Eels Blogs

First of all, we are all hurting with another final series where the Eels were again bundled out losing two straight finals games. This hurts us all but what we don't need to do is turn on each other because we have differing opinions on what went wrong, who is to blame and how to fix it. We are all frustrated and want the Eels to not only return to the big game but ultimately win it, but we just haven't been able to do that.  

Here are some simple changes that I think should be done next season that might work?

1. The Eels don't need mass sackings, whether that be the coach or to pay players to play elsewhere, that is an endsum game and only hurts the club in the long term. We have a roster that can do it, we didn't finish 3rd by accident or get lucky. They played some real good footy and in the early part of the season and everyone was singing every players, and the coaches praises but alas, COVID hit, injury hit and our fortunes changed. The Eels must, and can learn from that. One can only hope that another season where they were unable to live up to the hype will lead to not only players, but coaches and staff realising that changes need to be made and individuals need to be held accountable. In saying that, this is a team sport and individuals don't win premierships. If that was the case Hayne and the Eels would have won endless premierships. Until you have a unified team all working together and holding each other accountable, nothing will change and our outcome will repeat itself as it did this season. Finishing 3rd is a lot better than finishing below it and certainly a lot better than never even being in contention. 

2. Everything starts at the top and flows down from there so the coach is were the Eels need to start. He got us off to the best start we have seen from the Eels in longer than I can remeber so credit were credit is due, he can coach. Now he needs to be able to adapt and take it to the next level where the Eels consistantly play for 80 minutes and can handle adversity and pressure. If BA is not able to do that then the Eels need to move him on because we don't have another 7 years worth of trying to get it right in the hope that we get lucky and jag one. Re-signing BA so early in the season was the wrong call and should have been held off unitl the end of the season at least but nonetheless, he is here and it would be silly to just punt him now and have to pay him out. I believe that he should be given next season to get them to at minimum the semi finals or he needs to be moved on. I hate the idea of paying out coaches or players because it means you have simply given up and thrown the towle in which is a defeatist attitude. I like the idea of Jason Taylor or shane Flanagan being brought in as assistant coaches with as possible succesion paln in place for them to take the job when BA's tenure is up. Jason Taylor had the Eels best attacking plays in a long time when he was here. This should not be BA's call and the board need to simply tell him this is how it is going to be. I know he probably wouldn't like it but I am certain if we won a premiership because of it he would get over it. BA needs to be comfortable and able to drop players who aren't performing week in, week out. He has hardly dropped anyone and wants to be everyones mate and this leads to complacency and very little fear of ever being dropped. If you can't act like a highly paid first grade player and leave it all out on the field week in, week out, then you're out. They will get rid of BA quicker than getting rid of a number of players, so he may as well get them to play like their careers hang on it because BA's career does hang out it. Leaders need to be respected more than liked and if you respect someone you generally like them anyway, just maybe not love them. BA needs to instill toughness in the team and that is how he will lead by example. If he isn't scarred to make the tought calls then the team won't be either. Complacency breeds complacency. 

3 Mitch Moses. There is a lot of conjecture about whether Mitch Moses is the organising half we need to get us to a premiership? He has played his entire career at 5/8 until the last few years and Dylan Brown has played his at halfback until recently. Lets change that up for the first 5-10 games of next season and see how that goes? Paying Mitch to play somewhere else is an end sum game which only hurts the club in the long term. Rather than waist money without trying to fix the issues, lets try making the easy solution and see if it works? If it doesn't then nothing will and the harder decisions can be made at the end of the year about how much money and time the Eels are prepared to throw away before becoming a contener again. It will likely take a number of season to rebuild if paying coaches out and players to play elsewhere is the route the Eels take.   

4 Sivo. There was nothing wrong with his defence in the earlier part of the season but then COVID hit, he hit the gym and got a little to big and to slow. Even the trainers said that they needed to tell him to ease back on the weights. The way Sivo was built was like a second rower and I believe was part of the reason he injured his knee. It was a simliar scenario for Kikau at the Panthers. He got big, got multiple injuries on his knee and was told to lose weight. Since then he has been plaing better than ever and hasn't had a reaccurance of his knee injury. The weight Sivo was when he first started playing for the Eels was perfect. Not too big, not to slow, just right. Get him back to that and I think we will see him return to his barnstorming best. 

5 Fergo. His best days are behind him, he is 30 and unfortunately he has settled into Parramatta's near enough is good enough and complacency is acceptable culture. Look at how he was when he first got here and the effect he had on the team, now look at him and the team. Again, this all starts at the top and BA is the only one who can fix this. Time to make the tough calls.

6 Reed Mahoney. This kid is good but needs work on a few areas like all players do and we need to remember he is 22yrs old and is being looked at for Origin. Reed needs to work on not giving away silly penalties at curcial times in a game (this is more an Eels problem than just him), his running game and game management. If he can fix up those things then he is a legitimate super star in the making. Whether he can and will is up to him and the coaches. This is something a good coach should be able to identify and resolve but is also something that usuallty comes with time and experience.

7 Fullback. People on here are talking about moving Gutho to another postion and putting someone else there (Addo-carr). This is a really bad idea in my opinion. Gutho is one of the best Fullbacks in the game and will be up there for the Dally M award or best Fullback for the season. We don't need to change that.

8 Lane. He certainly hasn't played anywhere near as good in the back end of the season as he was in the earlier part of the season. Unfortunately, half the Eels side is guilty of that and the COVID break was the worst thing to happen to the Eels this season. This is something BA needs to fix. Any player who can't put in, week in, week out, needs to be benched or dropped, simple as that. If they know that they won't be playing if they can't be consistent, watch the consistency all of a sudden be part of our culture. Everyone is accontable for their own actions and the coach is accountable for everyones. That's the life of a coach and if BA can't handle that, find another line of work.

9 Waqa. Last night was one of Waqa's better defensive games in a while and I think he is still tentative about putting his shoulder into it. Many players suffer from these kind of mental scars after these types of injuries. Look at Gutho with his knees. It has taken him a season or two to get over them but now plays like he never had any knee recos. Again, BA needs to address this and drop him if he won't aim up. Waqa is a good centre with the ability to be a great centre but needs to be pushed and forced to perform like any other player. 

9 M Jennings. If his B sample show positive, his career is over. M Jennings is getting old and we needed to have a succesion plan anyway, now it is just going to be expodited. Give Dunster a go either here or on the Wing in place of Fergo. If the Eels don't think Dunster is ready for centre just yet then they need to make a play for a good center. Staggs would be my preferd choice but he is likely to be out for a while with his knee injury so I am not sure if that is the direction the club should go but Staggs is a talent and centre or wing needs to be resolved.

10 Forwards. Losing Davey considering how he has played is very dissapointing but there is nothing that can be done about that now. This is an are of concern if Lane cannot get back to how he played in the beggining of this season. We are losing Evans, who played well in patches and good for the season, Terepo who on occassions added some strike but ultimately isn't worth holding onto, Alvaro who just couldn't consistantly play well and Taka who I don't think is that bad a player. He defintely has moments of brilliance and that pass behind the back last night showed it. I don't think it would be a bad idea to hold onto him but I think he is a better back than a forward. We have two great Props and need to have players who can get in and hold the fort while they take a breather. Kafusi looks good and just needs time and experience like most young players do but we need at least one more prop and possibly two or three back rowers to round out our pack.

I firmly believe these are the obvious and easy changes that can change our fortune next season. That doesn't mean they will absolutely work but it is the least dissruptive to the team and is worth a shot before we go for the large scale changes that will ultimately mean re-building the club. The Eels have had enough of that to show that it's not that easy a fix.

Lastly, we need the entire club, from top to bottom to get rid of its culture of not holding individuals accountable. Not responsible like its all their falut, but not accepting it and making the tough calls when required. The Eels won't get lucky and win the Premiership, it doesn't happen like that and if it was going to it would have been in 09. They either all come together, buy into what is trying to be achieved and no longer accept "almost".

Maybe these ideas could work and maybe then can't but this way doesn't require hole sale changes and rebuilding again?

If we go the hole sale changes we are at least two season away, bare minimum, from having another shot, if not longer.