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Eels in the media

hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
148,287
Would it be crass of me to point out that you have been one of the posters calling for the club to pretty much do exactly the same thing now...?

;)
Yes :neutral_face::grinning:

But I wanted him gone at the end of last season, now we are in march he deserves at least until round 10-12 until we pull the trigger and decide on 2020.


Pretty different from what Smithy had achieved at the club in 2005. Plus we had a roster capable of winning a comp.
 

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
73,538
Yes :neutral_face::grinning:

But I wanted him gone at the end of last season, now we are in march he deserves at least until round 10-12 until we pull the trigger and decide on 2020.


Pretty different from what Smithy had achieved at the club in 2005. Plus we had a roster capable of winning a comp.

Guess what ---> :p

2005 - Brian Smith - 16 wins 8 losses.
2017 - Brad Arthur - 16 wins 8 losses.
 

IFR33K

Coach
Messages
17,002
Would it be crass of me to point out that you have been one of the posters calling for the club to pretty much do exactly the same thing now...?

;)


Like smithy went stale maybe BA has too. I guess time will tell.
 

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
73,538
2018 - Brad Arthur - 6 wins 15 loses :wink:

So 2017 wasn't pretty different to what Brian Smith achieved in 2005. I'm glad we agree then.
coffee.gif
 

hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
148,287
So 2017 wasn't pretty different to what Brian Smith achieved in 2005. I'm glad we agree then.
coffee.gif
What were the F/A of both sides???

Best indicator of a quality side, IMO we were one of the worst top 4 side of all time. The 05 side would of destroyed our 2017 rabble.
 

Kornstar

Coach
Messages
15,556
BA was only ever the cheap woolies bread to begin with. Imagine how tough to eat that would be by now???

BA has had plenty of legitimate excuses since he took on the role.

Even last year they gutted his training staff (incorrectly) and the review proved that.

He now has his team, his staff and will get his last chance to prove it. A bad start and he’s gone imo.

I for one am supporting him and i hope we start strong and play closer to 2017 standard!
 

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
73,538
Telecrap Power Rankings

13TH: PARRAMATTA EELS

2018 finish: 16th

In ancient Greece they told a story about a cursed man named Sisyphus. He was punished for his sins in life by way of rolling a boulder up an immense hill, only for it to roll back down the hill whenever he reached the top. Sisyphus was forced to repeat this ordeal for all eternity.

Now 1986 wasn’t exactly an eternity ago, but Parramatta fans no doubt know exactly how Sisyphus felt. Every time the club’s latest build seems to be coming to an end, the boulder rolls back down the hill.

We’re only 12 months removed from Parramatta being among the premiership favourites. They’d ended their finals drought in 2017 and gave that year’s mighty Melbourne Storm side all they could handle. The blue and golds had been through the salary cap hell of years past and were reborn as a powerhouse. After a decade of mediocrity and years spent propping up the rest of the ladder the glory days were back for Parra.

Then the boulder rolled back down the hill. The Eels spent all but three weeks last year in 16th spot on the ladder. Their forward pack, which was undersized in 2017 but made up for it with tenacity and toughness, were repeatedly trampled with contemptuous ease.

Mitchell Moses and Corey Norman, who worked so well together in 2017, looked like they’d never met and the spine was shuffled constantly. Nathan Brown, their best forward, played just 14 matches and Clint Gutherson took some time to work his way back after an ACL tear the year before.

The entire year was a fiasco, a disaster, a sadly familiar march to the club’s third wooden spoon and fourth bottom four finish in the last seven years. This kind of collapse was supposed to be a thing of the past — in Arthur’s previous four seasons the Eels had never won less than nine games and had a losing record just once. Were it not for the salary cap penalties in 2016 they would have made the finals twice. Semi Radradra had left town and that was a blow, but not enough to crater from the top four to the spoon.

And so, Parra have once again begin pushing the boulder up the hill. Sick of being trampled they have brought in two of the largest lads in the NRL — Shaun Lane is punching down on nearly every man in the league and Junior Paulo is a mountain somebody taught to carry a football. The Eels sorely needed players of their physical characteristics and may score the buy of the year in Paulo, who returns to the club after two and a half years with Canberra.

The Samoan international was the Raiders’ most impressive middle forward during the majority of his stay and would have entered Origin calculations had he been at a more high-profile club. Paulo is also capable of greater output than one might anticipate — playing 60 minutes per match is not beyond him.

Norman, who helped hold the club together during some very tough times, is out the door and has been replaced by the highly-regarded Dylan Brown. Apart from his initial stint with Parramatta in 2017, Moses has always worked best when he’s been given total control of a team and the Eels are betting that will be the case this season.

However, it’s worth noting that Moses isn’t some shrinking violet of a rookie anymore. This season will be his sixth in first grade and he’s played nire than 100 games. Proving his talent has never been a problem for the Lebanese international, but performing consistently has eluded him thus far in his first grade career and that’s the ingredient he needs to add to become the player he’s always promised to be.

Parramatta weren’t the kind of wooden spooners who were so utterly hopeless that their fans became resigned to multiple seasons in the doldrums. There are good players here and reasons to be optimistic.

Gutherson will start at fullback with a full pre-season behind him, Blake Ferguson will provide some of the punch and finishing ability the team has lacked since Radradra left and the club has some promising youngsters coming through including Reed Mahoney, Oregon Kaufusi, Marata Niukore and Ethan Parry. After two years at ANZ Stadium the Eels will have a real home ground again, which can’t be underestimated.

The boulder is being rolled back up the hill but there’s enough holes in the roster and question marks around the team that you could forgive even the heartiest fan for thinking it might just roll back down again.

Best XVII: 1. Clint Gutherson 2. Bevan French 3. Michael Jennings 4. Brad Takairangi 5. Blake Ferguson 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Daniel Alvaro 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Junior Paulo 11. Manu Ma’u 12. Shaun Lane 13. Nathan Brown. Interchange 14. Tim Mannah 15. Tepai Moeroa 16. Marata Niukore 17. Peni Terepo

Stat of note: If Brad Arthur coaches every game this season he will become Parramatta’s second-most capped coach ever.

The big question: Is this Brad Arthur’s last chance?

The wrap on Brad Arthur is he’s a better coach than he’s given credit for but at some point you are what your record says you are.

Arthur inherited a bad roster in 2014, navigated the salary cap scandal and copious amounts of boardroom upheaval and steered Parramatta to three winning seasons in five years while also taking them to their first finals series since 2009 and their best regular season finish since 2005.

That finals campaign in 2017 is also the club’s sole trip to the playoffs under Arthur’s watch. The 44-year-old has shown himself to be a capable coach during his time with Parramatta but given he’s off-contract at season’s end he needs results, if not a finals run, to earn a new extension.

Breakout player: Dylan Brown

Brown is a decidedly uncreative choice here given the hype the 18-year-old has attracted all pre-season but based on what he showed in the trials he’s capable of living up to the billing.

It may be a year or two before Brown blossoms into the franchise playmaker several clubs believe he’s capable of becoming but he’s physically capable of handling the top grade and backs his running game early and often — two excellent traits for any half. Brown also has a good kicking game and advanced decision making. Right now, he’s the favourite for rookie of the year.

https://outline.com/zac6uX
 

Bazal

Post Whore
Messages
99,404
Power Rankings? .... queue the hysteria!!! ... power rankings before games are played?!!! :eek:

It's a f**ken outrage!

Actually I do have one thing to say about that article....it says that on their "power rankings" we are the 13th side, which I'm forced to assume means they believe we are the 13th best side.

Yet they say we'll come last? Wouldn't that mean we're the 16th best side at this stage?
 

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