Seems like a few things are starting to go our way with the Ado Carr negative sample, best and knights dispute and even grabbing Luai for half price for a season. Not used to all these little things going our way lol. Bring on 2027
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I guess you could see things as being due to luck. It's good to have choice, to have options available to you, not be in a position of inferiority or desperation. I think we've just made a conscious effort to change our ways from how we conduct business. In the near term there's going to be some pain but in the long run it's going to pay dividends.
I think there is a bit of urgency needed as we need pieces around our best players and Moses isn't going to be around forever.If we aren't in the business of winning now why bother with keeping Moses.Long term is great but if we aren't serious about winning now as above let Moses go to a team that is.
I disagree entirely with the logic of letting Moses go. How does it help the Eels to let their chief organizer go? Moses has the best long kicking game in the NRL, is very fast for a half, and has become a very good defender. What I do not understand is why it isn't obvious that, to use Coryn's words, it is the pieces around Moses that matter?
Examples from 2026 include the Broncos. They had the likes of Haas and Carrigan up front and Staggs and Walsh out the back, but lacked any stability in thre halves and failed. The Cowboys had the likes of Luki and Nanai in their backrow and flyers galore out back like Purdue, Laybutt and Chester, but could not manage the absence of Deardon. The Raiders spent the season building leads they could not sustain because they had an inexperienced spine in Sanders, Strange and Weekes.
So I fail to see the logic in not keeping an experienced, excellent #7 and building the pieces around them. The only thing to manage at that point is the transition plan. See Manly for how not to manage a transition plan. Of course you will also lose some potential future halves, see Eels with Sanders and Talagi.
Knights did ok without star halves . Arguably our best game of the season was in the abcence of Moses . And our worse game of the season was with him . Yeah you could argue his injuries hampered him , injuries which were a result of his somewhat selfish choices to play rep football whilst already not 100% fit .
im not advocating to punt him , but unless his attitude is adjusted I cant see us being any worse off without him considering his salary .
Moses has a shit attitude for a 1.3+ million dollar captain .
I think the concept of 'luck' is actually the best way to frame the Eels' 2027 chances.
Su'A, Leniu & Luai are all rep players signed to play first 17 every week. It is unfashionable to say but maybe only the Dragons have recruited more instant-starters? If we grant all the critique of the Eels' retention and recruitment, that's some good luck?! Also, the Eels have got lucky with Tuivati, Brown and Talagi all coming thorugh as props at the same time, but we also have Paulo, Leniu and Moretti who can all start. So we have a mix of expereinced props and next gen props and no need to run the minutes up on young props too quickly. Meanwhile, Su'A, Kautogo and Williams can all start at backrow, and we got lucky that Williams is so portable.
Also, the Eels look very good in the halves: if Moses and Luai stay fit and because Volkman has proved his worth as backup or starter. Getting a premiership winning and international rep #6 for $700k? Total luck. Moses getting injured round one of the world cip not 5 weeks later? Bad luck but good luck for round one.
In the outside backs, though, luck will determine everything. That is, everything has to go right for the Eels not to be in trouble out wide. If we get lucky we have serviceable but not brilliant backline. If we get unlucky we have a patched together backline unable to defend against brilliant backlines. Iongi played just 13 games in 2026, and 10 of them were between injuries when his form was off. Iongi has to be at #1 all year, as Ryles had built an attacking structure utlizing his ball playing and running on swwp plays. Who is the backup for Iongi? It appears there is none. JAC has left wing. Schiller is backup?Does Kelly's surprising success at right wing in 2016 lock him into right wing? Simmonson his backup? Penisini, like Iongi in 2026, also had an indifferent year. Pensini missed most of the year, only playing 12 games, and seemed to battle chronic groin and pelvic injuries all year, which contributed to him ranking way too high for missed tackles. Penisini is not there to be a creative centre (ball playting too unreliable), instead hard running and strong defense, but both failed him in 2026. Simmonson and Schiller his backups but is Penisini's starting poisition vulnerable to his backups? Surely Ryles cannot again tolerate Penisini's high missed tackle count? At left centre Samrani's utility value might see him gravitate toward the bench? Is he under threat from Nanva and Schiller, even Simmonson?
It's early but I think IF the Eels get lucky and can keep their pack, halves and outside backs both in-form and healthy, the Eels will move up the ladder. But I also think the Eels cannot afford to be as unlucky as 2026, with mass injuries: big outages in their pack, halves or outside backs pose a problem. A hole in any one of those three 'components' and I think the Eels will keep finding ways to lose.
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