'10 | R1 | Fri | Eels 12-18 Dragons | Parramatta

[Schiltzenberger]

While I know a lot hateeverything to do with rugby, they've got that one right. If a kick goes dead in goal, it's a scrum where it was kicked or a 22, whichever is further.

Yep, if Saints or any other team continue with this deliberate deadball kicking then this season will get boring very quickly.

 

[God-King Dean]

The expectation on Hayne is ridiculous.

Anyone who expects him to keep the same form as the last 10 weeks of last year is a genius.

 

[Big Pete]

The Dragons were AWESOME.

That's how you play Parramatta, that's how you play Round 1 football and that's how you remain awesome.

 

[The 18th Man]

Jeremy Smith was Man Of The Match in my eyes, he gets 3-points. Smith was excellent in running at the Eels left hand side defence. Smith scored a good try, made 124m from 17 runs, 20 tackles and played his part in a Dragons try.

Dan Hunt was awesome, I said as much early in the game thread. It's all debateable I guess. Michael Weyman was equally brilliant, he had 15 runs for runs for 147m (Hunt 16 runs for 137m) and both made 22 tackles. Both did the job they had to to do in typical Wayne Bennett early season style (run hard and straight, keep the ball - 0 offloads for both of them). Both were excellent, I felt Weyman was a little better and deserves his points despite not getting as much "air time" from the commentators.

Jamie Soward wasn't brilliant, but he was good and his kicking game in particular played a key role in this Dragons win. Soward put 10 points up for his team. I can justify his nomination for one point here. I'd say if he wasn't playing, if the Dragons didn't have his kicking game, the Dragons quite possibly are on the side of the ledger in this game. His kicking game was the difference.

It's all subjective.

 

[Slackboy72]

While I know a lot hateeverything to do with rugby, they've got that one right. If a kick goes dead in goal, it's a scrum where it was kicked or a 22, whichever is further.

Yeah. Right on. Actually I think if anyone kicks the ball dead in future it should be an automatic penalty try to parramatta because it's unfair for hayne bla bla bla dribble dribble dribble ...

 

[Jason Maher]

Loved the Eels going back to their old logo - is that a permanent change, or just a one-off?

 

[The 18th Man]

Loved the Eels going back to their old logo - is that a permanent change, or just a one-off?

I agree. I loved the Eels uniform last night. Make it permanent.

 

[The 18th Man]

Shackleton has a torn hammy from this game, likely out for 6 months according to 2GB. How tough is the guy if this is the case? Showed little emotion or pain when the injury was done - a torn hammy is a PAINFUL.

 

[Vic Mackey]

While I know a lot hateeverything to do with rugby, they've got that one right. If a kick goes dead in goal, it's a scrum where it was kicked or a 22, whichever is further.

hmm i actually like this idea

 

[Lambretta]

I understand that, I was offering an opinion

Ah, ok. Are you allowed to do that?

That's a bit dangerous isn't it?

 

[Hutty1986]

You had the forward momentum the whole game your forwards laid the platform look at the field and ball possession.. Like Gould was saying any good halves would have been wanting to touch the ball he didnt look interested never has thats prob why he wasnt wanted at the roosters he has a kicking game thats about it...

The Dragons can come up with fantastic forwards the best in the comp too bad it cannot find any decent halves...

BTW We have Mateo Mortimer Robson And Kris Keating the only think id wish they had was Sowards kicking game...

:lol::lol: And is one of the fastest players in the comp, one of the most elusive, with a great passing game and great footwork.. pretty average really

 

[jpaciocco91]

Sure is average! LOL! Why do all opposition fans dislike Soward? Jealousy that he's come from nowhere to be amongst the game's best?

 

[Ulysseus]

Interesting.
I haven't done a lot of reading on the downtown rule, as a result I thought it was just a rule about cruising for fithy s**ts in the western suburbs, but apparently its to do with the NRL, which obviously caught my interest as well.
Anyway, I didn't see it at any point in the Eels vs Saints game and as for Soward kicking it dead to take Hayne and co out of the play, whilst I am sure we'd all like to credit Bennett for it, I think Cartwright done it last year to nullify Slater.
As for changing the rules, well, I have an idea:

If a player kicks it from outside the twenty metre mark near the opponents goal line, but within the opponents half, and it goes out on the full then it is a tap from where the ball was kicked if it foes not first bounce in the field of play before exiting the in goal.
If a player is kicking from within his own half and manages to get it out via the in goal then it is a 20 metre tap as normal.
Kicking it out via the in goal on the full within the opponents 20 should result in a penalty, for geniusation.

 

[Ulysseus]

On the game itself:
What do you take from round 1?
Both sides looked a bit rusty, Saints looked the more capable, they should have scored at least two more 4 pointers, but the attack was slow to gell last year, and simplistic at the best of times, anyone expecting them to bust out with their 2005 level of attack is kidding themselves, maybe something resembling it in a while, defence was good all up.

Parra aren't a myth, they just started slow, someone was going to lose that game and had it been Saints would there have been as many calls saying they are pretenders and will have a sh*t year?, didn't think so.
You wanna see a myth, go look at Souths.

 

[Y2Eel]

:lol::lol: And is one of the fastest players in the comp, one of the most elusive, with a great passing game and great footwork.. pretty average really

Whatever happened to Lee Odenryn? (sp)

Great Passing and Footwork WTF all he has is speed and a long kicking game and some how got the 3 points on the Live update :lol:

He could be really good but he never will be there is something in him that stops him usuing all his abilites.. Unlike bloody Carney damn he is the NSW 5/8!

 

[Firey_Dragon]

LOL @ anyone criticising the Dragons for that performance. It's round 1 for crying out loud. To be honest, it kind of takes away from the Eels performance saying we looked ordinary. The first half while we weren't brilliant in attack, we certainly asked some questions and the Eels had brilliant goal line defence. We then lost our hooker and the gameplan changed.

It was an incredibly high standard and entertaining match for a round 1 game, both teams will do bloody well this year. I think had we come up against most sides on Friday, we would have put 30-40 on them, but full credit to the Eels, the dedication they showed in defence was incredible. Only the Roosters probably performed better than either of these teams this weekend IMO, but in saying that their opposition was comical.

 

[petetheileet]

Parra were gutsy

but lacked application in attack

keeping the ball alive and second phase play will win you games at the end of a long season, but i dont think they will beat many top sides in the first half of this season.