Forgive me, I need to get this off my chest!
Yes the cattle is a problem, we knew that in probably every game we have won this year, just the same! I am/was devastated last night, the effort against Titans was probably a low point of the season ......so far? BUT I actually saw some effort in last nights game !!!!.....that's why it hurts more than normal after a loss. Yes I know people will laugh at that but what I cannot accept is the execution....lack of focus and the giving up of the ball
......The inability to realise with Melb making so many errors, there was a real opportunity to beat them. Even at 10 - 4 after half time and us butchering 2 tries in 5 minutes, we could still win this game with 20 minutes to go!
Now Melb were atrocious as well, I said to my wife that Bellamey must be thanking god his team was playing Parramatta.
I can get over most things Parramatta and have made horrible statements about them in the past, but there was something special in that game....a new level of ineptness, not courage or passion, just a junior team making errors that confounds me. I think I am writing this blog to purge myself.....I think we hit a new low.....I can only imagine what Ryles and his staff must think, like, its not like it was bad coaching, you couldn't coach a side to drop balls, miss tackles and position themselves as badly as they did.
Player's that excelled previously like Volkman and TDS showed why they are fringe players, I have no doubt now that we will see Pezet back in the side ahead of Volkman. Volkman only has to look in the mirror with a lot of his mates if they ever manage to be honest with themselves about being First Grade Footballers.
Oh! Parra, why have you forsaken us! LOL..... there are worse things of course...... to our knowledge no one died in that game, but you never can be sure if we lost a few supporters during it!
I know a few old blokes up in heaven who would be pretty grumpy this morning.
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So hypothetically speaking we offer Herbie a mill, he says that's nice but I'll pass, I'm happy at the dolphins. We say what about 1.25? He says sure but if I don't like it down there or I'm not happy I'd like to be able to get out of my contract whenever I want. We say nah we don't do player options any more. He says well in that case I'll need 1.5 (that's the highest figure I've seen on here people suggest we should pay him - $1.5 million!!!) to make sure I'm happy (any of this starting to sound reminiscent to you). And then 12 months into the deal he fucks off and leaves anyway.
Or we could persist with internal development, build from within, offer opportunities to those within our ranks and see where that takes us. Any time someone claims one particular individual is going to save us I become immediately sceptical.
Not only am I offering Herbie 7 figures I'm making sure after football opportunities and a whooping big TPA are in play also argh that's right we don't do that can you see the problem.The fact if we could offer the above mentioned and he still doesn't want to come says more about the club and coach moreso than anything else.
Are we that far down the totem pole as a destination I don't know it certainly feels that way.
We has the best facilities and stadium to boot why can't we attract that type of talent again no answers but plenty of failed attempts with players and coaches.
Without putting too much thought into it, how would this forward pack of former Eels go against what we have now??
8 Stefano Utoikamanu
9 Reed Mahoney
10 Trey Mooney
11 Isaiah Papali'i
12 Marata Niukore
13 Alex Twal
All 6 of these discarded Eels players would walk into the 2026 Eels side.
Alex Twal has been an average to decent forward til this year. Many would have complained about him if he was here the last 2 years. Same with Niukore since he's barely on the field.
Oregon
There is a clear lack of determination from most of the players to dominate on the field. Lack of Alphas?
The team generally seems disinterested in following the ball in attack.
There is a lack of accountability and the players are not being confronted for their lack of commitment.
The coaching staff need to hire a retired Sargent Major to the training staff to inflict toughness and determination to the playing group. The players philosophy on the field is a reflection of the ineptness of the training staff.
I think for the most part all the players are trying and trying hard but this is a talent and athleticism component that these players are missing and it's what the squad is missing.This is what we have to identify and add.After the bye Tuivaiti Pezet and Iongi are back this is exactly what the doctor ordered if we don't improve with those 3 back the noise will only get louder.
Recruitment then becomes the only answer especially in the outside backs.
Pezet really won't improve us much, his defence is just as bad as Volkman and he has no running game
It definitly is a cattle problem at Parra. Looking at other teams they have big atheletic fast outside backs and their packs have a couple of alpha males in them. We have a very good halfback, the Foxx on the wing, a reasonable full back when he gets back and thats about it in our backline. Our forwards we have Hopgood, Williams, Tuivaiti, and two reasonable hookers. I doubt that most of the rest of the squad would make first grade in any other club.
I think there are two factors that make it hard to attract better players. First we no longer use TPA's which puts us at a massive disadvantage. We need to hire someone that knows how to use TPA's under the nrl rules.
The second possible issue is do players want to live at Parramatta which has changed over the years. Or do they prefer to live closer to the beach areas? This may be a hidden isue that no one thinks about.
I think about that Pricey, but I also think about Penrith in terms of location....I reckon I could sell our location when we train at Kellyville and play at Com Bank.
The hills district out to Hawkesbury is as good an upmarket area as it gets with not having a beach.
Now that said I haven't lived in the area for 45 years, but being born in Epping and living my childhood at Ermo and also at Kellyville, I have a fair understanding of how I would go about selling it. Yes I could organise a Helicoptor Treat (club sponsored) for any player and their family that would shock the shit out of them.....so there maybe a perception of negativity about Parra but I could definately make a case. The other thing is the socio economics of Rugby League Players is probably not that snobbish, I would add though that beachside suburbs are by nature attractive.
Ryles is a coach that I admire because he has a vision of what we could be, getting a name coach with out a vision is a waste and so I support Ryles.
I would like to see our juniors following the current path and accept we should pay over's for the talent we want to identify.
It seems to me we probably lack an entrenpenaur to bring commercial packages of interest to those identified players we want.
All that said I can visualise where we are coming from and the "truth" of Rome not being built in a day definately has application.....who spends the money (non cap issues), whether its the Leagues Club or the Football Club, ideally both needs to be more of a catalyst, and exercise the required enthusiasm, not just playing standards but also the people that make our club more livable and desirable for players to come to.
We have the money and resiurces to do that, but if we could adopt a plan to do so, talk about it and then make it happen, we will get the players we want!
Contrary to all that I believe that Parra has a stigma about it as a club over the years of being unsuccessful. It was only 10 years ago that we were put in administration, this and our now inconsistent performances means we are tainted and the last 3 years means also that we/will have to pay overs. There is a perception that nothing is glamourous, but Penrith set a standard that says, successful players want to play with successful clubs.
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