Both try a piece so far.
What could have been, we'll never know.
Big Steph did well ealier with the Storm.
That's probably the best Eels juniors we've produced the last 3-4 years but all 3 left home.
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You mean the club don't you.
How were your supposed to build a winning football program when behind the scenes in your front office is under administration and it's an out out civil war power struggle going on.
I mean BA is guilty of a number of things but developing juniors and having an environment amenable for junior success and transference to FG is on the club.I very much doubt many coaches survive in that atmosphere the club was under back then.
I do think BA done really well when he joined the Club under the situation we were in, and I think there were plenty of good qualities about him, but he absolutely had his faults and the lack of junior development and trust was definitely one of them. I can't put the Recruitment and Retention Strategy all on him, as I just don't know how much of it was him bringing in the has-beens, and how much it was the Club stifling his ability to recruit talent.
Sorry but Blaize left under Ryles
Talagi has been great in the Penrith system, but to be 100% honest I doubt we would have developed him as well if he stayed.
Our team defense is already shocking and Talagi would've been an easy target for the opposition.
Talagi's defence is still terrible, he just has better defenders around him that makes it look like his defence has improved.
He still is an easy target, he cost Penrith their GF bid last year.....a lot of shit in this blog with"rear vision" driving.
There is no way Sander's would have stayed and I actually think he is doing well at Canberra under a specialist halves coach. Talagi has been brought up between the Cleary's and Casey McLean outside of him, we would have dropped him by now if we had to deliver him.
LB is spot on with the fullback comments and in saying that he (Talagi) would never have made it as a full back, he is a natural 5/8 but is not tough enough defensively or fast enough for his one strength for running a line.
Talagi is doing a good job inside a machine at Penrith, no machines at Parra yet!
Agree Poppa, I do think Talagi will improve by having better players around him teaching him how to defend, but he is absolutely still the priority target for oppositions teams.
I believe BA had Lomax pegged for FB and he was going to transition Gutho to left center, Talagi was just a stop-gap at FB till he moved Lomax there. BA didn't get a chance to make this happen and part of the reason why Lomax pulled up stumps.
Rather than concluding Talagi would not have developed if he statyed at the Eels, because our defense is so bad, the other way to look at it is to ask why Talagi's defense is bad at the Panthers? Basically, WHAT IS HIS EXCUSE?
What in the Panthers' record provides Talagi an excuse to remain a crap defender? The Panthers have been perennial minor premiers (2020, 2022 and 2023) and grand finalists 2020-2024, winning 4x 2021-2024. Talagi starts at Panthers in 2025 and they finished 7th in 2025 before winning two finals matches to bow out in the preliminary final to eventual premiers Broncos. Talagi has the Kiwi Intl' centre on one side, an established backrower on the other, and the Australian fullback calling the shots behind him.
What is Talagi's excuse to still be a defensive turnstile? FYI Talagi just topped the Panthers missed tackle count (7) despite his side winning 30-18 vs Raiders. WHAT IS HIS EXCUSE?
Well the only thing I can say to this is Mitchell Moses defense was questionable at best when he first got here and it improved much like his halfback play.I guess if we are looking at Talagi and judging the real question much like Mitchell's defense is that it or does he need more time will he get better.Ivan Cleary had no qualms in picking Talagi I think that says enough really I don't think he'd just take Talagi if he didn't think he was worth the squeeze.
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