GI

[Parra Guru]

Look, if we have to spend the cash then I suppose we are getting desperate, but I don't think hhis Souths deal will fall through.

However, you have to question whether or not he will honour a contract. He's a Mundine puppet after all...

 

[natheel]

i for one have no problem IF Inglis' contract is blocked by NRL for us to have a go. if we pull off the signing we would have an awesome backline

1. Hayne
2. Burt
3. Inglis
4. Reddy
5. Grothe

2 very handy playmaker types in the backline in inglis and hayne who can turn it on when ever they want.

not holding my breathe but would be a good signing

 

[Parra Guru]

Poore to start - replaced by Webb at 25 min mark.
Fui to start - replaced by mannah at 15 min mark.

Same second half.

Webb & Fui total game time each (impact/explosive) 30 min.
Poore & mannah total game time each 50 min.

I'd still give Fui and Mannah 40 mins each. IMO Mannah doen't have the fitness for a 25 min stint (he gets through a sh*tload of work)

 

[JoeyJoJo83]

But if he doesn't want to come then that fits one of the criteria.

You got me there

 

[Twizzle]

The plot thickens.

If the Tahu rumours are true then I can see why we would chase another centre.

Never a dull moment at Parra.

 

[lingard]

True. And I totally get why people are nervous with him.

But someone else put it best IMO: if we consider him a bench replacement for Caylo, all he really has to do is Caylo's work. Now, he won't get anywhere near Caylo's defensive workload (few props can IMO). But if he can make a similar impact in attack that Caylo did, we're no worse off.

And as much as I adore and admire Caylo, his running game wasn't exactly lethal in his later years. So if Carl can return similar attacking figures to what Caylo was bringing, we'll be OK.

Me too. But I`ve been wondering - and someone on here mentioned it recently - if Cayless may have been a bit of a 'soft' captain. Too much the nice guy. And has that contributed to Parramatta`s 'culture' of not being hard-nosed enough? We`ll see, I guess, but when you look at our forwards now - Shackleton, Mannah, Webb, maybe Maitua, Smith when he`s fired up, Moi Moi - man, we could have the most devestating pack in the game!

 

[lingard]

True. And I totally get why people are nervous with him.

But someone else put it best IMO: if we consider him a bench replacement for Caylo, all he really has to do is Caylo's work. Now, he won't get anywhere near Caylo's defensive workload (few props can IMO). But if he can make a similar impact in attack that Caylo did, we're no worse off.

And as much as I adore and admire Caylo, his running game wasn't exactly lethal in his later years. So if Carl can return similar attacking figures to what Caylo was bringing, we'll be OK.

Me too. But I`ve been wondering - and someone on here mentioned it recently - if Cayless may have been a bit of a 'soft' captain. Too much the nice guy. And has that contributed to Parramatta`s 'culture' of not being hard-nosed enough? We`ll see, I guess, but when you look at our forwards now - Shackleton, Mannah, Webb, maybe Maitua, Smith when he`s fired up, Moi Moi - man, we could have the most devestating pack in the game!

 

[lingard]

what would people think about hayne at fullback and inglis at centre?

That would be fine, obviously. Or you could even have Hayne fullback and Inglis five-eight, I suppose. Personally I think they are both fullbacks. But I guess the most logical thing is Hayne fullback and Inglis centre.

 

[Parra Pride]

Me too. But I`ve been wondering - and someone on here mentioned it recently - if Cayless may have been a bit of a 'soft' captain. Too much the nice guy. And has that contributed to Parramatta`s 'culture' of not being hard-nosed enough? We`ll see, I guess, but when you look at our forwards now - Shackleton, Mannah, Webb, maybe Maitua, Smith when he`s fired up, Moi Moi - man, we could have the most devestating pack in the game!

Our forward pack is easily one of the best in the league going off of last years performance, anyone who says Poore was crap obviously didn't watch a lot of Eels games, Mannah was awesome and could easily slot into the starting pack at any other club, now I say at any other club purely because I think Poore and Moimoi should be our starting props next year. Hindmarsh was a workhorse as always and I'm sure I'm not the only one who was surprised by Smith, the biggest let down from our pack in my opinion was the inconcistency of Mateo.

Mateo and Cayless are more than replaced by Webb and Maitua if they manage to play their best footy, In saying all that the one thing I think our pack could do with is a 'grub' someone like a Gallen or a Bird.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

Our forward pack is easily one of the best in the league going off of last years performance, anyone who says Poore was crap obviously didn't watch a lot of Eels games, Mannah was awesome and could easily slot into the starting pack at any other club, now I say at any other club purely because I think Poore and Moimoi should be our starting props next year. Hindmarsh was a workhorse as always and I'm sure I'm not the only one who was surprised by Smith, the biggest let down from our pack in my opinion was the inconcistency of Mateo.

Mateo and Cayless are more than replaced by Webb and Maitua if they manage to play their best footy, In saying all that the one thing I think our pack could do with is a 'grub' someone like a Gallen or a Bird.

Don't forget Shackleton.

 

[Eelementary]

Me too. But I`ve been wondering - and someone on here mentioned it recently - if Cayless may have been a bit of a 'soft' captain. Too much the nice guy. And has that contributed to Parramatta`s 'culture' of not being hard-nosed enough? We`ll see, I guess, but when you look at our forwards now - Shackleton, Mannah, Webb, maybe Maitua, Smith when he`s fired up, Moi Moi - man, we could have the most devestating pack in the game!

Perhaps. But one scenario pops to my mind that showed how much respect Cayless had:

a few years ago we were playing at Parra and the opposition had just scored. Riddell got into a slanging match with another Eel. It was quite heated. All Caylo did was raise his arm and everyone shut up.

He wasn't an aggressive captain, but he led by example - he never shirked the hard work, and he always gave 100%. Blokes like Hindy and Burty, themselves legends of this club, have nothing but great things to say about the man.

TBH I think the problem this team has had for a decade now is not in the captaincy ranks, but the overall attitudes that were instilled during Brain Smith's reign (and I love the work Brian did for us; he really put us in a good position for the future). In the 2001 Grand Final, which we SHOULD have won but couldn't, I don't think we were prepared properly. And ever since then, the side has had this "soft underbelly" to them where they seem to crumble at weird moments. Last year's GF was a perfect example - we were down at half-time, Eric Grothe scores a SENSATIONAL try of power and strength to get us right back in the game...And we give up a simple try that took away all that momentum we had gained.

Don't get me wrong - I adore this team, and will do so forever. But I get frustrated watching "professional" teams like Melbourne (ignoring the fact they're cheats) and St. George and Brisbane. They rarely choke IMO. And they go about their business with genuine precision.

On the flipside we have the Eels...Brilliant one week, crap the next; one moment's brilliance followed by a massive lapse.

I know many people who openly said that once Caylo retired, and some others such as Hindy and Burty (ie: remainders from the 2001 GF), that that "soft underbelly" mentality would go with them and we could start afresh. I, myself, am not convinced. I think this goes deeper than that.

But IMO the psychological scars of the 2001 GF wee never completely healed.

 

[mickdo]

St George rarely choke? wtf?

 

[lingard]

Our forward pack is easily one of the best in the league going off of last years performance, anyone who says Poore was crap obviously didn't watch a lot of Eels games, Mannah was awesome and could easily slot into the starting pack at any other club, now I say at any other club purely because I think Poore and Moimoi should be our starting props next year. Hindmarsh was a workhorse as always and I'm sure I'm not the only one who was surprised by Smith, the biggest let down from our pack in my opinion was the inconcistency of Mateo.

Mateo and Cayless are more than replaced by Webb and Maitua if they manage to play their best footy, In saying all that the one thing I think our pack could do with is a 'grub' someone like a Gallen or a Bird.

Gallen or Bird would be great for us. They aren`t just grubs, though. They are both very talented and skillful players - particularly Bird, who can also play five-eight. Wouldn`t be a bad combination really, Bird five-eight, Hayne fullback.

 

[lingard]

Perhaps. But one scenario pops to my mind that showed how much respect Cayless had:

a few years ago we were playing at Parra and the opposition had just scored. Riddell got into a slanging match with another Eel. It was quite heated. All Caylo did was raise his arm and everyone shut up.

He wasn't an aggressive captain, but he led by example - he never shirked the hard work, and he always gave 100%. Blokes like Hindy and Burty, themselves legends of this club, have nothing but great things to say about the man.

TBH I think the problem this team has had for a decade now is not in the captaincy ranks, but the overall attitudes that were instilled during Brain Smith's reign (and I love the work Brian did for us; he really put us in a good position for the future). In the 2001 Grand Final, which we SHOULD have won but couldn't, I don't think we were prepared properly. And ever since then, the side has had this "soft underbelly" to them where they seem to crumble at weird moments. Last year's GF was a perfect example - we were down at half-time, Eric Grothe scores a SENSATIONAL try of power and strength to get us right back in the game...And we give up a simple try that took away all that momentum we had gained.

Don't get me wrong - I adore this team, and will do so forever. But I get frustrated watching "professional" teams like Melbourne (ignoring the fact they're cheats) and St. George and Brisbane. They rarely choke IMO. And they go about their business with genuine precision.

On the flipside we have the Eels...Brilliant one week, crap the next; one moment's brilliance followed by a massive lapse.

I know many people who openly said that once Caylo retired, and some others such as Hindy and Burty (ie: remainders from the 2001 GF), that that "soft underbelly" mentality would go with them and we could start afresh. I, myself, am not convinced. I think this goes deeper than that.

But IMO the psychological scars of the 2001 GF wee never completely healed.

That`s a very interesting take on it, Eelementary; and you could well be right. The players did obviously respect Cayless, that`s for sure.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Perhaps. But one scenario pops to my mind that showed how much respect Cayless had:

a few years ago we were playing at Parra and the opposition had just scored. Riddell got into a slanging match with another Eel. It was quite heated. All Caylo did was raise his arm and everyone shut up.

He wasn't an aggressive captain, but he led by example - he never shirked the hard work, and he always gave 100%. Blokes like Hindy and Burty, themselves legends of this club, have nothing but great things to say about the man.

TBH I think the problem this team has had for a decade now is not in the captaincy ranks, but the overall attitudes that were instilled during Brain Smith's reign (and I love the work Brian did for us; he really put us in a good position for the future). In the 2001 Grand Final, which we SHOULD have won but couldn't, I don't think we were prepared properly. And ever since then, the side has had this "soft underbelly" to them where they seem to crumble at weird moments. Last year's GF was a perfect example - we were down at half-time, Eric Grothe scores a SENSATIONAL try of power and strength to get us right back in the game...And we give up a simple try that took away all that momentum we had gained.

Don't get me wrong - I adore this team, and will do so forever. But I get frustrated watching "professional" teams like Melbourne (ignoring the fact they're cheats) and St. George and Brisbane. They rarely choke IMO. And they go about their business with genuine precision.

On the flipside we have the Eels...Brilliant one week, crap the next; one moment's brilliance followed by a massive lapse.

I know many people who openly said that once Caylo retired, and some others such as Hindy and Burty (ie: remainders from the 2001 GF), that that "soft underbelly" mentality would go with them and we could start afresh. I, myself, am not convinced. I think this goes deeper than that.

But IMO the psychological scars of the 2001 GF wee never completely healed.

Agree and you also provide the answer to fixing the problem in your post. You mention St George they had exactly the same problem as the eels until they got Bennett, so just maybe Kearney may be the answer !!!

Will be interesting to see what happens with Tahu, I think kearney will make an example of him and let the side know that no-one is bigger then the team and club!!

 

[TheRam]

Don't agree at all Eelementry. You are over thinking and complicating it way to much.

Look no further than Parra not having a 5/8th or Half of note for most of the 20 plus years that we have not won a premiership.
Note that Parra got closest to the title in the years that we had a decent spine all performing at their best.

 

[lingard]

Don't agree at all Eelementry. You are over thinking and complicating it way to much.

Look no further than Parra not having a 5/8th or Half of note for most of the 20 plus years that we have not won a premiership.
Note that Parra got closest to the title in the years that we had a decent spine all performing at their best.

You mean the years we had John Simon at half and Jason Taylor at half? Yeah, we went well then. When we had Simon we also had two exceptional ball-playing back-rowers in Dymock and Smith. And an adequate five-eight - Jason Bell, wasn`t it? Damned good team that year; some no-name centres and wingers, but a damned good scrum base and forward pack.

 

[yy_cheng]

Me too. But I`ve been wondering - and someone on here mentioned it recently - if Cayless may have been a bit of a 'soft' captain. Too much the nice guy. And has that contributed to Parramatta`s 'culture' of not being hard-nosed enough? We`ll see, I guess, but when you look at our forwards now - Shackleton, Mannah, Webb, maybe Maitua, Smith when he`s fired up, Moi Moi - man, we could have the most devestating pack in the game!

this year our pack layed the platform many a times. We got in the opposition 20 easy enough and we didn't have the old problem of getting out of our half. In the past, our clearing kicks were always taken deep in our territory. THis year it was not.

But the lack of halves pairing let us down. Poor kicks both in clearing or attacking.

So basically no matter how good our pack will be next year. We don't have anyone to put the icing on the cake besides Hayne.

And if SK plays Hayne like slater (according to what people have said here), then there will be no icing

 

[Eelementary]

St George rarely choke? wtf?

In my opinion, not really. You may disagree (and that's cool, mate!) but IMO the last time I feel they genuinely choked was in 2005 (same as us).

 

[Mateo Moi Moi]

this year our pack layed the platform many a times. We got in the opposition 20 easy enough and we didn't have the old problem of getting out of our half. In the past, our clearing kicks were always taken deep in our territory. THis year it was not.

But the lack of halves pairing let us down. Poor kicks both in clearing or attacking.

So basically no matter how good our pack will be next year. We don't have anyone to put the icing on the cake besides Hayne.

And if SK plays Hayne like slater (according to what people have said here), then there will be no icing

Hayne is no Slater. Slater is a cat and does all the glory stuff well and has his speed, thats it (and I'm a Queenslander by the way). How often do you see Slater take a dummy half run or hit up into the forwards. Hayne will be the icing on the cake.

I don't mind the idea of GI coming to the Eels especially if Tahu is out. SK has an obvious connection with him and would provide some individual brilliance and a target for Mortimer and Robson to hit. A lot more than Tahu provided in 2010.