Rumours and Stuff

[hindy111]

If Penisini is the goods or Opacic plays well then we do not need to worry about centres.
With Fergo been told to leave and Sivo not that convincing id be more worried about wing.

I'm very keen to see how Noel Akafalou goes this season. He might be a dark horse. The kid can play.

 

[IFR33K]

Blake is also a gun operator one-on-one. It's just been f**ken hard getting him the ball in space. Especially when every time we get a quick play-the-ball or an offload it's followed by another Gutho run up the guts.

His attack isn’t the real concern. I wonder how his defensive stats at Penrith compare to his stats at the eels. I read earlier he missed the most tackles of any starting centre in the nrl, and was the third worst overall.

 

[IFR33K]

Semi used to always get a run coz he comes in looking for the ball. I remember alot of times Semi from the left wing will end up runnning down the right hand side of the field.

Fergo used to go looking for the ball too.

But somehow, that's no longer happening with our current crop of players.

I think semi was given a roaming license at times tbh.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

His attack isn’t the real concern. I wonder how his defensive stats at Penrith compare to his stats at the eels. I read earlier he missed the most tackles of any starting centre in the nrl, and was the third worst overall.

His tackle percentage has gone down since joining Parra. Stats are on NRL.com for comparison.

 

[Avenger]

His tackle percentage has gone down since joining Parra. Stats are on NRL.com for comparison.

A centre with poor defence is a massive liability. Any decent centre can become at least a great hole runner and look good in attack but poor defenders can be exposed like the proverbial.

 

[Gronk]

 

[Eelectrica]

So no retirement speech? That's a shame. If he started now I think he could finish it just in time for the GF.

Be a tight finish, but I'd back him in. Then he could deliver the GF speech for the next 6 months.

Wait...What if Matt Nable did the lead in promo to Cam Smiths retirement speech? It would be the most epicist the ever.

 

[84 Baby]

Semi used to always get a run coz he comes in looking for the ball. I remember alot of times Semi from the left wing will end up runnning down the right hand side of the field.

Fergo used to go looking for the ball too.

But somehow, that's no longer happening with our current crop of players.

It’s also not an individual thing. Anyone can come infield after a break and make a secondary dart. Gutho just does it more than others. But if we want to isolate Waqa with his backpedaling opponent then it needs to be Reed and Moses and Matto and Fergo AND Waqa rushing up (or whoever is on that side this year). Otherwise it’ll be Waqa infield against a line of retreating defence or if some but not all of our guys rush up then the opposition would at least have the numbers to cover

 

[forward pass]

It still amazes me how rarely our centres got ball in space last year. We never got to see them do their thing. Waqa is a gun with spoke space.

 

[Angry_eel]

I'd love to see what other people see with Waqa. Other than that crazy year with Penrith, I'd say he's been average. Reminds me of Daniel Wagon the way he shoots out of the line and missed the attacker.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It still amazes me how rarely our centres got ball in space last year. We never got to see them do their thing. Waqa is a gun with spoke space.

We only ever seen to shift the ball when our starting middles leave the field and we stop making metres up the guts. Suddenly our impatient hooker and halves think there must be room out wide. It does my f**king head in.

 

[lucablight]

I used to hate playing against Waqa Blake when he was at the Panthers. He’d always carve us up.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I remember some good performances from him but his record against us is 5 wins, 4 losses (marginally better than his 50% win rate overall with Penrith) and three tries.

It's an even smaller sample but his record against Penrith is 1 from 2 (worse than his 68% overall win rate with us) and a try.

 

[Gronk]

Sivo has received big offer from Racing 92 where Kurtley Beal plays.

I have to weigh up where I’ll be happy and the people I have around me,” Sivo said. “The plan is to stay here, I love this club, the coaching staff and all these guys. We’ll see how it goes.”

Turning 28 this year, fan favourite Sivo knows he needs to cash in on his next deal. Sources close to negotiations revealed Racing 92, the Paris-based Top 14 club where former Wallabies star Kurtley Beale now plies his trade, were prepared to table a two-year deal worth north of $600,000 a season.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ra...-eels-coach-about-future-20210309-p57978.html

================

It would extend his career going to rugby and double his income. Best advice is to go.

I’m guessing that our interest would come with form caveats.

Edit: Foxsports said recently that 5 clubs are courting Sivo.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/e2951d5bfbc30838a5af6a2202b8c7e9

The Orr brothers are working hard for their client.

https://www.pacificsportsmanagement.com/our-team/

 

[hineyrulz]

I used to hate playing against Waqa Blake when he was at the Panthers. He’d always carve us up.

Now I hate him when he plays for us, actually I think i just hate him.

 

[IFR33K]

Now I hate him when he plays for us, actually I think i just hate him.

Don’t go off too early mate. There’s a few more days wait

 

[T.S Quint]

For that kind of money Sivo should be packing his bags and getting on the plane as soon as he can.
No way will he ever get that kind of money here in the NRL.

 

[Incorrect]

For that kind of money Sivo should be packing his bags and getting on the plane as soon as he can.
No way will he ever get that kind of money here in the NRL.

Agreed. And if he starts the season the way he ended the last one he'd better hope the cheese eating surrender monkey union team don't see any footage because they might reduce their offer significantly... He should be signing ASAP, if indeed there is a legit offer on the table.

 

[hindy111]

If he signs elsewhere I would give Dunster preference. Or potentially blood Pensini and Blake to wing

 

[TheRam]

It still amazes me how rarely our centres got ball in space last year. We never got to see them do their thing. Waqa is a gun with spoke space.

Not only our centres, but our backrowers too.

I kept harping on about it last season like a broken record but we just aren't using our outside men well at all.

If we can learn to use our backrowers who are both more talented then most in the NRL, then the centres and wingers will naturally find more space and opportunities out wide. It beggars belief that our halves haven't concocted a thousand different plays with the backrowers yet. I believe this is the key for all our attack to finally explode into action.

Mark my words, if we can get these guys working together, with deception, slight of hand and finesse then the backline will become lethal. Shoot the whole team will be transformed into an attacking weapon.