Eels Blogs

A scrappy win against a Manly side that is pretty average in Holden Cup this year.

Nevertheless, the Eels ended up as deserved winners with an array of sturdy defence and nifty attacking moves.

Thought I would kick-start this blog every week and provide a run-down of the game, how players performed and what I think their chances are for future success at the club.

1. Mason Cerruto - Thought he was quite lively from the back. Carts the ball up at speed and works hard to make good metres. Looked very threatening when chiming into the attack and when trying to work the ball out of the Eels own end. Some good signs and he's a bloke that I think is worth retaining to play for Wenty.

2. James Gammidge - Has heart and commitment and you can't fault him for that, but I feel that his size prevents him from having more of an impact. He scored a try - he's a quality finisher - but he was manhandled a fair bit when taking the ball up. 

3. Tyrell Fuimaono - Quite disappointed in Tyrell. Outside of 2-3 good runs, he looked like he didn't want to be there. His body language was poor and he looked disinterested. Whether that's because he's been told he can leave - obviously having signed at Souths - or another reason, not sure. But Tyrell's form has waned massively in my view.

4. Dane Aukafolau - Bit quiet by his usual standards but he's a big, big body in the centres. Reminds me a bit of Nene Macdonald in the way that he runs and plays. Big, strong and a solid offload, but he probably needs to try and get involved a bit more in the attack. Worth persisting with, as he has something special.

5. Jermaine Mati-Leifi - One of my favourite players in our current Holden Cup roster. Not the biggest winger height wise but he's stocky and deceptively quick. Has a good yard of pace to him and scored a good try by utilising that pace to skip around the outside of the Manly winger. Despite his size, he plays with passion and will always run hard every time he has the ball. Hopefully, we keep him to play for Wenty, at the very least moving forward.

6. Michael Doolan - Solid in patches and works hard, but not sure he's got it to take the next step. He did shift to fullback for the last 15-20 minutes or so and was good under the high ball. Just feel like he doesn't get involved enough nor is he creative enough to reach a higher level.

7. Troy Dargan - The wraps on Troy Dargan are immense but it's clear that he still has so much to learn. He did some good things - good short balls, pinpoint kicks, etc. - but he still needs to develop before he plays first-grade. He can be quite indecisive at times in attack and that leads to a few errors. Namely, one instance where he could have hit a player with a short ball but went for a cut-out and it went out of bounds. But he has time on his side and he is a player that is worth investing in & retaining.

13. Tom Amone - Pleasantly surprised by Amone. Not the biggest prop in our team but I thought he was our best last night. Played close to the full 80 (maybe the whole game, not sure) but whether it was the 1st minute or the 71st minute, he runs to the line with power and speed. Has tremendous leg drive to keep making those metres after contact. Worth retaining and investing, as he could be a solid prop at a higher level.

14. Dean Matterson - Younger brother of Ryan Matterson for those who didn't know but he didn't do anything that really stood out. Works hard and has a good work rate but was quiet, which is probably not what you want or need from your starting hooker.

10. Jamie Stowers - I know some rate Stowers but I don't see it. Compared to Amone, he's like a powderpuff. He is huge but doesn't use his size efficiently or effectively to make an impact. I find that he gets dominated far too easily in tackles. If we have other props in Holden Cup to utilise, I'd be getting them in over Stowers.

11. Jack Morris - A quiet game by Morris' standards but a very solid back-rower overall. Tremendous work-rate, a lot of passion and 100% effort every game. Sound defensively but didn't have much of a chance to run the right lines or hit the right holes, owing to an average game from our halves.

12. Tom Field - Very Hindmarsh-esque in his work-rate. Just runs hard and works hard all day in both defence and attack. Good, honest toiler and probably the better of the Field brothers. 

9. Denzal Tonise - Easily our most exciting player. A small, nuggety player, Tonise has passion and desire in spades. Don't let his small frame fool you. He runs as hard as any of our props and at times, makes more impact than they do. His work-rate is phenomenal and sometimes, you feel like he's everywhere on the pitch. Give it a couple of years and we could see him in first-grade.

8. Kurt De Luis - Another one that runs hard and works hard. He came on and within 5 seconds was hitting the ball up. Not the most powerful forward but he has drive and ticker, something that all clubs need. A solid player to have in your prop rotation. 

15. Tui Oloapu - Can't say I saw too much of Oloapu last night, to be honest. He is a solid player, though, and has played a fair bit of RM Cup for Guildford. He did set up Tyrell's try with a handy offload but was binned for a professional foul late on.

16. Steve Dresler - Like Oloapu, I didn't see too much of Dresler. He is rated highly by some Eels fans here and has potential to move onto bigger and better things, but not sure he played all that much last night.

17. Jye Challenor - A stocky prop that we signed from the Dogs - most recently played for the Auburn Warriors - but he was quiet. I feel like he's a bit slow to get back to the defensive line after making a tackle and thought he was offside a few times as a result. Decent without being great, though it was the first time I'd seen him play.

Parramatta Eels: 24 (Tries: Mati Leifi, Gammidge, Cerruto, Aukafolau, Fuimaono. Goals: Doolan 2/5)