Eels Blogs

Mistake #1.

So, I strolled out to G.I.O stadium to watch what I thought would be a fairly easy and pedestrian game of footy. I was just hoping that I might have a couple of Sunday arvo beers to liven the proceedings and be able to get the lads to sign my raggy old Parra T shirt at the end of the game.

No way, was I in for a surprise; the game was a cracker! The running, tackling, passing and most of the kicking was top notch and there were three natural leaders out there for Lebanon; Robbie Farrah, Timmy Mannah and Mitchel Moses, which was just as well because France is not only a very good team but they had a couple of BIG forwards who were not only hard to stop and their unloads were pretty magical. Also, the Froggies' passing game was top-notch and they scored several tries because of it.They're not scared to throw the long ball either and they had to because every time they tried to go up the middle, crunch-time big-time.

Given that the Lebo team had limited time to train together, their ball movement was tradesman-like and the commitment to tackling, outstanding. And there right in the thick of it was Timmy the Tank. What a great player, determined leader and rock solid tackler is our man Tim. No wonder he's the captain of Parramatta. The guy is solid as a rock, mobile as a Kenworth and just as hard to stop. He's always there when he's needed and plays as clean a game as can be played. No shitty tackles, no niggling facials, just whack, you're stopped.

Robbie Farrah was great as well. He's like an eel the way he slides down the field, weighing his options, looking for the main chance and he made plenty of progress today. But the man of the match with a the most spectacular tackle and brilliant, chip-and-chase try and great passing and organizational skills was Mitch Moses. Look. I don't want to put the mocker on the kid by praising him sky-high or predicting how far he's going to go. I'm just impressed as hell by his game, his attitude and his skill.

Finally, the Lebo guys were great! A most of them wouldn't be out of their depth in Aussie first-grade

Mistake #2

The stadium has capacity for 25000, so the 5000 that were there meant I could stroll right to the front and take a ringside seat. It was fantastic. Got a few photies and had a couple whoa! moments when the the Lebs, then the Froggies laid on some clever tries right next to my seat. It was a great spot until the end of the game when the mostly Lebo crowd went gaga, and all of the young bucks came charging down to where they could congratulate their team.

So there I am surrounded by excited, muscled-up Lebs- with-attitude all jostling for a place at the fence, trying to keep my spot, watch my jacket and camera and keep an eye when the boys come around so as to get my shitty shirt signed.

What a goose I am. They were as friendly and nice as anybody else there, French or Aussie or anyone else. The young bloke next to me said 'We've come down from Sydney. My brother's on the team. What brings you out?"

"Parra supporter, come out to see the boys go round".

"Parra eh?" I could see he felt sorry for me. "We're all Bulldog supporters.' By now, the team had come around to where we were, and I leaned out over the fence to try and scam their autographs. And that brings me to

Mistake# 3

because there I am when Mitchell Moses comes strolling past at speed because he's not wearing shorts! The team has pantsed him for being Man-of the Match! And he's laughing and smiling but he ain't stopping to sign nothing or no-one especially for a silly old dude hanging over the fence who's expression says 'merde! why didn't I grab my camera '.

If I've loaded the photies properly, they are :

1) the Lebanese team, the young lady who sang, beautifully, the French National anthem, the boys just after the French scored,