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Parra seeing the start of something great

Posted by Mr 'BringBackFitzy' Analyst on July 27, 2017 at 8:03pm
Mitch Moses and Corey Norman can lead Eels to NRL finals says Matt JohnsJuly 27, 2017 5:16pmMATTHEW JOHNSThe Daily TelegraphSubscriber onlyTHIS is an enormous game for the Parramatta Eels on Friday, by far the most important of their season so far.It serves as a pivotal point with just over a month left until the finals.A loss to the Broncos sends them to survival mode, placed precariously at the bottom of the top eight.However a win will have Parramatta believing they can grab a top four finish to the regular season.You see, the Eels’ run home is very good: Bulldogs, Knights, Titans, Broncos again, and then Souths.The Eels are flying completely under the radar: they’ve won four in a row without playing near their best football.Considering the injuries to key players, Brad Arthur, like he did in 2016, is doing a remarkable job.The season-ending knee injury to Clint Gutherson last week is a huge blow.Gutherson’s style of football is suited exactly to the way the game has evolved in 2017.First and foremost he’s a runner of the football, who has the ability to recognise and react to visual opportunity.He gave Parramatta what Cameron Munster gives the Melbourne Storm. An unorthodox attacking threat, who can play outside the realms of the normal team structure.With Gutherson gone, the fate of the Eels’ campaign now rests with their new halves combination.Corey Norman and Mitchell Moses will become a great halves combination, all the ingredients are there:1. Both are strong personalities. You want a strong willed halves partner, better to have a little competition for the quality possessions, than someone who is passive and quiet.2. They’re both ball players and ball runners. Super important, you can’t carry two halves who just want to finesse the ball towards the touchlines.3. They both understand structure, but know when to break out of it. Another vital element. Knowing the right time to hit the accelerator and break away from the normal attacking sequences, is what separates the top players and the top teams from the rest.What this combination needs now is chemistry ...This seven and six are only a few games into their on-field relationship and while you see the class of them individually, it’s as a combination where the enormous improvement remains.As their combination gets better, so will the football team.Halves need to understand each other’s play. Knowing when to support your halves partner, how to compliment what he is trying to achieve and what to do on the following play.When you develop this kind of understanding, the tempo of your attack increases. You react to visual chances faster.This is what blows open defences, fast adlib football, not slow structured set sequences.Last week against the Tigers, I saw Parramatta “setting up” too much with their attack.This is where a half calls the football and threatens a defence down one edge of the field and then, rather than keeping the attacking sequence going on the following play, they simply give the ball to a forward who takes the football back towards the posts.In days gone by, we called it a “settler”.In 2017 all it does is reset and settle the defence.I’d love to see the Eels look to play more edge-to-edge football and bypass the middle field once the defence is in trouble.This will occur with the more time that Mitchell and Corey, not just play together, but train together, sit together and put in the time to understand each other’s game, and how their games can best help the team.This is a huge challenge for Parramatta against a Broncos side that annihilated the Dogs last week.If you draw a form line through what both teams did last round, it’s clear why the Broncos are favourites, but I give the Eels a big chance.The Dogs middle defence was absolutely abysmal against Brisbane last Thursday night, in fact it’s a contender for the worst defensive effort of the year.The Broncos’ little creative men couldn’t believe their luck as they ran riot.That won’t be Parramatta on Friday. Coach Arthur has this team steeled, the Eels defensive discipline is as good as any in the NRL.For Parramatta they have to win the yardage battle, if the Broncos get consistent momentum, the trio of Hunt, Milford and Darius Boyd will create enough to get Brisbane home.On the other side of the coin I want to see Parramatta just loosen their structure and go after Brisbane with the football.The Eels have lost Gutherson, but Bevan French’s attacking instincts are second to no one.If Parramatta can loosen the Broncos’ middle defence with controlled ball movement, I can see them causing Brisbane enormous problems at the back end of the game through their halves and Bevan French in the centrefield.
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  • Longfin Eel July 27, 2017 at 8:14pm
    Wow Matty's changed his tune on Parra since last year.
    Parra have the ability, we just need that mental fortitude to keep it up. We can't gift Brisbane possession or they will cane us. We need to make our opportunities come off and the we have a ball game!
  • Snakey - Sack Dylan Brown July 27, 2017 at 8:29pm

    Good article, some spot on analysis.

  • Thatguy July 27, 2017 at 8:46pm
    Yeah I agree - if we can loosen the middle with controlled ball movement. Our problem is as soon as we start dropping the ball we tighten up and just slaughter ourselves with one off the ruck hitups.
    The other thing - if we don't start well and let them dominate us up front in the first few sets, we'll see a repeat of the roosters and cowboys games. I hope we've learnt our lessons.
    Carn parra.
  • hindy July 27, 2017 at 8:49pm
    He loves Mitchell Moses has a bat over him lol hopefully our forwards dominate otherwise we will be cannon fodder against a tough broncos pack
  • fake midget pseudoachondroplasia July 27, 2017 at 8:52pm
    1 thing in our favour is we lost gutho so other players know they have step up. Norman has played his best games when we seem down and out with injuries.
    Broncos on flip side have players back from injury and nearly full strength. Players will be looking to Boyd and Milford to provide a huge lift but returning after a long injury Boyd will be below his best. If the broncos play throw the ball to Boyd as they were guilty of earlier in year I can see their attack being very poor.
    Another thing in our favour is we have won 10 from 10 when leading at half time. Not sure where I read it but we the best at converting leads to wins although we all know how we nearly throw away every lead we have still won. If broncos start with complacency we can get big enough lead and with our defence go on to win the game.
  • Tom Laios July 27, 2017 at 9:25pm

    Can someone explain how the draw is worked out?Why are we playing the Broncos 3 times this year?

    • Mitchy > Tom Laios July 27, 2017 at 9:27pm
      We aren't. Twice mate
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