Rumoured/Confirmed Signings and More Crap XVI

[Poupou Escobar]

De Gois has been released by the side coming stone motherless last.

They might be coming last but they have reasons beyond lack of talent. They have made the finals the past two years and they are known for being strong through the middle.

But really, it's irrelevant what Cronulla is doing. Every club has good players and bad players no matter where they are on the table.

Sorry, but I just don't rate him and tbh I never have. I do trust Brad Arthur, though, so we'll see. My point is simply that we have the same quality player already in Kelly and we may as well look to youth if we're going to sign Cronullas rejects IMO

Kelly did just fine at dummy half (as you'd expect from a halfback) but he contributed to our weak defence up the middle in that second half. I agree Kelly defends well for a half but he does not defend well enough for a hooker. The difference in defensive quality between Kelly and De Gois is massive. And De Gois is only an average defensive hooker.

The point is though that we only have one specialist hooker able to play again this year (Pritchard), and he is currently injured (and injury prone). De Gois could finish the year as our third best hooker (behind Peats and Pritchard) but due to the season ending injury to Peats we need another hooker. Even if Pritchard comes back and beats De Gois to the number 9 jersey we need a backup because Pritchard could get injured again at any time.

Ultimately we've signed De Gois as a backup (Peats is chewing up most of our hooker 'budget' under the cap). Isaac De Gois is close to the best back up hooker you could hope for, which is what he will be at Parramatta for the rest of the year. We were never going to get anyone better - why would any club release a genuine first grade hooker mid year?

 

[Chipmunk]

I think Pou makes alot of great points.

If you asked someone 12 months ago who the better 9 was between Peats and De Gois, I'm guessing you would get a decent argument with the Pros and Cons of each player really.

As I have said above, at the end of the day, we have nothing to lose by signing De Gois for the rest of the season.

 

[natheel]

Why couldn't you blood Pritchard off the bench with Kelly at hooker? I just don't get the signing. I don't rate De Gois anyway. Kelly did well, and made 23 tackles with 0 misses so his defence is fine in the middle. He also offers a kicking game, which De Gois sucks at.

because we need a specialist experienced hooker not a make shift one who is a sub par half and a rookie injury prone hooker...

 

[Eels Dude]

I seem to recall this time last year people were getting excited we were chasing De Gois as a possible replacement for Keating... as a mid season signing to replace Peats, seriously, he's a good pick-up and who else is out there we could have signed that could do a better job???

 

[hineyrulz]

I'm sure De Gois is costing us SFA for the rest of the season. He is no star but an experienced rake who could add something to a very young team. Kelly did ok last night for a make shift dummy half but i thought in his second stint he was quite poor and added to our poor attack the last 20 mins. It's a win win for us as far as i'm concerned. If Kaysa wasn't so injury prone i'm sure we wouldn't have bothered but we didn't have a fit number 9 at the club. BA has been making the right calls all season and i trust his judgement.

 

[Delboy]

It is vital we gat an experienced hooker, have a look at the age and overall experience of our forwards.

Seems an excellent low risk strategy , can't expect to pick up someone like a Ballin or even a Srama for virtually nothing, think it's just what is needed

 

[The Colonel]

Kelly tired toward the end of the game. Hooker is a different position compared to playing in the halves and we have only thrown Kelly in due to the fact all the other options either took us over the second tier or were injured. Kelly wouldn't last the rest of the season at hooker and we now have a viable back up option if Pritchard, which is likely, goes down injured.

 

[tresurehunt]

http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/eels-sign-de-gois/

 

[Parramatta1947]

Happy with the De Gois signing - Kelly did better than I thought but the hooker role is a specialist role

 

[oldmancraigy]

DeGois is a great signing for the rest of the season.

175 game veteran. Solid eithout being spectacular in defence, always works hard tackling. Provides clean service to the halves.
On his day can cut a team to ribbons with his running game (his days are quite infrequent of late...)

We could not have hoped for a better mid-season pickup. Well done to all involved.

 

[Twizzle]

In the matter of Kelly V. De Gois, you would think the team will remain as is and De Gois will get a gig at Wenty with the opportunity to prove that he can force his way into the team.

A depth signing to force Kelly to play better or get dropped. The competition can only be a good thing so may the best man win.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

I think De Gois is cover for Sandow's likey SoO call up.

 

[Joely01]

I reckon the De Gois signing is pointless. No better than Matt Keating, in fact I reckon Keating is a slightly better hooker. I liked the plan Arthur had tonight, Kelly did fine and is easily as good as De Gois....but the rotation of hooker duties looked to work nicely as well.

If you honestly think the setup we had last night in the hooking role will make as challenge the top teams, you are dreaming.

We need a specialized hooker, not a set up where there is 5 different hookers every game

 

[Maroubra Eel]

Yeah for sure Twizzle. We would have bought him to be our backup for Kelly.

 

[oldmancraigy]

In the matter of Kelly V. De Gois, you would think the team will remain as is and De Gois will get a gig at Wenty with the opportunity to prove that he can force his way into the team.

A depth signing to force Kelly to play better or get dropped. The competition can only be a good thing so may the best man win.

It must be hard to change a winning team, but I would be tempted to rush isaac straight in. A real hooker is better than a makeshift one.

 

[Twizzle]

Dont think that will happen, he hasn't even trained with us yet.

 

[emjaycee]

Against a big Bulldogs pack we need a dummy half who is quick and not afraid to take a run from dummy half against tiring forwards. Sandow stepped into dummy half last night to do this a few times 'cause Kelly didn't (couldn't/wouldn't) and we need him standing off the ruck against the Dogs.

Isaac straight into the starting team for Sunday me thinks.

 

[oldmancraigy]

Dont think that will happen, he hasn't even trained with us yet.

I think it is fair to expect him to be at Monday training.....

A week in the spot, he should be able to learn the basic calls.

 

[Twizzle]

Against a big Bulldogs pack we need a dummy half who is quick and not afraid to take a run from dummy half against tiring forwards. Sandow stepped into dummy half last night to do this a few times 'cause Kelly didn't (couldn't/wouldn't) and we need him standing off the ruck against the Dogs.

Isaac straight into the starting team for Sunday me thinks.

How do you know that wasn't his instructions from the coach ?

 

[Sphagnum]

Kelly went alright but he is a soft defender up the middle. A few times he made contact and the attacker made an extra 5-10m before Kelly got help to bring them down. Needs to work on his upper body strength and tackling technique to be a legitimate hooking option longer term.

De gois is an excellent signing. Very underrated hooker for mine. Should go straight into the 9.