Last night against the Broncos was without doubt our biggest game of the season. I try to be optimistic but unfortunately, as expected, it ended in complete and utter dissapointment. I am seperating my thoughts following last night's game on 3 areas that stand out to me.
- Brad Arthur
- The Boo's directed at Jake Arthur before the game
- The team itself and the club as a whole.
Brad Arthur:
It's been 9 years since BA was appointed Coach. Make no doubt about it, I think BA has done a brilliant job in turning this club around from what it once was. Before the BA era, Finals Footy was something I couldn't even imagine. It was bad year after bad year. When he came in, he inhereted a mediocre team, with a disfunctional board. We simply couldn't compete at the top level. Over the 9 years, we have progressively improved over time. By no means was it a quick fix, it was a slow year on year improvement with 2018 being an anomaly. As of 2022, every player in our squad was signed under BA's reign. This is HIS SQUAD that HE BUILT. It's becoming clear that we reached our peak in 2021. 2021 was our best season. I know we didn't finish top 4, but he had us playing good footy come finals time and we almost beat Penrith, the eventual Premiers. It's safe to say that 2022 has been a failure. Coming into 2022, we had our best team ever under the BA. All reports were that we are Premiership contendors this year, and rightly so. Fans were saying it, the media were saying it, and more importantly, everyone in and around the club clearly ear marked the Premiership as the goal for 2022. The players and coaches were saying it all through the media. We had our spine who were playing their 3rd full season together, building nicely. Early on in the season, we found out we'd be losing players like Reed, Papali'i, Marata, Kaufusi and Opacic. It was apparant that in 2023, there's no way that our squad will be better than it is now. That made it clear, 2022 was the year we had to deliver because BA was never going to have a team as good as it is right now. As the season progressed, everything outside of our own team was going our way and shaping nicely. We got early season wins against the Storm and Penrith. That's 4 points we wouldn't have forecasted as WINS, setting us up nicely. Melbourne have had an uncharacteristic season, dropping points and even losing 3 in a row, maybe even 4 in a row this season. If we had our house in order, a top 2 finish would've been very realistic for us, setting us up with a home final in week 1 of the finals. Unfortunately, we lose games that we are expected to win against the Dogs and Tigers and for me, that summed up our season. It was clear that there is an attitude problem with this team and as the season goes on, it's clear that BA has failed to address it. I believe we've reached our ceiling under BA. 2021 was our peak and now we've moved backwards in 2022 when really, we should have progressed. We see teams like the Sharks, Cowboys and the Broncos DRASTICALLY IMPROVE in the space of 12 months under new coaches, yet we have progressively improved over 8 years and have gone backwards in the 9th year. The Sharks coach is a rookie. The Cowboys coach is quite inexperienced compared to BA. And the Broncos coach, let's be honest is more of a man manager than a football coach. It's clear to me that BA has to go. There's no reason why we can't progressively improve in 12-24 months with a new coach. Ciraldo would be my pick, but it seems like we've missed the boat on that already. Time to say thank you, but goodbye BA. It's getting bad.
The Boo's directed at Jake Arthur before the game:
I was very dissapointed to see this happen. I don't like to see any player get boo'd, especially a young player who is TRYING, which we can't say for some of the older blokes. While I don't agree with the fans that boo him, I've got to say, BA and the club are equally to blame. They are not doing Jake any favours by putting him in this side who are clearly struggling. They are putting a young 19 year old half on the bench, playing at hooker, for 5-10 minutes. Is that really what Jake needs right now at this stage in his career? He should be playing 80 minutes as the halfback in NSW Cup and getting more experience. What does he get out of this? He gets 5-10 minutes in a position he will never play in and as a cosnequence, fans have started turning on him. Let's be real, they are turning on him because he is BA's son. That's the real reason. I think BA and the club are doing a massive disservice to Jake and I fear it's going to impact his career moving forward. He will need some very thick skin to get back from this moving forward.
The team itself and the club as a whole:
I have serious concerns about the club moving forward. We've built a team under BA that is not capable of winning the competition. I think the team has a good foundation, but I don't believe there's anyone in this team that can break a game open. There's clearly a missing piece to this puzzle. Take someone like James Tedesco. Put him in this team, and I think we become legit. I think we should've gone hard after Joey Manu when he was negotiating his contract. Could've played him at fullback, but unfortunately, BA would never let go of Gutho. That leads me into our retention. We'ved messed up big time letting Papali'i go. I'm not too fussed over Reed because he's been horrible this season. There's also the issue of our junior development system. The club and the fans of this club have managed to convince themselves that we actually have a good junior system but that couldn't be further from the truth. The truth is, we don't have many quality players coming through, if any. We are coming 9th in Jersey Flegg, 11th in SG Ball, 5th in Harrold Matts and 6th in NSW Cup. In the past, we've been a force in the junior leagues and now, it looks horrible. Other clubs have great young players already breaking through into First Grade, yet we aren't bleeding any of our young players into the First Grade side because there simply isn't anyone good enough.
All of it is a mess, and in my opinion, it needs to start with getting rid of BA. Thank you, but good bye.
Replies
My thoughts in fewer words, they're fucked
Bit polite there Slugg.
All valid points. BA did a great job getting us out of that massive hole we were in, and guided the team trhough all of the salary cap dramas. But that was a long time ago now and we are not seeing improvement in the team. The game plan is the same as it has been for the past few years, 4-5 hit ups and a bomb. The edge defence is garbage and the middle defence struggles against the better packs. BA has outstayed his welcome at the club, and if moves aren't being made behind the scenes for Ciraldo then the club needs to have a good look at itself.
The booing of JA is very poor. I get the frustration at him being in the team, but that is on BA, not JA. I agree, he should be playing reserves at half if that is his position, not a few minutes at hooker in first grade. It is doing nothing for his development, and surely his confidence is taking a hit as well.
If you dont like JA's selection maybe don't cheer when his name is read out. Just stay silent. Booing one of our own is a low act by low people.
Yeah i did that with Reed haha, hurts me still he is off to Canterbury despite him playing average. So i do not bother clapping for him, but JA just a slight clap, end of the day he is a Parramatta player.
Booing a team is fine.
Booing a player (unless it's an opposition player) isn't.
As for the team, it is clear to see they are disjointed and not playing for each other.
I said when players announced they were leaving that it would create disharmony on the field and I think that's clear to see.
I also think that BA picking his kid over far far far better options is creating a bit of animosity towards the coach and I definitely think he has now lost the dressing room.
I think the only way we will make the finals this year is if we change the coach before the next game.
Agree BEM, if we were down 30-0, then boo them off at half-time is more than warranted. But booing a 19 year old kid who is doing as he is told being in the team is not right.
Agree Bem I also thought when we found out that Mahoney and the others were leaving that they should be replaced throughout this season with other players in the lower grade to prepare them for next year but the coach has done the opposite because he has no idea. I servant see the Eels doing anything substantial this year. Brad Arthur needs to go ASAP. Only Papali'i is really still committed to the Erls out of those that are leaving
Very good blog Parraborn. Our team has a balance of good players mixed with weak minded players, The tactics and game plan are admirable but predictable. The eyes up,footy is being coached out of the spine players and the centres dont even know what they are supposed to do in attack or defence for that matter. We bend the line , we chase the collision but we dont take advantage of that immediately and play football that the asks questions that probes left and right, we become predictable and we waste time with the footy taking settlers instead of asking questions all over the park. Its become obvious now and the spine players can no longer see or trust their instincts to play eyes up. And when they do play eyes up the centres or backup players are not in a position to follow for the offload or pass. They then go straight back to a settler and a middle play then kick. Its very predictable and easy to defend. Thats on the coach, his game plan, his tactics, his drills during training. Its BA style and it cant take us any further. It is a top 8 style but not a premiership winning style.
I enjoyed reading that PB1. Good blog
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