Eels Blogs

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              LB > Randy Handlinger May 14, 2026 at 11:07am

              You can knock players and say they are not good enough. But it's the mob mentality that if we lose, someone is to blame. If that player is out we need someone else.

              Waqa Blake was that for years, then Sivo, then Penisini,now Guymer.

              Not saying it's all not justified, some is but it gets too much. There were games where Sivo scored 4 tries and played well and on FB comments people said "drop Sivo" as it showed we lost. They obviously didn't watch the game, just following to crowd to act like they know what they are on about.
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      Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin > LB May 14, 2026 at 8:56am

      

      Whats wrong with picking him in the squad then?  It could benefit his game.  Number 21 is usually for younger players mixing with the squad.  

      So now you're a mind reader saying im putting Guymer down??
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        LB > Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin May 14, 2026 at 10:07am

        

        You've said he's not a fan so why suggest him for rep honors? It was a clear knock and to treat me like an idiot to believe that you actually meant well by the suggestion.

        You are better than that.
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          Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin > LB May 14, 2026 at 11:15am

          

          Im bot the selector.  Also, i supported him earlier when  I mentioned Moses praising Guymer on the Horo podcast.  

          I was just saying he was limited to the number of positions he can play 

          Ill have to admit,  in Guymers first few games and debut,  he looked like a world beater
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          Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin > LB May 14, 2026 at 11:39am

          

          Also, ask yourself,  why is Guymer signed until 2028 yet our only decent prop going forward in Sam Tuivaiti only signed until 2027 and can negotiate in November 

          There's something wrong there
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            LB > Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin May 14, 2026 at 1:03pm

            

            Guymer was off-contract first. Also, just cause we want to extend Tuivaiti earlier doesn't mean he wants to. He might want to test PNG and Perth as well. Who knows

            You can say to a player "here is a new 3 year deal" he can say "I'll have a look at what's out there to try and up my value."
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              Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin > LB May 14, 2026 at 1:34pm

              

              First you sign the best players,  then you sign the players who are average,  that's the way you win in the nrl.  

              And your second paragraph,  thats where the top negotiators stand out, if there's a player they want to keep they'll get the job done before November 1st.  You are 100% incorrect 

              Thats 100% fake news and that's giving mark o'neill an out
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                LB > Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin May 14, 2026 at 3:26pm

                

                 Calling it “fake news” and saying I’m giving Mark O’Neill a pass doesn’t change the fact that contract negotiations involve two sides, not one.

                Tuivaiti is already signed, Guymer was not so he took the priority for the mean time for our squad.

                Clubs can prioritise players all they want, the player and manager still decide whether they sign immediately or wait for the market. Especially now with Perth and PNG coming, young forwards have even more reason to test their value.

                Guymer signing earlier only proves Guymer was willing to sign earlier. It doesn’t automatically mean the club rates him above Tuivaiti.

                You’re acting like every player who reaches November 1 is proof management failed, when sometimes the player simply chooses to wait because it benefits them financially and career-wise.

                If clubs had the power to just “get the job done” whenever they wanted, then no club in the NRL would ever lose a player they wanted to keep.

                Yet it happens every single year.

                That alone kills your argument. So stop being so agenda driven and look at reality. It is blinding what is real and what is not. Not just MON but you do the same with players too. If Penisini and Guymer are out, who is next to target?
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                  Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin > LB May 14, 2026 at 3:37pm

                  

                  Les than 5% of fans would give Mark o'neill a pass mark

                  If you don't believe me, start a new blog with the headline,  would you give mark o'neill a pass mark and why?

                  No, im saying the players you want to keep, should never reach November 1, especially when you have a roster with only 1 rep player in it 

                  And don't compare us to the panthers again as they have a plethora of star players,  and can't keep everyone 

                  Parramatta have a plethora of below average players,  so there's absolutely no excuse in not signing a player like Sam before Nov 1 sorry 
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                    LB > Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin May 14, 2026 at 4:39pm

                    

                     

                    You’re mixing two different things again, player value judgements and how contracting actually works.

                    Saying “Guymer is replicable and Tuivaiti isn’t” is just your opinion on player ceilings. That’s not proof of recruitment failure or proof a deal should already be done.

                    Even if you rate Tuivaiti higher, that still doesn’t change the core fact you keep skipping: contracts are a two-sided negotiation. Clubs don’t get to unilaterally decide timing, the player and manager can and do wait until November 1 to test the market, especially with expansion clubs increasing demand.

                    You’ve also shifted the standard a few times. First it was “no excuse, should never reach Nov 1”, then it becomes player comparisons, then it becomes “replicable vs not replicable”. None of that changes the actual mechanism of retention.

                    And rating a player as “not replicable” before they’ve even fully entered the open market is just projection not evidence of what the club could or couldn’t realistically secure at this point in time.

                    But at the end of the day, recruitment and retention isn’t just about effort or intent, it’s about player choice and timing. Clubs can want to extend a player early, but they still need the player and manager to agree. Players regularly wait until November 1 to test their value, that’s standard across the NRL.

                    If Tuivaiti re-signs early, the argument disappears. If he doesn’t, then you judge the outcome. But right now you’re judging a negotiation that hasn’t finished based on assumptions about value and intent.

                    Also, you say do not compare to Penrith again, like you are my father or something weird like that, when you have a few weeks ago using them as the benchmark? So which is it? You can only compare when it fits your narrative?
                    
                    Sorry Chief, i rarely say this to people here but you are acting like an idiot.