Origin Game 3 - NSW player ratings and assessment - Eels Blogs

Another year another series where we were determined to accept the role of the losers. Christ it is hard to be a NSW fan especially living in Qld. The players keep ranting about how the let themselves snd their team down blah blah, what about us? What about the fans that pay money to see them lose year in and year out? we were let down by players that saw a firing Qld squad and from the 5th minute just went "oh guess we are losers again" and they knew, the coaches knew and the fans knew. The game was over from the 5th minute. That being said good on Qld for knowing how to win and how to motivate yourselves and change your game style to win. Game 2 they went away from the wrestle and won the second half. In the 60th minute mark for game 3 I was still seeing our set being ruck, ruck, ruck, weak attempt at a shift, kick. I dont know what the answer is but heres an honest assessment of how they played last night.1. Tedesco - ahh teddy, showed some gusto in kick returns but otherwise you didnt want a bar of it. Jurbo, Graham and Pearce were showing that inside ball all night begging for you to sprint onto it and burst through but you didnt, because just like club level you dont want to try too hard for a losing team. 5/102. Morris - good ol tubby tits, slowest winger in the world but good at chasing players down Simply because they burned you on the outside. Put in open space twice but hobbled 15mtrs before being caught, must be a dream job to be marked by you no wonder man of the series Gagai ran for over 550m 3/103. Dugan - more tattoos than offloads at representative level, scored a good try but refused to pass the ball when numbers were there. Then again i cant really blame him when he has Blake 'Im lost as hell' Ferguson outside of him. 6/104. Hayne - the less said about this error riddled, tackle missing blowhard the better, he was however one of the only players not to listen to Daleys ramblings of advice and replaced it with his own mantra. Just a shame that mantra is WWHD -what would Hayne do? Time to move the dreamer boy on. 3/105. Fergo - the sighs of relief Holmes must of had when the debutant found out he was marking Blake Ferguson. Never scored a try at Origin Level and overall looks more lost than that kid from Home Alone 3. May as well run put there with 12 players as he was as unmissable in attack and defense as they come. 2/106. Maloney - uncreative and uncouth but thats what you want in a 5/8. Good short kicking game and took the line on enough to be one of the few players im not overtly negative of. My biggest complaint was that he wasnt nearly as effective taking the line on as Munster but bit hard when you have morons inside and outside of you . 7/107. Pearce - I tried so hard to defend him after game 2. Even when we won and i noticed his contribution was minimal, I tried so so hard. But nothing can defend him, he had the ball when he wanted it and did nothing, not a single damn thing. His kicks were as if he was giving the Qld back 3 catching practice like my old Under 8s coach. Please, dont come back. For yourself and your state just dont come back. 0/108. Sharon - I couldnt groan enough everytime I saw us have momentum and build a roll on only for Shazza to hobble onto the ball and get four metres before getting put on her back like a -insert explicit simile- and take 2minutea to play the ball sideways. Useless, "but hes got a big engine" yeah coz he doesnt do anything! Offers nothing in attack or defense and needs to go asap 2/109. Peats - outclassed. Pure and simple, not his fault, up against an immortal and hungry forward pack. Tried hard and was one of the few players that didnt want to lose. But mate, run the ball! Scolt and go, if your scared sub yourself for Birdy, he will show you the way! 6/1010. Fatfita - one good game and then less metres in the next two games combined. Cant start, needs some pressure off him coming off the bench, got monstered 3 times and just gave up, dont worry though fifita, you werent alone in that and i hope that mean ol McGuire was too busy playing like a hard forward to bother sledging you 4/1011. Cap'N Cordner - Good leaders lead from the front and set the platform, I guess its only fitting the rest of the team followed suit when you were left grasping for air more than actually tackling someone. Im all for playing through the pain, but you werent good enough, at state level, you knew you werent right but selfishly played anyway. There were players fit and ready that wouldnt of won us the fame sure but would of atleast had some impact. Hopefully you arent captain next year because either it went to your head or put too much pressure on you. 5/1012. Jackson - only player from the starting pack to not look lost in defense, in attack offerred little but ive come to expect that from Jackson. Didnt really notice out there so not much to comment on.take that as you will6/1013. Frizell - looked out of his element the entire series. Not a lock but even when shifting to second row in attack he got brought down By a broken JT one on one before the line..... TWICE! Lazy defender and left holes everywhere. 3/1014. Klemmer - Came onto the field and dragged three of the cane toads within in his first charge. Our best player in the series in my opinion. Ran hard and with purpose and didnt get lazy in defense. No flare or flashy tricks, just a hard runner and a staple of our teams make up.8/1015. Graham - silly errors and penalties as he desperately tried to create something. Easily the most dangerous player for the blues with the ball in his hand, should of started over Frizell. A pass in my books. 6/1016. Jurbo - another one of the few players that looked like they werent a born loser, tackled and ran with purpose and gave every bit of his heart and body to inspire those around him. Shame not many followed his example 7/1017. Bird - came on and had some foot work and tried taking forwards with him only for them to lounge around at the back of play. Needed more freedom with the ball but otherwise solid with his extra game time 6/10Based on form and this years series I would go into next year with the team (im not taking into account the difficulty of just starting from scratch and am basing this on performance in big games and club level)1. Tedesco2. Turbo3. Walker4. Bird5. Mitchell6. Maloney7. Cleary8. Vaughn9. Peats10. Klemmer11. Cordner12. Graham13. Jurbo14. Brown15. Fifita16. De Belin17. Peachey

"Difference is that Talagi played centre the full SG ball season that eels won the comp in 2023. He even played centre in JF that year. He didn't play in the halves at all that year. Risati has only played 6 for us"

Replies

Parra fan on The Hill July 13, 2017 at 6:23pm

I'm going to say it. Beven French wouldnt look out of sorts. He is someone that can make something out of nothing. NSW used to have JH for that, now we have nobody. Think about it. He's one of the top 3 speedsters in the game and improvises!!! Improvises!!! NSW were dead set boring and predictive yesterday and one of the reasons we lost. Just look at the 2 tries we've scored in the last two games with kick assists whilst on the run. That's one of the hardest things to do running as full pelt.

PS Who would have thought Gagai would be player of the series? No one!!

PPS Looking fora half back? Look not further than Luke Keary. He's been killing it this year.
- BK > Parra fan on The Hill July 13, 2017 at 7:01pm
  
  I like French on the wing but still behind in the pecking order, want to give the likes of Turbo, Latrell, Roberts a crack first as established Wingers. Keary i think is great but waiting to see how he goes in finals, if he gets smacked around a lottle he may disappear. Cleary loves to take the line on especially near the line, has a toughness about him that may see him be a premier halfback
- Michael Ericson > Parra fan on The Hill July 13, 2017 at 9:09pm
  
  Guys like French and Addo Carr will probably not play origin despite their pace and skill they wouldn't be deemed robust enough to cope with the defensive pressure.
FAT GUY July 13, 2017 at 6:34pm

I agree completely agree with most assessments there BK but thought you scored both Peats and Pearce far too high.....great blog....
- BK > FAT GUY July 13, 2017 at 7:02pm
  
  Peats was hungry in defense but his inexperience showed in attack, no matter who you had there Smith would of had them in the palm of his hands
michael picklum July 13, 2017 at 7:00pm

Geez BK u r too generous in your assessment of the Princess. 3/10, wow IMO he did SFA! As useful as Tits on a Bull!
- BK > michael picklum July 14, 2017 at 10:15pm
  
  They are scaled proportionally to eachother. Realistic thered be more 0s and 1s but the 3/10 is dismal and shows how bad players like Pearce and Fergo are to get less than that
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- BK July 14, 2017 at 10:17pm
  
  Look back and see him blowing and hobbling back to the defensive line a good 5seconds after the ball is played after the first 4mins. Shift was horrid and lines were shoddy, if I had to blame a single player for Queensland affecting shifts from inside their own half, it would be because of this cheap Taumololo knock off. Again i acknowledge he was injured but Jurbo and De Belin would of been far better out there over him.
TheyWearTheBlue&Gold July 13, 2017 at 7:06pm

Luke Keary tried to be classed as a Queenslander but was told he doesn't qualify. So in my book he is a cane toad wannabe and therefore should never wear the Sky Blue.
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- BK July 14, 2017 at 10:19pm
  
  Agreed the Mitchell call is abit rash, I just want some more creativity and long range attack potential. Would be happy with Roberts, Mitchell, Mansour (if he regains his mojo) etc. we have plenty of talented blokes capable of been a long range threat.