I watched the Manly V Dragons game last night. Id suggest neither of these teams are considered top 4 teams yet I saw two teams show toughness, agression and great attitude. My personal feeling is that both these teams showed more last night than our beloved Eels have shown to date in season 2019. There are some damn good teams this year and some like Penrith with enormous potential to improve . I dont think we are performing as well as some think. Definitely improved but a long way to go.
Tomorrow is a massive game for us. Its a must win and must play well game. No periods of lack of concentration or energy. I expect an awesome performance. It will show where we are heading. No excuses tomorrow.
These are my thoughts exactly. We have played well enough against crappy opposition and with a lot of help from the momentum of Ferguson at the back and then lost the last two against quality opponents who took it to us. Especially when Fergy got injured. Sure we showed some fight in both games, but that was about it.
The Canberra game was particularly very disappointing. We were out enthused, out muscled by a relatively small pack and out smarted. We were totally out classed. If we put in many more of those sorts of performances against the better teams, then the coach should not be resigned no matter what the crappy media headlines say.
This game tomorrow, if we don't win it, to me would be a very significant indicator of what this team is capable or not capable of. Sure it is football and anything can happen, but this is a huge game as we all know and we need the team to respond accordingly. If they can't rise to the occasion against a good solid team but hardly a world beater, then we are way behind where we want to be with these players and probably coach, that resigning most of them would be folly. If they can't do it, then at least try to get similar quality players that mentally can respond to instruction and occasion.
Gutho at this stage is the only player I would definitely sign on a significantly upgraded contract. Moses probably too, but not by to much. But he has definitely shown more of a level head and poise out there so far this season. But our forwards, still are not matching it for the full games against the better teams. N. Brown admittedly is a huge loss, but still the pack should be hunting better for all of the game. Something is wrong and I'm not sure if it is overall fitness, ability, lack of controlled aggression, or simply psychological, but the pack in particular need to hunt for the entire 80 mins tomorrow, or we will not get the 2 points against a very, very good defensive team if you let them be.
Motivation should not be a factor at all tomorrow, so lets see how good these players that the media are so in love with now, actually perform against a good opposition and a huge live and TV audience, with great expectation surrounding it. If we put in a disappointing performance, then I would start to look at different options and not re-sign many of these off contract players.
Just my thoughts.
