Squad succession

[Poupou Escobar]

Yusuf Paulo gone. It is a dark day for the club:

2016
Fullback: French, Gordon, Moss
W/C: Faraimo, Folau, Lavaka, Morgan, Radradra, Schulte, Toutai
Half: Cornish, Foran, Kelly, Matterson, Norman
Hooker: De Gois, King, Peats, Pritchard
Edge forward: Edwards, Gower, Ma'u, Moeroa, Pauli, Scott, Tanginoa, Ualesi
Tight forward: Alvaro, Hasson, Mannah, Nelson, O'Brien, Paulo, Terepo, Watmough, Wicks
Utility: Takairangi

2017
Fullback: French
W/C: Folau, Morgan, Radradra
Half: Foran, Matterson
Hooker: -
Edge forward: Edwards, Gower, Ma'u, Moeroa, Pauli, Scott
Tight forward: Mannah, Terepo, Watmough
Utility: Takairangi

2018
Fullback: French
W/C: Radradra
Half: Foran
Hooker: -
Edge forward: Scott
Tight forward: Watmough

2019
Fullback: -
W/C: -
Half: Foran
Hooker: -
Edge forward: -
Tight forward: -

So officially we have 37 merkins contracted for next year. I'm holding off on updating Lavaka and Matterson.

 

[Gronk]

There is nothing official about the option is there? I reckon there are loads of player and club options in there that we don't know about. So I only go on what is reported.

Yes merkin

The Dyldam Parramatta Eels have today confirmed the signing of Kieran Foran for the next two seasons, with an option for an additional two seasons.

http://www.parraeels.com.au/news/2015/07/03/eels_statement_on_ki.html

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Whose option though? Like you, I assume it's in the player's favour but it doesn't specify does it?

 

[Noise]

Can any of those left over merkins play middle half?

 

[Obscene Assassin]

Can any of those left over merkins play middle half?

Kenny Edwards started 2014 as our middle half.

 

[yy_cheng]

Gower is the middle half now

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Kenny Edwards started 2014 as our middle half.

Yep. You just need a bloke with playmaking skills who can defend in the middle. Which doesn't include Watmough.

 

[lingard]

A lock-forward.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Watmough is a 'lock forward' - he plays in the middle and wears 13. He's just not capable of playing as a middle half.

 

[Forty20]

Watmough is a 'lock forward' - he plays in the middle and wears 13. He's just not capable of playing as a middle half.

Well I mean he is probably capable of it...or rather we got a unique Watmough-style twist on it early in the 2015 season and it was all kinds of awful. Once he shelved the rubbish pushed passes though Choc was very good for us up the middle.

With his projected workload reduced in what should be a stronger overall pack next year it will be interesting to see how he fares.

 

[Chipmunk]

Watmough is a 'lock forward' - he plays in the middle and wears 13. He's just not capable of playing as a middle half.

Surely not having a rodeo clown in the 7 jumper negates the requirement to ever see a middle rodeo clown anywhere near the club again.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It's little to do with who plays the role and mostly to do with your overall team and gameplan. If you spread the ball a lot, and want both halves running wider, it pays to have someone in the middle with a decoy runner holding up the defence.

 

[phantom eel]

Interesting how "middle half" Joseph Paulo was no longer needed as soon as our "defiicient half" Sandow departed.

With Norman on one side, Foran on the other, and Peats at dummy half, any number of players with ball skills (Edwards, Gower, even Watmough) are capable of standing somewhere in the middle and being an attacking/distributing "middle half" option.... The whole concept of "a middle half" is a bit of a nothing thing - it's what good sides can make happen naturally on any tackle.

 

[Parra47]

Interesting how "middle half" Joseph Paulo was no longer needed as soon as our "defiicient half" Sandow departed.

With Norman on one side, Foran on the other, and Peats at dummy half, any number of players with ball skills (Edwards, Gower, even Watmough) are capable of standing somewhere in the middle and being an attacking/distributing "middle half" option.... The whole concept of "a middle half" is a bit of a nothing thing - it's what good sides can make happen naturally on any tackle.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Interesting how "middle half" Joseph Paulo was no longer needed as soon as our "defiicient half" Sandow departed.

With Norman on one side, Foran on the other, and Peats at dummy half, any number of players with ball skills (Edwards, Gower, even Watmough) are capable of standing somewhere in the middle and being an attacking/distributing "middle half" option.... The whole concept of "a middle half" is a bit of a nothing thing - it's what good sides can make happen naturally on any tackle.

Not Watmough. Or Mannah, Junior Paulo, Wicks, Lussick or Terepo. But yes, Edwards or Gower, when they weren't needed on the edges.

Anyway you're correct that with Foran replacing Sandow there is less need to create space out wide. I think with Foran in the side we will play a similar structure to when Kelly wore 7 - working to the right and then shifting left. Obviously with Watmough in 13 we're not looking for a playmaker in that spot. Because as stated, we don't need one.

 

[caylo]

Not Watmough. Or Mannah, Junior Paulo, Wicks, Lussick or Terepo. But yes, Edwards or Gower, when they weren't needed on the edges.

Anyway you're correct that with Foran replacing Sandow there is less need to create space out wide. I think with Foran in the side we will play a similar structure to when Kelly wore 7 - working to the right and then shifting left. Obviously with Watmough in 13 we're not looking for a playmaker in that spot. Because as stated, we don't need one.

I don't think they ever trained for the middle half idea, i think that was just sef. Multiple times i saw norman literally flip out for sef to get out the way. What it is to me is ball playing forwards and it taught from in jnr footy. I learnt it in under 12s and im 28 now. If two forwards go up together you put doubt in thr A and B defenders minds. This means you spread the defence and have less dominate tackles and more meters made. All the best props do it, burgess boys, Scott, Graham etc. Nathan Cayless built a career on it.

Now if we are talking about throwing short passes between the forwards, all those above are capable of it except maybe Terepo.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

I don't think they ever trained for the middle half idea, i think that was just sef. Multiple times i saw norman literally flip out for sef to get out the way. What it is to me is ball playing forwards and it taught from in jnr footy. I learnt it in under 12s and im 28 now. If two forwards go up together you put doubt in thr A and B defenders minds. This means you spread the defence and have less dominate tackles and more meters made. All the best props do it, burgess boys, Scott, Graham etc. Nathan Cayless built a career on it.

Now if we are talking about throwing short passes between the forwards, all those above are capable of it except maybe Terepo.

If it was a one off fair enough, but it happened in multiple games and was pretty much how our attack was structured in 2014. So I am pretty sure it was definitely trained for.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I don't think they ever trained for the middle half idea, i think that was just sef.

It was definitely in the gameplan or he wouldn't have continued to do it, and wouldn't have continued to get picked.

Multiple times i saw norman literally flip out for sef to get out the way.

Once he wigged out because Paulo was supposed to take the tackle instead of passing.

What it is to me is ball playing forwards and it taught from in jnr footy. I learnt it in under 12s and im 28 now. If two forwards go up together you put doubt in thr A and B defenders minds. This means you spread the defence and have less dominate tackles and more meters made. All the best props do it, burgess boys, Scott, Graham etc. Nathan Cayless built a career on it.

That's right, but none of our middle forwards could do it, which is why Paulo played so much first grade.

Now if we are talking about throwing short passes between the forwards, all those above are capable of it except maybe Terepo.

If they could they would. It's a long time since we could blame Kearney for 'one out shit up the middle'. We don't have the props to pass selectively, though we do have other middle forward options now, including all these extra hookers who can play that role.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

If it was a one off fair enough, but it happened in multiple games and was pretty much how our attack was structured in 2014. So I am pretty sure it was definitely trained for.

Agreed.

 

[Gronk]

Official !

Parramatta Eels ‏@TheParraEels · 3m3 minutes ago
Great to have you in the #blueandgold @ClintGutherson ! http://eels.co/1GIHrcz