Earlier in the season, I said that I would not make any comments on the Eels prospects until after the trials and three competition games had been completed. By winning two of the first three games one could say it is a pass mark at least. But it does not always mean that. The East defeat revealed again a feature of Arthurian coached sides. The Eels give up too easily many points at the end of the second half---three tries to Easts in the last ten minutes. Penrith was coming to get us but time defeated them. Even Canterbury put on a try late in the second half. Historically, under Arthur, the Eels have had much trouble defeating teams in away matches. We are yet to play the following teams in away matches in 2019:- Cowboys, Broncos, Newcastle, St George, Roosters, South Sydney, Cronulla, The Raiders, and the Storm. On the performance revealed in three matches this year, it is quite conceivable that the Eels will not win any of those away games. ( we have always had trouble winning at Newcastle as we have at Canberra) How many of those games at home we could win is also a moot point. We cannot win the competition--no surprise there--We cannot make the top four. Doubtful for us to make the top eight. So the bottom eight looms. Of course, it is ridiculous to make such suggestions on the basis of two trials and three competition games but how much better is it that those who start predicting in the November of the previous year when the preseason starts? The good news is that things can change quickly. The Eels may start winning those away games as well as home games and as such may creep into the top eight but it is a very big ask.
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What a revelation.
So we may win or we may lose.
Thanks Champ
So let’s just give up you old fool
How can you draw that conclusion from losing to the top side in a see sawing battle? We have some work to do in a couple of areas notably our goal line D but we are shaping up as a tough team to beat and we haven’t even played in our proper home stadium yet.
I totally agree with the post.
Members here are dreaming. We made same mistakes, soft tries.
Roosters made lot of errors and they still won the game. You see we are so satisfied with our love for bush coach we can't see beyond that.
This coach will pull us in lower 8 nothing further than that.
How many years Arthur has been coaching us?
Same shit different season....
You get into them brissy. Stick it right up em lol
Your asumptions are fine as everyone has them and are intitle to them. Out of the games I have seen Bronco's, Storm, Souths and even Cowgirls with the Sharks will be top 8 leaving 3 spots for top 8 and I think all the other teams ecept the dogs have a chance for those spots.
Not rating the defending premiers ahead of the 5 mentioned Shane? Pretty sure they will be top 4.
You lost........everyone.......with the Kane Evans /Alvaro assessment.
I think we're as good as any of the 5th to 14th ranked teams. Alot of those games just coming down to who's better on the day. If we show up with the right attitude consistently we'll finish closer to 5th. If we drop our bundle at some stage we'll finish closer to 14th.
Roster wise I think we're much stronger than 2018. Still have a complete lack of depth at centre and dummy half. Taka shouldn't be anywhere near a first choice centre spot but he is and we have no depth behind him. Salmon isn't a back up dummy half but it looks like that utility role is between him and Will Smit (also not a back up dummy half). Wouldn't mind another quality prop either.
I think we're using the ball a lot more than last year. BA is literally learning on the job. His coaching is very reactionary. It takes consistent failures to change methods. The great coaches are ahead of the curve. The good ones adapt as it's happening. BA is stubborn but at least we've made some positive changes. Having said that I feel he is a really good man manager and players want to play under him and regard him highly as a bloke and for his work ethic. Tactically and innocatively he is awful.
Over the next 12 months i'd like to see us get rid of the weeds in our club and eliminate dumbness as much as possible. Getting rid of Norman helped this, getting rid of Takairangi go along way to solving it. Hopefully the attitude of the young guys continues to progress in the right direction. I didn't want BA here at all this year but given at the moment there's no quality coaches available like there was last year.. if the young guys continue to show up and develop and our style continues to evolve positively, there's no reason why he can't be offered another year. If he insists on longer than that i'd cut him lose. He hasn't proven he can put 2 good seasons together and I don't think we should hit rock bottom again, and watch BA learn from his next lot of mistakes and give him the oppotunity to rebuild again.
"Arthurian coached sides" - I like it Robbie :)
It's very early days but overall - when comparing our performances to last years horror - we have been very good, very competitive, and very committed. We struggled late but there's pl,enty of room for improvement both at an individual level and as a team.
Never throw the baby out with the bath water in round 3 (especially after getting 2 out of 3 wins and going down to the premiers 5 tries to 3). Its a rookie mistake.
My summation so far would be "so far so good". It's easy to put spin on anything to hammer a point but this is a very different side to last year - you just have to watch them compete.
We fell away at the end but nothing like last years feeble capitulations - it was a quality match.
Cheers Rob :)
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