Match Preview: Eels vs Cowboys (R18)

So this is it Eels fans. We lose tonight, we can kiss the season goodbye. If we win, well, who knows, maybe it starts another end-of-season winning streak. A loss tonight cannot be accepted. The Cowboys are playing terribly, we’re at home and the season is well and truly on the line. We have all our stars back and we’ve had a nice long preparation. Our coaches future has been questioned - our backs are well and truly against the well. If we can’t get up for this game, you can quite fairly say that the place is a shambles and we can be thankful that the Storm give us protection against the wooden spoon. We have a great record against the Cowboys, too. We generally do a very good job of aiming up on Thurston and he has seldom starred against the Eels. Without that, the Cowboys have struggled to score points against us and they’re defence isn’t good enough to make it up for it. My information is that the Eels will line up as they have been named with Daniel Mortimer and Jeff Robson in the halves. As such, we shouldn’t see too many changes to the way the Eels have attacked in recent weeks, it will just be a matter of them executing it. For that to happen, both Mortimer and Robson need to threaten the line. I won’t be disappointed if both of them have a number of early digs at the defence before we even think about playing expansively. Opposition defences are sliding without fear, at the moment, and we need to give the middle of the ruck a reason to hold if the likes of Hayne and Mateo are to get space out wider. Jarryd Hayne will of course be instrumental to Parramatta’s fortunes. It is very clear he has been trying to do too much and Wednesday’s State of Origin game, might just have reminded him that first and foremost he is a running player. Of late, we have just not seen Hayne hitting the ball at pace and he has tried to overplay his hand as a playmaker. I think we’ll see Hayne sitting wider and deeper and getting back to his more traditional fullback reign. I hope this might also be the impetus for Feleti Mateo to be more involved. The Eels need a second point of attack and without a dominant half back that responsibility has to fall to Mateo. The Eels have not used Mateo well this year but in recent games he has shown that he is ready to do some serious damage if Parramatta can get him chiming onto the ball at the right time and with support players around him. Defensively, the Eels need to watch the Cowboys clever dummy halves. Both Aaron Payne and Anthony Watts are dangerous runners and that’s where North Queensland have had success against us in the past. It will surprise me if the Cowboys don’t target Jonathon Wright, both in attack and with the ball in the air. Expect Thurston to drift towards Wright with plenty of runners, forcing him to make decisions. And I’m sure Daniel Mortimer will again get a defensive pummeling with the likes of Webb and Mason aiming up at the Eel’s smallest player. After going to our most recent games, not expecting us to score points, I’m more confident we can rack up a few four-pointers tonight. I liked what I saw from Hayne on Wednesday, and also from Mateo in recent games. Those are the two men who can rip into the Cowboys defence and we just need Mortimer and Robson to play straight. I’m sure you’ll see the off-loads back in action tonight and it’s a game that North Queesnland has struggled to control in the past. I’m tipping an Eels win tonight and hopefully we can pull enough confidence out of this match to kickstart some self-belief for the rest of the season.

Yeah because the Panthers are in barn storming form scoring 12 and 6 in their last 2.

Hopefully the boys lift when they have to meaning they win tonight and against the Panthers and get their finals run under way.

Hey we were 15 points after tonight last year, we will be 18 when we win so we are 3 ahead of schedule - no need to stress everyone!!!! LOL

Do you think that is what the team thinks? 6 from 9 will get us into the 8 and i am confident if we knock off tonight and the Panthers we will 100% be there and then win the comp if we make it above 7th.

Priority Order;

1. Win tonigHT
2, Make the 8
3. Finish at least 6th
4, Win the GF

How hard is it?

We got this in the bag!!!!!!!!!!!!

FIRE THE FARK UP EVERYONE CMON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Replies

blueNgold July 12, 2010 at 3:05pm

Cowgirls by 10.

Game Eels should win = epic fail.

Sorry for my lack of confidence, I'd like nothing more than to be proven wrong mind you.
- EelLectric > blueNgold July 12, 2010 at 3:07pm
  
  Yeah, I'm confident of an Eels win.... that's never a good sign......
- 1Eyed Eel > blueNgold July 12, 2010 at 3:46pm
  
  This is a bit different though, because we're under pressure to win. I think the boys know if they lose this they're gone.
Michael Ericson July 12, 2010 at 3:14pm

No win = no semis this year.

Cowboys are a better team on paper than what they have been dishing up.
eels_brad July 12, 2010 at 3:45pm

we'll win comfortably tonight

My tip, Eels 22 to 6

Then we'll lose to the panthers next week by a thousand
- Adam Clarke > eels_brad July 12, 2010 at 4:05pm
  
  Yeah because the Panthers are in barn storming form scoring 12 and 6 in their last 2.
  
  Hopefully the boys lift when they have to meaning they win tonight and against the Panthers and get their finals run under way.
  
  Hey we were 15 points after tonight last year, we will be 18 when we win so we are 3 ahead of schedule - no need to stress everyone!!!! LOL
  
  Do you think that is what the team thinks? 6 from 9 will get us into the 8 and i am confident if we knock off tonight and the Panthers we will 100% be there and then win the comp if we make it above 7th.
  
  Priority Order;
  
  1. Win tonigHT
  2, Make the 8
  3. Finish at least 6th
  4, Win the GF
  
  How hard is it?
  
  We got this in the bag!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  FIRE THE FARK UP EVERYONE CMON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nakhlz July 12, 2010 at 5:03pm

I hope we can recreate last years historic run into the finals, but judging by the way we are playing its gonna take a strong kick up the ass to move the Parramatta machine into gear.

Parramatta to win tonight. Hopefully.
- Nakhlz > Nakhlz July 12, 2010 at 5:18pm
  
  So true. So true.
1Eyed Eel July 12, 2010 at 5:05pm

lol. piece of piss Adam!

I'm fired up. C'mon Eels.
joshb78 July 12, 2010 at 6:50pm

Yeah, getting pumped for this one. Hayne looked to be getting back to his running best. Kick off is at 2am here in San Francisco. Staying up to watch cos we can sleep in tomorrow.

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