Eels Blogs

Replies

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  GOlling February 21, 2010 at 6:25am

  Agree with lots of what you have written over the past 12 hours.
  
  Inu is in trouble. He has never got his speed back post his ankle injury and frankly I would trade him now for a dynamic second rower. for mine is behind Tahu Reddy and Jono Wright for a starting position.
  
  Losing Kingston will have a negative impact. Keating is a solid dummy half with little spark. If you then play Robbo as the 14 we have less spark. Maybe Humble needs to play 14
  
  Mannah Cayless and Poore all represent big slow forwards and hit ups. For mine only 2 of these 3 can get in and with sadness its time to go Nathan
  
  Shackelton will be close to our best all year and the best buy.
  
  We are short in the second row and I had left a blog in December saying that one of Oake Weller Jnr Robbo or Lassalo had to stand up.
  
  All up this team can not win without Hindy. Belted without him v Dragons belted without him v Penrith the team lacks professionalism and focus without him, Hindy goes down forget 2010 premiership.
  
  What to do ? Swap Frank Pritchard for Inu ? Trade Inu to the Warriors ? Release Cayless ?
  
  We are a second rower and impact player short and these gaps need to be filled. Not by round 1 but by 2/3 of the season. Id back Lassalo and Humble to add spark to the team
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  paul taylor February 21, 2010 at 8:14am

  Agree with the majority. Dont underestimate the importance of thrust from dummy half. HUMBLE to hooker will give us that run from dummy half similar to what WING used to do wth teams in his peak. I agree with Golling, CAYLESS has had his day and can only start of the bench IMO. It all starts in the engine room, the backs are good enough to do the business but we need to generate speed in the forwards. Unfortunately Matt Keating is solid but doesnt do what we need him to do. That is get teams offset and on the back foot. HAYNE is cruising, he knows that there is a long year ahead and just wants to keep the wheels turning over.
  
  Never started a season real flash but we cant expect to get away with what we did last year.
  • 

    Teena Leanne Beckett > paul taylor February 21, 2010 at 9:58pm

    Jarryd is not Crusing He has a Sternum Injury
    he got from the All Stars Game and is
    obviously frightened of hurting it That is
    why he was taken off in the Penrith Match
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  blueNgold February 21, 2010 at 8:44am

  That would be the team i'd go with mate. I actually think Robbo would go well off the bench at 9, probably not as nifty as Kinga however he could add to the overall general play and has a strength advantage which could produce fruit close to the line.
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  Gerad Elias February 21, 2010 at 8:47am

  If Ben smith misses round 1 with his injury, i think Grothe should go to second row and put inu in the backline.
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  Bosanac February 21, 2010 at 10:42am

  In no way should Fui play in the second row. The positions have different roles... Fui is a prop not a goddamn wide runner.
• Fui Fui February 21, 2010 at 11:01am

  yeah but you gotta remember mate, we don't really have traditional roles in the game anymore. Broncos played 125kg Dave Taylor in the centres for a full 80 minutes at one point last year, and he absolutely killed it. Fui Fui has also shown alot more ball playing skills of late and his fitness has improved tremendously, so who knows where his game will go over the course of the season.
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  Djl February 21, 2010 at 11:10am

  In my opinion if were gonna have robbo have him at halfback or not in the team at all. He provides no spark at hooker. If Kris keating has to be the number 7 then have anthony mitchell at 14 or tom humble
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  Djl February 21, 2010 at 11:13am

  u see what happens when fui fui runs out wide. grand final ring a bell?
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  Michael Ericson February 21, 2010 at 1:58pm

  I agree with the r 1 team 1 Eyed and I think that with the balance of this years pack, and the improved size - fui fui will play more of a second rower type role.
  
  I mean it makes sense, he is our most dynamic - devastating ball runner and whilst we needed him last year to simply get us out of trouble, this year he could be much more effective out wide.
  
  Also, I don't think that Reddy will play off the bench as we debated earlier in the pre season, I just don't see the point when you have B Smith on the bench, Reddy isn't dynamic enough to play in the forwards and you can't carry an outside back in the modern game on the bench - if a winger gets injured you put your second rower who can play centre on and push your centre to the wing.
  
  Inu will miss out - at least to start the season but I don't necessarily agree with this. I would like to see both Tahu and Inu on opposite sides of the ruck because they are both capable of creating for themselves with footwork, given early ball, rather than relying on a money ball or broken field. I am sure they would cause trouble for opposing defenders.
  
  Having said that Reddy is the more reliable option and I think that Inu has lost a bit of explosive speed and may never get it back,
  
  I wouldn't play Robson off the bench - not explosive enough. I would go for a young guy like humble perhaps.