Eels Blogs

Is our defence simply in need of a few plugged holes, or is it structurally a sinking ship?

 In the Eels v Sharks preview, HOE very cleverly used the analogy of ‘alchemy’ - the transmutation process of turning metals into gold. In essence, the transformation of many parts into something greater than itself. This is truly the perfect analogy for the current Eels team. While there is no doubt this transmutation process, much like the Eels new combinations, requires time & patience, does it also require sacrifice?

Cooper Cronk predicted that Josh Hodgson’s arrival could cause friction amongst the egos within the Eels squad.

While many are quick to blame Hodgson’s recruitment & ability to transform into our spine for this, should we also be asking if, perhaps, there are egos within our current squad that do need adapting for the greater good?

After all, there is limitless attacking potential if these parts learn to co-exist to create something greater than themselves - ‘sacrifice’ for a unified goal.

However, perhaps a team's defence is a more accurate indicator of the strength formed by a sum of willing parts.

Where it was Lost: Defence

30 points were leaked. Rugby league experts claim strong defensive structures are built on trust & communication, which creates cohesion. When cracks appear, anxiety levels are heightened & it’s human nature to become reactionary. One crack can quickly snowball into two, three, and so on.

This was especially evident in the Sharks first two tries, the error in our defensive line from the first try compounded and affected decisions made in the second.

Are our defensive structures the underlying problem, where compressing through the middle is causing unnecessary pressure on our edges? Or, is it far simpler & individuals are panicking under pressure & reacting as opposed to trusting the system?

Sharks' 1st Try (15')

Bryce Cartwright struggles to cover his man (Trindall), & Dylan Brown makes a decision to race up on Trindall, opening the hole for Nikora.

Sharks' 2nd Try (19')

Conscious of the previous move, the Eels clearly over compensate for Nikora. Cartwright, Brown & Waqa stand together compressed. Waqa slides with Ramien, neither Brown or Cartwright close the gap on the inside where Kennedy strolls through untouched.

Sharks' 3rd Try (37')

Hodgson covers Brailey & Moses covers Kennedy on the inside, however, there is an overlap on the left, which forces Hopgood into a decision between Wilton & Moylan as Hodgson struggles to cover the space behind the ruck.

Again, instead of forcing the Sharks to beat us on the outside Hopgood opens the gap for Moylan & Kennedy to go straight through. Moses, as one of our fastest players, simply gives up on Kennedy who eventually is the try scorer. If defence is attitude, this wasn’t a great indictment. 

A question of fatigue could also be raised, late in the half, Round 2, one player back from multiple knee reconstructions & another in his 11th first grade game… but, I won’t raise it.

Where it was Lost: In Attack

The Eels turned 51% possession, 54% territory (time spent within the Sharks half) and 24 red zone tackles into 5 tries & 26 points.

Compare this to last week against the Storm, where the Eels only turned 53% possession, 47% territory, and 25 red zone tackles into 2 tries & 12 points. 

26 points, should be enough to win every game for a ‘top 4’ side.

The last time the Eels scored 26+ points in a losing game was almost 8 years ago - Round 13, 2015 against the Cowboys - 36-30.

While we still managed an ‘Eels-esque’ self destruct through errors in attack, there were positive signs with the added dimension Hopgood is adding through the middle. It will be interesting to see this evolve as opposition defences become more aware of his potential & place within our structure.

'HopGod’s' stats are worth noting - 2 Try Assists, 1 Try Contribution, 1 Line Break, 1 Line Break Assist, 4 Offloads & 4 Tackle Breaks = Phenomenal, lock him down for years to come.

Momentum Shifts: Moments that mattered

From Hodgson's error on the first tackle, to Simmonson’s multiple errors defusing kicks, to Waqa refusing to give Sivo a one on one opportunity to tie the scores late in the game….

These all hurt, but maybe the two biggest momentum shifts included our Captain?

Gutho's HIA (6')

Up 10-0 after a blistering start, this was a huge momentum shift. Are the Sharks first two tries scored if Gutho is on the field organising the defensive line? 

If there’s contact with the head, it's a sin bin, if there is no contact with the head, why does Gutho require an HIA? This was a huge moment.

Sharks one-two punch (14' & 18')

See above. We kept getting outnumbered out wide throughout the game, but these two tries were critical as it swung the momentum away from our early 10-0 lead.

Gutho's intercept (55')

Up 20-18, with all the momentum, Gutho throws an intercept to Mulitalo & the Sharks score.

A mentally prepared team should never blame one moment in 80minutes for a loss, and this error created an opportunity to show resolve when challenged. The Eels reaction was disappointing as the Sharks also scored the next to lead 30-20.

Bottom Line

Jack Gibson was a great believer in the mental side of the game.

Rugby League is a personal game. Every team in the competition is as physically prepared as the other. It’s the mental preparation that counts and thats where character comes out.

Jack Gibson

Our character was challenged, and while this was only round two, there were disappointing signs in how the side reacted to those challenges. This was not only a missed opportunity for a valuable two points, but a missed opportunity to show a resilience we know exists, deep down.

After all, and despite missing some big names, this was still a team who were defensively impenetrable in the last 15minutes of a steaming hot preliminary final last season.

If defence is attitude, are we left with no alternative but to again question the attitude of the players? Or is this the teething process of new combinations in attack & defence? Brad Arthur seems primed for what lies ahead.

It's a good challenge for us, we've got some tough games coming up, but we'll find out plenty about us.

Brad Arthur 

Round 3 and we face Manly at 4pines winless. This is certainly a challenge & an opportunity for BA and the players to show us this ‘character’. 

While there is still more than enough hope, another loss followed by Penrith in Round four, and holes that simply needed plugging can very quickly produce a sinking ship.

Onto Round 3 we go.