Eels Blogs

......................Well, that was something. Even had Moses slotted the goal or field goal i would not be impressed still, but it would be a win. I had that feeling all week, even saying it on the team list discussion this is a dangerous match. They had nothing to lose and we had pressure to put a cricket score on them purely on the fact that we are seen as top 4 quality and they are well last (not anymore). One thing i will say is that game itself with NRL fan glasses on was actually quite an entertaining game, but as an Eels fan not a game worth watching again, had i been a general fan, or a fan of another team i would have said that was a great game to watch on a weekend of some decent games.

33 missed tackles is the bug bare of the stats, as well as 11 errors and 67% completion. That there says you lose a game. Even worse for myself thought it was going to be a good win for my late dad's bday being yesterday, and those bastards decided to disappoint again. As my dad would say "typical" ahahah.

Most Impressive:

Nobody: Ok lets move on..... Nah just kidding.

Marata Niukore: One player who can hold his head high, Marata was great tonight, even when running through the middle, wow imagine that Niukore running well in the middle of the park would make you think he should have been played in the middle for some impact? But hindsight speaking later in the game when Opacic went down he would've been moved out wide anyway. Went off with some tightness late as that would come with match fitness and the work he put in. 112 metres, 5 tackle breaks and 11 tackles 0 missed in a game where 33 were missed. Scored a nice try also.

Reagan Campbell-Gillard: I love this bloke, if there is one forward you conserve during the year and not run into the ground it is this bloke, why not use Greig and Maka on the bench to your advantage and give him some well earned breaks especially before half then give him the last 25-30 to finish off? 57 minutes and would have been more if not for his injury, 157 metres and 3 tackle breaks, he has been the most consistent player all year.

Hayze Perham: I want to give a shout to Hayze, as he was good in his short stint on the field. He ran well and saved that try late in the second half. Should've started simple as that, Niukore would have added impact through the middle late 1st early 2nd that we needed to get a roll on. Hayze though i felt was disrespected, he has quality, use him, if he fails then oh well we all would have done the same thing and named him. But for what it was worth he was good.

Most disappointing: 

Reed Mahoney: He tried hard to show his 650k worth didn't he? Kicking on third once past the halfway line early in the second half, forced 40/20 that went out on the full with Wests scoring that next set and miss communication and direction with Moses not wanting the ball before the field goal. Reed looks distracted and trying too hard, his form is nowhere near where it should be compared to last year. He is still a top 5 hooker in this league but yesterday made it look fine with him going to Canterbury. His running game would have been muchly needed towards the end with the Tigers middle forwards starting to fatigue but hardly moved. 

Mitch Rein: Didn't have a lot of time to make an impact but my word does he have butter on his hands or is he trying to impress, two weeks of 15 mins and two weeks of losing the ball cold on a run. That drop ball in a crucial part of the game in our own 40 was not needed thankfully it did not hurt us after by conceading in the corresponding set.

Isaiah Papali'i: 12 runs, 88 metres. He is a middle forward, plain and simple. What do you get out of having Matterson in the middle and Papali'i who is bigger and has a better motor playing the full 80 in the back-row. Papa should have started at Prop for Paulo with Matterson starting, already you have a better bench with Kaufusi and Maka. But other than try, Papa did not have a good day, mimicked the performance of the club he is going to in 2023 based off their first month of 2022. Mid second half had an overlap and needed to get the pass to Simonsson, his pass was awful and thought would Matterson had passed it better? to which i say absolutley. Papa is an impact player, start at prop or come off the bench, he is leaving for 2023 so if he doesnt like it too bad but we are better team when he is in the middle.

Gutherson taunting Laurie: What in the f*** was he doing? it was embarrassing, down 14-10 at half-time at home and your main focus was to get back at Laurie after he taunted you? Does that sound like a captain to you? i abused him while at the game simply saying look at the score you idiot focus on that and not getting back at Laurie. It showed frustration and fear, if you are confident in your abilities you move on and get back at him by winning in the end, it showed mental weakness, give me one other captain in the NRL who would have done that, happy to be proven wrong.

Moses not stepping up when needed: Two chances to ice the game, field goal and conversion and missed both. Added his kick choices late in the game were poor, putting a bomb up barely going 10 metres letting it bounce for Wests to have a new set 30 metres from their own line, that is where you drive it to their own corner and have play out from their own line. Goint off the script by going side to side is an old Parramatta trick to show the fans they are panicking, he should be in control to bring it back to grinding, and there were glimpses then when we are in reach we go back to erratic and lose the good work we earned earlier. This is Moses's team, BA would give him leeway to do his own thing here and there if the game fits, but he lost control and way to early did he lose it.

Oregon Kaufusi: 50 NRL games and every start he has been given makes me not convinced in Kaufusi. He started fine, decent runs, then he missed a crucial tackle leading the Wests break. The drop ball near our line when we had momentum. Kaufusi has never taken his opportunity when starting, 2021 he had a great start to the year, got a start mid way through and was never the same to the point where Maka was preferred in a semi over him. If RCG is out, Papa should get the start and Oggy to the bench, i look at Kaufusi and think Greig, Rodwell and Ogden would all do the same if not slighly better yet he gets the nod? What is BA going to do next year when Kaufusi is gone and needs a prop? "Oh no, i have to play Greig who has only 3 NRL games? or Rodwell only 1 game? i dont trust them yet was happy to keep them for 2 more years" He needs to play them and let them develop, name one of them with Maka and Kaufusi and the best player win, see if one or both outplay the others, i wouldn't be surprised.

Brad Arthur: His decision of the bench puts him here, when it was announced on the tuesday we all said "He will shift it on gameday, he has to" Well BA did what he always does, never does a smokescreen what is named is what is going to happen majority of the time. I understood what they were doing but it showed arrogance to think late in the game we would be comfortable enough to just shift a centre into the middle and Perham slots in and adjusts to the speed. Should have just started Perham and go from there. He loves versitility in our players yet trusts it too much where it disrupts the team mid game moving them all over the place. Yes injuries do not help, but he mentions early in the year our depth is great the best we've had since he signed. WELL IF THAT IS THE CASE PLAY THE BLOODY PLAYERS BA!!!!!. If you love our depth show it by playing them. If anything this is the worst he has been in trusting players and makes me think are we in trouble next year if we are relying on our depth to take over for those moving on? Plus the way he gives the middle a break. Takes both props off, then brings Brown off brings RCG back on, then when Maka is tired instead of using the third bench player he brings Paulo back on then Brown comes on and gives Kaufusi a break then Kaufusi back for Paulo etc. Trust your third player. The 4th spot i can live with as it is usually a utility who gets on late and usually a once he is on he is on as it is waste of a bench selection to bring them on and off after playing with only 8. BA looked dejected, as he should be, in the presser but compared to Robinson or Bellamy, he looked pathetic to be honest, BA is a great coach but sometimes i wonder why he is still making rookie errors when we know he is better, by year 9 he shouldn't be naming a bench like that. Robinson might but he has 3 rings on his finger to get away with it.

Anyway that was a shocker, going through history not many times a team has won a premiership while losing to a team that finished last or second last, Wests i think will be 15th or 16th unless NQ, Canterbury and Brisbane have shockers. Melbourne are the only team i can recall, when they lost to us in 2012 and went on to win the premiership, it is rare and at home too is even worse.

It is not the end of the season, a 50 point loss is worse, still 18 games left, we will be in semis. Let's judge the squad and BA after week 2 of the semis, judge them accordingly based on if they are still there or not passed week 2 as that's the bench mark. Injuries have not helped, and this is where BA needs to trust his depth more than ever.

As for changes well if there were no injuries i still think BA would name changes, usually naming a team a day after a game on a monday they name the same 17, we wont know RCG and Opacic's diagnoses atm so hard to say. RCG out and Paulo in is a swap but i think Papa to prop and Kaufusi to the bench with Matterson at 12. Opacic out with Penisini back to the centre and Perham on the wing with Cartwright being on the bench or Greig. I can also see Rein dropping out for, dare i say it, JA or BA might go with Maka, Kaufusi, Greig and Cartwright. A big bench for a big pack with the Saifiti brothers, Klemmer and Frizell.

Up to you BA let's see what you got, going to Newcastle where we have had an awful record of late, winning last year easily mind you, but never good travelling for us.