Not official and not mentioned anywhere else as of yet, though with Isaiah Iongi set miss 4 weeks, it is a blow to Parra's end of season and our challenge to avoid the spoon. Though it is doom and gloom make no mistake, is it as doom and gloom as many say? I think not. Ryles actually did the right thing in bringing in Joash Papali'i as an extra Fullback. A Fullback that many would have argued at the start of the year could have started Round 1 over Iongi.
Is Papali'i as good as Iongi? No, of course not, he would have started if that was the case. But what he did do was show he was too good to be in NSW Cup, but the issue is Papali'i is a Fullback through and through. We have tried to pidgeon hole him to fit him in somewhere and hope it works so he can play. So though Iongi is a loss, i feel we only lose a little bit with Papali'i at Fullback. If Moses was still out then yeah that is a loss, Moses is the biggest loss of this team overall. I am confident to say if Moses plays every game this year, we are more around 7-8 wins, not 5.
Now the big thing for fans is avoiding the spoon. Currently we are tied with Souths on F/A and they have a bye in hand. GC are only 8 points behind in F/A and we have a win in hand. Do we still avoid it without Iongi? Yeah i think we do. GC had their chance against Wests and couldn't do it. Now Tino is out, their leader, that's the nail in the coffin for them winning another game this year. Their best hope is Souths at CBUS but Souths are still at least trying.
Though Iongi could be on track to play Roosters in Round 25. Could we beat NQ and Souths, who experts expect us to beat, without Iongi? Yes we can as not only do we have Papali'i to replace Iongi, we have Brown to come in at 5/8.
Brown has not had a good season, however he is competent at least working along side Moses. Could be worse with Volkman coming into the 6 spot for the mean time. Brown alongside Moses this year is a better player. Games against Tigers, Sharks, Dolphins, Knights are games where Brown was running, making breaks, setting up tries and scorint tries. In those 4 matches he was averaging 162 metres per game as well. Plus, Brown might want a redemption type game, f-you to Ryles type form. Many here will blast that saying he doesn't care and frankly wouldn't surprise me as Brown could cure world hunger and people here would complain that the food he did that with is rubbish. But it is true, you have a 130+ game 5/8 coming back in, that is a plus no matter the form. Many saw last week Papali'i try too much, well it would probably be better having Brown be basic for this team moving forward. I am not a Brown apologist as i knocked him years ago saying he was overrated and not worth the hype. But the bloke can play, he is experienced and has played so much with Moses it will help us get wins.
Iongi will be back to finish the year and it is better than originally where he was expected to miss the rest of the season. He at least gets a few more game to finish the season.
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Nice post NOS.
And if we can't attract players then F off the dopes we have now selling the club and find the best in the business to lure players.
From the outside looking in, it seems as though R&R is our Achilles heel right now and the club needs to make some changes in this department before we start closing in on 50 years without a trophy.
100%, Frank.
Perfect way to put it. If R&R aren’t our achilles heel, then prove it?
Give members & fans some reason to believe they are reviewing everything within R&R processes, resources, with an eye on becoming the destination club for players & their agents.
Give us a plan in media spin if you need too, dress your PR pig in lipstick, but give us a reason to keep investing in this club with hearts & wallets.
Tino Fafousiamlaisouamslso is apparently available, David Fifita, Sandon Smith, the Warriors have too many edge backrowers to fit in first grade, the Dogs are flush with outside backs, where are we? Where are we at with recruitment?
Of course, we can respect a code of silence, to a degree, but when that code leads to more silence & no where else, its time to start knocking the door down.
The Eels want their fans to buy in, to ‘look to the future’, to pay to go and watch a complete rebuild, one that wasn't inevitable, so give us a reason to.
I’ve been positive on Ryles & the changes, but it will mean sweet FA if we don’t start purchasing some players.
We’ve missed recruits we badly needed, and now we are manufacturing a first grade 5/8th out of a player who has barely played there in Cup.
Patience is running out for us fans, & id expect it is for Ryles & some of our senior players also?
Mitch Moses made some telling comments, Ryles has also.
At what point does R&R come under the microscope within this club?
If the team motto " next man up ", is to be followed, then it looks like twiddle may make his debut. I would like to see lomax to fb.
Oh yeah good write up LB.
I always thought Brown would be an OK fullback.
Maybe he goes there and the work experience kid stays at 5/8?
Lomax to full back, Brown to centre, papalli 5/8, Simmo to wing.
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