Like many fans I'm frustrated as hell from last night. And it's frustrating because we showed against Brisbane that we are a top 8 side that can go deep into September.
One game does not make a season and we're still likely to make the finals. A St George loss this weekend effectively ends their season.
However, we had an opportunity to move into the Top 4 and stay there last night and we didn't take it.
It wasn't like we were playing Melbourne or the Roosters and were outclassed. We simply didn't turn up and play to our strengths. We didn't complete, we didn't build pressure and in defence we weren't committed.
Sure, you can blow up about Perenara's piss poor performance with the whistle but at the end of the day, he didn't make 14 errors. He didn't miss all those tackles and he didn't make those poor last tackle decisions.
Now, let's remember one thing here. We're still a top 8 team. St George are not a better side than us and we've proven that by beating them twice this season. We've also beaten Penrith and Manly.
We will win more games this season. But we have to be prepared to play the way we did for those six weeks.
Our halves have to kick long and build pressure and not go side ways too early. We have to earn the right against every side to spread the ball. We didn't respect Newcastle last night and we didn't respect the football.
The next three weeks will be a test of our Premiership mettle. We'll faced a Titans side desperate for a win, a Broncos side closing in on the top 2 and a Souths side trying to get a positive from their season.
All three of those sides are beatable. It's up to us to do it and to turn up on the day.
Replies
we got a bad record against the Titans Remember the Titans
I think our record not so great against the Broncos up ride broncos
we mite beat south so its rabbit season
Surely our halves deserve to earn the same degree of ire from of the fans for that dismal performance, with as much enthusiasm and credit as we bestowed upon our halves for the dogs win last week? The trend and tempo of the game is the responsibility of the halves to maintain. Well that's what I've always thought anyway and the rest follow the game plan lead set by them as given by the coach.
Last week we were all waxing lyrical about our dogs win and our halves ability to build and sustain pressure...some even calling for us to re-sign our new half to a lifetime contract, best halves pairing in comp blah blah
I was sitting at home last night yelling at them each time we gained possession to have some bloody patience...guess we all were.
Everyone seemed to play nervously with no patience.
I'm sick to death of Normys lack of ability to lead, settle and getting over excited and it carries on from there every single bad loss with everyone going the 'fancy nervous route'.
Last night we played exactly like dogs did against us, same pair different shit altogether...mental weekness on display for all to see and letting the hype and the 'parra past record' get to them.As much as the dogs halves were shocking in building pressure so to were ours last night.
Our halves crumbled under pressure last night with nerves getting the better of them, think for me I'll just wait and see how they perform under real pressure cooker situations before I go off getting all excited. Phil Gould and nrl media must be thinking well thought as much.
And Sterlo has given Moses the dreaded blessing ;)
These are unlikely scenarios so my only point is to say the Eels have little excuse for complacency. It's possible to drop out of the 8 if they stop playing. I am sure I am not alone in thinking the Eels may limp into the finals and bow out early, but maybe he better for the experience in 2018. We do have French, Gutho and Scott to add some flair and starch. I personally think the Knights game demonstrated that we play a grinding, patient, field-position game, and that when we loosen that and try to play loose and fancy, we lack the firepower and discipline to pull it off.
We tried to play loose and fancy too early. We started slow against Brisbane but we got into the grind, got back on level terms and then, once we'd established a strong middle we were able to go wide and play footy. Sterlo says it often: "You have to earn the right to go wide." We didn't do that against Newcastle and it showed.