Now that we have seen the Nines, had the preseason trials, and three competition games completed, it is safe to have an assessment of the performances, where we stand now and future prospects.
2015 started in December 2014 when some members attended training sessions of the Eels. That was continued through January and February 2015.
Without exception, all the reports of those training sessions were ebullient, gushing and oh, so positive! They included predictions (of course) that had us in the eight, nay, in the four and challenging for the top prize. Sure and certain, all those reports were wrong. Did you swallow that nonsense? Many did.
Our performances have been poor. Souths put the cleaners through us in the Nines. I think we got one win in the trials and one loss. Not too much can be read into trial results. We have had one good win in the competition and two poor losses. Injuries and a corrupt suspension have complicated things for us. Our performance against the Warriors was awful in the first half. I think that there is something fundamentally wrong in the Parramatta Eels system that produces such consistently unacceptable results. I don`t have an explanation of what that fundamental wrong is. But, I think part of it is to do with the lower grades system. We don`t seem to be producing good young players as once we did, circa 1981 82, 83 et al. Thus, we rely on imports.
Coming from yesterday`s match and results is the need to import large forwards. Our forwards are not big enough--as one international experienced coach said: to win games and competitions you need large forwards and smart halves. Large there meant tall as well as bulk. And forwards there meant front row forwards in the first instance. As it is at the moment, Mau is our best front row, he is our best 2nd row and our best lock.
But he is not large enough to match it against the front row giants appearing in other teams. 2nd row is his go.
Judging by yesterdays results we wont beat the Storm at home or away. We wont beat the Sharks away, might have a chance to beat them at home. We wont beat the raiders at Canberra. We wont beat the Broncos at home or away. We wont beat Newcastle home or away. Souths and Easts? Who knows?! Of course, if all those clubs suffer the injury and suspension toll that the Eels have --all bets are off.
Replies
Do you know the Definition of FaN?
Outrunna he is entitled to an opinion and for mine he is correct. People on the site have said before the season started how we have depth in the forwards, I was not one of them. Well after the first game our depth was threadbare, 1 injury and 1 suspension did that.
I and many others, and hopefully BA, have said we need a least 1 but preferably 2 good big forwards before we can challenge for a top spot. Our backline still needs additional players, a good centre and fullback would help but basically we are a work in progress.
What are you seeing?
I'm seeing a club reeling with injuries, suspension and the unavailability of key players. I've mentioned in another blog - the following forwards and back up forwards are not available - Edwards, Pauli, Paulo, Fa'aoso, Pritchard, Newbigging. That's an entire pack. We've lost Champion and Radradra for extended periods. Back ups such as Quinlan and Toutai are on the injured list. Did you check out the players that took the field for Wenty yesterday. If you did, you might understand why Sandow, Choc and Tepai played a bit busted yesterday. It was a risk that we had to take.
And what of our two losses? We've played one really unacceptable half and that was yesterday. Our first half ruck defence was atrocious. It was rectified in the second half. And don't ignore the influence of refereeing decisions. We have explored that ad-infinitum. However, our coach will not focus on the refs as he cannot control them. He will focus on the players he has at his disposal and producing the best results that he can.
You are entitled to your opinion but I don't see its point, other than you having a vent at your fellow supporters and your own team.
60s I doubt he was having a go at you as you just reported your viewing of the training sessions, other people gushed on how we were going to make top 8 or even top4! As I have said previously BA is really in his first year of picking a roster as had little opportunity last year.
sixtiesboy it is easy to be critical after a loss. Particularly when the losses are coming thick and fast. Two losses out of three games is about 68%! I have not criticised the team or the coach or any individual player. What I have
criticised is the grossly overoptimistic evaluation of the team before the season has even begun and without the aid any discernible evidence to justify that evaluation. I don`t accept that watching a team train can reveal to the watcher how the team will perform in the next season. Results so far confirm that. Let me put this to you. None of those who watched the training and reported on it mentioned anything negative all was positive as I mentioned above. Do you think that that is remotely likely or possible? Life is not like that, nothing is perfect. And ,by the way what was your standard to judged what you saw against? You could have gone and watched another team and compared the two.
But enough of that, I am aware of the difficulty the team and coach are facing. It seems that there is no light at the end of the tunnel as yet.
sixtiesboy I do appreciate that we can have serious differences and yet debate our points without descending
into infantile abuse which is over-prevalent on this site. I hope we can continue to do so because I think you have important things to say.
From what I can see, we cannot create or sustain, pressure, either in attack or defence. When we dont value the pill, keep giving cheap turn-overs in our own area, then we fold. When we are under pressure we dont seem to have a leader, someone to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and get us back on track. Our mind-set at times is either scoring off every play or continually playing catch-up footy. We are showing signs of learning though, take yesterdays psuedo come back. We just need to complete our sets, compete for absolutely everything, to increase our 1 percenters. Most of all hold the pill, and stick with the game plan and our game starts must be better. Having said that its only round 3
Yeh, exactly and it's been the same issue for years and this is why the club was absolutely determinded to get Foran - because he's that player and you don't have it within the Norman/Sandow combination.
I'm actually more positive about our chances than I was at season start. We've seen we have a couple of key players who are going to do better than I though they would contribute; namely Norman and Wicks. If we can get through to Origin period with a 50/50 record, get some relief on the injury front, I can see us going on a nice run mid-season and establishing ourselves in the eight. I still believe we're absolutely a top eight team and this relatively young group is going to keep learning and get better.
We won't win the comp this year but we can certainly make the eight. We just need to hang onto the ball and get to our kick.
If Parra can be more disciplined and hold the ball, last night and last week showed with equal possession we're pretty competitive.
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