Eels Blogs

Replies

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  Barra Eel April 19, 2010 at 12:06pm

  Ball playing also refers to kicking game and passing game. It's not just about throwing the ball out the back. But it's putting the pass or kick where it needs to go. Whether it's behind the decoy. Flat ball. Kick in goal ect ect. That's what our halves loom a bit uncomfortable in doing. Pickig the right ball playing options.
  But I agree parra hide their lack of direction from our playmakers with second phase play from the guys going forward. That's how we look most dangerous in creating gaps in the defence. Not in what kick and pass our halves are picking off. Hopefully we can get both sets of "ball playing" options going strong
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  Make Parra Great Again April 19, 2010 at 4:24pm

  We need an organiser, someone to take control when there is no go forward, or on the last tackle etc etc
  
  Our kicking game is shocking at times, some of Kris Keatings kicks yest against souths were worful, my mum could do better....
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  jamesy April 19, 2010 at 4:52pm

  well this post was completely wrong. Parra don't have any genuine ball players. the closest thing we have is Hayne and he's a fullback.
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  Michael Ericson April 19, 2010 at 5:05pm

  Fair enough Jamesy you are entitled to your opinion, as am I. I think a ball player is anyone who consistently promotes the ball to the teams advantage and, using that criteria Parramatta have quite a few ball players.
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    Mathew Clarke > Michael Ericson April 19, 2010 at 7:37pm

    Amen we have ball players and anyone who thinks we don't ARE CRAZY.
    
    Admittedly they haven't shown much this season but how could you say something like that after last season.
    
    THE ENTIRE TEAM WERE BALL PLAYERS. Second phase plays from EVERYONE.
    
    It was only a matter of time before our boys started to fire and get that great cohesion back and showed glimpses of it earlier in this season.
    
    I believe this week will be a turning point for Parra, confidence will be up and almost the whole team is putting in much improved efforts. We will still loose a few games from here on but will slowly and steadily get back what we had last season. Jaryd Hayne didn't get us into the finals last year, THE TEAM DID and he performed miricales off there go forwad and retreating defence. I am not taking away anything from Jaryd Hayne who is AN AWESOME player but he had alot of help last season from the entire team?
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  Parra Mafia April 19, 2010 at 10:12pm

  I agree with Jamesy. I think we have 1 1/2 ball players. Hayne is one and Mateo is half a ball player because he only plays 40 minutes. The rest aren't ball players. Sterling, Johns, Lewis, Beetson, Prince, Lockyer, even Kimmorley are ball players. Hopefully Mortimer and Keating will get there but are a long way off yet. Eric Grothe a ball player????? What we have are players who can offload if the circumstances are right. That doesn't make you a ball player.
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  Michael Ericson April 20, 2010 at 10:26am

  Parra Mafia if you are using a strict definition then what you are saying is 100% correct. I guess my point is with the way that Parramatta play, a sort of hot potatoe game where everything is generated off the back of second phase play, the term 'ball player' has to be used loosely to encompass anyone who is able to get the second phase stuff happening.
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    Bourbon Man > Michael Ericson April 20, 2010 at 10:37am

    It's a semantic argument really. The real issue here is whether the instant pass, hot potato style of play that we employed in the latter rounds last year is capable of winning us a premiership or will we need to recruit a more traditional organiser like a Kimmorley or Monaghan?
    
    Interestingly, I note Phil Rothfield has ranked the halfbacks from 1 - 16 and has Daniel Mortimer listed 7th behind Ben Hornby and Brett Kimmorley (http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/buzzwords/index.php/dailyte...). DM might become more of an organiser as he matures but I cannot ever see him becoming the type of general that a Prince, Cronk or Thurston are. Whether the traditional wisdom that states such a general is required in order to win the comp still holds true is debatable.
    
    Nonetheless, DA took the Warriors to the GF employing a similar style of footy yet he DID have Stacy Jones.
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  Michael Ericson April 20, 2010 at 11:02am

  That is interesting - he has listed Mortimer ahead of youngsters like Josh McCrone and James Maloney who are in great form.
  
  I wonder if that is based on little more that reputation?