand.
Isaiah Papali'i
That there isn't another 6 blokes the same as him in the side.
Junior Paulo
Pushing the pass to off-load. Forgetting metres first, off-load second on occasions.
Reed Mahoney
Like Nathan Brown good for giving away atleast 2 set-restarts per game. I have often wondered if his head gear is preventing him from hearing the referee? Wearing white head gear- too easy to be spotted in defence. Trying the crash ball play at the line too much.
Regan Campbell-Gillard
Replaced at wrong the time during some games (coaching error) has the motor to play 80 mins if required so an extra 7 mins isn't going to kill him if the game requires his go-forward.
Bench and debutants
Marata Nikore
Pigeonholded as a bench player by the coach. Should be seeing more game time.
Shaun Lane
Lazy. Plays like he is depressed. Needs to find some inner testosterone- soft. Never seen him make a hit or rattle a defender for a player his size.. Walks way too often during a game. Poor ball control.
Bryce Cartwright
Run hard first, ball play later, only kick if you are caught with the ball on the last. We have enough kick happy options in the spine.
Oregon Kaufusi
Always good for a fumble on a critical hit up.
Keegan Hipgrave
Not given much game time but would like to see that mongrel he had in him playing for GC.
Haze Dunster
Find some more energy, always looks like he is in second gear. Has similar deficienciesin his game as Ferguson.
Sean Russell
Needs a full off-season in the gym. At this stage will be rag-dolled too much and ineffective on kick returns.
Jakob Arthur
Shouldn't be selected in 1st grade again even if injuries strike- simply not up to it.
Will Smith
Flashing his baby blues at Carlo from the bench instead of focusing on the game.
Ray Stone
Serial set-restarter.
Coach
Brad Arthur
Come up with a plan B. "Chasing the collision and effort areas" is not a game plan- it should be a given for any professional NRL player worth his salt.
Replies
I see where you're coming from with these comments.
I think Parra fans have been conditioned to see our glass half empty since 1987.
I don't think we are far away - our best footy is good enough to beat the best teams.
My concern is that gap between our best and our worst footy - the gap is closing but we still have those big game days where for at least 30-40 mins we get blown awsy
i think our winning ways and hard nosed attitude will come in time as the nucleus of our team plays more and more and wins more and more
this year we MUST finish top 4 and we MUST win a final to take another step forward
"This year we MUST finish top 4 and we MUST win a final to take another step forward"
Easily achievable....cut out the same errors that the same individuals make & have in their game.
That's the difference with the Storm.
We've played footy good enough to beat any team in the past two years so it's not a question of can we because we can and we have.
but it's doing it in the biggest games under the most pressure
in performance literature there's this idea that under pressure ppl instinctively revert to their habits - what's in the auto pilot - I think we are playing better under pressure this year but we still need to do it in September- I think we will and I hope the cosching staff and playing group grow an extra ounce of self belief and confidence that we can build on and make a GF in 2023 if not this year
Agreed Embers. I've been saying something similar for years, about BA. All his focus on "effort" is in the end a focus on what the player consciously does. But skilled performance also includes what they unconsciously do without time to reflect or decide. I feel BA is not quite there yet in coaching to the kind of "natural role playing" that Bellamy is obviously good at coaching. Hence the Eels can fall out of defensive shape under pressure or drop that marginal pass
Most annoying game for both last year and this year were the games against rabbitohs where we conceded 38 points on both occassions.. We need to learn to handle the pressure against big teams. We've been in finals footy for 3/4 previous seasons. We have the experience, just the mental toughness to fight back when things are tough.
I for a moment thought on the weekend that the eels would be having another poor game at home like they did with the dragons and sea eagles, but the 2nd half showed exactly what they need to perform for the full 80mins. The skill, the talent is all there, it's just the application that's required and I hope the boys turn up next week against the panthers. If we can cause an upset win, it'll bring a world of confidence to them and also I can pick on my boss about it as he's a panthers supporter. I hate seeing the panthers mat outside the office and the jersey in his room..
The storm and roosters play for those six agains while they're setting their defence happens all the time, dropping the ball cold gives me the shits.......We need speed, Again Moses is the quickest guy in our club, the difference in speed of the mark between Fergo and Dunster is chalk and cheese, and every player needs to put in 110% so 1 prop and fast backs is what Parra needs
I wonder if Bellamy would consider swapping big Nelson for bubble bath Lane. Nelson does rattle people whereas Lane cuddles them to the ground. Alas, he appears to be BA favourite.
In 2019, Moses had so many try assists from his kicking game. This year, its mainly his aerial kicks that he gets try assists from. However, in 2019 he had many try assists from grubbers where the backrower (Manu Mau) or the Centre (Taka/Hoffman) would score. I would really like to see him use that combination with W Blake who has plenty of speed.
Please no one harp about it being a try from a kick. These are set plays used to break down defensive lines. It may stop them from coming up and in which then allows us to go around teams. Yes, we could be more dangerous inside an opposition red's zone through set plays (passing), but kicks are equally valuable.
Agreed, Electric. We might want the Eels to attack like, say, the Bunnies' deep flowing outside backs. Looks pretty. But the Eels attack differently. Just a fact. They run angles through the middle third and drive the opposition onto their heels, then shift to the wing or kick through. Not pretty. Can be affective. Is it affective enough against Top 4? Only if Eels play for 80 with high completions.
I like our team in general.
Happy with most of the squad but here's the changes I'd make to the run on team.
1. Fast strike center.
2. Two fast wingers.
3. Replace Lane & Matto and go all out for the Cheese next contract.
Im happy with the front row and the spine, think they are close to the best group in the comp. 2nd row we are well covered I just think we need a player in the mould of ray price that never gives up, never stops and to me that guy is Brandon Smith. Get the cheque book out.
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