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Knock-on Effect NSW Cup - Eels Team

Poupou Escobar

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You need some attacking talent in your team. If you can't afford the ones who are also low in f**k ups you have to make do with some rocks/diamonds type merkins. It's all about managing risk, and the less you have to spend the more risks you have to take in trying to win a premiership. I'm sure we could comfortably finish around ninth every single year if that was the goal. Aiming for top four finishes means taking a punt on merkins such as:

French
Norman
Moses
Smith

I'm sure all these guys are a lot cheaper (for us anyway) than the first-picked-for-Origin big name player at their position.
 

hindy111

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No doubt about it. All the same, he was a good club man and didn’t deserve the “who cares” comment.

But majority dont care. I surely do not. This is just a fact. He was not even Wenty standard but a back up to them. A Ron massey cup player leaves.

One guy who I reckon if was taller would of been great was the winger Tuha. A real goer.
 

hindy111

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Smith has been picked in first grade by three different NRL coaches. He was a backup for them and he's a backup for us.

He is a back up who at his best is a starter in the NRL. He just is not consistant.
His form in 2017 was great and ast NRL standards most time. Unlike others he doesnt get to play one position and get better at it. He goes from fullback to hooker to halves. He is 26 and now at his peak. Not a super star but certainly a handy utility.
If we want one on bench who prefer Taka,smith or Kaysa?
 

hindy111

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Of course. But some of us see potential as only a positive and 'double dip' when considering it as a factor to be considered. By this I mean some fans might consider an unproven rookie to be equal to a proven NRL backup, and then prefer the rookie over the backup since his potential makes him a better choice.

But his potential only makes him a theoretically equal choice, and he in fact also has the potential to be a worse player than the proven backup. Given historical trends (the number of promising youngsters who didn't even turn into quality backups) this is actually more likely.

Will Smith has played almost fifty games in the NRL, including four finals matches. He only turns 27 next year, so is at his peak. He is a far better choice to be picked in the NRL than just about anyone who's never played first grade.


And produced some MOM performances. His problem is consistency. He is certainly better then his Panthers day as far as when at his worse.
Bar one silly kick he did this season he never did a whole lot else wrong. His game against the Storm in finals 2017 was as good as any ive seen.
 

Poupou Escobar

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And produced some MOM performances. His problem is consistency. He is certainly better then his Panthers day as far as when at his worse.
Bar one silly kick he did this season he never did a whole lot else wrong. His game against the Storm in finals 2017 was as good as any ive seen.
That's right. He is capable of being the best on the field. There's not many backups you can say that about.
 

hindy111

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And the worst on the field as well. Not many backups you can say will lose you a game.

I dont think W.Smith has had to many of those games.
I agree with Pou. People get horny over rookies. I think youth is good as they seem to have a bit more energy. And they seem to go harder. Problem is they are also less likely to take control. Someone experienced can no the right time to pull off a more risky move , when to loosen things up or when to keep it tight.
 

hindy111

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People blew their nuts hard over Mahoney. I like what I saw on limited game time but I still see Kaysa as the better option if fit Kaysa has put on some size too so could be a game changer.
I wouldn't rule W.Smith out either. He might be the calming influence the team needs with guys like Moses,Brown and Gutherson or Bevan in playmaking spots.
 

Happy MEel

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Actually plenty of backups could lose you a game. That's why they're backups.
However most backups know their place in the squad and don’t try to go for the glory plays when the two halves on the field are controlling the game nicely. I reckon Smith has a higher opinion of himself than he really should.
 

Poupou Escobar

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However most backups know their place in the squad and don’t try to go for the glory plays when the two halves on the field are controlling the game nicely. I reckon Smith has a higher opinion of himself than he really should.
When Smith is in the team he is in the team to take risks.
 

Poupou Escobar

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I call bullshit on that. I don’t rate BA but I don’t think even he is stupid enough to send Smith out there to take risks in the situation we were in.
He's said plenty of time that he encourages the players to back themselves. That may have changed in 2018 because our attack got worse while making fewer errors. In 2017 we made the eighth most errors (per game). In 2018 we dropped to 12th.

The team that made the most errors per-game in 2017 and 2018? The Roosters.
 
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