I watched the horrible game today, and for the first time in many a moon, I thought I would watch BA's post match presser to see what he had to say. Since then I have simmered down somewhat but still dissapointed at the result. Listening to the coaches responses, I found it a bit hard to put him down and blame him for what was a pretty poor game from the eels, and he made a couple of more pertinent comments, one being that we faced a team that was on the up but one also high on emotion, and not metioning directly the passing of Bob Fulton, he said the opposition were very much playing at a different level than expected, and the eels (& dare I suggest, that any other team facing Manly today would have been the same as the eels) were not on that same level.
My personal thoughts are simple and what BA said was a true reflection of the game and the opposition no matter who would be highly unlikely to have done any better than the eels although the scoreline more than likely be somewhat different to that which we ended up with.
I decided also to have a look where we sit on the ladder, well according to what I see, I don't believe its all doom and gloom TBH
| 1 | 11 | 0 | 22 | 280 | ||
| 2 | 9 | 2 | 18 | 234 | ||
| 3 | 9 | 2 | 18 | 130 | ||
| 4 | 8 | 3 | 16 | 27 | ||
| 5 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 119 | ||
| 6 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 9 |
We sit in 3rd spot on the ladder, our points show us equal to Storm in 3rd spot, Our for is equal with the Chooks in 3rd position. In against we sit 3rd, and last colum shows we 3rf in the differential. For me I decided not to slit my wrists as yet.
Next round is against the Rabbits on Saturday afternoon at Stadium Aistralia, that game will be our big challenge, as I expect that RCG, Waga at least will be suspended, but we do get Marata back for that match.
Let me be very honest by repeating my dissapointment in todays loss, and many have pointed out not just Waqa and Fergo's poor plays but also how many others in the team were also very very poor in execution, I guess some could qualify for that as a sentence, so are the eels gone for the season as a result of this loss? are one or two players the sole issue in as far as the loss is concerned, in my opinion one can readily put a tick on all the players or most of them anyway, and not just a couple of them at fault.
For me there are too many that played ultra poorly, players that are not normally like that, our captain, and our half back were not good, MM in fact I thought had been replaced as I found it hard to see him in the game, we have two wingers of mixed abilities, that one seems to be better at least he scores tries when close to the line, our #3 was probably the best/most reliable in the backs, young Jake got a new lesson in the step up from NSW cup. Then we have the wonder of our right side defence. I watched it on a big screen TV, and my view of the 4 & 5 has not changed and that is that both of them need to be replaced or at best change positions. I saw more misreads and missed tackles by the #5 than I saw from the #4, Fergs still seems to trip over himself as he comes infield too often believing I guess that by going in he will cut off the opposition attack, something he mostly misses as hes too far inside and near falls/trips over himself trying to right himself by which time the opposition has scores as seen today in the first Moanly try. Waqa for me was a bit better and actually showed some speed in trying to defend, a reason he needs to be trialed on the wing.
Our forwards were clearly dominated by the opposition, but I don't think by that much, the scoreline shows what would be deemed horrible, but the opposition also got some very favourable bounces of the ball to which they scored from.
At the end of the day and game, the eels were simply not good enough across the whole team, they were outplayed because they were dominated in each dept/area of the game, there was a 14th person running in their team today, a player who did that pretty consistantly when he was alive, and ran on more than one ground and against all clubs and their teams, he was unbeatable again today, and we were not ready for the game plan and play that was thrown up against us.
The preperation for the rabbits now begins, today finishs in around 2 hours and it will be in the past.
PS, I did pick 5 winners in this round of footy.
Replies
Note to Brad - Champ this is the level you're going to be facing from all the teams in September .
The key point is, we're not in September. Last year we peaked too early, it's very important we don't do that again. We want to make Top 4, but we want to do it with gas left in the tank.
Hey Wiz, I am sure Brad really appreciates that advice. Probably never occurred to him.
The sky is falling, the sky is falling.
There are two standout teams in the comp at this stage - Panthers (miles ahead) and Storm. Then come Eels, Rabbits, Roosters (debateable atm), Manly.
We lost by 22 points against a team high on emotion and willingness to work for each - can they sustain it? who knows, who cares really.
The team we play next has been towelled up 50 and 60 pnts in recent weeks but most have them above eels as far as contenders. One of those teams we have beaten already this season.
The true test of where this team sits is how we back up next week, if they turn up like they did on Sunday and get dusted, then maybe opine the lost season.
If they turn up and put the bunnies away convincingly, then sunday was just a blip.
Sky definitely not falling. BUT Arthur has to make permanent personnel changes to get the right edge defence back where it was or it will be a repeat of last year.
only one change - Waqa see ya later
I agree it is not doom and gloom and it is not soley 1 or 2 players but as a team defensively. JA shows promise but to me is not ready for 1st grade and needs to spend a year or 2 in reserves geting his body use to playing against men and honing his skills. Yes Waqa has a lot of misreads in defense but so does others in our team. To me it seems to come from a lack of communication or trust in their inside player or it could be just a flaw in the defensive structure. If Kidwell is our defensive coach then that could bea big possibility as when he was at the warriors and kiwi coach his defensive structures had the same issues. In attack Mosses seems to get lost, for some one who alot brags how good his kicking game is he had no pressure on him yet all his kicks were the same, too long for the team to put pressure on and his kicks went straight to the fullback or wingers not once did they find the turf, side line to give his players a rest and set our defense or in goal to get repeats.Our attak looked very predictable and unsure what to do. We still have time to get better being 3 on the ladder but my bigest cncern is the problems are not being fixed and keep being reveild. This is a problem that the coahing team should be identifing and fixing.
Guys, thanks for each of your replies and for some good points made.
A point from what Shane has said is something that I have being saying now for some time and that is in regards to Kidwell. He was brought in I (still) believe as a stop gap and panic appointment as a defense coach in 2018, this is his 4th year, and I have asked the question in the past as to what has he helped the eels in that area. As a player he was no nonsense and played both Centre, Lock and 2nd row, I never thought he was great as a player & in his 2 years as a player with the eels, was more than enough to see of him,
The eels are pretty much as a team stuck I believe in the same defensive groove as they have been even before he came but at least with BA as head coach there has been improvements especially with the playing roster, but the defense has not been up to scratch on a consistent basis since Kidwell was appointed, my hope is that this will be his last year at the eels and we can get a better replacement in.
Have read where the Manly player Josh Shuster is one of our Blacktown players who has been poached by Manly, same with Keppie who really turned up against us as well.
Waqa, Read one of the other blogs where it mentions Waqa played Left centre at the riff, which made me wonder why he is not playing in that spot for the eels, given the various reports made as to his Riff abilities, and what I understand he was signed for. So why is he playing in his wrong side? With Marata back next game, I am tipping he may back to the 4 spot, but with RCG on a weeks ban from yesterday, he may be needed in the forwards, if that happens, would not a swap with Opacic and Waga be any benefit?
The other aspect is our #6 spot, is Jakob good enough for another and last week against Souths? Who would replace him if he's ruled out? Smith is out until round 13.
I agree the sky is not falling and the loss yesterday is probably the best thing to happen at this point of time and the whole of the club coaches, bosses, players and support staff need to have a good look at themselves as to where they want to be for the rest of the year. The players are on auditions for contracts and so too likely coaching and other staff, time for a change, but BA has another 12 months as well, and I don't actually see many alternatives out there, ATM, but we should get a defense coach that knows how to tackle and that often includes having the ability to read the game
Lastly, I am still of the view we were never going to win yesterday owing to the emotions shown by the Manly players, they lost an icon and were there to make sure he was sent out a winner, we need to turn the tide when the next meeting takes place.
I think it'sharsh on Fergo to blame him for the tries down that edge yesterday. The right edge was operating fine when you had a back rower at centre - because he can make a read in defence and doesn't rush up without getting a result, leaving his winger with a two or three on one. Nuikore isn't even a centre and reads the play in that position better than Blake. The difference is as plain as the nose on your face with him there compared with Nuikore, or basically anyone. The right edge ceased being a problem for the side at all when he was injured.
That's an incredible indictment on Waqa. He must not be picked again.
HerrBurger, just a bit of information for you, Marata when he came to the eels a few years back from the Warriors had played all his matches there as a centre, when he came to the eels, he was pretty raw in talent but was allowed to graduate into the top squad. He did play some early games at Centre with the eels but was pretty much converted to a 2nd rower by the coach.
Marata still shows his abilities in the centres but the big question is, whether its his best position or not, he can play in both positions still and does so with aplumb, he is more than capable of filling either role going forward, he still has the skills to be a centre and its been on show for much of the year so far.
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