Eels Blogs

The Eels are heavily backed favourites at $1.36 to $3.08 before tomorrow’s team list Tuesday. Indeed, everything points to an Eels win. However, if the Eels do not approach this game seriously then some rude shocks await us. The Eels must keep the foot on the pedal, not just to keep their top 4 and home final's appearance alive.

Vince Lombardi, the legendary NFL Green Bay Packers coach, whose ideas heavily influenced Jack Gibson in the early 1970s whilst he was struggling with the Dragons at the time, succinctly said: “Winning is a habit, unfortunately so is losing.”

A winning team is also a happy team, as well as a confident one. Jack Gibson like many great coaches, knew that “confidence” was vital, even more important than “talent”.

Those elements, sum up the Eels and the Titans, as well as last week’s fallen foes, the Knights.

1. Second best form of the decade meets equal worst.

The Eels have won the last 6/7 matches, to record their second best stretch of form in 10 years, since 2017. The Eels are in rare form, with a defence and attitude that has improved significantly over the last 2 months, whilst the Titans have the worst defence of all teams. That alone spells an opportunity for the Eels to improve their for and against.

Meanwhile, the Titans have lost 7 straight matches, to consign them, comfortably 6 points worse than any other team to appear to surely secure their second wooden spoon in their 13-year history (first was in 2011).The Titans have only won 4 games this season. If they fail to win at least 2 of the last 4 games they will equal their worst season ever in 2011 where they won only 6 games all year.

2. CBUS: LLLLLL, Lost 70%, two and half years, 5 years

The Eels have lost 70% of all games (7/9) at this ground, and also haven’t played here for over two-and-a-half years since 2017.

They haven’t won at this ground for 5 years, since R20, 2014, when Brad Takairangi was still playing five-eighth for the Titans; and Chris Sandow and Pauli Pauli were still around. That seems aeons ago.

That was the only game Arthur has won here, and only David Gower, Tepai Moeroa, and Junior Paulo are the survivors from that game in Eels' colours, assuming Tim Mannah doesn’t receive a miraculous call up.

However, to offset all that, the Titans hold the worst home record in the competition this year, losing the last 6 games here, this year. Whatever advantage they may have had has been whittled away.

3. One coach, seven coaches: 50%, 0%

Brad Arthur has a 50% winning ratio against the Titans (4/8), including the last two, whilst current co-coaches Craig Hodges and Luke Burt have yet to win a single game since taking over in R18. The Eels were once a coaching turnstile before Arthur. Now it’s the Titans turn.

Quite remarkably, Arthur is about to see off every one of the 7 coaches in Titans 13-year history: John Cartwright (2007-14), Neil Henry (2014-17), Terry Matterson (2017 for 2 games), Garth Brennan (2018-19); now Luke Burt and Craig Hodges, and the soon to be incoming Justin Holbrook.

4. Eels are weaker away and in night games, but Titans are the worst.

The Eels have the worst away record of all teams in the top eight (4W-6L) and have only won 2 games away from Bankwest since R6, but the Titans have the worst home record in the competition (2W-8L).

The Eels do not do very well in night games, with the second worst record in the top eight (5W-6L), but again the Titans are the worst in the competition (2W-9L).

Conversely, it is noteworthy that the Eels have the best home records in the competition, even surpassing Melbourne (7W-2L), and one of the best day records.

5. Brad Arthur feels "calmer" finally: now that he can "rely on" the team 

In the R21 press conference Arthur mentioned he is feeling calmer now, because he knows he can “rely on" the team "now”. He added that the team are prepared to “roll their sleeves up”, play more patiently, with more desire, more composed, and most importantly as a “team” this year. Noting they didn’t play as a team in 2018.

Certainly the Eels defence is seeing remarkable improvements and the Eels have developed effective second phase attack this year and Moses’ attacking kicking game has proven a Godsend.

The Titans meanwhile, are clearly struggling this year and are in dire straits. Meninga, Burt and Hodges will need every ounce of Aquamanesque-force to get them a few more wins this year. They would be far from calm.

This year has left Eels fans, myself included, wondering how did Arthur do it this year? Who’s the real Brad Arthur and Eels?

No doubt some will suggest Arthur had too much on his plate last year, due to the cost cutting to the football department, devoid of a Football General Manager, amongst a lack of quality cattle.

This year has also seen some subtle changes in Arthur’s approach. He seems to be far more interested in challenging the players to rise above a “part-timer” mentality and hold themselves accountable; to do their job for the team. He also seems to reward form over experience more. There was also more focus on team bonding in the pre-season and identity.

However, much remains the same. For one, Arthur has always been liked and respected, on the whole, by the playing group and his superiors. Also, Arthur has never been a man of airs and graces. In the R21 pressor, his tie was offset to its usual right handed slant, as so often seen in the last 6 years. It is something you would not allow in a job interview, and yet it pervades.

Notably, Arthur's perennially simple, no fuss, minimalistic, hassle-free, coaching style, devoid of excessive tactical strategies and complexities, has not really changed this year. Essentially, he has carried the same mantra he always has: earning the right to play footy and what’s in front of you, after you’ve rolled your sleeves up as a team. Perhaps that has worked for this team, more than others, under Arthur’s reign.

After all, the new additions of Lane, Paulo, Dylan Brown, Sivo, Ferguson, (even Waqa down the track) all with innate attacking abilities, add the grunt, go-forward, post contact metres, as well as second phase play that was not there in the 2018 team, with the worst attack last year. It has allowed more responsible leadership from Moses (not confused by Norman), Gutherson, and even Nathan Brown. Even Mahoney is a little terrier when he decides to run. It’s also rubbed off on others such as Kane Evans, Jennings and Ma'u who are in rare form. Apparantly, Gibson and Lombardi were right. It's contagious, too.

Bottom line

This week should see the Eels win if they continue being that confident, composed, patient, “team”, working for each other, or else the Titans could spring an almighty upset, and set the Eels back into the land of doubt. The Eels need to maintain the rage.