Eels Blogs

Replies

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    Bob mertens > KENDOZA May 6, 2025 at 8:50am

    He might have no chance to stay in Queensland. 
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  Jack May 5, 2025 at 11:51pm

  
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    Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin > Jack May 6, 2025 at 7:05am

    

    Pretty sure he's off contract at the end of 25..  Why would be be shopping him around for 26?

     How this guy was allowed to block pathways for 5 years in our system is beyond belief.  I've never seen a player with a smaller motor.

    Another feather in the cap for a bush bum coach 
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      LB > Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin May 6, 2025 at 8:54am

      

      This was reported back in December, but his whole contract thing is weird. Some report 2025 he is off-contract, other say 2026.
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        Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin > LB May 6, 2025 at 10:11am

        

        Fucking unbelievable if he's signed for 2026 here
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  Trent May 6, 2025 at 7:33am

  Sign Fifita we win the comp 
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    Mr Positivity Pronoun is HE > Trent May 6, 2025 at 8:37am

    That's very optimistic and a possibility 
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  Nightmare Off-Season May 6, 2025 at 10:05am

  

  Fifita seems, at least from the outside, to be one of those players who just relies so heavily on environment?

  In 2023, when he was arguably the best forward in the game, he was next to Foran & that might have been the key.

   

  Next to Mitch Moses, he could be back to his best pretty easily.

   

  Fifita has always survived off the back of unbelievable talent, but it still obviously requires a lot of hard work & sacrifice to play at the elite levels he has.

   

  That doesn’t just disappear, you wouldn’t think.

   

  A lot on here didn’t want the Eels to sign Lomax due to ‘attitude’ or ‘entitlement’ concerns, yet he’s been the best signing we’ve made in a long time.

   

  It’s easy to criticise attitudes from our position, we all do it, but we also don’t know the motivation behind form slumps.

   

  Money doesn't always = output, & these players are human like us. We are all at out best when in an environment that suits us.

   

  If the Eels were interested, I’d back Ryles to get the best out of Fifita being an ex-international forward himself, & Moses who is just going from strength to strength in leadership.

   

  But we’d have to offer something other than $$ because the elite teams don’t pay 1mil + for edge back rowers, and what exactly is it we can offer to entice him away?

   

  He rejected the Panthers & Roosters to stay on the GC, so its hard to believe the last placed Eels could offer something he’d find hard to resist.

   

  Regardless, its a fair question, if one of the best edge backrowers in the game becomes available, a position we are completely at sea in, I’d hope the Eels at least looked into it.

  
  

   
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    Bup > Nightmare Off-Season May 6, 2025 at 4:56pm

    

    A good backrower needs a good combination with their half. 
    The Titans have fluffed around with their half pairings his whole tenure  there.

    Foz is out every other week, Campbell or Brimson have chopped and changed as well as young Weaver getting some chances, poor old Dave hasn't had anyone to create space on a consistent basis for him.

    A good combination understands the lines they need to run , know what part of the field those lines are to be run and when they're are to be run.

    Dave looks lost to me , he's a car without a driver.

    A lot of these footballers aren't in danger of joining MENSA anytime soon, they are but foot soldiers with talent the majority.

    Thats why you don't pay a million plus for them.

    Players like Fifita and Cobbo don't get through enough work or manufacture enough wins to earn those dollars their usually worth %30 less but some flashes of brilliance here and there ensures someone pays.
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      Nightmare Off-Season > Bup May 6, 2025 at 6:19pm

      

      'A lot of these footballers aren't in danger of joining MENSA anytime soon' - Haha classic.

      But agree Bup, which is why I mention Big Dave next to Foran on the left in 2023. 

      Campbell is obviously a talent & a very instinctive player, but he's a runner first, a playmaker second. Loves a step back inside off the left foot. Brimson, likewise.

      I'd love to see Fifita in the Eels lineup, but, how do you entice with anything short of big money (1+ mil)?

      Maybe the allure of being next to a genuine half in Moses would be attractive to him, but two years ago he rejected an offer from the Panthers where he'd have been next to Luai or Cleary. So its hard to know what motivates him.

      As you said, someone else will pay for Dave if he becomes available. Unfortunately for the Eels, to have a player like Fifita, we'd probably have to develop them and keep them 'home'?