Eels Blogs

It is amazing how one win forgives all isn't it? it was all doom and gloom with nepotism involved to lining up for GF tickets at your local ticketek box office. 6 days, that is how fast the perception of a season can change depending on the opposition and performance. You have feelings with games, this one is similar. I didn't know about a win but i knew we were in for a top notch performance. 54% possession, that is how you win games. It is odd considering the fact it felt we could not make a divot with our attack, we riding the wave but was getting concerning to a point where i though Penrith are just pushing us back further and further, but we got out of it. 85% completion and 2 penalties conceaded to their 6 is where we also won the match by being better, simple as that. We used only 6 interchanges, which is insane considering the intensity of the match up and the amount of defence we went through, real survival of the fittest match here. Missed tackles were similar 33 to 29 in favour of us, 8 errors each. We doubled the kicking metres, prime reason for that i feel is due to us spending most of the 2nd half in our own half where Penrith would get to their 5th tackle past our own 30 so their kicks were more on depth in the air than length.

Most Impressive: 

Brad Arthur: He's teasing us is he? Is he timing our run? All i can say is kudos BA, you had a game plan and had them up ready to go. Especially defensively, their left side attack apart from the two May tries was non-existent due to pushing from Simonsson and covering from Penisini. BA used his bench well also, again playing the 3 (Matterson, Kaufusi and Makatoa) before the end of the 1st half, prior he would only put two in and work the third bench player in around the 50-55min mark where the crucial part of the game is heading. Bringing the three on before halftime gives Brown, Paulo and RCG a break and uses half-time as an advantage for an extra 15min break giving them a nice 25-30mins to see out the remainder of the game. There will be more average performances coming, which is why i say let's judge at the end of the year, as long as we use quality to get through enough wins for a top 3 finish.

Clint Gutherson: My man of the match, King Gutho was exceptional on Friday night. Defensively monumental with try saving efforts, also in attack was elusive including that effort in 1st half placing a kick into the in goal for a repeat set with a beauty of a tackle on Crichton. 146 metres, 1 line-break, 1 line-break assist, 5 tackle breaks and a try capped off a return to form for the skipper.

Junior Paulo: Another captains knock, priming right in time for Origin in shy of a months time. 207 metres running, especially with carries that got us off our own line after numerous sets on our own line. BA used him nicely giving him 61 minutes. Paulo had 3 straight sets where our attack was stifling in our own zone being carried by big Junz who would pick up a 10 metre gain, does not sound like much but considering how much time we spent inside our own 20 to start sets, 10 metre runs offered us that breathing space.

Bailey Simonsson: Under the high ball and defensively was incredible, his best performance since wearing the blue and gold. Not a game where you go ""wow look at him" overall, but a great game that stifled to attack on Penrith on their favoured left side.

Ryan Matterson: Three straight weeks on this list, sort of a fun reinnasance to witness here with Matto. Going from being signed to a 3 year 1.7 mil contract on the cusp of Origin to go to year 3 no Origin selections and now looking for a club. With his current form it is dangerous to not negotiate with him now, 2 years with an option is fair, he has proven his worth as an edge and middle forwards with impact ability off the bench. His line for his try was incredible, the step on Edwards added to it, really took air out of the stadium and really got momentum shift we needed. Matterson adds energy off the bench consistently.

Oregon Kaufusi: This inclusion is more so due to how poor he was last week, Oregon or 'Oggy' as he can be called was much better this week against better opposition, he looked like a player with 54 NRL games experience. Kaufusi to me will always be a worthy squad player and will rack up 100-150 NRL games in his career without being a full-time starter, therefore the offer from Cronulla was too good to pass up for him, so his role at the club is exactly what it should be and hope he can continue more consistently.

Isaiah Papali'i: Massive stats, 186 metres, 9 tackle breaks and 48 tackles. I had thoughts of Papa perhaps having 2nd year syndrome after a break-out year but proved he is and forever will be a changed player since departing New Zealand, not sure if he will continue it at Wests next year but at the moment as long as he is doing it for us couldn't care less. Papa added brut and strength to a Penrith back-row that intimidate the opposition by their line speed and quickness, Papa wasn't fazed, a few times getting knocked for short gain but continued like a man possessed. Like Duke Evans, Apollo Creed's trainer, in Rocky II "I saw that man get beat no man had ever been hit before, and the man kept coming after you". That was Papa, got hit a few times and kept coming after them.

Honorable mentions: rest of the team.

Most Disappointing

Gerard Sutton: Overall it was not a dreadful game from Sutton who let the game flow in the 2nd half, however that Kikau drop ball and the penalties in the first 15 mins really took steam out of what was one the best games in the last 3 years. For a ref that is considered the best in the game it was a poor read, with whistle in mouth ready to blow knock on it was a poor miss. The touchie is probably more at fault also, though Sutton saw it too in clear site, should have made the call himself.

Bryce Cartwright: More so disappointed he didn't get on to be apart of a great win. It is a bit of a dilemma for Cartwright as his spot in the team is not what i thought it would be, Bryce is not a BA back-rower. BA's back-rowers all do the same thing; able to ball play and offload, tackle and play in the middle. Cartwright can do one of those things well, another pretty well but it hampers the other, as in his defence is solid but not good enough to play big minutes in the middle. BA does not trust Cartwright in defence and its simple as that, makes me wonder why they signed him til 2023 considering he is getting as much game time as last year, well early last year before his broken jaw he was considered to start so not sure what happened since then. Cartwright is the black sheep of the back-rowers in the club, has Matterson type attack but his defence is easily the weakest of the group, the contract extension would have been better used on Papa earlier on than Cartwright but here we are. I like Bryce and hope he can get a full-time spot but 17 might be better suited to a Perham type player that can fill in the backs, if he doesn't get on then so be it but they are there ready.

Players leaving: The players leaving in this squad makes our squad next year weaker, we could make a dynasty had we re-signed most of those players, we have proven we are good enough to match it and let this team develop further and further. Players leaving with only one spot being replaced with Hodgson and even then it is a question mark. This is the year to win if any but could have been more.

That's it, onto Easts in Magic Round, they were played back into form against the Gold Coast, no Verrills so weakens their hooker stock unless Watson is back. For us i expect same 17, only changes might be Russell back to the wing and Perham perhaps replacing Cartwright at 17, but BA might reward Perham with keeping his spot on the wing.