Ugly. Gutsy. Jason Ryles called it “special.”
The Eels’ 26-22 victory over the Warriors in Round 26 at Go Media was anything but pretty. For me, it was sublime.
"The way the players fought and hung in. They had 11 of the last 15 sets, and it felt like they were coming...playing for a top four spot," Ryles told us post-game.
Resilience
Statistically, the heavily favored Warriors owned the contest. Foxsport shows they had 55% possession, almost 70% territory, and a massive 27-4 advantage in red-zone tackles. They won penalties and restarts 12-5, made more line breaks (5-4), and missed fewer tackles (24 to the Eels’ 44). It meant the Warriors’ were building steamroller-like momentum.
Overcoming Achilles' Heels
Under relentless pressure, the Eels who made almost 400 tackles dug in and found a way a win. They scrambled, hustled, and refused to break. The Eels (14th) even beat the Warriors (4th) at their own game. The Eels made less errors (6-8) and had better completions (31/35 at 91% vs 36/44 at 81%), beating the Warriors (best completions, least errors per game in the NRL) at their own game (nrl.com). Errors and poor completions (fourth-worst for both, nrl.com) have been the Eels' Achilles' heel all year. Plus, they iced many of their chances often against the run of play. It kept them in the game. It's also symbolic. The improvement theme.
Kaizen
The turnaround has been stunning. To start the season, the Eels won one of six conceding 34 points per game. They’ve now won four of their last six conceding only 17.7 per game. That's comparable to the NRL’s best defences (Dogs and Raiders concede 17.6-17.7). Until late July, the Eels were 0 / 8 against current top-8 teams. Since then we're 3 / 4. We're not meant to. Coming into last night we were 2/10 outside Commbank. No Gutherson, RCG, Dylan Brown, Sivo, Matto, Lane, Simonsson, Hands, Lussick. $4-5m worth of cap.
Individually, there were standout efforts everywhere last night. There wasn't a poor player on the field.
J’maine Hopgood was colossal. Playing the full 80 minutes for 61 tackles and just one miss (nrl.com). Jack Williams, Junior Paulo, and Kelma Tuilagi (above) produced big moments and magic (Getty Images).
Iongi scores a scorcher (Getty Images). The back three, Foxxy, Lomax, and Iongi, combined for a mammoth 612m (nrl.com).
It could not have been scripted better: Foxxy marked his 200th NRL game with a runaway length-of-the-field try (Getty Images).
Drama
The contest also delivered late drama. With minutes on the clock, Adam Pompey looked to have scored a match-winning try. But the Bunker ruled that Warriors prop Demitric Vaimauga had knocked on.
Foxsport's Greg Alexander blasted the call: "I don’t think his hand went anywhere near the ball."
Despite Cooper Cronk and James Graham agreeing with the bunker's call, Foxsport doubled down with an article soon after entitled ‘Disgraceful’: Bunker Controversy Shakes up Finals Race as Eels Strike Hammer Blow".
“I don’t know if there’s enough evidence to overturn it that he touched it,” Warriors' coach Andrew Webster said.
The Warriors Owned the Field. They owned the Stats. They won the Territorial Battle. But the Eels Owned the Scoreboard and Won the War. Confidence and belief growing. Can we dare to dream? Next week is another test to end the season. To win when expected.
Highlights, Go Media, Auckland
Warriors' fans turned out in force as they have in recent seasons (Getty Images).
The nabbed Warriors' streaker felt the pain.
The Two Fullbacks Fighting Fire with Fire (Getty Images).
Replies
Thanks, StrangeEel. 99/100 the old Eels would've found a way to lose, and we would've been lamenting a "great effort, but the refs" gave them every opportunity to win. Still, the last twenty. Oooph. A dangerous game to watch for anyone on heart medication.
Excellent piece. Kudos to Hopgood who had played the full 80 in the last 2 games. He is blending well in his new role.
Same to Riley, with his energy and his kick pressures.
Thanks, TolEllts. Exactly. Are we starting to take Ryley Smith for granted? He's like a cattle dog with a V8 engine around the ruck chasing anything down. He builds pressure.
The guy has captaincy potential. Good temperament to match the high-energy. And he's often the guy beating the drums in the dressing room leading the chorus. Hopefully, he continues on the same trajectory. There's a great player in there if he keeps his head.
Statistically, the heavily favorited Warriors owned the contest. Foxsport shows they had 55% possession, 70% territory, and a massive 27-4 advantage in red-zone tackles. They won penalties and restarts 12-5, made more line breaks (5-4), and missed fewer tackles (24 to the Eels’ 44). It meant the Warriors’ were building steamroller-like momentum.
Overcoming Achilles' Heels
Under relentless pressure, the Eels who made almost 400 tackles dug in and found a way a win. They scrambled, hustled, and refused to break. The Eels (14th) even beat the Warriors (4th) at their own game. Symbolically, the Eels made less errors (6-8) and had better completions (31/35 at 91% vs 36/44 at 81%), beating the Warriors (best completions, least errors per game in the NRL) at their own game (nrl.com). Errors and poor completions (fourth-worst for both, nrl.com) have been the Eels' Achilles' heel all year. Plus, they iced many of their chances often against the run of play. It kept them in the game.
Those 2 paragraphs for the win.
Just looking at the photo of "the nabbed Warriors' streaker" you put up...is that Galvin???
Love your write up HOE. It's been an awesome pleasure watching the Team take the wins over fancied sides. It has put a spring in the old step for sure.
A quick question - to all. Our discipline? Is it really that bad where we are so far behind other teams in penalties and six agains and are we showing poor discipline or is it a referee biased thing that we are seeing. Either way it concerns me for next year.
We have a good side with some future superstars in our team, that could go a long way next year, if for one we came out in front on the six agains and penalty counts. What small change do we need to get these benefits.
we are definitely not getting the rub of the green. Our discipline in defence has been excellent especially getting back onside. The Warriors were almost perpetually offside. The penalty count realistically should have been reversed. That was a massive win for our team and a great portent for the future.
The officiating is becoming a real big problem. Klein was dead in line for 2 forward passes from the Broncs resulting in tries. The second was 2 metres forward. Nothing to see here. Apart from the obvious fact that the nrl power brokers want Brisbane to succeed.
Bluey, thanks mate. It's a mild to worrying concern but for additional reasons.
Sometimes, a few individuals on our team don't listen to repeated warnings; like many players on other teams. Reputations exacerbate it. The consequence? Refs or touchies ping us randomly where it hurts. It's probably a subconscious human thing: Listen or else. The easiest thing to ping us would be with restarts and play the play infringements. Everyone knows every team doesn't play the ball correctly and is offside more than anyone could be bothered to think about. At best, it makes our mountain more difficult to climb. At worst, we're fatigued and frustrated into losses.
Hopefully, a few serial offenders and MM can take a leaf out some captains that have refs eating out of their palm. The thing is MM isn't Captain Cool: like Cameron Smith, Yeo, Nathan Cleary or even the Harry Grants or Steven Edges of this world. He's a more fiery temperament. He flaps like Munster and often encroaches on ref's physical space. Captain Volcano. He could learn from Tom Brady. Another fiery one. Passion flows out of his pores. MM could direct his fire towards lifting the team the way Brady does instead of getting peeved off at the ref and entering their orbit. My gut feeling is Moses is well and truly aware of this, and he's sometimes caught between being himself and trying to be serious and responsible. It's why he asked Steven Edge, the captain Gibson chose for three year to win three titles — Mr Glue, Mr Relaxed, and Mr Unity — for advice. And his advice was: Be yourself.
Video: Tom Brady Mic'd Up. Captain Volcano There's a bit of Brady in Foxxy, too.
Great Sunday night reading Hoe :)
Hopgood is having the year of his life, next year should be even better.
What about the FOX. I was utterly, completely and totally wrong in my opinion on his signing. Just goes to show what an absolute numb skull I am. It's a fine line between hate and unabashed love :))
Kram the man where you been bud
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
of 4 Next