What I love about this forum is that common sense is about as common as a Tasmanian Tiger cocking the leg at the cenitaph on Anzac Day.
We have some loveable rogues on this forum, and we all come from different angles when it comes to what's best for our footy team. No doubt - we all want the same thing - a premiership.
I was chatting with my wife this evening over Parra's utter fuck-up last night. I didn't actually get to watch the game because I was under a raft of legal deadlines, but, we got to talk about the result together today. To put it in context, my wife is American and is coming around to the NRL. She enjoys watching Eels game (probably for my sake) but is otherwise pretty much allergic to sport. I spoke, rather glumly about our effort last night and opined that, as a Top 4 roster, we shouldn't fall in a heap when losing our chief playmaker.
This, coming from a newbie to our code, Theresa said, "Penrith keep it together when Cleary has been out".
That's telling.
It's telling that a complete newbie to rugby league can identify a complete loss of system when the "quaterback" goes down. Moreover, she identified a loss of system when our "quaterback" when down and compared and contrasted it to when Nathan Cleary is injured for the Panthers. Notably, she saw no loss of system.
Now, we can all sit here and bemoan the fact that we didn't "hire" a backup half to compensate for such a "system failure", but, apparently, we have one of the best young halfbacks in the code roaming around in the reserves. I appreciate young Sanders is not 'ready yet', but was Jake Arthur when he was thrust into first grade under a similarly difficult regime?
I, for one, think that Dylbags actually played okay over the last two weeks, but, he's being called upon to play a role that he's not ready, nor equipped for. Young Talagi looks like a player but, at this stage in his career, couldn't run a bath, nor tackle a sandwich. His development is being thwarted unnecessarily.
I'm a massive fan of BA. He's turned our club into a powerhouse, but, as my newbie wife sensably pointed out, doesn't seem likely to take us to the 'promised land' - particularly in cirucmstances where he seems so clueless once Plan A is thrown out the window.
Watching NRL360 tonight, the panelists seemed to be palpitating over the downfall of South Sydney. Who gives a fuck about South Sydney! Parramatta are the biggest club in Sydney and are arguably in the top 5 football clubs in Australia behind the West Coast Eagles, Brisbance Broncos, Collingwood Magipies and Richmond Tigers. Why are we backpage news when our club is in such disaray - and why is it that the NRL360 brains trust feel that Wayne Bennett should swoop down to save the Rabbits whilst the Eels are in freefall?
As I said, I love BA, but, if we cop another couple of floggings in the next couple of weeks, our coach will be in the crosshairs and by which time Souths will have already sacked sack JD. We need to get on the front foot now and start negotiations with Wayne Bennett!
Despite what some of the jokers on this forum say about BA's coaching ability, he's a high quality coach, but it is seemingly becoming more and more apprarent that his ceiling is finals and that's all.
If we want to see our footy team hoist the shield before we jump off this mortal coil, it's high time we make a move now. Not because we should, but because we won't have an opportunity in 3 more weeks, and if the season turns to custard, we can all look forwarding to the moaning of the usual suspects for the next couple of years on this forum.
I for one, do not look forward to that!
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This falls to our Board and CEO. The Board and Senior Executive have done an outstanding job providing competent leadership since we changed the constitution. But good governance and fiscal responsibility is now a base line in the NRL. Almost all 17 clubs have cleaned up their act in regards to business fundamentals, running at profits etc. The Eels have focused heavily on membership and are now the biggest in Sydney. All good stuff but in 2024 it's now an expected level of managerial competence.
I said this last year, if the Eels want to challenge for a title the Board and Senior Executive need to be bold. The greatest Coach to ever Coach in Rugby League is available in 2025. I can't think of a more obvious and more bold move than to secure his services asap.
Hear, hear! Spot on Mutts.
What system do we actually have to fall back on? Penrith"s system is run hard, get off the line and tackle hard, both for 80 minutes. Then build a strong and fast team around it.
Great post Bourbon, and a very astute observation from your wife.
She is correct, our system seems to fall when our quarterback goes down..why?
1. we don't pick and play to the system we trained and trialled with
2. we panic and move positions around making 2 or three positions weaker rather than just the one
I'll say this again, Brown is a brilliant 5/8 and is playing his guts out at the moment but moving him to 5/8 weakens his running game, our overall kicking game, and mostly our inept defence.
When Clearly goes down at Penrith they hold their nerve and replace him with a capable halfback so not too much disturbance to the structures. Ethan Sanders is young, and perhaps not showing enough in a well beaten Cup side, but for mine it absolutely has to be him or at the very least Asi at half.
Makes me believe that the club is certain that Sanders will announce he is leaving as soon as he is able.
The main point here is that the club doesn't have a backup half-back. That is really unforgivable if Parra is serious about being a premiership threat. The most important position in the team, and even more so given we have built the team around Moses. Why is our only backup half a 19 year old not yet ready for NRL? The other options are just more 5/8. We knew this when our previous backup half left last year, so why did we not go on the hunt to sign another player?
This is not good enough, and it's not good enough that we are still 3 players short on our roster. Get your act together Parra, or it will all quickly come crashing down... again.
Arthur is a very good coach in some aspects I agree but tactical foresight both in game and generally are not strong suits.
I was slightly tongue in cheek with my responses to the 4 players from the rouse hill rhinos post but it does raise eyebrows. one of my best mates played a few games of first grade in the early 2000's and was a highly touted junior so would have a fair idea - I flicked him the link and he thought it was very unusual that 4 graded eels players would come from the one club footy team. Maybe it's a non story but there is no doubt that the circumstances of Arthur's begginings at the club afforded him a fair bit of influence. Maybe that's ok in some peoples eyes.
There is no doubt though that our lack of a first grade ready halfback is almost entirely on Arthur. Whether you blame him or not the player he had lined up to be our second choice half - his son - left the club with his complete blessing. In fact he encouraged him to go by all reports.
encouraged him to go, well our so called 'fans' were booing the poor kid everytime he run out and made such a noise i suspect the club felt they had no other choice but to let him go. I remember all the stuff on these forums, we cant then sit back and blame the coach for letting him go, when most likely its us fans that pushed him out. IMO anyway.
They weren't booing Jakob, they were booing his father. If they were booing the player, then why aren't they booing Talagi ? Talagi is one of the worst players I've ever seen and ranks with Samuel Laziou as a player. Even in his infancy, Jakob Arthur was twice the player Talagi is and probably will ever be.
Wow.
They were booing Jake, you're delusional if you're claiming otherwise. There was even a poster on here be memory ( or a link to a Facebook group maybe ) that witnessed first hand an Eels fan rip into him to his face . Ironically it was in Canberra.
I was at a game where he was booed when his name was called. Wasn't a huge all in boo, but yiu heard the fuckwits in the stadium. He sure as fuck knew it as Jake himself was quoted acknowledging the hate and just said it comes with the territory. That kid copped it hard and it pains me to know he's loved the club his whole life and was forced to Manly of all places. He was used as a weapon by some so they could fantasise about them getting to his father .
I've read so many comments from fans saying he stopped during his shopping and spoke to them and their kids , signed autographs and pretty much always gave up his time , but we will all idolise the fuckwits that get pissed whilst injured , fight lollipop men, ignore people shopping , and sexually abuse randoms in clubs.
no wonder our players attitudes and cultures shot to bits, tbe players that love the club and try their guts out 24/7 are run out of town. Blaise isn't booed simply because his dad isn't the coach.
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