As the Eels currently sit in 8th position after 5 rounds with a record of 3 wins and 2 losses can you currently see them making the top 8 based upon their past 5 weeks performances and their injury list plus their negotiations with off contract players and younger players wanting to make their mark? and the uncertainty of Brad Arthurs future. Im currently thinking NO they wont make the 8 although I was more positive earlier before the past 2 rounds and the negotiation merry go round currently taking place. Im also very unsure about Brad Arthurs future at the club unless their is a huge winning turn around over the next month. What does everyone else currently think. Lastly what winning percentage will Bankwest Stadium provide for the Eels?
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I’d say we will make the 8. We’ve gone alright and that’s without Nathan brown who adds an extra dimension and solidifies our middle defence. Will look better with salmon in centre, take utility bench and Dylan brown back in the side
Yep, we should make. Have a look at a run home after the Bye. We should win 8 of the last 9 games. Just got to stay in touch up until the Bye round and then come home with a wet sail.
A lot of things need to go right. I tipped we would miss the eight pre-season based on too much uncertainty, and a developing team. Supported by the lessons of history. Only a minority of teams make semi's after spoon years.
Yet, after what I saw for the first 5 rounds I would say yes we can - if we had a healthy and undistracted squad.
It's touch and go right now. Probably no. The moanings of Team Guth-uob, our Captain, right before our stadium opener, the uncertainty of Arthur's future and many players, and a mistake riddled game will really test the team's mettle. And now we're trying to pin down Moses' future to clarify the future. A lot of distractions and fog.
It depends how we bounce back now and handle all these distractions. If we can, there's still hope. If we don't we won't be making the eight. We might even show signs of 2018's annus horribilis.
Agree mostly with what you say HOE, a top 8 finish is more than possible for the eels, especially once they get their full compliment of players back, all things going right Ma'u is back next round, which is a help then waiting on the two Browns to sow the side together.
Our two games that were lost, were not good but, even in those losses there was a lot to be be proud of especially in defence and the game at Canberra especially, its hard to beat a 14/15 mane team with 13 players that also were broken by ferals from England who are given specific directions to take key players out. The refs also need to have weekly eye sight tests before allowed to adjudicate.
Still believe that the teams main thinking may have been disrupted with the run at the new stadium last week and their minds maybe were more thinking of the home return game. This first match at the new beauty salon on Monday is vital to get a big win, will give confidence going forward.
I also tend to think that an announcement regarding two players and the coach will be made at some point on game day as well. TV showed Gutho being confident of staying.
I am glad to see Evans out and Stone in for him, a smallish backrower but big heart and defends hard and will add to the pack as well.
Thanks Col, I hope you're right. Stone couldn't be worse than Evans; but hasn't set the world on fire yet.
HOE, I think Evans has had his one fair game PA already. Stone is said to be playing VG with Wenty, also Kafusi went well last match while were in losing sides last round, they must have shown enough to replace Evans and Gower.
Hopefully then, both replacements arrive with dry matches, and not wet ones.
Yeah, hope so Col. The future concerns me. And the rest of 2019.
Too many things up in the air. No committed relationship can prosper long-term until confusion and doubts are clarified. Athur, Gutho, Moses, a lot of players off contract. There are reports Arthur is growing increasingly frustrated. He's hardly even part of the recruitment decisions.
Who'd want to give their life, invest huge time and energy, into a company or relationship if they don't feel wanted or part of their future plans? Just warming a seat. It's best to go.
I thought maybe the mid year strategy, of making a decision strategy might work, but I think the season could be just almost over by then.
There's a lot of cooks and bureaucrats in the devision-making process. I'm not sure who has the most power at the club these days. Max, Bernie, Bevan, maybe O'Niell has a say too. Seems McElffy has a pretty big voice now.
There needs to be one clear vision and not too many cooks.
HOE, in the following blog https://www.1eyedeel.com/forum/topics/eels-put-three-year-contract-...; There is the following snippet
Under the club’s new recruitment and retention policy, all members of the committee - which includes McElduff, CEO Bernie Gurr, coach Brad Arthur, general manager Mark O’Neill and recruitment manager Peter Sharp - must agree.
I was very surprised when I read it and saw BA's name included. It makes me believe that he has very much strong input into which players are to be signed. Looking at the board as such, McElduff, is chairman and an appointment to the board, but I gather the others in that list must be those who have control over the recruitment. McElduff would be the only one without any real RL experience or knowledge unless as a supporter of the game.
BA, being on it means he would be the one putting the names forward from both within and outside. Sharp also would be in that boat as a longer term eels agent, Gurr and O'Neil have RL backgrounds whereas the chairman is from the business world of banking so he would have tight says on the money side of it.
HOE, thus us how it is supposed to be. We don’t want the coach responsible for the roster, his job is to coach the team he is given. Max is just a director these days, he has no day to day responsibility at the club, Bevan Paul is the LC CEO, he has no role at the football club, O’Neill is the GM, he has the primary responsibility for managing the roster, McElduff is the Chairman of the board, he is there to represent the board so as to ensure there is no repeat of the 2016 debacle. Both BA & recruitment chief Peter Sharp are part of the roster committee.
Thanks Brett and Col. Still I'd love to be a fly on the wall of our board meetings. I reckon we'd see a hierachy of voices, wielding their infuence.
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